Photo: Gehrlicher Solar America

The Dartmouth system covers approximately seven acres in a semi-rural residential area and is expected to generate an average of 186,500 kilowatt-hours per year, which will provide 90 percent of the electricity used at the site. It is the first time that the Gehrtec Base, the racking system for ground-mounted systems from Gehrlicher Solar, is used in the U.S. The Gehrtec Base is suitable for a wide range of module technologies and sizes. It enables both the orientation and tilt of each module to be individually adjusted.

The second project completed is a 322 kW rooftop system in Swedesboro, NJ. The system has been acquired by a group of private investors who will sell energy under a power purchase agreement to a cold storage facility, owned by KMT brrr! LLC.

“Both projects have a strategic relevance to us”, said Dr. Stefan Parhofer, CEO of Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. “We perceive great potential in Massachusetts and are currently receiving many inquiries from there. It has a very interesting Solar Renewable Energy Certificates market, and while that of New Jersey still remains challenging, although New Jersey also remains an attractive market for Solar”, Dr. Parhofer concluded.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: Gehrlicher Solar America, Massachusetts, solar power US

Photo: Semprius

“This is a significant milestone for Semprius and the entire PV industry,” said Scott Burroughs, vice president of Technology at Semprius. “For the first time, we have been able to convert more than one-third of the sun’s energy into usable electricity. This demonstrates how concentrated PV can leverage rapidly increasing efficiencies to continue driving down the cost of solar generated electricity.”

Semprius’ HCPV module design begins with its proprietary micro-transfer printing process. This process enables the company to fabricate the world’s smallest solar cell (approximately the size of a pencil point) to create solar modules with high efficiency and performance.

“This is the culmination of our emphasis on bringing smart design to solar,” said Joe Carr, chief executive officer of Semprius. “We looked carefully at each component of our module – cell, optics, enclosure and the manufacturing process – to develop a competitive solution that embodies high efficiency, performance and reliability.”

After developing its module with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Semprius is now ramping up global deployment of demonstration systems while completing construction of a pilot plant in Henderson, North Carolina. Commercial production at the plant will begin during the second half of 2012.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: HCPV, Semprius, Solar power

Every now and then we catch wind of a new solar power breakthrough. Often they are miles away from being commercially viable and represent the first steps of a research that needs further work on. But they indicate how much scope there is for research in the solar power field.

One story that took hold of the tech media’s interest this past week came out of MIT via one its researchers, Andreas Mershin. Mr. Mershin is researching the possibility of using agricultural waste, such as cut grass and dead leaves, to create solar panels. The idea sounds pretty far-fetched, but Mershin says it may be possible to generate solar power by adding chemicals to grass clippings. The result of that would be a paint that could be applied to the rooftop of a house to generate electricity.

The research uses photosynthesis (the conversion of sunlight to energy by plants) as a starting point. Mershin discovered a process to extract the photosynthesizing molecules from plant matter. He called the process Photosystem I and it involves stabilizing the molecules, spreading them on a glass substrate covered in a ‘forest’ of zinc oxide nanowires and titanium dioxide ‘sponges’. What he’s done is to replace the silicon found in conventional PV cells with photosynthesizing molecules. “It’s like an electric nanoforest,” said Mershin.

Before you start collecting leaves to generate solar power, beware that Mershin’s process’ efficiency rate is very low: only 0.1%. In order to get any decent amount of solar power, it will be necessary to boost it to 1% or 2%. Because such rates are fairly low as well, Mershin believes other scientists could work on increasing the efficiency of his technology.

We hope someone will do that because the idea has the potential to capture the world’s imagination and add a pleasantly organic touch to solar power technology.

You should follow us here.

Watch Andreas Mershin talking about his research:

Technorati Tags: Andreas Mershin, MIT, photosynthesis, Solar power, solar power research

Photo: Ashden Awards/Flickr

Solar panel prices fell by nearly 50 percent in 2011 and now they cost just one-quarter of what they did in 2008. This is good news for a good slice of the Indian population, one quarter of which lacks access to electricity. But electricity connection is not reliable, hence the use of diesel generators as backup power, increasing India’s share of greenhouse gases.

Solar electricity has fallen to 8.78 rupees per kilowatt hour (against 17 rupees for diesel-generated power) due to falling production costs. Acording to a Bloomberg News Energy Finance specialist, solar is now cheaper than diesel wherever it’s as sunny as Spain, which includes many parts of the world such as chunks of Latin America, Africa and Asia. Analysts say that by 2015 solar electricity will be as cheap as grid electricity in half of all countries.

This is good news because according to another report in the New Scientist, solar power will be the only truly clean form of power for humanity’s energy-demanding future.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: diesel generators, India solar power, solar panel prices, solar power prices

Solar power is a ticket to energy independence. Even if you can’t afford photovoltaic solar panels, you can start incorporating solar energy with smaller devices such as Ecotricity’s solar power generator.

The generator is a plug-and-play device that offers off-the-grid power to give users independence and power backup during emergencies. It’s a clean way to make sure you will be provided with clean energy, no matter what happens.

It can operate a range of domestic appliances such as laptops, printers, cell phones, lamps, refrigerators, computers, to name but a few.

Overview:
1800 Watt modified sine wave inverter/charger with battery box
Battery box stores up to 200Ah of battery power
A second battery may be connected to double the battery capacity
Environmentally friendly alternative solution to noisy, gas generators
Integrated transfer switch
AC charger within unit
Four AC outlets
Two DC inputs for solar and/or wind connections
Full-feature LED display for system monitoring
Folding solar panel
No assembly required

To get yours, please visit Energy Refuge’s store.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: Ecotricity solar generator, solar power emergencies, solar power generator

You may not have solar photovoltaic panels on your rooftop, but you can enjoy the benefits of solar power in several other ways. One of them is the FreeLoader Pro, a solar charger that power most electrical devices, from the comfort of your home or during a expedition in the jungles of Africa.

It uses high power solar panels or USB (cable supplied) to charge its internal Li-ion battery. A full charge takes between seven and nine hours in sunny conditions. Once fully charged, Freeloader Pro is capable of delivering enough power to give a mobile phone 70 hours of standby time, 5,000 page turns on an eBook or a 100% full charge for a digital camera battery.

At 9.5V, the Freeloader Pro’s multi-voltage switch is capable of charging power-hungry, high-voltage devices such as MP4 players, portable DVD players and SLR camera batteries. It features a metallic push button “Power Halo” that indicates how much power is in the Freeloader Pro’s battery.

Freeloader Pro also features the CamCaddy. The CamCaddy is a specially designed adapter that accepts virtually every type of camera battery whether a simple compact digital camera, professional SLR or a video camera battery. CamCaddy suits all sizes of battery (3.2v to 7.9v) using its variable slider bar and adjustable contact pins.

Overview:
• Solar charger with a built-in Li-ion rechargeable battery
• Battery can be charged using solar cells or USB connection
• Specially designed CamCaddy can charge almost all camera and camcorder batteries (about 87% of camera models are compatible)
• Compatible with iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, current Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Motorola cell phones, PSP, portable DVD and MP4 players, more
• Li-ion rechargeable battery capacity: 1600mAh
• Solar cells: 200mA premium quality crystalline
• Impact resistant, rust free aluminum body
• Weight: 6.1 oz (174g)
• Dimensions: 5.9″ x 2.5″ x .8″ (150 x 63 x 20mm)
• Includes: Freeloader charger, CamCaddy, carrying bag, 10 charging adapters, USB cable, manual
• View the User Manual or the Compatibility List

Buy it from Energy Refuge’s store.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: FreeLoader Pro solar charger, solar charger, Solar power

There are many solar energy gadgets out there, but some of them seem to stand out. Take the LightShip, for example. It is a practical, portable solar light that could be the clean energy answer to campers, boats, cabins and emergency use. I particularly like the fact that it features three suction cups so that you can attach it to any smooth surface!

Other specs include:

• Eight hours of light on a full charge of sunshine
• Daylight sensor that automatically turns it off during the day
• 3-way switch – white light, red light, off
• Long-lasting 900mA NmH battery for quick charges
• Weather-proof
• Tough polycarbonate plastic housing
• 5″ Diameter x 2″ High

It weights only 227g and the bulb features white and red LEDs.

Visit the Energy Refuge store to purchase your LightShip.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: LED lights, LightShip, solar light

BioSolar, a company developing a new technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources, has plans to strike up manufacturing partnerships to reduce production costs of its BioBacksheet product and meet bulkier orders. The company hopes its technology will reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules.

“Recent events have helped us to solidify our strategic plan. Excess manufacturing capacity exists throughout the world, and many manufacturers are eager to work with fully developed technology products like BioBacksheet. To accelerate our business growth, BioSolar will focus its efforts on its core strengths, which include development of proprietary products and marketing efforts that have propelled us into a trusted position in biobased PV components,” said Dr. David Lee, CEO of BioSolar.

BioBacksheet is the only UL approved bio-based backsheet for use in solar panels, and it is a direct replacement for conventional backsheets currently used in over 70 percent of solar panels in the world. Backsheets are the necessary bottom layers of fully assembled solar energy panels. The product is made from renewable green material, and the company promises lower cost, higher durability, and potential to provide higher panel efficiency.

BioSolar has been developing is BioBacksheet over the last four years. In 2012 it expects its technology will be arriving at full-scale commercial production and volume delivery.

BioSolar recently made its debut at the recent GovGreen Conference in Washington, D.C., a venue for government decision-makers looking for green solutions.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: backsheet, biosolar, plant-based solar

Photo: American University

State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) and Renewable Energy Maldives (REM) have devised a solar energy project to generate electricity for six islands of Malé atoll. Altogether, The Maldives are comprised of nearly 1,200 islands and atolls.

The project is part of the country’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the country’s Environment Minister, Mohamed Aslam and Katherina Reiche, who is the Parliamentary Secretary of the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

The rooftop of the Muhiyiddeen School in Villimalé district, one of the island districts of Malé, received the first solar energy panels that accompanied the inauguration of the project. The panels are expected to generate 61 kilowatts of electricity with the potential to power 30 houses.

The other five islands included in this project are Maafushi, Guraidhoo, Himmafushi, Kaashidhoo and Thulusdhoo. The plan is to achieve a generation of 652 kilowatts of electricity using solar energy.

(Via Maldives Net)

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: Maldives, rising sea levels, solar power Maldives

Photo: LuminAID

They replace kerosene lamps, which are toxic and a safety hazard, besides making a dent of up to 30% on the income of those who need it. As solar technology becomes better and more portable, hopefully the stinky kerosene lamp will be a thing of a fossil fuel past.

LuminAID is the brainchild of Anna Stork, an architect whose previous jobs include working for the Department of Defense developing technologies to help soldiers survive in remote locations, and Andrea Sheshta, an architect and former employee at Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects in New York.

You should follow us here.

Technorati Tags: disaster zones, inflatable solar light, LuminAID, natural phenomena, Solar power