solar energy

Bullish On Solar

/ Organikos / Leave a comment

image: la boca

The Economist makes a compelling case for us all to be more bullish on solar–not that we needed much convincing:

The exponential growth of solar power will change the world

An energy-rich future is within reach

It is 70 years since at&t’s Bell Labs unveiled a new technology for turning sunlight into power. The phone company hoped it could replace the batteries that run equipment in out-of-the-way places. It also realised that powering devices with light alone showed how science could make the future seem wonderful; hence a press event at which sunshine kept a toy Ferris wheel spinning round and round. Continue reading →

Solar Energy Benefits for All

/ Jocelyn Toll / Leave a comment
h_bostonia_16-9939-solarpanel-116

All photos from: Boston University Bostonia

It seems obvious that investing in renewable solar energy saves money for those who install photovoltaic (PV) systems for their homes. However, what might not be so obvious is that PV systems also reduce electricity prices for all those with no solar panels, as professor Robert Kaufmann from Boston University discovered. His research revealed that the approximately 40,000  households and community groups with solar panels in Massachusetts reduce electricity prices for all of the three million electricity ratepayers in the state, including those with no solar panels.

“Until now, people have focused on how much was being saved by those who owned PV,” says Kaufmann. “What this analysis quantified was that it actually generates savings for everybody.”

Continue reading →

The Sunny Road Ahead

/ Jocelyn Toll / Leave a comment
solar20roadway_zpsn4ltyttq

Wattway panels (treehugger.com)

What do you imagine when you think of a sunny road?  Probably not anything resembling a landscape as literally solar as what you would find northwest of Amsterdam in the town of Krommenie, or soon enough in France.

Continue reading →

Solar on the High Seas

/ Amie Inman / 2 Comments

There was a time when all seafaring vessels used renewable energy sources…they moved either by manpower or wind power, or a combination of the two. The Industrial Revolution changed that and the steam engine, powered by coal or wood, pushed ships out of carbon neutrality.

In March, 2010 I had the privilege to experience the Vela Sud America, a Bicentennial Regatta of tall ships commemorating the creation of the independent South and Latin America, as they passed through the Straits of Magellan near Punta Arenas, Chile on their way up the west coast of South America. The weather hadn’t yet turned very cold (it was nearing winter in the southern hemisphere) and it was a bright sunny day.

Coincidentally today, September 15th, is Independence Day in all 5 countries of Central America–Feliz Día de la Independencia! Continue reading →

Solar Powered

/ Gourvjit Toor / Leave a comment

Over the last couple of days solar panel engineers have been arriving at here in Kumily to gauge the possibility of installing solar panels as well as examining the solar tubing water heating system to increase its efficiency. This involved the measuring and examination of various areas including the open rooftop of the All Spice Restaurant and the wide expanse of organic plantations, including the area cultivating ginger root, turmeric, and two varieties of yam: the typical sweet potato and the elephant yam.

 

Our team of engineers including Suresh and Santosh listed the various outlets of energy in the resort to help the solar paneling engineers estimate the input that could be provided as a supportive energy source. This included the fans, plug outlets, and the CFL or compact fluorescent lamps that are a very low 6W (watts). The solar paneling engineers mentioned that the last project that they had worked on was quite a large one, which involved a 65kW power source that took approximately six months to complete. As a reference, the nearby 25 meter high power line, which is provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), is an 110kW power source. It has not yet been determined how the space can be utilized here and how much wattage it will be able to harness from the power of the sun because as I’m quickly learning, it is a long and complicated process.

Continue reading →