Not many company presidents write code for internal financial software or strap on a tool-belt to walk rooftops. Cheney Brand, of SunBug Solar, loves doing both. After quitting his job at a software company to study bass guitar at Berkeley School of Music, Brand decided to forge a career in solar power. At 39 years …
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Solar Shingles: An Alternative to Solar Panels
For the past decade, the popularity of solar energy worldwide has been growing rapidly. Most people have seen solar panels being installed on houses and businesses in their community, usually in the form of large silver rectangular panels spread out across a roof or other free-standing structures, such as a carport cover, or even the …
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What are the Best Solar Panels and Inverters
The following is a summary of the best solar panels and inverters, as reviewed by Solar Power Authority and our friend “Solar Dave” in Colorado. You can see his full articles on inverters here and panels here. Best Solar Panels Below is a recommendation of the best solar panels, based on a short interview with …
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Solar Panel Installation Cost Calculator
The information on this page is designed to help you determine the cost and payback period of using solar power for your home or small business. The map just below shows quotes from the past hour and includes details to help you get started. Give it a try and read on for more information on …
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How Much Does it Cost to Install Solar on an Average US House?
Because of my engineering background and interest in renewable energy, I often get asked how much it would cost to install enough photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on a house or business building to generate one’s own electrical energy. There are web sites to help with this, and Solar Power Authority even has a free solar …
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Sunflowers and Yard Waste Inspire Efficient Solar Systems
(Image Credit: Inhabitat) Drawing inspiration from sunflowers to find more efficient ways to harvest solar energy, UW-Madison electrical and computer engineer and engineering professor Hongrui Jiang has used the concept of heliotropism in the next crop of solar power systems. An adaptation called heliotropism that enables each leaf to seek out as much sunlight as …
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Paintable Batteries and Home-made Solar Systems
(Image Credit: Rice University) The world is an exciting place right now when you see some of the latest advances and shifts in solar power. It’s been awhile since we’ve explored some updates in the technological side of the industry, and one particular change recently caught my attention: paintable batteries. And a new entrant into …
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History and Timeline of Google’s Investments in Solar
On December 20, 2011, Google announced a $94 million investment in four solar PV projects near Sacramento, California. This brings the company’s total clean-energy investments to $915 million, $880 million of that in 2011 alone. Though Google is heavily invested in wind power, solar is their energy of choice, constituting the majority of their “clean-tech” …
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Interview with Monique Hanis, Spokesperson for the Solar Energy Industries Association
It seems wherever the money goes, competition follows. The “hot” solar energy industry is booming, creating wealth and jobs in the USA and around the globe. Yet that same success is creating competition for government funding at a time when taxpayers are demanding accountability. In the case of the USA-China trade dispute, it’s also creating …
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How to Get Free Solar Panels
Who wouldn’t like a few free solar panels? Actually, quite a few people. Anyone who has limited space and wants to optimize energy conversion, people who want a matching system that looks perfect and people who aren’t willing or able to fix hardware issues. For anyone else, there are actually several great ways to find …
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How to Choose a Battery Bank for Your Solar PV System
If you’re going off-grid with your solar PV system you’ll need a battery bank to store your energy for nighttime and cloudy days. Lead-acid batteries, the dominant battery type for solar PV systems, have been around for years. Though they look similar to car batteries, solar PV batteries operate on a deep-cycle principle—they are intended …
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Ernst & Young Ranks India Second Among Top Countries with Solar Development Potential
We hear a lot about China’s growing dominance in the renewable energy market, but what about the other Asian economic powerhouse, India? The country has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, yet is plagued with blackouts. According to a recent study by the International Energy Agency, one-third of the country’s 1.2 billion …
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Q&A Interview with SolarReserve
In the wake of the Solyndra bust, SolarReserve received $737 million in government loan guarantees from the Department of Energy to build the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy project near Tonopah in Nye County, Nevada. The solar projects developer is building a 110 megawatt solar plant — the state’s largest — using United Technologies’ Power Towers, …
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Storing Solar Energy in the Ground for Seasonal Use – Q&A Doug McClenahan of Natural Resources Canada
Space heating accounts for 29% of personal greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, second only to passenger road transportation. Other northern countries also face the space heating challenge when trying to attain environmental sustainability. Doug McClenahan of Natural Resources Canada, a federal department of the Government of Canada, used his decades of experience working with solar …
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Concentrated Solar Challenged by Lowering PV Costs; Hybrid CPV Challenging Fossil Fuels
Advances in solar panel technology, reduced manufacturing costs, and government support have all helped drive solar power costs down in recent years, thanks in part to California’s mandate that 20% of the state’s power come from renewable sources by 2010. Though the state fell just short of its goal at 18%, the effect on the …
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A Look at Solar Powered Communities in the US
It’s fair to say that solar power and ‘greener’ lifestyles are sweeping across cities and communities in the US. Despite variations in climate, we’re seeing solar homes, apartments, residential complexes and group/community purchasing programs springing up in California, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas, Vermont and other states. This activity hasn’t sprouted up spontaneously …
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How to Decide if Solar is Right for You: Property, Location, Price
Solar power is a source of energy that seems almost too good to be true. It’s there nearly every day, shining down on you and your home and it just seems like it’s all going to waste. Why not simultaneously cut your reliance on dirty non-renewables and become energy independent? Well, the main reasons why …
With climate change threatening the planet and constantly rising electricity prices threatening your pocketbook, there’s no better time to make the switch to a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. As technology improves, PVs are becoming more affordable and efficient, making them that much more of an attractive option for your home’s energy needs. But before making …
So you’re interested in going solar, you’ve got a house or platform to put panels on but aren’t sure which panels to use. Solar cell technology has been growing in leaps and bounds, with costs dropping and efficiency soaring. Choosing the right solar panels can result in a sizeable impact in energy savings over the …
When we think of solar power we often envisage solar panels on rooftops to generate heat or electricity. But as the technology evolves and we become increasingly mobile, solar power innovators have risen to the challenge and created some exciting solar powered units that can generate energy on the go and in remote locations. There …
