cities overcharging for solar power permits

The Sierra Club, an environmental protection advocacy group did a study of solar panel permitting fees in the Bay Area (Northern California) and the results are shocking. Solar power is associated with a high upfront investment to get started and cities that charge extravagant fees for people to install solar panels are not helping push the green energy revolution forward. They're a hindrance to the process of helping our environment and economy get back on track by making solar power more accessible to it's citizens.

Many cities across the USA have made acquiring a building permit for solar panels completely free but on the other hand cities like Cupertino, CA charge $11,737 dollars for a building permit for a 49kW (kilowatt) commercial solar electric system, a system valued at $475,000. A year ago Bethel Lutheran Church in Cupertino installed 150 solar panels reducing the church's electric bill by 40% and the environmental benefits the system contributed.

The church was shocked when they received a bill for $5,700 from the city for the permitting fees! After three meetings with the city council Pastor Randy Pabst was able to bring down the fees to $1,o00. What do you think about solar panel permitting fees? are they excessive in your city or are you lucky to live in a progressive city that does not charge for solar panel permits?

los angeles county solar map

erickb of bloblive L.A. tweeted a link to a new web resource called the Los Angeles County Solar Map which helps you visualize the number of solar photovoltaic (pv) installations within the cities scattered around the county. I was browsing through the cities and noticed Venice, CA has over 300kW of solar pv installed! that's equivalent to 92 solar electric systems, it seems like solar panels are a hot bed for the citizens of Venice, I wonder why?

Los Angeles not only has great rebates since we're in California but we have average sun hours of 5.5 which is quite high on the scale, I'm surprised there are not more solar electric systems installed in L.A. San Fransico also has a SolarMap , currently the Northern California has more solar panels installed than sunnier Southern California, maybe they're more progressive up North?

up close and personal with SolarMagic

When using central inverters there is a lot of room for inefficiencies to creep into the solar array due to factors such as shading, architectural obstructions, shade from intermittent clouds and even bird poop can result in less energy output compared to the solar array's full potential. Today I spent the afternoon with National Semiconductor's renewable energy division learning about their new product called SolarMagic.



You have to think of a string of solar panels connected to a grid tie inverter similar to Christmas lights, if one bulb goes out on a string of Christmas lights, a group of bulbs are affected. National Semiconductor introduced their solution to solve the "Christmas light syndrome" solar panel arrays face in the real world. SolarMagic a "power optimizer" maximizes energy harvest from a solar array by piggy backing to every solar panel on a single string or the entire array to control the MPPT (maximum power point tracking) on an individual solar panel basis.



Think of it as adding a small computer behind each solar panel to get them to work together in harmony and produce more kWh (kilowatt-hours) on a annual basis. Shading has a detrimental effect on the performance of a solar electric system, if 10% of a solar panel array is shaded it can equal up to a 50% power loss! This is one of the key problems that makes SolarMagic a good investment for solar electric systems with power mismatch issues.



The technology behind SolarMagic monitors and maximizes the energy harvest of each solar panel and recuperates up to 50% of the energy lost in solar panels that are under performing because of mismatches. I think the magic behind the product is the ease of installation, its so easy this blonde lady (hahaha!) was able to install it under 5 minutes. National Semiconductor did a good job making the process of implementing their product very simple, there is a postive and negtive input and output to the SolarMagic which really takes the guess work out of how it connects up.



The field test was where National Semiconductor put their money where their mouth was by showing us a real test of how power output between a SolarMagic "assisted string" versus a traditional string. We got to shade the solar panels to see a side by side comparison of how the SolarMagic works in real world conditions. After we saw the increase in performance, the next question everyone wanted the answer to was, how much??

According to the National Semiconductor team, the MSRP will approximately be $199 per unit. Depending on your situation this product could be a good fit for your solar electric system. 1 out of 5 houses do not go solar because of shading issues, but thanks to this new technology, solar power can become a feasible investment for even more people.

I think this is a great product since the product is solving a huge problem that has been overlooked in this industry. Making each string "smarter" is a good way to increase solar power efficiencies without just focusing on the solar panel itself. What do you think about SolarMagic?

grid tie wind turbine without the inverter

small scale wind turbines are great in areas with at least 10 MPH average wind speeds, the process of installing a grid tie wind turbine has become a tad easier with Endurance Wind Power S-Series 5kW "direct to grid" wind turbine. The cool part about this wind turbine is it does not need an inverter to turn the DC into AC (the power type compatible) with the grid since the wind turbine itself outputs in AC power.

Based on the wind speeds in your area, tower height and project site a S-Series 5kW wind turbine can produce 8,000-16,000 kWh (kilowatt-hours) per year. Since the wind power system does not have an inverter increases the efficiency of the overall system.

The Induction generator gives the 5kW wind turbine the ability to produce grid-compatible power right out of the box. Inverterless wind power systems are more reliable and cost less because the system is composed with less parts. The Endurance S-250 is different from any other small wind turbine on the market today.

got an inkjet printer? print solar cells

People are coming up with creative ways to lower the cost of solar cells through manufacturing efficiencies. Traditional crystalline based solar panels have an intensive manufacturing process which requires silicon to be grown and it quite a complex process which increases the cost per watt. Recently National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has been investing in solar inkjet and sprayer systems, equipment which allows a manufacturer to print photovoltaic material right onto a substrate thus greatly reducing the cost and time it takes to produce solar cells.

By inkjet technology I mean similar to inkjet printers, solar photovoltaic material can be deposited onto a substrate with minimal material usage and waste through use of a digitally controlled process. I've read some articles in the past about a university student that basically modified a standard inkjet printer to print very low efficiency solar cells that actually produced a small electrical charge!

Obviously we are far away from being able to print solar cells in our own homes, but the concept can be revolutionary especially in the developing word. We could one day take an inkjet printer into an Afican village and print solar cells right at the point of use and change the lives of the billions of people who have no access to clean energy.

plastic solar cells = lower cost per watt

Organic solar cells are translucent, flexible, lightweight and cost less to manufacturer compared to silicon based solar cells because they are composed of a plastic material. Solar panels have not reached grid parity (a cost competitive to fossil fuel based energy) and that's the primary reason people are excited about organic solar cells.

According to Solarmer Energy, the leading developer of organic solar cells, they have independently verified their plastic solar cell was able to reach an efficiency of 6.31% and will be presenting their technology at organic photovoltaics 2009 a conference which focuses on plastic based solar cells.



Plastic based solar cells can also improve building integrated photovoltaics a term that describes embedding solar cells into existing building materials. The picture above highlights how plastic based solar cells can be infused into an awning that has a dual purpose of providing shade yet collecting electricity simultaneously.

Do you think organic solar cells expand the solar power horizon? Will the technology be able to reach efficiencies and cost reduction in which the cost per watt will be competitive to subsidized fossil fuel based energy?

Install wind turbines in Milton, MA

They call Chicago the windy city but according to Forbes Magazine Milton, MA is America's windiest city. This makes the perfect location to install wind turbines because the higher the average wind speeds in the area, you achieve a shorter break even point on your wind power investment. Other aspects that effect the return on investment on a wind power system include the height of the tower, how secure the base and foundation of the tower is constructed. When figuring if a wind turbine will make financial sense yo must also consider if there are any trees or buildings in the immediate area that can cause air turbulence which typically reduces the return on investment.

The purpose of this post is to help you realize that renewable energy is geographical, meaning each region has their key resource which makes most financial sense. For example here in California solar power makes more sense then small scale wind turbines for most residential installations, we have a lot more sun hours out here compared to Milton. On the other hand, Milton has more wind resources in which investments in small scale wind turbines, such as the Skystream 3.7 or Proven Energy Wind Systems make more sense than solar power. Our future energy mix is going to come from a portfolio of clean energy technologies in distributed locations working together to solve our energy problems. Wouldn't you agree?

led grow lights in high demand

The people who use the most electricity are more likely to make investments in technology that reduces their consumption. Indoor growers all over the world are feeling the pinch of raising electric costs and are flocking for alternatives to lower their bills. Until recently, indoor growers had no options but to use inefficient and ancient lighting technology to grow their plants. Often not only would the cost of running the lights add up, but since these inefficient high pressure sodium lights create a lot of heat, many times the light itself has to be air cooled which adds to the electric costs of operating the lights.

LED (light emitting diode) technology has recently dropped in price and advanced in terms of efficiency which has attracted many indoor growers to consider swapping out their old energy sucking gas based light bulbs for the next generation in lighting technology LEDs. The advantages of LED grow lights is not only that they cost only a couple dollars in electricity to run all year but they don't emit much heat which allows the indoor grower to put the light source closer to the pant, increasing yields.

LED Grow Lights deliver energy that plants need in the exact spectrums that are most effective to induce healthy and consistent plant growth. The GrowLED system allows you to target individual wavelengths (Blue, Red) or combine both to create the most effective growing environment for your plants, Some of the best responders to the light LED output include Tomatoes, Peppers, Basil, Lettuce, Violets, Orchids, and Roses. Food producing plants respond particularly well allowing you to have fresh produce in your house year round at a low cost.

What do you think about LED lighting technology? Do you think its about time we replace incandescent and other forms of old inefficient lighting technology and convert to more efficient LED technology?

solar panels at the famous Hollywood sign?

Today, on Earth Day we had the chance to talk to the Hollywood Sign Trust of putting solar panels on the Hollywood sign, In my opinion the Trust was most engaged when we showed them the 3D renderings which featured four designs of how the Hollywood Sign and solar panels could co-exist. The solar electric systems we proposed are grid connected, meaning the energy is transferred into the network, the community can benefit from the power especially when there is peak demand. Grid connected systems also help California reach it's RPS (renewable energy portfolio standard) a requirement for CA to generate power from clean renewable resources.



Hillside Ground Mounted Solar Array:

The most practical concept that is very common on hillside solar panel installations through out the world. This deployment of solar panels is the most technically feasible and has the highest probability to be a safe,code compliant installation that can generate the most watts per square foot.

Solar Trees:

Pole mounted solar arrays are a common practice in the solar industry. These components are available in the marketplace. The advantages of a pole mounted system it's raised above the ground to reduce accessibility to the public also the solar panels can be adjusted to the optimal orientation and pitch to maximize energy harvest.

Solar "Lilly Pads"

Circular solar panels that sit beneath the sign. These type of solar panels do not exist in the marketplace although they can be fabricated using UL and IEEE approved photovoltaic material. The difficult aspect of this layout would be connecting each panel together since they would be sitting far apart. Since the panels sit on the ground it would require maintenance of the vegetation growth from shading the solar panels. The national electric code is unclear of how it would apply to a solar panel that lays on the ground. This concept is more of an idea than a practical solution.



The Invisible Hand:

Building Integrated Photovoltaics is the art of integrating solar cells into the facade of a building. In this design the white paint of the sign actually has nano solar cells that generate clean power. This technology is still in the pipeline, although once solar nano paint technology is out of the lab, its going to change the possiblities of what we can do with solar power, any facade can be converted into an energy producing asset. It is still unclear what rules will be imposed by the national electric code governing paint with solar cells. This concept is the furthest from practicality at this point in time.

I want to know what you think? Which concept do you like the best? If you were a member of the Hollywood Sign Trust what would be your biggest concern in adding solar panels to the famous landmark?

how are solar panels for homes financed?

One of the most popular methods people use to finance solar panels was home equity loans. Although not many people have equity in their homes today, the people who do have an extreme advantage since interest rates are at historic lows, therefore people with good credit and equity in their homes can borrow money for cheap and invest it into a solar electric system which will lower or eliminate their electric bills.

Solar electric systems generate cash flow for your home, therefore the ideal situation would be to replace your monthly electric bill with a fixed monthly payment on a loan for a solar panels for your home, wouldn't you agree? Companies like New Resource Bank are offering a zero down solar energy loan for people to avoid the upfront investment it takes to get started with a clean energy system. This is a great strategy for a small community bank like New Resource Bank to get started in a rapidly growing industry, although it seems like the large conglomerate banks are not offering any loans specialized for consumers to purchase solar energy, why do you think that is?

Why is it in this country, it's so easy to get financing for a car (an asset that depreciates the second you drive it off the lot) but its almost impossible to financing a solar electric system for your home (something that acutally appreciates in value and creates instant cash flow) What a country we live in, I tell ya!

a net zero home, is it possible?

I got an interesting question from a reader who is interested in purchasing solar panels for their home that I want to share with you because it comes up very often.

Question: can I put up enough solar panels on my roof to eliminate my entire bill? I want to be completely "off-grid" is that possible?

Answer: While there are many people out there that have offset their electric bills completely using a grid tie solar electric system most people will not reach the dream of "never having to pay an electric bill" because of two major constraints. Wide open roof space pointing true south without and shading is key to generating as most electricity as possible and obviously the budget, getting to net zero will require a high upfront investment.

A smarter more affordable approach is not to eliminate your entire bill but find your highest cost of electricity per kWh and focus on eliminating your highest electric expenses. Also you can focus on reduces your electric bill through energy efficiency and lower your bill first, then in the future when you are ready to install solar panels you would need as many to meet your needs, thus reducing your upfront investment and getting closer to the dream of never having to pay an electric bill again.

what do you think? how else can you make your home net-zero? do you think it's possible to have a net-zero home?

will homeowners pursue energy tax credits?

The Obama administration has offered unprecedented incentives to U.S. homeowners who install solar energy, wind turbines and efficiency products to save energy. Now through 2010 as part of the economic recovery package, homeowners together can reap billions of dollars in tax credits as an incentive to at least take a second look into green energy technologies.

A recent survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation concluded that millions of U.S. homeowners intend to take advantage of the generous tax credits offered for energy upgrades in 2009. According to the survey respondents, saving money in general was the primary reason people consider energy efficiency upgrades.

40% of the respondents said monthly savings on their utility bills was the key reason for planning upgrades to save energy. 30% of the respondents stated that energy upgrades would improve the comfort of their home and for those respondents that is why will take advantage of the tax credits this year. Only 13% of the people surveyed said they would be investing into green energy technologies to reduce their carbon footprint. I suppose U.S. consumer care more about the green in their wallet over protecting the environment since saving money is the most important motivator in making a decision in buying energy upgrades.

Even though many of the respondents agreed that the 30% federal tax credit was a great incentive to look into installing green energy this year, a total of 41% said the tax credit would need to exceed 40% of the final purchase price to encourage them to pursue a home energy efficiency upgrade.

In my opinion, the most interesting piece of information reviled by the survey was that 72% of consumers had no idea how to apply for the federal tax credits, state incentives and other rebates offered by local utilities. I think this is our biggest barrier in terms of getting people started with green energy, making the process easier for them so consumers don't have to think about it.

Currently it seems like the process is too complex which holds back the adoption rate of green energy technologies. If your interested in learning more about tax credits, rebates and other incentives you'll receive for investing in check out DSIRE, it's the most up to date database to learn about what is available for you. You can always give us a call, we help consumers figure out how much in incentives they will receive if they invest in green energy.

is your city offering you financing to install solar?

AB 811 is a unique piece of legislation which allows borrowers to pay back investments in solar panels through property tax payments over a 20 year period. Rather putting residents through the pain of obtaining the upfront cost to go solar, more cities are encouraging their local residents get started with green energy by offering low interest loans that removes the largest barrier to entry and increases the adoption rate of solar panels.

Since homeowners are used to paying their electric bills on a month to month basis, buying solar panels is nontraditional because the homeowner has to prepay their electric bill for the next 30 years. This is where the financing solves that problem by giving the homeowner the ability to make month to month payments on a solar electric system on their rooftop.

Berkley, Palm Desert and Sonoma (cities in California) already have programs in place to provide financing to its citizens. Now San Diego has jumped on the AB 811 bandwagon, their program is going to start in July of this year. What do you think about more cities offering financing for solar panels through property taxes? Would you purchase a solar electric system if your city offered financing? Do you think this financing method will catch on to more cities around CA?

how much is spam emails costing us electrically?

Computers are one of the largest consumers of electricity in the world. In fact, Google is the largest energy consumer in the world, since to run their search engine business needs a vast empire of servers that run 24/7 to meet the demands of the information age. But how about spam? I'm talking about those junk emails we get all day. Not only do these pesky emails limit our productivity but they waste tons electricity according to a study published by McAfee.

According to their study worldwide spam emails waste enough electricity to power 2.4 million homes which is equivalent to 33 billion kWh (kilowatt-hours) consumed. But how does Spam email waste electricity? You have to first understand how email works, when you send a message it has to go through the network, which is a series of wires, switches, router and servers connected together.

As your message travels through the internet (the network) its requiring those components to consume electricity, follow me here? All this wasted electricity cause by spam acutally increases our carbon emissions thus having a significant negative impact on our environment. What do you think? Is spam really contributing to the energy crisis or is this just "green washing" to sell more spam filter software? You be the judge.

the king of beers, the king of solar?

On a lighter note, Budweiser the king of beers announced they're the king of solar by installing a 6 acre solar photovoltaic array at their Fairfield brewery. The 1.2 MW (megawatt) solar electric system will provide about 3% of the brewery's electric needs. It sounds like the solar panels aren't contributing much but you have to take into consideration these breweries consume tremendous amounts of energy.

The company incurred no upfront cost for the large solar electric system since it was financed through a PPA (power purchasing agreement) by SunEdison. A PPA is a financial contract to help large organizations reduce their electric bills by letting a third party own and operate the solar electric system and purchase the electricity per kWh (kilowatt-hour) at a price competitive to utility rates.

reduce your tax bill, invest in solar panels

April 15th, the most dreaded day for Americans since its the last day to pay off the IRS. How much did you pay Uncle Sam this year? Some Americans paid less to the IRS this year by taking advantage of the generous tax credits given to homeowners and businesses to install solar panels that generate electricity or heat water.

Before 2009, individuals were capped at a $2,000 tax credit maximum, but this year was historic in terms of how much money people are receiving for installing renewable energy. Individuals and corporations can take a full 30% of the final installed cost of the system as a tax credit against your tax bill.

Deductions, reduce your taxable income, tax credits on the other hand are a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax liability. It's quite simple to claim the investments you made in solar panels or wind turbines, take a close look at the Tax Credit section on the 1040, you'll notice a renewable energy section in which you can enter the credit you qualify for. If you're interested in learning more about the tax credits you qualify for installing renewable energy check out DSIRE.

introducing the jellyfish wind appliance

Wouldn't it be great if you could plug in a wind turbine into the wall just like you do with the rest of your appliances? Clarian Technologies is developing the Jellyfish wind "appliance" that anyone can install and is affordable and operates quietly. The Jellyfish is a 36 inch vertical axis wind turbine which can be mounted on the roof, towers and even street light poles.

The great aspect is the price point, the company expects to offer the unique wind appliance for under $400, the unit can produce up to 40 kWh (kilowatt-hours) per month. The company intends to give the Jellyfish the ability to interconnect with the grid by simply plugging it into an AC outlet.

According to the company, the JellyFish needs at least 5 MPH wind speeds to start to generate power, which is quite low considering most small scale wind turbines on the market today. What do you think about the Jellyfish? Will the company be able to get this UL approved? What would be the impact if they were able to release a code compliant wind appliance? If you want to stay updated about the developments of the Jellyfish join the facebook group!

transformerless grid tie inverters lower cost

Transformerless inverters are popular in Europe and increasing becoming more common with 3-phase central inverters. But what exactly does transformerless really mean? Well traditionally inverters have built in transformers inside each unit. Although is a transformer really needed inside the inverter? Most buildings have a transformer on the same line as the solar grid tie inverter, therefore more than often the transformer in the grid tie inverter is really not needed.

Some grid tie inverter manufacturers decided to eliminate the transformers to reduce the cost, size and weight of their product line. The greatest advantage of removing the transformer from the inverter is it increases efficiency since the loss components are eliminated. For transformerless inverters to meet NEC (national electric code) a more expensive PV wire has to be used to ensure a code compliant installation. What do you think about transformerless inverters?

top 5 solar power site assessment factors

To determine if you have a good location to install solar panels to generate clean power you need to conduct a site assessment. Answering the following key questions will help you identify if you have an adequate project site to install a solar electric system:

1. Will the location provide a clear solar window from 9am-3pm without being shaded at critical times?
   
   
2. First, do you have access to install the solar panels south? if not, can you install the solar panels west facing?
   
   
3. Would you like to mount the solar panels on your roof or is there a location on the ground that is better suited? ever consider pole mounted solutions? What would work best for your location?
   
   
4. Is there an area with air flow and indirect sun to mount the grid tie inverter?
   
   
5. Where is the main electrical service panel? how about the meter? is there is sub panel? How many feet from the solar array location to the electrical service panel?
   

I hope this quick summary of what's required in a solar site assessment will help you figure out if the location your considering to install solar panels is optimized to provide you the maximum return on investment.

solar trickle chargers explained

Ever wonder what the purpose of a solar trickle charger is..how are they different than traditional solar panels? A trickle charger is typically a low wattage solar panel with a purpose of keeping a battery's charge topped off. Typically if your not using a battery it will start to discharge and if it gets to a point in which it gets too discharged your battery may lose the ability to hold charge.

Have you left your car sitting without using it for a couple weeks? Did it start up? In some cases people can't start their cars because the battery in your car will discharge everyday its not used. This is where a solar trickle charger comes in handy, since it can keep the battery in your car charged up. A trickle charger can be helpful if you live in a cool climate since batteries lose their charge in cold weather. Keeping your battery charged up keeps it more reliable and extends the number of cycles you can get out of your battery.

Many people assume solar trickle chargers will not work well in cloudy weather although since the ICP Solar Trickle Charger is a thin film solar panel it actually performs well in low indirect sun. Larger solar trickle chargers such as the ICP sunsei SE-500 may need a charge controller to keep it from overcharging your battery.

the rural energy for america program

If your a farmer, rancher or rural small businesses, you're in luck. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development will pay you to install solar panels, wind turbines or invest into energy efficiency upgrades. Recently Coble and Sons ranch took advantage of the USDA incentive program to install a SkyStream 3.7 wind power systems to power two ¾ horsepower submersible pumps for livestock water wells and a 15-hp electric turbine irrigation pump.

Since installing the SkyStream 3.7 wind turbines Coble and Sons reduced their electric bill by a third. At average wind speeds of 23mph the SkyStream 3.7 is capable of producing 9kWh (depending on the tower height and other project site considerations)

Through the generous Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency incentive program offered by the USDA, Coble and Sons ranch received $14,725 to offset the cost of installing the SkyStream 3.7 wind power systems. The great aspect of the Skystream 3.7 wind turbine, is it's a complete wind power system that includes a built in grid tie inverter and starts generating electricity at wind speeds as low as 8MPH.

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) admistered by the USDA will give away $55 million this year, so if your interested in taking advantage of the program take a look at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development website.

grid tie inverters have software

Think of a grid tie inverter as the brain of your solar electric system, without a grid inverter solar panels alone would be not be able to interface with the grid. Just like your computer, a grid tie inverter has a processor that allows software to run which makes the concept of connecting a solar power system to the grid possible.

The software on inverters control the power stage which makes the power produced sine wave, the signal that's compatible with the grid and required by most appliances. Inverter software is responsible for the MPPT (maximum power point tracking), a standard feature on most grid tie inverters which keeps the dc voltage and current at optimal levels to squeeze more efficiency out of your system.

The software turns the inverter on in the morning and shuts it off at night. Now that you have realized that software on the inverter a critical element, its important the inverter you purchase has reliable software to keep your solar panels in tune with the grid.

holographic solar panels?

Prism Solar Technologies a company that specializes in manufacturing solar panels that use holographic technology to produce more power per square foot has recently increased their production capacity to 60 megawatts per year. The purpose of the holographic film is to filter the usable frequencies of sunlight and guide the sunlight directly into the solar cell.

By directing sunlight accurately into the solar cell this allows Prism Solar to develop a low cost solar panel since they're constructed with less solar cell material compared to traditional solar panels. Basically Prism Solar is using the transparent holographic material between two pieces of glass to concentrate sunlight on the individual solar cells a panel is made up of.

The company claims the concept of using holographic concentration for solar power has been discussed in the technical literature since 1981. Solar panels require a high upfront investment because they're made of silicon, which is an expensive element. Prism Solar says their solar panels use up to 85% less silicon than traditional solar panels while producing equivalent or in some cases more power. Have you heard of any other companies combining holographic materials with solar panels? Do you think Prism Solar has effective technology to reduce the cost per watt for solar panels?

what if solar cells took the shape of a leaf?

Have you ever heard of the term biomimicry? The greek word "Bios" means life and "‘mimesis" means to imitate. biomimicry is the study of natures designs and mimicking nature to solve human challenges. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Mitsubishi and Tokki of Japan has taken a hold of the concept of biomimicry to develop a very interesting solar cell that looks like a leaf!



Unlike traditional solar cells which are crystalline based, the organic thin-film solar cell is composed of a flexible plastic substrate. The three companies that allied towards the development of the solar leaf prototype managed to improve the durability of the solar cell by sealing it between a very thin layer of plastic. I like how people in this industry are starting to think outside the box when it comes to deploying solar power. With thin-film technology the possibilities of adding solar cells into the mix become endless. Although we are far from seeing a solar tree that can produce all the power you need, since the efficiencies have not reached optimal levels in which leaf shaped solar panels can produce serious power. What do you think about biomimicry? As we move forward will we see a fusion of solar cells harnessing nature's design?

free standing solar arrays

I ran into an interesting product called the Sun-A-Ray "free standing array" which is an simple way to ground mount solar panels without having to dig deep holes. The free standing array can be bolted down to a concrete pad or 4 piers. The unique solar panel mount has a clamping system that fits most solar panels right out of the box.

The picture above shows a 1kW free standing solar array which can be tilted since the solar array is capable of dual axis movement, this means you can pitch the solar panels in an optimal pitch to get the most out of your solar power system.

The company, Sun-A-Ray Technologies has free standing array models that range from 1kW to 5kW sizes. The 2 kW model can be assembled by two people within 2 hours, since the the product has been designed to be a faster, simpler, and less expensive method to deploy solar panels. What do you think about free standing solar arrays? Would you mount your solar panels on one of these units?

the point of grid interconnection

Weather you're connecting a solar electric system or a wind turbine to the grid you will require a point of interconnection. The NEC (National Electric Code) allows a grid tie inverters to be connected on the load side of your electrical service disconnecting means. Each grid tie inverter must be connected by its own dedicated circuit breaker or fuse.

There was a change in the 2008 NEC that allows the sum of the supply breakers to be 120% of the busbar ratings for both commercial and residential solar pv installations. This change in the NEC rules allows small solar pv systems to be interconnected without having to upgrade the service panel. Grid interconnection is quite complex, it's not as easy as simply wiring your grid tie inverter into the service panel.

This information is good to know weather your the person conducting the installation or intend to hire a professional to grid tie your solar electric system, you must make sure your installation is up to NEC standards.

what's low voltage disconnect?

If your shopping for a charge controller for your solar panels, then you may have crossed a term called Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD), ever wonder why the prices of charge controllers that have LVD are higher than controllers that don't have the LVD feature?

Obviously people who buy charge controllers for their solar electric systems have battery based systems and the purpose of standard charge controllers are to keep the solar panels from overcharging the batteries (which can permanently damage batteries).

A charge controller with an LVD feature, not only keeps the solar panels from being overcharged but also prevents batteries from becoming over discharged. If the solar array does not provide sufficient charge to offset the daily load requirements you are at risk of damaging your battery bank. If more than 80% of full charge is discharged from lead acid batteries and the battery is left in a discharged state for weeks or months, the batteries will be damaged permanently, which will cost you a lot of money to replace.

LVD monitors the state of charge (SOC) and automatically disconnects the loads from batteries if a certain discharge threshold has been reached thus protecting your batteries from being over discharged. Typically an alarm system notifies you that the battery bank needs attention before the loads are cut off. A charge controller with LVD gives you both overcharging and over discharging protection in one single unit.

avoid air turbulence, get the most out of your wind turbine

Are you considering a small scale wind turbine system for your home or business? Well if you are, finding a proper place to install your wind turbine is critical for you to maximize on your energy harvest from your investment. Small scale wind turbines such as the Skystream 3.7
in general require at least a 20 foot of clearance from surrounding trees or structures in the area.

If the height of your tower is lower than your surroundings then you will experience decreased performance out of your wind power system since the trees and buildings in the immediate area can block the flow of air that hits your wind turbine. Many times, inexperienced customers want to install wind turbines but they're not aware of the effect trees or other obstacles in the vicinity can have on the return on investment on their wind power system.

Typically, a taller tower will generate more energy, although the higher the tower height, the more it's going to cost to install and it maybe difficult to acquire a building permit from your city. What do you think is the most optimal tower height for a wind turbine?

simple calculation for solar pv payback

Too many people call us everyday and ask how the figure out the payback period of an investment in a solar pv system. Today, I wanted to focus on showing you how to simply calculate how long it will take you to break even on a solar electric system you maybe considering for a home or business.


(Total system cost after incentives) + (Maintenance costs x Equipment lifetime)
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(Annual system kWh production) x (Your electric rate cost per kWh)


Maintenance costs = $0.02/Annual system kWh production
Equipment lifetime = 25 - 30 years

• You can forecast annual system kWh production using PVWatts

• Check your electric bill for your cost per kWh, if you can't figure out what your average cost for every unit of electricity you consume, then it's going to be impossible to forecast a payback period for your investment in a solar electric system. Get to know your electric bill!

the first windspire vertical wind axis turbine

Mariah Power, the manufacturer of a unique vertical axis wind turbines called the Windspire is celebrating their first verticle axis wind turbine product to be rolled off the production line at their newly retrofitted manufacturing plant in Manistee, Michigan. The Windspire is completely manufactured in the USA and can be applied to homes, businesses and governments who want to harness the power of the wind.

This is a historic event for Michigan, since the state once a leader in manufacturing sector due to the robust US automobile industry which now struggling due to the Big Three automakers in financial trouble. Mariah Power is changing the game in Michigan by creating jobs and a product that will help America stay competitive. The milestone marks a period in which Mariah Power will be able to scale up their manufacturing operations and offer the lowest cost, ultra quiet, simple to install 1kW (kilowatt) wind turbine in the US market.

What do you think about the Windspire? Do you think vertical axis wind turbines are a good idea?