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How to make money with solar panels
Posted on: November 28, 2011Selling Solar Power Into The Ontario Grid—A Case Study Ontario MicroFIT installs can be a dream come true or a nightmare on wheels. Picking the right contractor is the most essential ingredient in the recipe for installing solar panels properly. Navigating the application and approval process alone can be time consuming and frustrating....
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Is Your Home or Business Solar Panel Ready?
Posted on: December 26, 2011A question we encounter quite frequently in talking to home and business owners is: Does solar work for my roof? While solar systems work on most roofs the answer sometimes is not that simple. This is why I am going to shed some light on this issue to give you some tools for your own roof assessment. 1) Roof Pitch The roof pitch is one of the...
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Off Grid Solar Power Storage
Posted on: December 21, 2010Although it is possible to gather energy from nature through wind and solar power systems, storing that energy has, until now, been problematic. If we are not able to utilize energy on days when the sun doesn’t shine, well then...
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Germany: A shining Example of Solar Success
Posted on: January 24, 2011How Germany's Feed-in-Tariff System has Saved Over 52 Million Tons of Carbon Dioxide There's more to Germany than beer and bratwurst ̶ it is also the greenest country in Europe. The German government had enough insight to start a feed-in-tariff system in the late nineties. The feed-in-tariff system, also employed in Ontario, provides...
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Solar Urban Legends
Posted on: December 12, 2010When Regan removed the solar panels that Carter had installed on the White House roof, he sent a clear message - that solar had not come of age. If you are making a substantial investment in your home or business, you need to consider your options carefully and, while you are considering, we thought we might enlighten you by dispelling some...
Read moreSuper Bowl XVLI: Greening Efforts Reduce Environmental Impact
Posted on: February 11th, 2012 by Nikki Fotheringham
Super Bowl Sunday, resplendent with fast food, beer, pyrotechnics and aging rock starts, is one of the sport’s calendars most extravagant events. In recent years, however, the Super Bowl has been making an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and Super Bowl XLVI was the greenest to date. The Super Bowl host committee worked hard to reduce emissions and green the surrounding communities in an effort to reduce its monumental environmental impact.
If this sounds like a tall order for an event that has to light up an enormous stadium with a rollback roof, provide food and drink and sports paraphernalia that fans can wave around before throwing in the bin, then you are right. To offset emissions from the enormous amount of electricity the stadium utilizes, 15 000 megawatt hours of renewable energy certificates were provided by Green Mountain Energy Company, a nearby wind farm and one of the nation’s oldest green energy providers. This is enough energy to power 25 million flat screen TVs for the duration of the game or allow 53.3 million households to microwave themselves a bowl of Queso cheese dip in preparation for the big game. The energy certificates will save 29 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere.
Not only will green energy power everything in the stadium from the lights to the scoreboard, but carbon offset measures will be taken to mitigate the emissions created by flying and driving the teams and support staff out to the event. The Green Mountain Energy Company is doing its bit too by donating a solar array to a local household in the Near East Side Legacy Project which aims to uplift this central city neighbourhood. “Green Mountain Energy Company has helped us reduce the overall environmental impact of Super Bowl activities,” said NFL Environmental Program Director Jack Groh. “Together, we have been able to expand the way we address greenhouse gas emissions and leave a permanent benefit to the host community.”
Ongoing efforts will see the planting of 1, 700 trees in urban areas in and around Indianapolis. This will help to reduce air pollution in the cities. Pepsi Cola is providing specially designed recycling bins at the venue to help recycle as much of the waste generated by the event as possible. Food recovery company, Second Helpings, will work to recover tens of thousands of pounds of leftover food from Super Bowl venues. The food is then re-prepared and distributed to over 60 social service organizations that use it to feed the hungry.
Tom Szaky of Treehugger calls the move to green the Super Bowl a “pleasant surprise”. He goes on to say: “I am an eco-skeptic, but I couldn’t help thinking to myself that this is something the NFL probably isn’t doing to gain new viewers. I suspect they’re doing it out of a larger sense of corporate responsibility.” Szaky also mentions the upcoming elections and the environmental impact these ‘ Super Bowl ‘ events have, making a call for all who have large events to follow the exemplary lead that Super Bowl XVLI has set.
The US military improves its carbon footprint
The military is America’s largest consumer of fuel, spending over $15 billion last year alone. It has an enormous carbon footprint and its reliance on fossil fuels encumbers progress and renders it vulnerable to attack. All that is about to change as the military adopts new energy policies that will save lives, money and the environment too.
Recent congressional directives and presidential orders are forcing the military to clean up their act. In an effort to reduce costs and improve safety, the Pentagon has ordered the military to develop weapons which are more environmentally friendly, utilize renewable energy sources, and encourage more energy-efficient behaviour from their troops.
One of the greatest motivations for the move is the growing cost of fossil fuels. In WW2, each soldier required only 1 gallon of fuel per day to function efficiently. Modern military operations utilize a staggering 22 gallons per soldier per day. The cost of providing this fuel is overwhelming. Supplying fuel for the 300,000 service men and women in Iraq in 2007 required 1,000 trucks a day and 35, 400 troops who often took weeks to drive fuel to distant outposts. The cost of each gallon could spiral to hundreds of dollars (over $400 dollars in some cases) as it had to be trucked or flown to remote areas over rugged terrain. One in eight casualties was sustained in the transport or protection of fuel convoys.
A leaner, greener military will see a reduction in costs and the carbon footprint of operations. If troops in the field are able to rely on renewable energy sources like solar, they will be more mobile and efficient.
Small portable solar arrays, which can be rolled up and easily transported, provide troops in the field with a power source for their electronic equipment. Larger solar panels are used to supply power to bases for air conditioning, lighting and electronic equipment.
The major source of consumption is vehicular and the military have been experimenting for some time with biofuels. The Navy is developing “the great green fleet” which comprises an aircraft carrier and F-18 fighter jets and helicopters that run on bio-fuels. The fleet will be deployed by 2016. By 2020, the military hopes that at least 50% of its energy will come from renewable sources.
Bases also consume massive amounts of energy, especially in areas of inclement weather. Although new buildings are already expected to attain LEED certification, the military hopes that all bases will be net zero by 2020. The military uses a two-prong approach to achieve these lofty energy efficiency targets; a reliance on the strength and insulating powers of ICFs coupled with renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal and wind energy to power operations.
General Martin E. Dempsey puts it like this: “Saving energy saves lives… Whatever and whenever our forces go into harm’s way, they must have the best tools available. Improving our energy security can help us do that, and we don’t have time to waste”
5 Solar energy developments to look forward to in 2012
Posted on: January 15th, 2012 by Nikki Fotheringham
1. Increase in solar investment
As many countries, states and provinces in North America and Europe provide incentives for home owners to install solar arrays while launching large-scale projects of their own, the solar industry will continue to grow. India is also stepping up its solar presence. This year Rajasthan will invest in various projects totalling 200 MW. Ontario’s own Recurrent Energy has secured funding for a 200 MW investment spread over 20 solar projects.
2. Not being killed by killer solar flares
NASA has issued clarifications on the predictions that increased solar flare activity could have catastrophic implications for the inhabitants of earth. They have moved the solar flare dates back to 2013 and 2014 and claim that the worst we can expect is a disruption of cell phone and GPS signals. Although they admit the possibility of blowing transformers in power grids, this is certainly a far cry from previous apocalyptic predictions.
3. Solar PV prices will come down
Solar panel prices will continue to drop, this despite the brewing conflict between the US and China over solar subsidies. In December 2011, the US International Trade Commission found that subsidies to the solar industry by the Chinese government rendered Chinese solar imports dangerous to the local economy. This clears the way for the Commerce Department to impose heavy import tariffs on Chinese-made solar products. An infuriated China pointed to US subsidies of the industry, most notably the $535 million subsidy the now defunct solar manufacturer Solyndra received from the federal government. Although this could ultimately lead to a tip-for-tat imposition of import tariffs that could drive solar prices up, several delays in imposing the tariffs by the Commerce Department are expected this year.
4. More Solar Powered Gadgets
Great gadgets are key for the spread of solar energy this year. The SolarKindle is a cover that charges your Kindle while providing a reading lamp for night reading. The Husqvarna Automower is a Roomba for your lawn which is powered by the sun. This cute little mower can cover lawns of up to 1/2 acre without any help from humans. Although it still needs to be charged, solar panels on the top of the fully automated machine will augment power supplies. Solar powered toys are also on the increase with small solar panels negating the need for batteries.
5. Exponential increase in solar efficiency
Breakthroughs in solar technology in 2011 were legion including full spectrum cells which enable solar panels to absorb light from the whole solar spectrum. Also in the offing were polymer solar cells which used textured substrate layers to improve performance by 20%. Japanese scientists took a slightly more bizarre turn, creating a non-reflective film to improve solar efficiency by using the inside of moth’s eyes as inspiration. The crowning glory of the year was the group of Stanford researches who succeeded in creating solar cells with quantum efficiencies exceeding 100% that marked the year’s most significant increase in solar efficiency.
2012 will be a solar year
The rapidity of technological advancement of solar energy coupled with dropping prices and increased financial support from governments worldwide promise to give solar its best year ever. Predictions see US growth doubling each quarter for the next year; bolstered by government investments. In 2012, it seems the future of solar is so bright, you may have to wear shades.
Solar panels set new efficiency record
Posted on: December 30th, 2011 by Nikki Fotheringham
Solar panels reach 114% efficiency
Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have created a cell with external quantum efficiency greater than 100 percent. This does not mean that the photovoltaic cell is able to produce more energy than it absorbs; not even the guys at NREL can break the laws of energy conservancy.
Instead, the quantum efficiency of the solar panel cells has been improved beyond 100%. The quantum efficiency refers to the number of electrons that are flowing out of the panel divided by the rate of photons flowing into the panel from the upper region of the solar spectrum. Translation; solar cells just became a whole lot more efficient. The technology is still in the experimental phase, but it does bolster the solar industry which already boasts impressive technological improvements in the last decade. Not only is technology racing ahead, prices are dropping dramatically too, making solar a more logical choice for many home and business owners.
This newest development strengthens solar’s bid to be a viable alternative to fossil fuels. An article by PhysOrg detailed the discovery saying; “The newly reported work marks a promising step toward developing Next Generation Solar Cells for both solar electricity and solar fuels that will be competitive with, or perhaps less costly than, energy from fossil or nuclear fuels. Solar cells based on quantum dots could increase the theoretical thermodynamic power conversion efficiency of solar cells by about 35 percent relative to today’s conventional solar cells.”
The breakthrough technology, known as Multiple Exciton Generation (MEG) utilizes a layer of coated glass, a transparent conductor, a layer of lead selenide, a zinc oxide layer and (of course) a layer of gold to achieve its record breaking solar efficiency. MEG technology works by producing more than one electron-hole pair for every proton of light absorbed by the panel. The MEG panels represent a revolution in solar technology called the Third (or Next) Generation cells.
Photons used in the experiment are only from the near ultraviolet spectrums through to the visible light spectrum (from 350 to 700). The 114% efficiency is optimum rather than sustained. Still, the MEG technology does display a phenomenal breakthrough in the industry. The technology should make solar energy one of the cheapest fuel sources to date.
Just as the renewable energy world celebrates the breakthrough, a brewing price war between the US and China threatens the affordability of solar cells. Allegations of unfairly low trading prices from subsidized Chinese solar distributors have resulted in the US government calling for trade tariffs to be imposed on imported Chinese solar technology. The Chinese have countered with allegations that the US solar industry has also been heavily subsidized, imposing import tariffs of their own in response.
A trade price war could seriously impede the solar industry’s ability to become an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels. Concerns over impending climate change and should take precedence. Countries must continue to cooperate and collaborate to make solar energy as efficient and cheap as possible. The sun and our planet belong to everyone, so should solar energy.
A question we encounter quite frequently in talking to home and business owners is: Does solar work for my roof? While solar systems work on most roofs the answer sometimes is not that simple. This is why I am going to shed some light on this issue to give you some tools for your own roof assessment.
1) Roof Pitch
The roof pitch is one of the factors that influences how much energy your solar modules will absorb. Keep in mind that we are trying to find a good balance between summer/winter. While some people are leaning towards your location’s Latitude as the optimum angle, there are others that deduct a number from your Latitude so the modules perform better in summer, when the bulk of the harvested energy is available. The reason why the optimum pitch is often below the Latitude for a location is the fact that a typical solar system in the northern hemisphere will harvest the majority of energy from April to October. Thus the modules need to be angled a bit less to hit the optimum for when the sun declination (the angle of the sun rays in relation to the equator) is quite high. Most industrial units have flat roofs and are ideal for a solar installation as the angle of the panels can be adjusted. At the end one should not put too much emphasis on this topic since most residential installations are roof-parallel. This means the pitch is given by the existing roof slope and can not be altered.
2) Orientation
The best orientation of a solar module is facing towards True South. This is ideal as you can see in the diagram, the sun’s path changes from season to season. But with the cost of solar modules coming down, roofs that are facing towards the East or West, and even in some cases North-East/North-West exposures are still producing good return rates. Businesses with flat roofs are ideal as the solar power system can be positioned to suit the sun’s path irrespective of the buildings direction. How important this maximum efficiency of a solar system is, depends on the feed-in-tariff program and the overall system cost.
3) Shading
Shade on a solar module is not a good thing and must be avoided. Modules should only be mounted on roof spaces that are not affected by partial or full shading during the core hours (10am to 4pm) of a day. Even the shadow of a telephone wire can significantly reduce your energy production. It also needs to be noted that there is no inverter technology available that can generate energy from a shaded module, contrary to what micro-inverter supporters sometimes claim.
4) Temperature
Solar modules can operate even at very cold temperatures. In fact the electric efficiency of a module increases the lower the temperature is. Most modules are rated for as low as -40 degrees C. Due to this effect you can expect very high power generation on crisp cold but clear days. Great for northern climates like ours in Ontario.
5) Dust and Dirt
Modules have a self cleaning effect when it rains. The tempered glass surface does not allow dirt and dust to stick to it once rain water runs over it. There may be exceptions when additional cleaning is required, i.e. farm operations or locations near major highways. Ensure that demineralized or rain water is used for the cleaning. Otherwise you may get calcium build up, negatively effecting the amount of light that gets through to the solar cell under the glass.
If you think your roof is solar ready or are still unsure then seek the advice of a reputable solar installer. Most companies provide you with free solar assessments and advice.
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Contributing Author
Nikki Fotheringham has been a writer for over fifteen years. Read The Rest -
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