Impact of Smart Grid on Connected Homes
The study investigated the current and future direction of the market and the opportunities smart grid represents for participants in the value chain.
Eagle death at Nevada wind farm brings federal scrutiny
A single dead eagle could spell trouble for a White Pine County wind farm that sells power to NV Energy.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting an investigation after a golden eagle was killed in late February at the Spring Valley Wind Farm, about 300 miles north of Las Vegas.
San Francisco-based Pattern Energy, which owns the 152-megawatt wind energy project, reported the dead bird and turned it over to federal authorities within 36 hours of its discovery.
“They did all the things they were supposed to because of an eagle death,” said Jeannie Stafford, spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Nevada.
Even so, the wind farm could face a fine of up to $200,000 because it does not hold a federal “take” permit that would allow the incidental death of a golden or bald eagle.
Stafford said the matter is under investigation by the service’s Office of Law Enforcement.
This Company Is Kickstarter for Solar Power
Here's how Mosaic works: Investors contribute a minimum of $25 to a project. Over the next 5 to 10 years—depending on the project—the investors will make that money back, plus interest. The return on the investment ranges from 4.5 to 6.4 percent annually, depending on the project. They can support projects in any state, but right now only accredited investors and people in New York and California can invest in the projects, due to regulatory barriers in other states. In order to qualify, projects must be for organizations that are financially stable, have adequate insurance, and benefit the wider community in some way. Recent projects include affordable housing projects, a convention center, several nonprofits, a grocery store, and a Native American reservation.
Mosaic's founders want to do for solar energy what Kickstarter has done for bands and independent films, or what Kiva has done for upstart projects in the developing world. But Mosaic's model goes beyond most other crowdsourcing sites, by not only allowing supporters to invest in the solar project but also make a profit doing so.
Foxconn invests in solar power in China
Foxconn has announced plans to build a solar power network in China encompassing new factories and plants.
According to a statement released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer is investing in one research center, five solar-power components factories, and 20 solar-power generating plants in the southern province of Guangxi.
Foxconn since 2012 has been shifting its focus toward solar power, pouring nearly 100 billion yuan (US$16 million) in other provinces in China, where the government has provided solar manufacturers with heavy subsidies.
In the face of competition, increasing labor cost and pressure from business customers, Foxconn's cellphone subsidiary company had failed to meet market expectation and reported an annual loss of US$316 million in its fiscal 2012. Hence, to some, the moves could be seen as part of a strategic plan.
Despite last week bankruptcy filing of SunTech, China's biggest solar panel manufacturer, the outlook for the domestic market remains encouraging, according to Shen Hongwen, an analyst from CIConsulting company. Foxconn should be able to tap the expanding Chinese market by utilizing its financing power and management expertise, Shen said.
Nanowires Break Limit of Solar Cell Efficiency
How much energy can we use from the sun's rays? Apparently, we can utilize far more than previously thought. A new study shows that the energy limit is far higher than first believed.
The new study, described in the journal Nature Photonics , studied how to develop and improve the quality of nanowire crystals. These nanowires possess a cylindrical structure and a diameter that's about 10,000 part of a human hair. They hold enormous potential for the development of solar cells and the future of quantum computers and other electronic products.
So how do these nanowires work? They naturally concentrate the sun's rays into a very small area in the crystal that they possess by up to a factor of 15. Due to the tiny nature of the wire's diameter, the crystal can cause resonances in the intensity of light in and around nanowires. These resonances can concentrate the sunlight and convert it into energy, essentially giving a higher conversion efficiency of the sun's light.
Previously, scientists thought that the efficiency limit of sunlight was far lower. Known as the "Shockley Queisser Limit," it was held as a landmark for solar cell efficiency for many years. Yet with the discovery and development of these nanowires, it seems that the limit is far higher than previously thought.
Stanford's solar cell turbocharger could boost solar power output by 50%
Scientists at Stanford University have improved the efficiency of a revolutionary solar cell by around 100 times. Unlike standard photovoltaic cells, which only capture light energy, Stanford’s new device captures both light and heat, potentially boosting solar cell efficiency towards 60% — way beyond the 30-40% limit of traditional silicon photovoltaic solar cells.
This new device uses a process called photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE). In photovoltaic cells, photons strike a semiconductor (usually silicon), creating electricity by knocking electrons loose from their parent atoms. The PETE process is similar, but also very different and altogether rather complex. In essence, think of it as the photovoltaic equivalent of a turbocharger. Full Article.
Chinese solar power firm defaults on debts
Suntech, one of the world's biggest solar panel manufacturers, has defaulted on a $541m (£358m) bond payment in the latest sign of the financial squeeze on the struggling global solar industry.
Suntech Power Holdings' announcement was a severe setback for a company lauded by China's Communist government as a leader of efforts to make the country a centre of the renewable energy industry. Its founder, Shi Zhengrong, became one of the industry's most prominent entrepreneurs and a billionaire, only to see most of his fortune evaporate as the company's share price plummeted.
The company is "exploring strategic alternatives with lenders and potential investors," David King, who replaced Shi as a CEO last year, said in a statement.
Suntech was due to make a $541m bond payment on Friday but ran short of cash following heavy losses over the past year.
U.S. Solar Market Grows 76% in 2012
GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA®) today released U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-in-Review 2012, the definitive analysis of solar power markets in the U.S.
With another record-breaking year, solar is the fastest growing energy source in the U.S., powering homes, businesses and utility grids across the nation. The Solar Market Insight annual edition shows the U.S. installed 3,313 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in 2012, a record for the industry. Perhaps most importantly, clean, reliable, affordable solar is continuing a major growth pattern that has made it a leading source of new electricity for America that's increasingly competitive with conventional electricity across dozens of states today.
Even with the cost of solar falling for consumers, the market size of the U.S. solar industry grew 34 percent from $8.6 billion in 2011 to $11.5 billion in 2012—not counting billions of dollars in other economic benefits across states and communities. As of the end of 2012, there were 7,221 MW of PV and 546 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) online in the U.S. -- enough to power 1.2 million homes.
At the state level, 2012 was another year for breaking records. California became the first state to install over 1,000 MW in one year, with growth across all market segments. Arizona came in as the second largest market, led by large-scale utility installations, while New Jersey experienced growth in the state's non-residential market.
In addition to record annual installations, the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2012 shattered all-time quarterly records as well, with 1,300 MW of installed PV, besting the previous high by a whopping 64 percent. The residential and utility segments had their best quarters ever, installing 144 MW and 874 MW respectively.
Tidal Energy Overview
People are becoming aware of the importance of ocean energy, which will lead to a new era of alternative energy. Because of this knowledge, tidal energy has great potential and bright prospects in future.
Reducing the Cost of Solar Energy
It used to be that solar costs were dominated by one thing: the cost of the actual panel. But now, things are quite different. Solar panels comprise less than 40% of the cost of a rooftop solar system on average across the U.S.
Cloud Based Energy Management
EcoFactor builds cloud-based analytics software that powers multiple residential energy saving services. We process massive amounts of data, including physical household characteristics and consumer behavioral interactions.
Inverter Innovation and Overall System Cost-reduction
By differentiating between a true utility outage (where anti-islanding is necessary) and a grid disturbance (during which the PV system could actually help support grid stability), inverters can stay online during grid disturbances and produce responses to stabilize the grid.
Fuel Cell and Green Technology - SSFTV
SSFTV means Solar used hydrogen production, Solid state hydrogen storage, Fuel cell (PEM), Tornado power generation and finally Vapour absorption refrigeration cycle. This is a group of Green Technology ideas which can be used in corporates, industries and houses.
Extreme Cold Climate Emergency Lighting for Wind Turbine Towers/Nacelles
It is highly recommended that turbine OEM's consider thermostatically controlled heater elements for their florescent lighting fixtures as a standard item when considering their lighting systems for use in extreme cold climate applications.
U.S. Approves 1,100 Megawatts of Wind, Solar Projects
The U.S. approved three renewable-energy projects to be built on federal land in California and Nevada.
The two solar farms and one wind project are expected to total 1,100 megawatts of capacity, enough to power more than 340,000 homes, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today at a press conference in San Francisco.
The U.S. doubled its use of renewable-energy during the past four years and these projects are part of the Obama administration’s strategy of promoting wider use of solar, wind and geothermal energy on federal lands, he said. The solar farms are in one of 17 zones approved by the Interior Department last year to accelerate the approval process.
“They are the blueprint, the bible, if you will, of where solar energy will go on public lands in the years ahead,”Salazar said.
The 750-megawatt McCoy Solar Energy Project, owned byNextEra Energy Inc. (NEE), and Electricite de France SA’s 150-megawatt Desert Harvest plant will use photovoltaic technology and are in Riverside County, in Southern California.
Duke Energy Corp. (DUK)’s 200-megawatt Searchlight Wind Energy Project is in Clark County, Nevada.
Edison International (EIX)’s Southern California Edison utility received approval from state regulators last year to buy power under a 20-year contract from McCoy’s first 250-megawatt phase, which is expected to start producing power in late 2016.
EDF and Duke haven’t announced power-purchase agreements and none of the three companies have named suppliers.
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