U S Military Has 7 Gigawatts Of Solar Energy Potential

Posted on January 17, 2012 by quest

The Department of Defense could generate 7,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy—equivalent to the output of seven nuclear power plants—on four military bases located in the California desert, according to a study released today by DoD’s Office of Installations and Environment. The year-long study, conducted by the consultancy ICF International, looked at seven military bases in California and two in Nevada. It finds that, even though 96 percent of the surface area of the nine bases is unsuited for solar development because of military use, endangered species and other factors, the solar-compatible area is nevertheless large enough to generate more than 30 times the electricity consumed by the California bases, or about 25 percent of the renewable energy that the State of California is requiring utilities to use by 2015.

DoD is seeking to develop solar, wind, geothermal and other distributed energy sources on its bases both to reduce their $4 billion-a-year energy bill and to make them less dependent on the commercial electricity grid. Such on-site energy generation, together with energy storage and so-called smart-microgrid technology, would allow a military base to maintain its critical operations “off-grid” for weeks or months if the grid is disrupted.

The ICF study looks in detail at the seven DoD installations that are located in California’s Mojave and Colorado deserts: Fort Irwin, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, the Marine Corps’ Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, Edwards Air Force Base, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and Naval Air Facility El Centro. The study also looks at two Air Force bases located in the Nevada desert, Creech and Nellis. Read the full report: Executive Summary – Solar Energy Development

ASU Building Megawatt Solar Power Plant

Ed Begley Jr. Shinning For Panasonic Solar 

Posted on January 10, 2012 by quest

Jim Doyle, President of Panasonic Eco Solutions North America has announced an exclusive brand license and endorsement agreement with noted environmentalist endorsement of Ed Begley Jr. for Panasonic HIT solar panels. “Mr. Begley is not only a well known actor but his view of helping the environment matches Panasonic’s mission to be the number one green innovation company in the electronics industry by 2018, the 100th anniversary of the company’s founding. Ed will be a recognizable and trusted voice to the customer about how they can help the environment by installing solar panels.”

“Environmental lifestyles have changed much over the past few years. Solar has become an alternative to people who want to do something sustainable in their lives as well as save money. Solar can help them do both with quality solar panels like Panasonic’s HIT, government incentives, and solar leasing,” said Mr. Begley. “This agreement will help me reach customers and educate the public on the benefits of going solar. It has always been my mission to help people make greener lifestyle choices, and consequently create a brighter, healthier future for all of us.”

HIT stands for “heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer”, and the solar cells used are a hybrid with a unique structure comprised of a thin mono-crystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. HIT solar modules are known for having one of the world’s highest conversion efficiencies and excellent temperature characteristics, allowing HIT modules to generate more power throughout the year, even during peak summer months, compared to other types of crystalline modules. The panels were originally developed by Sanyo Electric, which Panasonic Corporation acquired on April 1, 2011.

California Focusing On 2020 Solar Vision

Solar Energy Expanding In Developing Nations

Posted on January 10, 2012 by quest

Currently, 600 million people in Africa live with no access to electricity. The enormous solar energy potential in Africa is currently underutilized, and only accounts for less than 2% of installed world solar facilities or solar / wind farms. Of the fossil energy sources that are exploited in Africa, only 25% of oil production is consumed locally. Limited energy development in the region has resulted in one of the lowest use of modern energy sources. More than 75% of sub-Saharan Africans have no access to electricity, compared to fewer than 15% of Latin Americans and East Asians. Sunbelt International can facilitate current efforts to spur economic growth and reduce poverty by providing the region with a needed energy supply.

Sunbelt International has announced expansion through the developing nation initiative. The company announced today that they will offer a wide service range through the Operation Network to provide critically needed local Turbine and Solar PV services and technical support to the energy users in Africa. Sunbelt International president Fang Soo Lui realizes the potential this initiative has for both the company and the end users. Mr.Lui has had several meetings with the Developing Nations and Aid organizations who are planning to invest in the future of developing countries, and exploit Africa’s huge energy potential as a weapon against poverty.

Developing countries are a large market for the sustainable energy systems provided by Sunbelt International. Due to poor infrastructure, and large initial investment requirements, only 7 percent of the potential market is being reached. At least half of the African Continent’s 53 countries could profitably produce Wind / Solar energy. Sunbelt International is pleased to reach these markets to provide sustainable energy solutions.

Dubai Launches $3.27 Billion Solar Project

Solar Forces Unite

Posted on January 9, 2012 by quest

The Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the solar energy industry, recently announced that it has officially merged with the Solar Alliance, an advocacy organization committed to establishing solar policies at the state level. Effective immediately, the Solar Alliance will operate under the SEIA brand in an effort to present a unified solar industry voice in all advocacy efforts at the state level. Carrie Cullen Hitt, president of the Solar Alliance, is now Vice President for State Affairs at SEIA, and the Solar Alliance team joins Hitt as part of SEIA’s new department for State Affairs.“The solar energy industry is expanding and it is critical for SEIA to mirror this growth and put our resources and expertise into developing state policy that expand markets for solar energy,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “Adding Carrie Cullen Hitt and her top-notch staff to the SEIA team is a critical step as we continue to scale the U.S. market and move toward our goal of installing 10 gigawatts of solar annually by 2015.”

“We have tremendous opportunities for opening markets for solar across all regions,” said Hitt. “With the Solar Alliance now a part of SEIA, we have the unified voice that is necessary on the policy front – both in Washington and in the states – to really take the U.S. solar industry to the next level.” Additionally, SEIA has established more formalized, collaborative relationships with nearly a dozen state and regional SEIA chapters to coordinate efforts. While the state and regional SEIA chapters remain wholly independent entities, this partnership brings additional resources and coordination on efforts that align with SEIA’s policy goals in the states.

In 2012, SEIA will present a unified voice in policy issues ranging from international trade, extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Program, and improved access for solar developers on public lands to the policy efforts in the states. State efforts will entail a number of different policy efforts including net metering, a financial tool for recognizing value of distributed generation on the grid, and removing barriers to grid interconnection and permitting. The combination of state and federal policy has driven access to energy markets for solar project developers across the country. In 2010, 17 states installed more than 10 megawatts of new solar capacity compared to only four in 2007.

EPA On Lead-Safe Renovation Requirements

New Energy Solutions At Las Vegas CES

Posted on January 9, 2012 by quest

A cleaner and smarter energy future – available today – is on display at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.“Consumers have the power to move clean energy forward,” said Jason Few, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of NRG. “We are making solar power and electric vehicle charging easy and affordable. We’re empowering consumers with information, tools and plans to help them manage the electricity that runs all the incredible innovations at CES. With our investment in large-scale solar generation and repowering our generation fleet with cleaner technologies, we are forging a more sustainable energy future.” NRG is at the Consumer Electronics Show for the second time to highlight how innovations from NRG and two of its consumer businesses – electricity retailer Reliant and electric vehicle charging network eVgo – are pioneering cleaner, smarter energy choices for consumers.

NRG’s interactive exhibit features the largest gadget ever seen on the CES floor, The Reliant Smarter Home on Wheels. In addition, the prototype of DeLorean’s DMCev, the all-electric version of one of the most iconic cars in automotive history, will be on display at the NRG booth. In the ‘Human NRG’ backyard at the NRG CES booth visitors and people linked in through social media will be able to use their energy to help raise funds for two national charities, Rebuilding Together and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In addition, those who visit the booth in person or via Facebook will have the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to Houston to drive the prototype DeLorean DMCev, the only automobile of its kind in the world.

The NRG booth at CES features The Reliant Smarter Home on Wheels, Electric Vehicle Charging at Home and On the Road, The Human NRG Backyard and Solar for Consumers – the nation’s largest developer of solar energy – on top of the Smarter Home on Wheels show how solar is working – today. NRG and its retail businesses provide consumers with options that make solar easy, affordable and convenient without a large upfront investment as well as options that allow consumers with solar installations to sell electricity back to the grid.

Maui Welcomes The Power Of Solar

SunPower Expands Its Global Solar Shine

Posted on December 27, 2011 by quest

SunPower Corp the Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, just recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tenesol SA, a global solar provider headquartered in La Tour de Salvagny, France. Tenesol, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total SA, has operations in 18 countries and solar panel manufacturing facilities in France and South Africa.

“Our acquisition of Tenesol is another step toward differentiating ourselves in the competitive solar market, further expanding our downstream presence and benefiting from the strong backing of Total,” said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “We said on day one that the partnership with Total would provide strength to our balance sheet, access to new markets and investment in research and development. In six short months, we have seen these benefits accrue to SunPower.””Combining the activities of Tenesol with SunPower is a step forward in Total’s strategy to become a world player in the promising solar industry,” said Philippe Boisseau, president, Total Gas and Power Division. “SunPower brings the world’s highest efficiency, highest reliability technology to market with guaranteed performance. Tenesol’s well-established channels, manufacturing base and complementary global footprint will help expand SunPower’s market reach and accelerate its share gain during market consolidation.”

Under the terms of the agreement, SunPower will acquire Tenesol from Total for $165.4 million in cash. Concurrently with the closing of the acquisition, Total has agreed to purchase 18.6 million shares of SunPower common stock in a private placement at $8.80 per share, a 50 percent premium to SunPower’s December 22, 2011 closing price. The transaction has been approved by an independent committee of SunPower’s board of directors and is expected to close early in 2012 following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. SunPower expects the acquisition will positively affect its financial position in 2012. After the sale of Tenesol, Total will own approximately 66 percent of SunPower’s common shares.

Eco Friendly New Years Eve

Climate Change 2011 Year in Review