Featured Articles

Why Conservatives Are Bad on Energy: It's All About the Costs
08/27/10
When you compare the real costs of solar with the fully loaded real costs of coal and oil and natural gas and nuclear power, apples to apples, solar is cheaper.

Sigh of Relief from Solar Stakeholders
08/27/10
You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief on August 13 when the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) announced that its proposed price reduction to the solar microFIT program would not be as far-reaching as originally believed.

Significance of Anaerobic Digestion in Rural India
08/24/10
Every year, several large and small farmers in major agricultural states of India burn the crop residues after harvesting. However, it is possible to transform this waste into a valuable resource by making use of modern energy conversion technologies.

Algae Energy Center Part 1
08/24/10
An Advanced Energy Technology Introduction and Outline From The National Water Fund

Fuel Cells Find a Green Home in New Haven
08/24/10
The greenest apartment building ever constructed officially opened to its residents on August 1, 2010. Located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut, 360 State Street elevates green living from a guilt-trip to recycle and compost to an attractive and hassle-free lifestyle.

The 21st Century Industrial Revolution
08/24/10
Clearly, the introduction of strong government backed renewable energy programs, combined with a little capitalism, will help continue to return the world back to its original clean energy sources, like wind and sun. History has a strange way of repeating itself. The industrial revolution of the 21st century has clearly begun.

Case Studies With SunWize
08/24/10
Three recent solar installations from SunWize.

Fuel Cells Out of Orbit
08/17/10
Fuel cells are ideal for space missions for many reasons. Fuel cells can run for long durations without interruption as long as fuel is supplied. They produce electricity very efficiently and reliably. In addition, the light weight of fuel cells reduces total launch pad weight.

EV Charging Station Video
08/17/10
Electric vehicle owners will influence an extensive network of charging stations being installed in Madison, Wisconsin by MGE. In a story produced by StoryBridge.tv, see how MGE will use driver input to configure its power grid for a new wave of green transportation.

Case Study - Missouri Department of Transportation St. Clair Maintenance Facility
08/17/10
Missouri Department of Transportation St. Clair Maintenance Facility installation of 48 SolarSheats Solar air panels deployed on two structures (one with eight and one with 40) and two solar hot water systems each using four 4' x 8' flat plate collectors both on the same structure (one for a car wash and the other for domestic hot water).

Fused Quartz, a Critical Component of the Solar Power Industry
08/17/10
Due to its stability, chemical purity, transmissivity to light, and heat resistance, quartz has for many years been vital to the production of semiconductors for the electronics industry. The material is virtually inert, very durable and will withstand the high temperatures associated with semiconductor fabrication and testing.

Solar Energy Conversion Process: Light and Heat
08/17/10
Photon Enhanced Thermionic Emission or PETE, simultaneously combines the heat and light from solar radiation to create electricity. Traditional solar panels utilize photovoltaic technology, which is flawed in that it decreases in efficiency as temperature rises. This is an obvious problem, seeing as the sun produces both light and heat. The new process of PETE, actually increases efficiency of the panels as the heat index increases.

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize - Competiton Overview and Results
08/11/10
The Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize is a huge undertaking involving Establishing a venue, staffing, training, developing tests, setting up Consumers Reports Certifications, and taking over the Michigan International Speedway in the outback, near a small town named Brooklyn in our fair State of Michigan.

Commitment to Clean Energy Technology Would Help U.S. Become Global Economic Leader and Job Creator
08/11/10
Innovative technological ideas that originate from small American manufacturing companies often go unrewarded. Why? Because often those companies don’t have the ability to take their innovations to the world through an aggressive exporting program.

Case Study From Solar Power Partners
08/11/10
The West County Wastewater District, located on the San Francisco Bay, provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal services for several cities and parts of Contra Costa County. In adopting solar energy, the agency was interested in the long term cost-saving benefits a solar PPA afforded and its no-money down approach. The solar PPA was an excellent solution: the wastewater district pays only for the power the system produces, does not incur operation and maintenance expenses, and sees savings on its electricity bill for the next twenty years-a plus for the District's ratepayers

Winning Hearts and Minds in the Renewable Energy Game
07/31/10 - Austin Brentley
Ontario has been the recipient of numerous accolades lauding its aggressive renewable energy legislation and hospitable investment climate. However, some worry that despite all of these advances, Ontario is not doing everything in its power to make green technology a priority.

Micro-gardening Or Solar Electricity?
07/31/10 - Bruno De Wachter
Suppose you are living in a large city and take the decision to stop using a privately owned vehicle and rely instead upon a shared car, public transport, or bicycling. Assuming you had off-street parking, what is the best use of your former parking space: gardening or solar electricity?

Sanyo Canopies Create New Solar Vernacular For Architects, Building Owners & Hoteliers
07/31/10 - Terri Steele
Design Flexibility and Superior Energy Output of SANYO’s Bi-facial HIT® Double Modules Provide Architects & Building Owners More Solar Design Options and Increased Revenue Potential

Shaping America’s Green Workforce: Community Colleges’ Role
07/31/10 - Katy Kozusko
As environmental awareness and the trend toward the adaptation of sustainability practices become common in corporate America, the academic world is placed in a unique position to make a significant contribution to this trend by providing education and training that responds to this trend.

European Solar Photovoltaic Market Faces Instability for Next Five Years
07/31/10 - Solarbuzz
The pace of the European solar photovoltaic (PV) market in the first half of 2010 was dominated by the impending mid-year incentive tariff reductions in Germany and conditioned by the lower module pricing that emerged through 2009, according to the latest from Solarbuzz® in Europe PV Markets 2010.

Selling Solar Thermal
07/31/10 - Bob “hot rod” Rohr
It is clear the PV industry has done a much better job communicating solar electric. I understand the various industry associations recognize this confusion. I hope we see more of the consumer marketing aimed not just at solar thermal but explaining the differences and how a dual energy system is another good option to leverage their solar investment.

Solar - It's Coming
07/31/10 - Jim Lindsey
"Tennessee Valley Authority does away with solar subsidy." Would any businessman who knew that his obsolescence was imminent not do likewise?

Thin Film Photovoltaic (PV) Cells Market Analysis to 2020
07/31/10 - Gangadhar Adiboina
This report covers the key market drivers, restrains and growth forecast for major thin film technologies – Amorphous silicon (a-Si), Cadium Telluride (Cdte), and Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide CIGS. The report entails comprehensive analysis of thin-film module production, production capacity, key countries and key industry players. The key study focuses on the global thin film PV industry market outlook along with comparative analysis of different technologies.

Legal Q & A

Alternative Energy Leqal Q & A
07/31/10
AltEnergyMag has joined forces with Cleantech Law Partners (CLP) to help our readers navigate the sometime dizzying legal and policy issues that are changing every day. CLP is a a boutique law firm that focuses on exactly these kinds of issues and works with clients everyday to help make clean energy projects a reality across the country.

Interviews

Airborne Wind Energy
08/27/10
The concept of large-scale wind power production using aerodynamically efficient kites was first proposed by University of California researcher M.L. Loyd who published seminal work in the Journal of Energy thirty years ago. In that paper, he described kites that utilized aircraft construction flying transverse to the wind at high speed.

Altenergymag Interview With Tom Mealey Of Virtual Industries, Inc.
08/27/10
For more than 20 years, Virtual Industries has been a leading supplier of manual vacuum handling solutions to the world’s top technology firms. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, the US-based company provides an extensive and innovative range of hand-based operator tools, and focuses on being in tune with the industry sectors it supports and the customers within them.

3 Leading EcoCAR Challenge Teams
08/11/10
We got the opportunity to interview the three leading teams in the EcoCAR Challenge namely Mississippi State University, Virginia Tech and Pennsylvania State University. These are the future leaders in the alternative energy transportation industry and it shows in their enthusiasm.

Solar Project Capitalization and Development
07/31/10
Prior to joining MP2 Capital as Managing Director, Jeff was a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong, where he served as Head of Asia Technology Investment Banking and worked with many of the solar industry's leading panel and module suppliers. Mr. Glavan has more than 12 years of investment banking experience in corporate finance covering leading technology companies, and has advised clients on over 100 transactions including private placements, IPOs, follow-on equity offerings, high yield and convertible debt financings, and M&A and other strategic advisory transactions.

Solar System Safety
07/31/10 - Brent Harris
Brent Harris, P.Eng, is CTO of Sustainable Energy Technologies, and a co-founder of the company. He led the development and commercialization of the company's technologies, from early demonstrations to the launch of its latest Sunergy inverters.

Risk Management in the PPA Marketplace
07/31/10 - Mike Smith
Solar Insure is a California owned Independent insurance brokerage dedicated to providing our clients with the highest quality professional risk management & insurance services, while delivering competitively priced alternative energy insurance products.

PV Product Distribution
07/31/10 - Wayne Wagner
Here we catch up with Wayne Wagner, Krayden, Inc.’s president, to see how the company’s PV side of the business is growing.

Christopher Associates and the Solar Industry
07/31/10 - Matt Holzmann
Starting in a two-room office in 1977, Christopher Associates quickly expanded by focusing on technical service and an international product mix. By 1984, the company grew to become one of the leading suppliers to the printed circuit industry.

More Articles

University Research Teaching Tools and Portable Research Lab
07/31/10 - David Cooke
St Clair County Community College in Port Huron Michigan becomes the first American college to take delivery of the new Research PowerCube, possibly the most advanced wind and solar research tool available anywhere.

InSpire from ATAS Plays Key Role in LEED Certification
07/31/10 - Stevi Jerrold
The Better Living Mill Shop in Troy, Va., recently was LEED Certified for new construction by the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. It is said to be the first industrial building in central Virginia to earn LEED certification in the LEED New Construction Green Rating System.

Hybrid Project Application News In The UK
07/31/10 - Kemal İbiş
Solimpeks and NewForm Energy have recently implemented one of England’s largest hybrid collector system In the city of Chetwode Road successfully.

First Drain Meander Project
07/31/10 - Kemal Ibis
Solimpeks, Turkey's largest thermal and hybrid collector manufacturer, recently implemented a drain meander system in the city of Izmir successfully.

Low-cost and high performance heliostats
07/12/10 - Juan Pablo Cabanillas, Carlos García
Heliostats are the component with the greatest impact on the cost in solar tower CSP installations, assuming 50% of the total investment. In the last years, there have been serious attempts to reduce cost by relaxing some features. The TITAN TRACKER concept achieves the goal of reducing cost offering higher performance than the rest of heliostats.

The US Solar PV Backsheet Market - Industry Trends and Opportunity Analysis to 2015
07/12/10 - Global Data
The “The US Solar PV Backsheet Market - Industry Trends and Opportunity Analysis to 2015” report provides market analysis and volume forecasts up to 2015 in the US. The report contains detailed analysis of PV backsheets installed, pricing, market revenues, share of imports and exports, backsheet demand based on domestic module production, lead time analysis and key product analysis.

Case Study: San Francisco MTA Transit Shelter
07/12/10 - Stona Fitch
The Challenge: Reinvent the traditional transit shelter to take advantage of solar power. The Solution: Create a next-generation transit shelter that is both environmentally innovative and aesthetically pleasing.

Honda Canada Reduces Power Costs by 6% Using Harmonizer Automatic Voltage Regulator
06/24/10 - Erik Wolfe
Prior to installing an electrical Harmonizer-AVR, Honda Canada’s warehouse consumed 1,331,520 kWh annually with a peak demand of 355 kW. For the purpose of this case study, these numbers will be used a benchmark for energy consumption.

Harnessing the Power of the Ocean: A Program Still in its Infancy
06/22/10 - EBSCO Publishing
Energy can be retrieved from the oceans in five basic ways: Tides, waves, tidal or marine currents, temperature gradients, and salinity gradients. Of these, wave energy is the most significant resource, according to ABS Energy Research, followed by power from salinity and thermal gradients.

Resolving the World Energy Need - Ocean Energy Thermal Conversion
06/22/10 - James Lau
During a vacation trip to the Disney World, I saw the Exxon-Mobile energy presentation. The presentation includes a portion in the form of the Jeopardy game. For the final question in the Jeopardy game, the answer is “The solution to the future energy need.” The correct question is “What is brain power?”

Global Small Hydro Power Market Analysis to 2020 - Installed Capacity, Generation, Investment Trends
06/22/10 - A.B.G.Thilak
Hydropower is the largest renewable source of power generation and currently accounts for about 20% of the world’s total electricity supply. The world’s hydropower installed capacity increased from 695.8GW (Gigawatts) in 2001 to 888.8GW in 2009, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.1%. Since hydropower is a mature technology, it has witnessed a modest growth rate.