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Post by Spider on Oct 14, 2008 13:59:00 GMT -5
Businesses bank on solar power
SAN DIEGO--With so many large organizations putting solar panels on their roofs, you would think that it's because solar power is cheaper than the grid. But a closer look shows that it's not that simple.
The California Center for Sustainable Energy organized a corporate solar tour on Monday, as part of the Solar Power International conference taking place here this week.
 (Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET Networks)[/b] A part of the one megawatt at the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant in San Diego. [/center] The tour made clear that there are a lot of good reasons to go solar, namely hedging against fossil fuels prices or good community relations. But it's not just about lowering the electricity bill. In fact, in some cases, customers pay nearly as much as they did before they went through all the trouble of installing the panels. Consider the city of San Diego which is in the process of procuring as much as five megawatts of solar electricity in municipal sites over the next five years. The first to go online is the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant, a one-megawatt installation that produces about 20 percent of the power the plant uses. The second planned array, also for a water treatment facility, could be finalized in weeks. The Alvarado solar array is spread across three different locations at the plant where rows and rows of solar panels are placed on top of concrete water storage tanks. An installation of this size costs about $6.5 million--beyond what most municipalities can afford. So they arrange what is called a power purchase agreement (PPA), where another company called a systems integrator finances, installs, and then owns the facility. The water treatment plant just buys the electricity, at only half a cent less than the retail rate of 12.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. A half-cent discount doesn't sound like much but the plant estimates that it will save $177,300 a year by installing the panels. Perhaps more importantly, the city's contract with its systems integrator, SunEdison, stipulates the the price it will pay for the solar panels' electricity will go up slower than the retail price of electricity. So while other customers are exposed to the vagaries of price increases, the plant will know how much its electricity will cost for the 20 years of the contract. "We anticipate that with the systems in the future that we'll get better pricing because the price of solar panels is going down all the time," said John Helminski, a systems engineer for San Diego's energy program in its environmental services department. Meeting the city's renewable energy goals and hedging against rising electricity prices was so important that the city considered big solar installations even when it was unclear that a sizable renewable energy tax credit would be renewed. (It was).
Solar trees sprout in San Diego  A "solar tree," or solar powered canopy
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Post by Pepsi Kid on Oct 15, 2008 18:08:54 GMT -5
I'm currently looking at going solar for part of my power, along with a wind turbine or two. It is expensive, but after it's paid for, it's known as "Free Power".
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Post by daedalus on Oct 17, 2008 7:14:22 GMT -5
We use those solar power stake lights around my yard. They are pretty bright and last all night. Free and more effective. I like the blueish color they give off.
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Post by Pepsi Kid on Oct 17, 2008 17:43:31 GMT -5
I had an outside light at my old home that was solar, (the one in Georgia) before moving here to South Carolina. It was bright and provided a lot of yard light. It was almost like having a street light in our front yard.
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Post by daydreamer on Oct 21, 2008 21:32:06 GMT -5
Are there any companys in the local area that deal in solar power? Any suggestion on obtaining affrodable solar or wind tubin power?
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Post by Pepsi Kid on Oct 22, 2008 12:18:03 GMT -5
daydreamer, I sent you a pm. I hope this helps you, as I know of no one in the immediate area that deal in solar power. But then again, I also just moved here.
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Post by Spider on Jan 7, 2009 12:54:44 GMT -5
  Toshiba Muscles into Solar-Energy Business
By: Martin LaMonica
January 5, 2009 Toshiba, a company best known for making laptops and consumer electronics, on Monday said that it will enter the solar-photovoltaics business. But don't expect to see Toshiba-branded solar panels on a home rooftop any time soon. The company's industrial and energy arm plans to build utility-scale solar power plants. Toshiba's photovoltaics business will be part of the conglomerate's Transmission Distribution & Industrial Systems business, which makes equipment for natural-gas power plants. The division also makes rechargeable batteries for industrial use and has a systems integration operation for installing power generation equipment. The push into solar energy is part of Toshiba's corporate goal to lower its carbon emissions and environmental impact. It expects it can grow the solar-photovoltaics business to $2.2 billion a year by fiscal year 2015.
Toshiba's competitors, including Sanyo and Sharp,
already have large solar-photovoltaic businesses.
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Post by Spider on Jan 7, 2009 13:45:51 GMT -5
 Going Solar?
Seven sites map your plans [/b][/size] Posted by Elsa Wenzel | 16 comments Homeowners who dream of their electric meter spinning backward
may seek solar panels to slash bills and carbon emissions. [/color]
But where to start?
Before you call a contractor, these sites can assist with the early steps,
like summing up what you could spend or save in your neighborhood.[/b] _________________
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Post by Spider on Jan 20, 2009 17:14:24 GMT -5
 On The Cusp Of An Energy Revolution! Imagine a world in which homes and buildings no longer need an outside source of electricity...
and all the power needed to run a home, office, store, or warehouse is produced right on site, completely free.
[clic pic for more]
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Post by Spider on Feb 19, 2009 13:56:36 GMT -5
Where are we going with solar tech?  By: Candace Lombardi
One year ago, silicon, the most common material used in making solar panels,
could not be supplied fast enough.
It gave an opening to many new solar tech start-ups looking
to pick up venture capitalist interest and cash.
While some technologies may not have been as efficient as traditional silicon solar panels,
they had other qualities.
Thin-film photovoltaic systems were very popular.
But now with a silicon supply glut that's going to get worse before it gets better,
the game has changed.
Solar venture capitalists will lean away from innovative technologies toward sure bets closer to
commercialization, according to a report released Wednesday by Lux Research.
The report deciphers in company-by-company detail where the solar market stood before the 2008 fourth-quarter crash, and how it's affecting the development of new solar technologies.
It predicts where the bottom of the solar market is, who will climb out of it,
and when that will start to happen.
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