Solar Train Stations on the way all abroad

Posted on October 24, 2010 by quest

High speed rail is on the agenda in California. Plans call for the service to run from Anaheim and end up at a new Transbay Station in San Francisco. Trains will travel between LA and San Francisco in under 2 hours and 40 minutes, at speeds of up to 220 mph. I wonder if there will be a solar power stations used like the one in Beijing. The South Railway Station began operations in 2008. It has become the largest and the most technologically sophisticated train station in Asia. Beijing South Railway Station is huge, it has 13 platforms, 24 rails and has over 3200 solar panels installed on its’ circular roof. It can accommodate up to 15 thousand passengers. It is also one of the most environmentally friendly railway stations in the world. Its solar panels will produce as much as 100 hundred kilowatt-hours of power every day.

Just announced renewable energy company Enfinity has partnered with rail operator Infrabel to start work on a solar power project on the roof of the high-speed rail tunnel along the E19 highway in Belgium. The solar energy will be used by the trains and station servicing both conventional and high-speed trains, representing a unique application of solar power in Europe. More than 16,000 solar panels will be installed on the roof of the high-speed rail tunnel stretching just over 2 miles long. The tunnel is primarily used by the high-speed train connecting Amsterdam and Paris via Brussels. Commenting on the intricacies of the project, Patrick Decuyper, CEO of Enfinity Europe said that a large technical team will install more than 16,000 monocrystalline solar panels (245 Wp per panel) on the roof with a special ballast tile structure, with no rooftop perforations required.

CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL PLANS

The roof’s total surface area is roughly equivalent to 8 football fields and is estimated to produce 3.3 mega watts of electricity per year.The project completion is scheduled for December 2010. The total investment budget is $20.1 million. There you have it solar powered train stations powering the station and the trains….California all abroad!

START RECYCLING

Caltech activates and researches solar energy

Posted on October 22, 2010 by quest

National power financier Perpetual Energy Systems and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) today announced the activation of a 1.1 mega watt (MW) solar energy system. The system is part of Caltech’s goal of 1.3MW of solar power installed by 2010. The project is expected to generate an estimated 1,646,668 kilowatt hours of clean energy in its first full year of operation. The new solar power system will eliminate approximately 1,150 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in its first year of operations, which is equivalent to removing 222 cars from the nation’s roads or planting 252 acres of trees.

John Onderdonk, Caltech’s Sustainability Manager said,“This recent installation, which brings Caltech’s total installed solar capacity to 1,300 kW represents two percent of the Institute’s energy consumption and contributes significantly to our plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020; Our agreement with Perpetual allows the Institute all the advantages of solar, but without the financial outlay for the installation and maintenance. This is a win-win situation for us and we look forward to working with them again on future solar installations.” Caltech entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Perpetual to host the solar installations, enabling Caltech to host solar with no capital outlay. Under the agreement Caltech will purchase clean solar energy produced by each installation at a predetermined, fixed rate. The system is owned and operated by Perpetual.

More than 4,500 solar panels comprise the system, which will generate electricity from the rooftops of seven structures on the Caltech Campus.The Cahill Center is one of the selected buildings and is Caltech’s first building to achieve USGBC LEED gold-level certification. Back in July U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman awarded Caltech $122 million to research solar energy over five years with a multidisciplinary team of top scientists to establish an Energy Innovation Hub; aimed at developing revolutionary methods to generate fuels directly from sunlight. The hub will include Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and will be directed by Nathan S. Lewis, George L. Argyros Professor and professor of chemistry at Caltech.

ROBERT F KENNEDY JR ON RENEWABLE ENERGY

GREEN: WEBINARS

EPA gives San Francisco Green Leadership Award

Posted on October 22, 2010 by quest

Green city by the bay San Francisco has just received the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) 2010 Green Power Leadership Award. Mayor Gavin Newsom in announcing the award said, “San Francisco’s commitment to clean energy is producing green jobs and real benefits for our City today. The economic advantages of a green economy are very tangible and we can feel the effects of clean energy in the air we breath; with each solar panel, day-by-day, we’re fueling San Francisco’s transformation into a green economy powered by increasingly clean, renewable energy.” In the past the EPA has given San Francisco other awards , including an award for its Moscone Convention Center Solar Array.

The EPA Green Power Leadership Awards recognizes winners in several categories such as; Green Power Partner of the Year; On-site Generation; Green Power Purchase, and Green Power Community of the Year. The City of San Francisco was one of only two organizations nationwide to receive a Leadership Award for the on-site generation of green power. By using more than 25 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually from its biogas facilities and nine municipal solar installations the City has become a nationwide leader. These solar installations are located on nine facilities and rooftops throughout the City, including the City’s largest reservoir and the San Francisco International Airport. San Francisco is soon set to begin generating up to 5 megawatts (MW) of solar energy at the Sunset Reservoir Solar Array just completed by Recurrent Technologies at what will be California’s newest and largest municipal solar project (nearly 24,000 solar panels).

Speaking for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) General Manager Ed Harrington said, “We’re honored to accept this Green Power Leadership Award. Our solar and low-impact hydroelectric projects, as well as our ongoing wind and wave power studies are making San Francisco a focal point for emerging technologies that are greening our economy and power.” The SFPUC is responsible for the installation and operation of the City’s renewable energy generating network. San Francisco is also currently studying the feasibility of offshore wave power generation.

WAVE ENERGY

NEW WATER

New solar solutions to offer lower costs and options

Posted on October 20, 2010 by quest

New advancements in solar technology continue to find their way to the market. From the recent Solar Power International show comes “stick on solar introduced by Lumenta a California roofing and solar developer. The stick on the roof solar mounting system called Power Ply “Peel and Stick Solar” means no more drilling holes in your roof to install solar panels. Lumenta also designs solar panels systems that integrate into tiled roofs.

From MIT researchers are creating a device that will help manufacturers design window systems that bring more daylight into buildings while controlling incoming solar radiation. The result should be significant energy savings and more contented occupants and the new solar blinds business. Solar blinds and spray on solar options are part of the next generation of solar solutions that offer some alternative energy creation.

More than a third of the energy used in the United States is consumed in buildings, and 25 to 40 percent of that third is used to run electric lights. In many cases, daylight could be used instead. “Depending on the building and how it’s used, a good daylighting strategy can reduce the need for energy-consuming electric lighting by 20 to 80 percent,” said Professor Marilyne Andersen of the MIT Department of Architecture.

VISIT THE SOLAR WALL

This BP Thing

Posted on October 20, 2010 by quest

It’s been just over six months since the BP oil rig explosion released well over 200,000,000 gallons of toxic oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The figure is staggering, making it the largest environment accident in US history. What is also mind boggling is that according to the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) Americans use 800 million gallons of oil a day. 800 Million PER DAY. Now that’s a serious habit. If there’s a silver lining to every dark cloud maybe, just maybe this tragedy can be a catalyst to begin an honest national discussion about how we move the nation forward in what’s still a new century.

Solar, renewable energy and climate change are issues that must be addressed and yet there is the need to explore the economic condition of what’s happening now in the Gulf.

This month NRDC, Story Corps and Bridge the Gulf went to the Gulf region to interview and share the stories and experiences of those living through the BP oil disaster. What you will see and hear is not traditionally heard in the mainstream media. The NRDC hopes that by getting these stories out there we all can help prevent another BP oil rig explosion.

GEORGE BARISICH – THIS BP THING

NRDC is a well established and highly regarded international environmental action organization. Founded in 1970 by a group of law students and attorneys at the forefront of the environmental movement NRDC lawyers helped write some of America’s bedrock environmental laws. With the support of 1.3 million members they use law, science, policy experts and and online activists to protect the planet for all living things.Today they operate in Beijing, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington.

GET INSIGHT

Thin film solar business rising

Posted on October 15, 2010 by quest

3M has announced the expansion of its Ultra Barrier Solar Film manufacturing. 3M has always had its hand in the film market so it just seems natural to see them further expand into the thin film solar market. As a key component supplier to the solar industry, this expansion will support the growing demand for high performing flexible PV modules. The majority of the facility expansion will be located in Columbia, Missouri. Designed to address the needs of flexible thin film solar manufacturers, 3M Ultra Barrier Solar Film acts as a replacement for glass. Compared with glass-glass modules, large area, light weight flexible PV modules manufactured with 3M Ultra Barrier Solar Film can achieve significantly lower costs by requiring less installation time, removing the need for metal racking, and reducing logistics expenditures.

Derek DeScioli, Business Development Manager for the 3M Renewable Energy Division. “3M is a recognized leader in ultra barrier film technology, and we are committed to accelerating our efforts to support the scale-up of our thin film manufacturing customers.We are a recognized leader in ultra barrier film technology, and we are committed to accelerating our efforts to support the scale-up of our thin film manufacturing customers.”

3M’s Renewable Energy Division offers 100 years of combined expertise in coatings, film, tape, adhesive and optical technologies to the rapidly expanding renewable energy and energy efficiency markets worldwide. With all that’s going on at 3M and thin film technology one wonders what Kokak is up to?