Posts Tagged solar panels
Consumers Energy Expands Options for Customers Interested in Installing Renewable Energy Generators
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Misc on August 28, 2011
Press Release Source: Consumers Energy On Tuesday August 16, 2011, 6:30 am EDT
JACKSON, Mich., Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Consumers Energy is expanding options for customers interested in developing their own renewable energy sources.
The utility is significantly increasing its Experimental Advanced Renewable Program. That program provides for the long-term purchase of renewable energy generated by solar energy systems owned by the Company’s electric customers.
The program is adding an additional 3 megawatts following recent approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The original phases of the program are now completed and added 2 megawatts of solar panels on roofs and yards across Michigan.
“We’re pleased to offer this opportunity to our customers and look forward to cost-effective innovation in advancing solar technology in Michigan,” said David Ronk, Consumers Energy’s director of transactions and resource planning. ”The additional solar generation through this expansion will add to Consumers Energy’s renewable energy portfolio.”
Customer installations under this program were recently completed at 102 locations throughout Michigan’s lower Peninsula.
Customer applications for the new expanded phase of the program will be accepted near the end of August. More information on the Experimental Advanced Renewable Program is available at: www.consumersenergy.com/EARP.
Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE:CMS – News), provides natural gas and electricity to 6.8 million of Michigan’s 10 million residents in all 68 lower Peninsula counties.
For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at www.consumersenergy.com
Consumers Energy Expands Options for Customers Interested in Installing Renewable Energy Generators
Renewable Solar Power
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Wind Generator Plans on August 25, 2011
Solar power is recently broadly used not only from business but from private homes instead of traditional energy resources. The main benefit of using it is that it is renewable – solar power cannot finish and as long as there is sunlight power can be generated.
What do you need to have to benefit from renewable solar power? In fact the equipment needed is neither extraordinary nor very expensive. All you need to have to start using solar power as alternative energy source s solar panels. Moreover solar panels are pretty easy to be manufactured in case you want to do them yourself. The materials required are not very expensive and the actual manufacturing does not require great skills.
Once you have the solar panels installed you should decide what for you will use the renewable solar power. it can be used for generating electricity or heating of your home or just for heating water. many people prefer using solar panels to get hot water only. Other uses it for home heating as well. some also get panels installed to generate electricity. Still you will have to get a lot of solar panels installed if you want to fully replace your current electricity supply. However in the most cases you will be able to generate enough power for your garden lighting or other small electricity consumables.
No matter what power of your home needs you replace with renewable solar power, you will definitely cut your utilities bills, especially during winters when you have to pay hundreds just for heating.
Not only renewable solar power is good for your pocket, it is in fact very beneficial for the global ecology. Solar power is totally pollution free – to generate it you don’t need to use any fuels and by generating it you don’t pollute the air, water or soil in any way. it is actually better than using wind power because solar power generators do not produce any noise. The only real disadvantage is that you cannot generate power during nights and if bad cloudy weather power generation is greatly reduced.
How to Use Renewable Energy to Power Your Home and Your Planet
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Make a Windmill on August 24, 2011
We use these depleted resources to power our homes and basically everything on the planet. when all these resources are gone, what will we do? we will no longer be able to flip a switch and get power in the same old ways that we are used to.
We must concentrate on finding renewable resources for our future. Renewable resources are simply ones that are found everywhere and will never run out. they will allow us to use their power, recharge, and use it all over again. Renewable resources such as there are solar, wind, hydrogen, and hydro power.
Solar energy is the energy that we get directly or indirectly from the sun. it can be used for heating homes and electricity for businesses, schools and everything else. This power can be drawn upon by using solar panels.
Hydro power, or water power is what happens when water turns into precipitation. The energy from that process can be used to supply power. Hydro power also takes energy from flowing water and turns it into a valuable renewable resource for us to use.
Hydrogen is the element that is most easily found on the earth. Hydrogen can be easily burned and converted into electricity.
Renewable resources are everywhere. with advances in modern science and technology, there is no reason that we can’t use these resources to power our homes and our planet and save ourselves. By taking small steps each and every day, with every new home that is built, we can contribute to making our planet cleaner, greener and more sustainable.
How to Use Renewable Energy to Power Your Home and Your Planet
Want a Wind-Powered Electric Car? It might Just Be Possible
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Wind Generator Blades on August 24, 2011
News in Your Inbox GreenCarReports
Photovoltaic solar panels are quickly becoming the accepted ultimate accessory for any self-respecting electric car owner. so much so that Ford recently announced that it has negotiated special discount pricing on SunPower solar panels, meaning 2012 Ford Focus Electric owners could get an array capable of charging up their car on sunshine for just $10,000.
But if photovoltaic panels are getting a little too common, or you live in one of the states better known for its wind rather than its sunshine, a New York company has come up with a way to charge your electric car on wind power alone.
Called the Sanya Skypump, the wind-powered charging station combines a 4 kilowatt vertical axis wind turbine atop a 42-foot tower, feeding a GE Wattstation charging point.
Unlike traditional wind turbines, vertical axis wind turbines require very little space to operate, and are generally considered better for urban environments than their windmill-like ancestors.
In winds between 7 and 26 mph, the Sanya Skypump should produce enough energy to charge an electric car, but of course the charging time does vary according to just how much energy the Skypump is able to harvest from the wind.
General Electric GE WattStation charging
At $30,000, the unit is primarily aimed at parking lots and other commercial installations where a six to eight hour recharge time is acceptable.
And because the 42 foot towers are about the same height as a tall streetlight, they should blend in with existing street furniture, keeping local governments happy – although we’re not sure they come in green.
The Sanya Skypump is due to be tested in Barcelona, Beijing and New York City next year and we’ll be looking at the results with great interest.
Gimmick or charging point of the future? tell us in the Comments below.
[Urban Green Energy via FastCompany]
Sailing with the Sun
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Wind Generator Plans on August 24, 2011
Solar panels are fitted out to replace the dynamo that exposes fishermen to bad air. Yik Yeung-Man / for China Daily
With solar panel installed on board, Cheng Fu-wai has a fresh experience of stable energy and clean air. Yik Yeung-Man / for China Daily
Cheng Fu-wai works aboard his solar-powered fishing boat in Aberdeen Harbour. Yik Yeung-Man / for China Daily
A demonstration project is just getting started, with about 200 fi shing boats already fi tted out with solar panels.The environmental initiative aims at cutting diesel fumes from the vessels and helping the city to reach its carbon emissions targets. Kane Wu reports.
Cheng Fu-wai feels the air is much fresher now aboard his 40-foot fishing boat he bought eight years ago.
“I sold the dynamo and I don’t have to breathe the gases from it anymore!” says the 56-year-old fisherman. Moored in the placid waters off Aberdeen, the boat appears indistinguishable from other boats in the vicinity. but if one climbs to the top of the vessel, he will find two sets of panels. They look like chess boards, linked to the belly of the boat by wires, where the power source and batteries are located.
“These are solar panels that can charge almost every electrical device I have on the boat,” Cheng tells China Daily. “The water cleaning generator, the lamps, the lights, the net knitting machine, almost everything!”
Cheng works out of Aberdeen, one of the oldest fishing villages in Hong Kong. he was given free solar equipment by the Hongkong Electric Company ltd (HK Electric) in July. The company donated HK$1 million to install some 500 solar panels in the city, an environmental initiative to cut back on emissions from diesel engines. some 200, 60-watt, solar panel sets have already been installed on fishing boats.
“Solar panels are not used widely among fishermen. it was the first time for some fishermen to actually learn about solar panels from the HK Electric sponsorship,” says Wong For-kam, executive council member of the Hong Kong Fishermen’s Association. she was closely involved with the program from its inception.
“With a few spare parts on the boats, we now consume less oil and reduce gas emissions. that is good for the environment.”
“It’s also good for the fishermen’s health,” says Professor Dennis Leung of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong. Leung is an expert in renewable energy. “Whenever they used the dynamo and the engine, they would themselves be exposed to the bad air.”
The traditional way to generate electricity on a fishing boat is to use the dynamo, which then starts the engine and burns oil. when a solar panel is being used, the engine can stand aside and there are no noise or gas emissions.
Cheng is way ahead of most his fellow fishermen in harnessing the new technology. As early as two years ago, the seasoned fisherman already had installed a small set of solar panels on his boat, on his own.
“I was visiting the mainland and noticed that some of the buildings had solar panels on the rooftops. I thought, why not try it on the boat?” Cheng recounts. so he asked a friend who worked in a solar panel manufacturing company for a set and redesigned the wires. it cost him some HK$900.
“With the solar panels, I am able to save 5-10 liters of diesel every day. that is about HK$50. every month I can save more than HK$1,000. With less oil, the boat also weighs less and is easier to steer,” Cheng says. he earns HK$10,000-HK$12,000 a month, so HK$1,000 means a lot.
Cheng was also surprised to find that solar panels can extend the life span of the batteries on the boat. “The dynamo used to heat up the batteries and make them very fragile. but with solar panels, the voltage becomes more stable, so batteries won’t get so much damage during use,” he explains. “I have used the current set of batteries for four years while their normal life span is two years.”
The solar panels also are said to have long life. “They can survive typhoons and rain and if you don’t crush the surface, they can work for some 20 years,” Cheng says.
After a year of using the solar panels, Cheng started selling the idea to fellow fishermen. “At first people had doubts about it. They came up to my boat, looked at it and said, ‘is it really working?’ but once they started using it, they found the benefits,” he says.
In a city that has about 8,200 fishermen, solar energy still is a new word. To clear the myths about alternative energy, the Turanor PlanetSolar, a ship powered entirely by solar energy, is coming to Hong Kong next week.
The multihull vessel topped by a large array of photovoltaic solar panels was constructed by Knierim Yacht Club, in Kiel, Germany. Built in 14 months, the biggest ever solar boat is touring the globe, promoting renewable energy and environmental protection. after setting out from Miami, then sailing to Cancun and Brisbane, Hong Kong is her fourth stop. The crew will hold a public exhibition and a series of conferences with leaders in solar mobility at each stop.
“There are few boats powered entirely by solar energy in Hong Kong, so this ship is going to set an example to our city,” says Sam Lam, senior manager at Jiawei Solar China Co ltd, who will speak at one of the conferences on next Wednesday, in Central.
Lam says solar technology is already quite mature and cost-effective. “It only costs a few hundred thousand dollars for a regular boat. one or two sets of solar panels can already cover most of the electricity use,” he says. “People who are environment-conscious can even install them at home.”
Lam works for a solar energy devices manufacturing company. he says that in recent years he has been getting more orders from property developers, who intend to install the panels on buildings. “Solar energy is a relatively clean source of energy. more use of it can solve Hong Kong’s electricity over consumption,” he said. “But Hong Kong still lags behind the mainland in the use of solar energy.”
Lam suggests that the government make solar energy part of its long-term plan for energy and the environment. “We live in such a dense city. The demand for energy is very high. It’s time we thought about renewable energy,” he says.
Professor Leung agrees that solar energy can be used more widely in Hong Kong buildings but he says, “it is up to the people from the construction industry to decide”.
“If you want to add solar panels to an existing building, you will have to change the structure of its outer walls completely, which is not quite cost-effective,” he explains. “However they can be considered on buildings under construction.”
Leung however points out that solar energy has its shortcomings.
“They are pretty much useless on rainy days. Large vehicles and ships cannot rely on them entirely for energy. They can only be an auxiliary to power engines,” he says.
“I hope scientists can develop the technology better so that big boats can also drop their dynamos and engines,” Cheng says.
“We have so many boats in Hong Kong. it would make the air a lot cleaner in the entire city!”
(HK Edition 08/12/2011 page4)
World Environment News – Japan Renewable Energy Push Clears Key Hurdle – Planet Ark
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Windmill Design on August 23, 2011
Date: 24-Aug-11 Country: JAPAN Author: Risa Maeda
A worker checks solar panels at a solar power field in Kawasaki, near Tokyo July 6, 2011.Photo: Reuters/Toru Hanai
Japan’s lower house of parliament passed a bill on Tuesday to promote investment in solar and other renewable energy sources as politicians took a step toward the prime minister’s goal of reducing reliance on nuclear power.
Damage and the radiation leak at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has shattered the public’s confidence in the safety of atomic power and plunged the country’s energy policy into disarray. ahead of the disaster, Japan had planned to build enough reactors to raise nuclear power supply to meet 50 percent of demand by 2030 from 30 percent.
Now, the country is debating whether it can live without nuclear power. Unpopular Prime Minister Naoto Kan had designated the passage of the renewables bill — a step toward a new energy policy — as a condition of his departure.
The bill’s passage follows weeks of intense deliberation between ruling and opposition parties and will require utilities to buy any electricity from solar and other renewable sources.
The upper house could now approve the bill by the end of the week. Related laws are due to take effect in July 2012.
Japan’s recent history of short-lived governments and the implied risk of a change of policy by a future administration will be an immediate concern for investors. The bill is due for a mandatory review after Tokyo decides a new plan for it energy supply mix target in 2030, expected next year. Another mandatory review is due in three years.
Kan, whose handling of the disaster has been criticized, has said Japan needs to wean itself from nuclear energy. But it is unclear if lawmakers will throw their weight behind his position as nuclear power is economical for resource-poor Japan. If the government can restore public confidence in its safety, nuclear represents a cheaper option than renewables or imports of fossil fuels for resource-poor Japan.
"Prime Minister Kan has deliberately made the bill an immediate focus of debate and succeeded," said Ryuichi Yokoyama, professor at Waseda University’s power system and environment laboratory.
"a key question yet to be answered even after the passage would be if Japan will be able to get rid of nuclear as he has suggested," Yokoyama said.
The bill leaves key details unresolved that could ultimately dilute its impact on energy policy. These include the price to be paid by utilities for each type of green energy, which will be decided by a parliament-appointed panel not set to meet until next year.
If the pricing is too low, investors would be reluctant to start the massive build in capacity Japan needs.
A long delay in the pricing would also delay the deployment of more renewable energy plants, said Ryuichi Hokao, head of product planning at Tokio Marine Asset Management Co, which is marketing to domestic investors its first fund to build and run more than 10 large solar plants together with Mitsui & Co.
"The timing is important as well as the price itself for making investment decisions." he said.
The new laws will require utilities to buy any amount of electricity generated from solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and small hydro power plants at preset rates for up to 20 years, and allow utilities to pass the cost to end-users.
The higher the prices are set, and thus the more quickly renewable energy electricity is introduced, the greater the cost that users will have to bear.
The bill includes provisions for energy-intensive industries, such as electric furnace steel makers, that will trim extra costs by at least 80 percent in a bid to cushion the impact on the world’s third-biggest economy.
The pricing panel would need to find a balance between encouraging investment and limiting the pain to consumers of higher bills.
"We understand renewable energy is the next candidate after natural gas to replace nuclear. But it’s an expensive option and its lack of reliability will require a lot of investment, and the new scheme requires users to share the cost," Waseda University’s Yokoyama said.
Solar is expected to be the initial growth area as it can be installed quickly.
Daiwa House Industry Co, which like mobile carrier Softbank is moving into large-scale solar projects, said on Tuesday it plans to construct and operate solar plants on behalf of corporations and local governments.
Trade Minister Banri Kaieda told a parliament committee on Tuesday that the bill was expected to help solar capacity expand to 100,000 megawatts (MW) by the middle of this decade, from almost 40,000 MW currently.
That pace of growth would be about six times Japan’s solar panel sales in 2010, which had the generation capacity of 992 MW. such rapid growth would raise the question of how Japan would secure such a large number of panels.
One possible scenario, if domestic panel makers remain hesitant to add production lines, would see imports rise and to fill the gap, said Kazumichi Ito, general manager at Mitsubishi Research Institute’s environment and energy research division.
That could defeat the bill’s objective of helping promote the development of the renewable energy industry in Japan, he added.
"my concern is that the revised bill, which aims to promote the (renewable energy) market for an initial three-year period, now appears to have nothing to do with its original purpose of fostering the renewable energy industry in a long run," he said.
(Editing by Nathan Layne and Simon Webb)
© Thomson Reuters 2011 all rights reserved
World Environment News – Japan Renewable Energy Push Clears Key Hurdle – Planet Ark
Suntech Says Solar Is For Real. Do You Agree?
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Make a Windmill on August 23, 2011
In many ways, solar energy has become the poster child for the entire clean-energy industry. Solar panels are a lot sexier than industrial engines and turbines no matter how environmentally advantageous the latter might be. Not surprisingly, people who are skeptical of the economics of clean energy are often especially skeptical of the economics of solar energy. to get to the bottom of this business, clean Beta asked a stalwart supporter of solar energy, Andrew Beebe, to make the case for solar photovoltaics.
Andrew Beebe is the Chief Commercial Officer and Interim President of Suntech America. mr. Beebe joined Suntech Power in 2008, following the company’s acquisition of EI Solutions, a California-based regional solar installer. Previously, he was the founder of Energy Innovations, a solar technology development company; a partner at Clean Edge, a clean-tech consulting firm; and co-founder and CEO of Bigstep, one of the world’s first small business e-commerce solutions providers.
Here is what he had to say on the subject of solar energy.
Clean Beta: Solar is perceived like all renewable energy as having piss poor economics. Convince us otherwise.
Beebe: Solar electricity is cheap and getting cheaper. Today, we’re seeing 25-year power purchase agreements trending below $0.10 per kWh for utility-scale solar projects in the Southwest U.S. That’s already competitive with retail electricity rates and a lot of traditional generation assets like nuclear and gas-peaker plants. And we’re just getting started. The price of solar electricity has on average declined by about 15% per year for 20 years now. by 2015, we’re going to hit retail grid parity in 50% of world markets, meaning the cost of generating solar electricity will be lower than the cost to purchase electricity from the grid.
Clean Beta: Aren’t many of the solar deals out there vanity projects?
Beebe: The notion that solar is green window-dressing for liberal yuppies is as outdated as the idea that Pluto is a planet. With long-term economic, environmental and social advantages, solar technology is transforming energy markets in the most developed economies as well as the world’s poorest regions. Today, 1.5 billion people still live without electricity – I’d wager half of those will become electrified with photovoltaics. Suntech panels have already provided one million people in the poorest regions with access to basic electricity, and those numbers are increasing exponentially with technology improvements and cost declines.
Ford to Sell Solar Panel System Alongside Electric Cars
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Wind Generator Plans on August 21, 2011
Ford Motor Company is teaming up with San Jose-based solar panel maker SunPower to offer a rooftop solar system option which will be sold alongside the upcoming Ford Focus EV. The “Drive Green for Life” program, as it’s being called, involves mounting solar panels on a customer’s home.
These panels wouldn’t be used just to charge the Focus itself, however. They actually help offset the cost that comes with having to charge the car, something which most electric car owners do every night.
The 2.5 kilowatt solar panel system would offset the cost of about 1,000 miles per month, says Ford. After federal tax credits, the cost of the system would be around $10,000. some local and state rebates may also be available, but it’s still a fairly pricey system.
At least Ford and SunPower are targeting the appropriate demographic. The option should appeal to environmentalists who want to buy an electric car, but don’t want to feel guilty about consuming all the extra electricity needed to charge it. After all, it’s not really that “green” to drive electric when you’re charging your car using fossil fuels.
The solar system itself consists of 147 square feet of rooftop panels. There are 11 panels, measuring 4 feet by 2 feet. Customers will be able to monitor the panels’ performance online and via a specially designed iPhone app. SunPower also provides a 25-year warranty for the system, which is installed at customers’ homes by best Buy’s Geek Squad. best Buy also has the contract with Ford to install the home chargers.
Pricing and an exact launch date for the new 2012 Ford Focus isn’t available yet, but the car will go on sale first in California and New York in Q4 2011. Ford also plans to launch 5 other electric or hybrid-electric models in 2012 in North America, and in Europe by 2013.
Build a DIY Generator Powered Only by Magnets
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Make a Windmill on August 19, 2011
Energy- its something everyone needs, it is a virtual necessity these days. Whether it be for powering lights or the stove or the AC, it is a key part of a modern civilized society. The big catch is that its expensive, sometimes extremely expensive, to enjoy all the trappings provided by a mechanized and highly industrialized society. The electricity bill is a major expense to be sure, but if you are intelligent and have a natural yearning for doing things that most say can’t be done, you can build a DIY generator and save a bundle on your electricity bill.
There are many options out there for the technologically adventurous, build your own wind generator, build your own solar panels and on and on. But, if you are really adventurous you can explore another, less well known method of energy generation. This method calls for harnessing a well known yet under utilized method of creating energy.
This method has been below the technological radar for some time, yet it offers the greatest promise as a method of eliminating energy scarcity and expense. The method I speak of is magnetically generated electricity. That’s right, using the power of permanent magnets to create energy.
This is not an arena for the timid, it requires the greatest discipline and patience. It requires exacting conformity to the laws of magnetism. But, with a quality set of construction plans it is simple enough for even the greenest of do it yourself types to build. This little known technology can help you cut down or even eliminate the cost of energy in this modern, industrially oriented and gadget crazed society.
What exactly is all this fuss about magnetically powered generators? Well, the fact is that if you decide to take on this project, you will be able to generate electricity by harnessing the power of magnetism. by properly aligning and adjusting the magnetic forces inherent in each magnet, that of repelling and attracting, you will create mechanical energy. This mechanical energy can then be harnessed to turn a generator or other energy producing device.
So, you may be asking, what is my first step to energy independence? Well, the obvious first step is to tap into the knowledge of those who have worked, studied and finally produced the finished product that is the permanent magnet powered motor. With this knowledge, created by those who have already ironed out the problems and hindrances of this new frontier of energy generation, you can simply follow the step by step instructions and build this marvel and start enjoying your new found energy freedom. In other words, get a good set of construction plans. It will be your best investment, an investment that will pay for itself many times over with savings on your energy bill.
What are the advantages you ask? First is the ease of constructing the permanent magnet motor, even a beginner can do it. second, the device emits no toxic fumes, it is quiet and it requires very little space. third, it will operate in even in the harshest of climates and requires very little to no maintenance. Not to mention that it is safe and can be operated within the home itself.
With all that has been mentioned before, the huge savings, the ease of construction, and the low cost of materials to build it, why not get your plans today and start down the path to energy freedom?
Are there any careers that deal with the study of solar energy, generators, ect?
Posted by Wind Generator Plans in Windmill Design on August 19, 2011
I really like the idea of big solar panels, generators, water powered electricity and such, but I don't know if there are any good careers out there for it.
Are there any careers that deal with the study of solar energy, generators, ect?
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