simplifying solar panel installation

image credit: San Francisco Sentinel

Solar Red, a start up solar power company based out of San Jose, CA is making some bold claims about reducing the cost of installing solar panels up to 25% through their interesting plug and play mounting bracket that interleaves into residential roofing shingles during construction or can be retrofitted into residential roofs. According to the company it would cost you $825 in additional costs to make a new roof solar ready through their solar mounting product line.

Once the Solar Red mounting brackets are installed, compatible solar panels can be simply clicked into place, saving thousands of dollars in reduced installation costs claims the company. Traditionally adding solar panels onto your roof require bolting of racking and complicated wiring that can take up precious time which adds to the upfront cost of going solar.

Solar Red's intent with their mounting products is to shorten the learning curve so that roofers and construction workers can install solar panels with ease, which would help solar go mainstream wouldn't you agree? Companies like Solar Red that are focusing on making the installation process easier can significantly add value to the solar power industry if they can develop a product that lives up to the aggressive claims Solar Red has made. What do you think?

samlex grid tie inverters

Samlex has been widely known for their off-grid inverters, until the company released the Soleil Grid Connected PV Inverter product line. The soleil 2000 grid tie inverter is a 2000 watt inverter that has a built in remote monitoring software, which can be connected to a computer via RS 232 cable, this way the inverter will output system statistics to your computer, so you can always know how much electricity your generating.

The grid tie inverter has Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) built in, typical of most grid tie inverters on the market today. MPPT maximizes the energy you can harvest from your solar array. The most interesting aspect of the soleil 2000 is the design is compact and lightweight which makes it one of the most simple and cost effective grid tie inverter on the market today.

What do you think about the soleil 2000 grid tie inverter?

standoff solar panel mounting 101

SSI Solar Rack Mount

As we have discussed in the past, keeping your solar panels cool is important to receiving the maximum efficiency out of your solar electric system. How you mount your solar panels on your roof make a difference on how cool they will operate. Standoff mounting is the most popular method of mounting solar panels on sloped roofs.

Standoff mounting works by attaching standoffs to the roof's structural support which holds rails, solar panels are mounted on top of the rails. The standoff allows a space of three and five inches between the solar panels and the roof. Keeping space between your solar panels and the roof serves an important function by allowing air circulation which keep your solar panels running cool.

Californians leading the country in solar panel installations

image credit: "SMA Solar Technology AG".

In 2008, Californians installed double the capacity of solar power then the year before according to a report released today by the the California Solar Initiative (CSI). Homes and businesses installed 158 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity last year, despite the recession there is still a strong demand for residential solar electric systems. In December 2008 a record number of Californians put in rebate reservation forms, to secure incentives for their solar electric systems.

Solar energy is not only successful in California because of it's sunny climate, but more importantly the rebates they offer. For example, even though Los Angeles has more solar irradiation then San Fransisco, SF has more solar panels installs than LA. Since SF gives out a rebate on top of the CA state rebate and federal tax credit. Incentives are driving the demand for solar panels here in California. Other states have not put together incentive programs that can match California's rebate program, why do you think that is?

With record corporate layoffs this week and the economy continuing on a downward trend, what do you think is in store for solar power in california this year?

don't forget days of autonomy

Off grid systems are confusing to put together because you have to precisely calculate the size of the battery bank, its important the battery bank has enough capacity to power your loads especially during days of limited sun exposure. The term days of autonomy means the number of days a battery bank can provide the appliances you have connected to the system without a recharged by the solar panels.

The system's location is important to determine how the number of "no sun days" which is an important variable to figure out the autonomy. The general rule for days of autonomy is 2 to 3 days for non-critical loads and 5 to 7 days for critical loads. The downsides of a off-grid solar electric system is when you have periods of limited sun and your days of autonomy is not evaluated properly you will have to ration the power stored in the battery bank until the weather gets better.

350w RSi SuperPV Glass displayed at go green expo

Over the weekend I stopped by the go green expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The most interesting solar power product I saw was the Rainbow Solar Incorporated (RSi) SuperPV Glass, which the company calls the "window of the future".



There are a few companies in the solar industry that are working on Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) which means implementing solar cells into existing building materials. What makes the PV Glass from RSi Solar unique is the company claims the 350w Solar PV Glass can not only produce electricity from sunlight but also generate electricity from the heat.

Traditionally heat has been a problem for solar cells, since performance decreases as solar temperature increases, how does RSi turn the heat into electricity? That is pretty phenomenal, wouldn't you agree? RSi representatives would not comment on how the panel



RSi also had a thin film SolarPV Glass on display which allowed light to pass through but still generates electricity. According to the company the solar glass product line has efficiencies between 12 to 13%. Don't expect RSi to sell their unique SolarPV Glass products directly to you, because they are in the business of licensing their technology to glass manufacturers who will turn the technology into finalized products. What do you think? Are you looking at the "window of the future"?

small solar panels make a big impact

I wanted to take today to highlight the important work of one of our 501(c)3 non-profit customers the Mujeres de Maíz Opportunity Foundation based out Sequim, Washington. The organization's mission is to improve the lives of the indigenous young women of the Mujeres de Maíz en Resistencia Cooperative in one of the poorest states in Mexico called Chiapas.

The cooperative is a group of seamstresses from eight villages in Chiapas, who get together every couple months to exchange knowledge and practice computer skills. Many of the streamstresses have to sew through the night which is difficult due to the lack of electrical power, which forces the streamstresses to use expensive and dangerous kerosene lamps.



The Mujeres de Mujeres de Maíz Opportunity Foundation took an interesting approach to solve the lighting problem for the streamstresses by donating Everlite Solar Compact Spotlights which are basically a highly efficient LED light with a nickel-metal hydride battery and small solar panel. Now, thanks to the Mujeres de Maíz Opportunity Foundation, the streamstresses have access to solar electricity which replaces kerosene oil, an expensive item for the poor women to purchase.

This is a great example how even the smallest scale of solar power can make a big impact for people in developing countries, don't you agree? I think solar power has the largest opportunity to help the billions of people in the world who have no access to power, what do you think?

Make a donation to Mujeres de Mujeres de Maíz Opportunity Foundation, as you can see from the foundation's work they can turn a small donation into a big difference. A little money goes a long way in Chiapas.

the ability to print solar cells

Solterra Renewable Energy Technologies is on a mission to lower the cost of solar cells by introducing thin film quantum dot solar cells, which supposedly can cut the production costs of solar cells in half. Quantum Dot PV Solar Cells is an advanced manufacturing process which not only lowers cost, but increases solar cell efficiency by allowing the solar cell to capture a broader spectrum of light. The manufacturing process of quantum dot PV solar cells is similar to low-cost screen printing or the way inkjet printers work. The ability to print solar cells onto inexpensive substrates is the key to Solterra's patented manufacturing process, which is the key reason they are able to print the cost per watt down significantly.

Don't get excited yet, this company is far from developing product for the mass public and has no efficiency data to backup the expected results of their product line. Although it will be an interesting solar technology to follow since printable solar cells can change solar power products overnight. What do you think about the ability to print solar cells onto virtually any substrate? What will quantum dot solar cells do to solar technology and most importantly the consumer?

are solar panels bad for the environment?

I've been seeing an increased number of articles and news stories on TV about how "green" solar panels really are. There is a group of people out there discrediting the solar power industry, since manufacturing process is very chemical intensive. Yes, it's true that chemicals that could hurt the environment, but only if the company manufacturing the solar panels have bad practices of handling and disposing of the chemicals. Many of the solar panels that are made here in the USA have strict standards of how to handle waste. In fact, Evergreen Solar claims their manufacturing process is the most environmentally friendly because of their high standards towards chemical disposal and unique manufacturing processes.

On the other hand, some Chinese solar panel manufacturers last year got caught red handed dumping chemicals into nearby villages. But I suppose Chinese manufacturers in general are notorious for poor environmental standards, don't you agree? Even though Chinese solar panels are some of the most cost effective on the market, depending on the company, there might be an environmental impact behind the lowest cost.

The standard crystalline solar panel have an extremely long life time, they last for at least 25 years and upwards to 50 years and 95% of the solar panel is recyclable including the silicon, glass, metal frame and copper wiring. Not to mention the years of clean energy the solar panel would produce offsetting coal powered generation. So even though the process of making a solar panel is chemically intensive, on the flip side each solar panel once installed and generating electricity is helping clean up the environment.

What do you think? Is the media just blowing things out of proportion or do they have a valid point? please discuss!

The Photensity Solution

What if you could divide the sun's rays into three different energy streams? Commercial buildings, which are associated with large carbon footprints and high energy bills can take advantage of BrightPhase Energy's Photensity which is a crossbred of energy efficiency and a solar panel. The unique looking solar panel not only generates electricity but can be used for heating water and the building itself.

The most interesting feature of the solar panel is the daylighting technology, which provides natural lighting for the building that augments traditional interior lighting, thus reducing the building's lighting load. Confused? Check out how the Phototensity works.




According to the company, combining solar energy and energy efficiency in a single solar panel provides 2X - 3X better rate of return than solutions that just produce a single energy form. A building owner can reduce up to 50% of there energy bill through an all-in-one solution like the Photensity and depending on the installed conditions may bring down the break even point to less than 4 years! We're seeing more of these "all-in-one" solutions being developed lately, do you think all-in-one systems will play a significant role in the future?

Minnesota looking towards LEDs to reduce costs

With the economy in a downturn, everyone's tightening their belts, especially local governments. Minnesota's government is focusing on reducing their energy usage to lower their monthly energy bills. The city of Minneapolis is currently testing LED Bulbs in streetlights, since they make up 40% of Minneapolis's electric bill. The LED Bulbs that are being tested last 10 times longer than CFLs, contain no mercury (a toxic element found inside CFL bulbs), and only consume from 2 to 10 watts of electricity depending on the size.

If the test of the LED Bulbs is successful the city will move forward and replace all their bulbs to LEDs. This test is good example of what you can do at your home or business, LED bulbs reduce replacement costs due to their long lifetime and only requires a fraction of the electricity to operate. What do you think about LED Bulbs? Have you used them? Do you think the city of Minneapolis will see postivie results from their LED test?

wind turbines present at Obama's inaugural

(Photo: Business Wire)

The United States Botanic Garden a couple blocks away from today's historic inaugural for quite some time have had two wind turbines installed, although today they got special attention from the president himself as he mentioned solar and wind power in his acceptance speech. Hopefully the millions of people who went to Capitol Hill for Obama's inaugural noticed the Skystream 3.7 and Mariah Power’s Windspire small scale wind power systems.

The Skystream 3.7 shown in the picture above is a horizontal axis wind generator which has a built in grid tie inverter. The generator makes most financial sense in regions which have at least 10MPH average wind speeds. The Skystream 3.7 also has the ability to wirelessely transmit inverter data which enables the owner to monitor the performace of their wind power system through their computer.


(Photo: Business Wire)

Mariah Power’s Windspire on the other hand is a vertical axis wind turbine is a complete 1.2 kW wind power "appliance", which includes the turbine, generator, grid tie inverter, pole and stand, WiFi to monitor performance and a 5-year warranty. Even though this wind turbine looks really great, there is one drawback to this new style, it has limited initial test data, therefore customers are early adopters of vertical axis wind turbines.

Hopefully Obama's administration can secure the capital it needs to execute projects that support the development of a renewable energy market in America which will enable more homes and businesses across America to use the small scale wind power systems to contribute to the grid versus being a liability to it. What do you think?

generate electricity from both sides

What if both sides of a solar panel could generate electricity? That's the question Sanyo asked when they developed the Sanyo HIT Double, bifacial solar panels. These type of solar panels are unique because the back of the solar panel catches ambient light reflected off surrounding surfaces, and combines with power from the front face of the solar panel. Depending upon system design, the project site and installation, bifical solar panels from Sanyo may result up to 30% higher power generation, which means you'll generate more kWh per square foot.

What type of applications could you benefit with a bifacial solar panel? Sanyo suggests , Awnings, Balconies, Bus Shelters, Walkway Covers, Deck & Porch Coverings, Canopies, Carports, Trellises, Fences, Facades, Siding, Trellises, Tracking Systems, BIPV, Ground Mount, Roof Mount, Skylights. What can you think of? How could you take advantage of a solar panel that could generate electricity from both sides?

Is LG going to make solar panels?

LG, a company known to develop great household electronic devices such as cell phones, TVs and refrigerators and many other appliances is moving closer to their entry into renewable energy. The company has been investing heavily into research and development into solar power and has recently secured a relationship to buy silicon wafers from REC Group, a Norwegian solar power product developer.

LG has been slowly scaling up their operations to get to a point in which they can start selling solar panels with the LG brand name. This is great to hear because its such a familiar brand name in the consumer market and I think would encourage more people to look into solar panels. What do you think about LG getting into the solar panel business? Do you think we'll ever see Sony getting into the solar panel business soon? According to LG they see solar energy as a new growth engine for the company. What a powerful statement.

Spherical Photovoltaic Solar Cell

Solar cells on the market today are just plain flat, although on the other hand when sunlight hits the earth's surface it's diffused into the environment which is why traditional flat solar cells cannot take much advantage of indirect light. Kyosemi Corporation a Japanese solar cell developer is creating a "spherical" solar cell that will be more efficient collecting light at all angles due to its unique round shape.

The sun travels across the sky in many different positions based on the season and the time of day therefore it's critical that solar cells can absorb as much light as possible. Round cells give a solar panel the ability to catch reflected light and diffused light thus making the solar panels much more efficient. According to Kyosemi, the spherical solar cells also involve lower costs to produce then typical solar cells due to a simpler manufacturing process. The company claims the holy grail for the solar industry, a more efficient solar cell at a lower cost.



The spherical solar can bring new possibilities to solar power as we know it, wouldn't you agree? It's about time that someone got creative with the shape of a solar cell, because flat is just plain boring and rudimentary, what do you think?

tax refunds for solar and wind power?

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) had a conference call recently to talk about restructuring of the wind and solar tax credits to make them more favorable in today's bear market. In October of last year, congress extended wind and solar power tax credits and removed the $2,000 cap on residential installations.

Although the extension of the tax credits for wind and solar power was a positive step towards helping renewable energy become mainstream, not everyone can take a tax credit, you have to have a tax liability to take advantage of a tax credit and putting today's economy into perspective, not many people are going to be able to take advantage of the credit. The solar and wind industry associations are encouraging Congress and the Obama administration to covert the tax credit into a tax refund.

A tax refund is the mother of all financial incentives because it would mean the federal government would send you a check for installing a wind turbine or solar panels, the results of converting the tax credit into a refund are obvious. Do you think the solar and wind power can convince the federal government to pay you to install a clean energy system?

solar power lab at arizona state university

Arizona's solar dream of becoming a leader of solar power is one step closer today. Arizona State University (ASU) opened a photovoltaic (pv) testing facility back in 1992. Although, today ASU announced a partnership with TUV Rheinland Group, a German testing company has upgraded ASU's old testing center into a world class certification lab for solar electric products.

Researchers at the lab are testing solar panels for their resistance to hail, rain, frost, falling objects, power output and efficiencies. The solar researchers are putting solar panels to the test in the lab not holding back by taking each product through the extremes to make sure the products used to provide your home or business clean energy are going to perform as expected.

This is such a great resource for the solar industry and consumers alike, reliable information needs to be accessible for people to make confident decisions in solar electric products. I really want to visit the new TUV Rheinland PTL lab and get a first hand experience of vigorous tests that solar panels are put through. What types of test would you like solar electric systems to go through?

solar roof tiles that look cool

There are a few solar roof tiles on the market, but I got to say, Lumeta Solar makes a very slick looking roof tile that flushes right into your roof. The concept of integrating solar cells into an existing building materials is called building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Each of the Solar Tile eliminates 3 traditional tiles and have a peak power output of 28 watts.There are 12 monocrystalline silicon solar cells per solar roof tile, the electrical connections are contained in the bottom end of the tiles. The Lumeta Solar Tiles can be connected together via standard quick connectors.

The key benefits of Lumeta Solar Tiles are they minimize roof penetrations and reduce balance of system costs because there is no mounting hardware to buy. People who want to generate clean electricity but do not want to give up the looks of their roof would find the Lumeta Solar Tiles interesting because it overcomes a problem some customers have with traditional solar panels, aesthetics.



Lumeta makes flat concrete and clay tiles to fit the most common roofs. What do you think about Lumeta's Solar Tile products? Do you prefer solar roofing tiles over traditional solar panels?

solar panel sales up, even with lower gas prices

I've been reading a lot of articles lately about people making assumptions the economy and low gas prices are crippling solar panel sales. That's untrue, because there is an increased tax credit for homeowners who install solar electric systems, on top of that more states and even some progressive cities are offering people rebates. I think some optimistic customers who are on the fence of buying a solar electric system are expecting Obama to release even more money to encourage people to buy solar. Do you think Obama will stimulate solar sales?

Not to add this year solar panel prices are expected to drop significantly, which will also increase the demand. Gas prices are not related to electric rates, for example even though oil prices have bottomed out the price for groceries are still higher then ever before. The point I am trying to make is that electric rates are not forecasted to drop anytime soon, in fact I have seen many utilities announcing rate hikes. What do you think, will more people go solar in 2009 then last year?

produce electricity & heat water, one solar panel

Traditionally there have been two types of solar panels, a type that can produce clean electricity or heat your water. Entech Solar has developed a new type of panel that can not only produce electricity but it can also heat your water, killing two birds with one stone. This is a revolutionary development because with the same amount of surface area can take care of two energy needs.

The interesting aspect to the Entech Solar PVT (Photovoltaic Thermal) is the Fresnel lens which concentrates 20x sunlight onto silicon solar cells along with heating a pipe with water in it. This dual functioning solar panel will not be offered to the residential market. Although industrial and commercial such as hospitals and hotels will be able to deploy PVT systems for $6-$7 per watt. What do you think about this "all in one" solar panel? Will it be a success? Do you see any problems in using one solar panel to heat water and produce electricity?

what do you think of "solar in a box"?

Last month we announced that we would be offering ReadySolar's "Solar in a box"® through GoGreenSolar.com

Solar in a box is a unique complete solar electric system which makes the installation process similar to installing an appliance versus a complicated system. Solar in a box is completely pre-engineered and meets NEC code. We all can agree if solar was easier to install, it would reduce costs and encourage faster adoption of solar power, don't you agree?

I think we will see more standardized solutions hit the market, what do you think? How do you like "Solar in box?" It would be great to hear your opinions!

grants for solar hot water and wind power in Ohio

3.5 million dollars in grants for homeowners who install solar energy systems to heat their water or small wind power to generate clean electricity announced Lieutenant Gov. Lee Fisher of Ohio. The state energy office will administer the grants through the Advanced Energy Fund. The state of Ohio is also enticing renewable energy product manufacturers to setup operations in their state to build the what Obama says, the "new energy economy".

The recently announced grants for renewable energy in Ohio will make it more affordable for homes to produce their own clean energy combine this with the 30% federal tax credit offered, clean energy systems are going to look extremely attractive in today's economy in which people are looking to reduce their expenses. I say extra incentives States offer are a great step towards helping renewable energy reach mainstream, by encouraging adoption. what do you think?

By the way, you can learn more about the grant at Ohio Energy Office Website.

ugly's electrical references handy for solar power

Today, I met up with Dennis Epp, founder of Hertiage Solar a leading solar power installer in Orange County and San Diego gave me a book called, Ugly's Electrical References. The reference guide is not a replacement for the national electric code (NEC) but provides the most common required information in easy to read format, which includes pictures and tables. The guide has the following relevant information that's important for solar electric systems.

• voltage drop
• Conduit size
• Cable type
  
• number of conductors that can fit in conduit or tubing.

Talking to customers, I've noticed people often have a difficult time figuring out wire size and voltage drop, after looking through Ugly's, I noticed it's a great resource to figure out these important elements of your solar electric system. It's important your system is designed correctly to meet NEC codes, otherwise it could be a potential safety hazard. What's your favorite electrical reference guide?

how your utility benefits from your solar panels

You're not the only one who benefits from installing solar panels on your roof to generate your own clean electricity. Even though every time someone connects their solar electric system to the grid your utility company loses out on revenue, but that's ok because your helping your utility also. How?

Grid tie solar electric system reduce your utilities peak load demand, this is a time in which there is high demand for electricity. Peak generation is expensive for your utility company, therefore when people install solar panels to offset their usage, this helps your electric company by reducing their most expensive generation costs. Did you know you're helping your utility by installing solar panels?

Do you really have a lot of sun on your roof?

I get a lot of people that call me everyday and say, “when I go outside and look at my roof, I have a lot of sun on it”. Many people think just because they have a sunny roof they have an ideal roof for solar panels, but often the inexperienced solar consumer is making a faulty assumption. Here in the USA, which falls under the northern hemisphere of the world, peak sun occurs around 12pm, at this time the sun is south.

The solar electric systems that get the maximum return on investment point true south. Looking at your home at noon notice the position of the sun, this will give you an approximate location of true south. Does your roof allow you to point solar panels true south?

Understanding the concept of magnetic declination and true south will help you get the most out of your investment in a solar electric system.

6 reasons your electrical consumption changes

Your electrical consumption changes, this post will help you figure out why. Understanding the factors that cause your electric usage to increase or decrease will help you set more achievable clean energy generation and energy efficiency goals. The following 6 reasons are related to changes in your electrical consumption:

1. Seasons change obviously, in the summer the air conditioner bumps up your electric usage compared to the rest of the year.
   
   
2. depending on your home, people may move in or out.
   
   
3. As your appliances get older they become less energy efficient.
   
   
4. You will get rid of some appliances over time.
   
   
5. You forget to turn things off.
   
   
6. You buy new stuff that adds to your electrical loads.

Can anyone else think of a reason your electric consumption increases or decreases?

what options do you want with your inverter?

Inverters are the key part of a solar electric system, they convert DC power generated by the solar panels into AC power. I would call the inverter the brain of the solar electric system because it has a computer processor inside and logs the performance of your inverter. There are some great optional features to help you get more out of your inverter.

1. data monitoring - I wrote a blog post on web monitoring in the past, most inverters have the capability to connect to the Internet and post performance results to a website you can check anytime.
   
   
2. remote control- the ability to control or program the inverter from a remote location. Inverters can connect to a network through a wireless card or ethernet port.
   
   
3. transfer switch - In a system that has multiple inverters, a transfer switch would increase reliability of a system in case of failure.
   
   
4. series or parallel operation - depending on your system design and the number of inverters you have you may need to wire the inverters together in parallel or series.
   

solar electric systems and your utility meter

Grid tie solar electric systems connect to your existing electrical service and send extra power you generate back to your utility company. Your utility company in return, depending on their interconnection agreement give you a credit based on the number of kWh (kilowatt hours) you contribute to the grid each month. This is called net-metering, it allows you to offset or eliminate your electric bill through solar panels without leaving the reliability of the electric grid itself. This concept is converting homes and businesses across the world into mini power plants that give back to the grid versus just being a liability to it.

When you are using electricity from the gird, your meter spins forwards in the normal direction. On the flip side, when you install a grid connected solar electric system and you produce more then you are using, your electric meter will spin backwards! Although before installing you solar electric system be aware of the type of meter you have on your home or business, because some older electric meters records the number of time the meter spins and does not register if the meter is spinning backwards or forwards.

In this case if you do not have a "two-way" meter you would be billed for the power you contribute to the grid, yikes! Most locations have two-way meters although if you are unsure, call your utility company to confirm. If you find out you only have a one-way meter, you can always upgrade your meter.

welcome to balance of systems 101

If you in the process of shopping for a solar electric system, more than likely you have ran into a key term called balance of systems (BOS). What role does BOS play in a solar electric system? Today I'll write about why the BOS components are the foundation of your solar electric system.

BOS parts are all the pieces of the solar electric system besides the solar panels. The parts that make up BOS include:

• inverter
• batteries & charge controllers (if your system is off-grid or grid tie w/ battery backup)
• overcurrent protection devices
• electrical enclosures
• junction boxes
• support and security structures.
  
• disconnects
  

Some of the parts in your balance of system will be rated for outdoor exposure such as most grid tie solar inverters while other parts such as batteries would need an electrical enclosures. BOS parts are typically located close to the electrical service panel, although close proximity is not required. The layout of the BOS parts within the system must be done in a neat manner which allows easy access, testing and disconnecting the system. For solar electric systems operating at 48 volts or less its important to minimize the distance of the dc wiring for efficiency purposes.

Solar panels are just one part of the solar electric system, all the components that make up the system must work harmoniously for you to maximize your solar harvest. Selecting the right components can be overwhelming for people who are just get started with clean energy systems, that's why we have our complete pre-engineered solar grid tie systems, our systems include everything you or your installer needs to get your system up and generating electricity without having to worry about the compatibility of the wide range of products that make up a solar electric system.

toyota's solar power car, fact or fiction?

There's been a lot of buzz on the Internet about a full electric car being developed Toyota that can be recharged by the sun through built in solar panels and a solar electric system on your home. I think many people mistranslated the news about Toyota's solar power plans released by Nikkei Japanese Newspaper and assumed that the entire car could be recharged through its built in solar panels.

The story has created a lot of controversy if Toyota could develop a car charged completely by solar panels. What I think is with current solar technology the built in solar panels into Toyota's solar powered car could only aid in recharging the battery and the car would have the capability to plug into an AC outlet to fully charge the battery. Today, solar cells are not efficient enough to be very effective on limited surface area of a car. In the near future as solar panels become more efficient and you can generate more watts per square foot, a car will have enough surface space to generate a lot of power, but its going to take at least 5 years to get to that point. What do you think?

By the way, the idea of people charging their electric cars from their solar electric system on their home is being done by pioneers who have been advocating electric vehicles and solar power for decades. I've met people here in southern California who have been living with solar panels and electric cars on the National Solar Homes Tour.

2009 marks increased discount for solar energy

image credit "SMA Solar Technology AG"

Well, its 2009 and everyone is worried about the economy as we conclude last year. Although today, marks a highly anticipated day for customers considering to lower their energy bills in 2009. Late last year the congress extended and increased the federal tax credit for people who install solar panels to generate electricity or provide heat.

Starting January 1st, 2009 homeowners in the USA can tax a full 30% tax credit off the final installed cost of a solar energy system. For people with a taxable income, the return on investment for solar energy systems subsidized through a 30% tax credit is going to make solar a very attractive investment. What do you think? Will the increased residential tax credit for the next 8 years encourage more people to use solar energy technologies on their homes?