November 2008 Archives
Arastradero Preserve, located just outside of Palo Alto, CA has just fitted it's parking lot information center and restrooms with photovoltaic solar panels and solar water heaters provided by Uni-Solar. The park, open from 8am to sunset, has undergone several improvements over the past two years with new trails being open and the addition of a discovery center with information about indigenous animals and plants. With the addition of the PV solar panels now in place along the roof of the discovery center, lighting and other electrical appliances will be powered by the sun. Additionally, several very nice restrooms have also been fitted with solar panels designed to heat the running water for the sinks in each restroom. These upgrades will significantly reduce the power needed to run the park and have caught the interest of local students and children who are excited about solar energy and enjoy exploring the trails by foot, mountain bike, or horseback!
Other parks around the nation have also begun adding solar power generation to their restrooms and visitor centers. While very few are as elaborate as those found at the Arastradero Preserve, they all have a similar impact on visitors who care about environmental sustainability. The image below shows a simple restroom building at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado which uses two small solar panels to run lights and fans in the restrooms located near the Fern Lake to Cub Lake trail head.
Other parks around the nation have also begun adding solar power generation to their restrooms and visitor centers. While very few are as elaborate as those found at the Arastradero Preserve, they all have a similar impact on visitors who care about environmental sustainability. The image below shows a simple restroom building at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado which uses two small solar panels to run lights and fans in the restrooms located near the Fern Lake to Cub Lake trail head.
As Obama made history tonight with his acceptance speech for President Elect of the United States of America one of our favorite companies (along with many others in the solar industry) has shot up to $50 from its low of $33 on October 8th. This company is SunPower Corporation (SPWRA) and you can follow the data chart from Google Finance here.
Energy strategist Elliot Gue was quoted as saying "An Obama administration is likely to be very aggressive in subsidizing and promoting alternatives, including a windfall tax on oil firms to support development of alternative energy" and Obama himself has made similar claims in his speaches and political debates with John McCain.
Energy plans under Barack Obama's administration will call for producing 10% of the United States' electricity from renewable energy by 2012 and then grow to 25% in 2025. Currently America only produces 3% of its electricity from renewable resources (not including hydroelectric plants).
SunPower has been a great stock, albiet suffered in recent months due to the economic downturn and earlier this year as energy stocks were devaulated after they rose so high. SunPower designs and manufactures photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and produces some of the highest efficiency technology in the industry, averaging 22% across all of their models while the industry standard is closer to 15%! Furthermore, their panels are used in the residential, commercial and utility-scale markets which means that they benefit from tax incentives at all levels. Their All-Black panels especially, are favored among home owners for their visual appeal, and SunPower recently won a contract with a Florida-based utility company called FPL to build the largest PV plant in North America in DeSoto County.
Many other solar stocks have soared over the past few days (and are looking bright for the weeks to come) including Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd (STP), JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd (JASO), and First Solar Inc (FSLR), not to mention Google which has been investing heavily in alternative energy and has been way down since May and has a five star rating by Standard & Poor's.
Energy strategist Elliot Gue was quoted as saying "An Obama administration is likely to be very aggressive in subsidizing and promoting alternatives, including a windfall tax on oil firms to support development of alternative energy" and Obama himself has made similar claims in his speaches and political debates with John McCain.
Energy plans under Barack Obama's administration will call for producing 10% of the United States' electricity from renewable energy by 2012 and then grow to 25% in 2025. Currently America only produces 3% of its electricity from renewable resources (not including hydroelectric plants).
SunPower has been a great stock, albiet suffered in recent months due to the economic downturn and earlier this year as energy stocks were devaulated after they rose so high. SunPower designs and manufactures photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and produces some of the highest efficiency technology in the industry, averaging 22% across all of their models while the industry standard is closer to 15%! Furthermore, their panels are used in the residential, commercial and utility-scale markets which means that they benefit from tax incentives at all levels. Their All-Black panels especially, are favored among home owners for their visual appeal, and SunPower recently won a contract with a Florida-based utility company called FPL to build the largest PV plant in North America in DeSoto County.
Many other solar stocks have soared over the past few days (and are looking bright for the weeks to come) including Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd (STP), JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd (JASO), and First Solar Inc (FSLR), not to mention Google which has been investing heavily in alternative energy and has been way down since May and has a five star rating by Standard & Poor's.
TreeHugger recently reported that a Japanese business news source called Nikkei stated that Toyota is planning to make a Toyota Prius solar power option that would power the air conditioning unit of the cars on sunny days. This design makes perfect sense and is already being used in basic in-window solar car fans. The solar panels being used for the Prius are made by a company called Kyocera (known for being less expensive and lower efficiency) and would line the roof as shown in the image below. The idea of adding solar power to a car has been around for years and even featured in a few movies (then refeatured in who killed the electric car) and solar-techies everywhere have begun taking matters into their own hands creating after-market solar kits for the Prius and other hybrid EV cars.
If everything goes according to plans for the consumer version of the solar Toyota Prius it would be the first mass marketed car with solar panels built in. According to Nikkei the model would be shown in 2009 and become available for sale in 2010 based on industry speculation, however, Toyota has kept quiet on the topic. If you're a bit disappointed that the panels only power AC then you might want to check out the video below of a California company that has made a solar roof adapter for the Prius which will add 17% to 29% more range to your gas mileage!
Another company called Solatec has an aftermarket PV panel kit for 2004-2008 model Prius that is on sale for $2,195 and increases Prius range 10% over EPA figures to about 55 MPG in the city and 62 MPG highway. Costing $2,195 that is the equivalent of ~1000 gallons of gasoline depending on the price any given day. The two panel strips attach on top of the Prius roof using aircraft grade adhesive and put out 30 watts at 18 Volts.
The solar adapter shown in the video below is from Solar Electrical Vehicles and can be used with the Toyota Prius, Highlander, Rav4 EV, Ford Escape or Sprinter.
Solar Panels for Toyota Prius
If everything goes according to plans for the consumer version of the solar Toyota Prius it would be the first mass marketed car with solar panels built in. According to Nikkei the model would be shown in 2009 and become available for sale in 2010 based on industry speculation, however, Toyota has kept quiet on the topic. If you're a bit disappointed that the panels only power AC then you might want to check out the video below of a California company that has made a solar roof adapter for the Prius which will add 17% to 29% more range to your gas mileage!Another company called Solatec has an aftermarket PV panel kit for 2004-2008 model Prius that is on sale for $2,195 and increases Prius range 10% over EPA figures to about 55 MPG in the city and 62 MPG highway. Costing $2,195 that is the equivalent of ~1000 gallons of gasoline depending on the price any given day. The two panel strips attach on top of the Prius roof using aircraft grade adhesive and put out 30 watts at 18 Volts.
The solar adapter shown in the video below is from Solar Electrical Vehicles and can be used with the Toyota Prius, Highlander, Rav4 EV, Ford Escape or Sprinter.You must download Flash to watch this video.
Solar Panels for Toyota Prius
The solar power system installed at Denver International Airport is finally in after a few delays. The arrays went in just in time for the Democratic National Convention and was funded by MMA Renewable Ventures and WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp which now sell the electricity being produced back to DIA.
Inside DIA there is a small exhibit sharing details of the installation as follows: The two-megawatt solar photovoltaic system, developed through an innovative public-private partnership with the City and the County of Denver, DIA, MMA Renewable Ventures, and WorldWater and Solar Technologies uses more than 9,200 Sharp solar panels, and features a tracking system that follows the sun for greater efficiency and energy production. The system will generate over 3 million killowatt hours (KWh) of clean electricity annually which is the equivalent of half the energy needed to operate the train system at the airport.
The solar power system is part of the Xcel Energy Solar Rewards program and demonstrates Denver's commitment to environmental sustainability by reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere by more than 5 million pounds each year. For more information on the project and other environmental innitiatives at DIA visit the DIA Business Center Website
Inside DIA there is a small exhibit sharing details of the installation as follows: The two-megawatt solar photovoltaic system, developed through an innovative public-private partnership with the City and the County of Denver, DIA, MMA Renewable Ventures, and WorldWater and Solar Technologies uses more than 9,200 Sharp solar panels, and features a tracking system that follows the sun for greater efficiency and energy production. The system will generate over 3 million killowatt hours (KWh) of clean electricity annually which is the equivalent of half the energy needed to operate the train system at the airport.
The solar power system is part of the Xcel Energy Solar Rewards program and demonstrates Denver's commitment to environmental sustainability by reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere by more than 5 million pounds each year. For more information on the project and other environmental innitiatives at DIA visit the DIA Business Center Website
The latest innovation in solar power doesn't use the sun's energy at all. Instead it uses man made solar radiation to darken the mask of a protective welding helmet. This ANSI Approved helmet has a shield lens that darkens instantly when welding begins and clears when welding stops. The mask can witch easily between shades from 9 to 13 with 1/10000 second reaction time and has a two-way adjustable headband that ensures a comfortable fit.
We haven't tested this helmet ourselves here at Solar Power Authority but the idea is sound and the technology is spot on! We found the mask for just under $70 with several reviews here and a competitor mask that's a bit more expensive (featuring German engineered glass and an internal 3V lithium battery pack) here. Both pages feature at least one review though the first, less expensive solar welding mask has a few more reviews. If you're into MIG or TIG Welding and like cool technology and saving energy then check these masks out!
We haven't tested this helmet ourselves here at Solar Power Authority but the idea is sound and the technology is spot on! We found the mask for just under $70 with several reviews here and a competitor mask that's a bit more expensive (featuring German engineered glass and an internal 3V lithium battery pack) here. Both pages feature at least one review though the first, less expensive solar welding mask has a few more reviews. If you're into MIG or TIG Welding and like cool technology and saving energy then check these masks out!
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