Green Options » solar power http://greenoptions.com/tag/solar-power Posts tagged 'solar power' Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:13:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en M&M’S® and MARS Going Green? New Solar Garden at Headquarters in New Jersey http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/10/mms%c2%ae-and-mars-going-green-new-solar-garden-at-headquarters-in-new-jersey/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/10/mms%c2%ae-and-mars-going-green-new-solar-garden-at-headquarters-in-new-jersey/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:13:04 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/10/mms%c2%ae-and-mars-going-green-new-solar-garden-at-headquarters-in-new-jersey/
Candy giant MARS, parent company of M&M’S®, DOVE®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, 3 MUSKETEERS®, and TWIX®, turned on a huge new solar array (a “solar garden”) at its headquarters in New Jersey today. No matter what you think of candy food like this, it is good to see such a company going solar. Popular with millions, billions perhaps, and about as mainstream as you can imagine, this is a good step for solar’s more widespread use across the country.

This facility is PSEG Solar Source’s first large-scale solar project. It is one of the largest solar projects in the state of New Jersey, which is already 2nd only to California in its amount of installed solar capacity. The MARS headquarters adjacent to the solar garden is the workplace of about 1,200 employees and is where M&M’S® Brand Chocolate Candies are manufactured.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/10/mms%c2%ae-and-mars-going-green-new-solar-garden-at-headquarters-in-new-jersey/feed/ $4 Million Goes to MIT from French Oil Company for Solar Energy Battery Project http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:02:21 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/
Total, a French oil company, recently agreed to give the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) $4 million for a 5-year research project to develop stationary batteries that can more efficiently store solar energy.

More efficient energy storage has been a difficult issue for scientists to crack. It is a major issue preventing more widespread use of renewable energy, and solar energy in particular.

Is this project, one funded by a true oil giant, the one that will make it happen?

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/feed/ Architectural Firm in Barcelona Drafts Solar Media Screen for Taipei’s New Music Center http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/11/04/architecture-firm-in-italy-drafts-solar-media-screen-for-taipeis-new-music-center/ http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/11/04/architecture-firm-in-italy-drafts-solar-media-screen-for-taipeis-new-music-center/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:29:39 +0000 Lucille Chi http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/11/04/architecture-firm-in-italy-drafts-solar-media-screen-for-taipeis-new-music-center/

Taipei Pop Music Center has opened up an amazing architecture design competition for it’s new building. Nabito Architects has drafted and shared their vision of the new Taipei Pop Music Center composed of a “photovoltaic screen and a wall of LED panels”

The screen of the Pop Music Center may:

  • have a LED media wall reporting news, weather, event info and ads.
  • be powered entirely by the sun and set an example for green energy in the city of Taipei
  • include photovoltaic cell technology, with an LED wall
  • have controls set by a central computer, to show all events scheduled and more

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]]> http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/11/04/architecture-firm-in-italy-drafts-solar-media-screen-for-taipeis-new-music-center/feed/ DESERTEC $555 Billion Renewable Energy Project Moving Forward http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:53:31 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/
The huge project to build a $555 billion renewable energy “belt” in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, funded largely by German companies, moved another step forward a few days ago.

The articles of association for the DESERTEC Industrial Initiative (DII) were signed by the joint venture group of 12 companies and the DESERTEC Foundation in Munich on October 30.

Additionally, a CEO for DII was appointed — Paul van Son.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/feed/ Spanish Solar Company SOLARIG Building 8 PV Parks in Italy http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:15:24 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/
SOLARIG, a company based in Spain that incorporated about four years ago, just began construction of eight photovoltaic parks in Italy this month. The parks will provide 8 MW of energy in total. Over the next few months, it plans to construct photovoltaic projects producing 30 MW throughout different regions of Italy.

But this is just the beginning. SOLARIG has a more global vision.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/feed/ Developing Residential Solar Installation Monitor http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/developing-residential-solar-installation-monitor/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/developing-residential-solar-installation-monitor/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:14:20 +0000 Mariella Moon http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/developing-residential-solar-installation-monitor/ rooftop solar

A partnership between two companies will develop a home energy monitoring device for residential solar power installations.

Two startups – Tendril Networks, known for its home energy monitoring technology and Fat Spaniel technologies, a solar panel monitoring company – make up the partnership. The purpose of the partnership is to develop a monitoring device for homes that can gauge the sun’s intensity for any particular time and automatically adjust, or even shut down, home appliances as needed.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/developing-residential-solar-installation-monitor/feed/ Hawaii Follows California with a Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:43:46 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/
Earlier this month, Governor Schwarzenegger signed legislation to buy solar power from relatively small private generators for rates above market value. Hawaii is next in line with this European-style tariff — the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission and Governor Lingle just recently set a similar initiative for Hawaii.

Hawaii’s initiative will make it possible for homeowners and businesses to sell power they generate from small to medium-scale renewable energy projects (i.e. solar panels) to Hawaii’s main power producers at higher than market-value rates.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/feed/ Dell Does it Again! Solar Trees Planted in Dell Parking Lot http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/27/dell-solar-trees/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/27/dell-solar-trees/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:55:11 +0000 Beth Graddon-Hodgson http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/27/dell-solar-trees/

Dell has been a trend-setter when it comes to the incorporation of greener technologies to reduce their corporate carbon footprint and they’re doing it again! Although this time they are following the lead of Google, by installing solar trees in the parking lot of their head office in Round Rock, Texas.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/27/dell-solar-trees/feed/ Dell Builds Solar Trees For Parking Lot http://gas2.org/2009/10/26/dell-builds-solar-trees-for-parking-lot/ http://gas2.org/2009/10/26/dell-builds-solar-trees-for-parking-lot/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:47:41 +0000 Christopher DeMorro http://gas2.org/2009/10/26/dell-builds-solar-trees-for-parking-lot/

Computer technology is always about being one step ahead of competitors. Information technology moves faster than light it seems, and by the time your new computer arrives at your doorstep, it is already out of date. Dell, whose computers can be found in most offices, homes, and campuses across the country, has been doing its best to stay ahead of the curve.

Proving it is both environmentally friendly and hip to the trends of popular culture, Dell has just finished installing a grove of solar trees at its Corporate headquarters in Round Rock, Texas.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/10/26/dell-builds-solar-trees-for-parking-lot/feed/ Solarmer Breaks Plastic Solar Cell Efficiency World Record, Again http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:37:57 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/
Solarmer Energy broke the world record for plastic cell efficiency last year. Now, they’ve just broken it again.

The new efficiency record is 7.6% and it breaks 7% for the first time.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/feed/ Solar Report Shows 30% Decrease in Cost of Solar Over 10 Years http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:10:25 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/

Just the other day, I wrote that it was a great time to go solar, especially due to the great rebates and discounts on solar technology. Apparently, I jumped the gun and was a few days early. A new report by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab — “Tracking the Sun II: The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the US from 1998-2008” — shows a significant decrease in solar costs over the last ten years and shows that now is a great time to go solar.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/feed/ Neighborly Solar From 1Bog Could Raise Phoenix Property Values http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/22/neighborly-solar-from-1bog-could-raise-phoenix-property-values/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/22/neighborly-solar-from-1bog-could-raise-phoenix-property-values/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:07:46 +0000 Susan Kraemer http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/22/neighborly-solar-from-1bog-could-raise-phoenix-property-values/

This week The Bogman heads to Phoenix to offer 1 Block off the Grid solar discounts for neighbors who go solar together. And what better city to go to! Phoenix was super hard-hit by the housing crisis. It has had 54% drops in property values, some of the worst in the nation.

So this may not seem like just the perfect time for Phoenix (including including Glendale, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa) to go solar. But, there’s one thing that Phoenix residents should know: Solar raises property values!

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/22/neighborly-solar-from-1bog-could-raise-phoenix-property-values/feed/ Electric Car Doubles As a Solar Panel To Power the Energy Grid http://gas2.org/2009/10/20/electric-city-car-doubles-as-a-solar-panel-to-power-the-energy-grid/ http://gas2.org/2009/10/20/electric-city-car-doubles-as-a-solar-panel-to-power-the-energy-grid/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:19:29 +0000 Christopher DeMorro http://gas2.org/2009/10/20/electric-city-car-doubles-as-a-solar-panel-to-power-the-energy-grid/

I am a firm believer that if electric cars are to gain widespread acceptance, they first need to be proven in America’s congested cities. Most city dwellers usually don’t drive that far, have access to alternate forms of transportation, and likely spend more time on their iPhones than in a car anyway. It is the perfect proving ground for electric cars.

The MINILUX Solar Car concept realizes this, and rather than serving as an expensive paperweight while sitting idle, it can actually return energy back to the grid. It’s pretty neat looking too, aside from those funky wheels.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/10/20/electric-city-car-doubles-as-a-solar-panel-to-power-the-energy-grid/feed/ Where are the Gaps in the Solar Marketplace? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:58:52 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/
92% of people think we need to develop and use solar power, but less than 1% of US power is from solar. Where are the gaps?

I can identify three main ones, but they seem to be getting addressed more and more by a wide variety of parties — public, private and non-governmental. So, what is left?

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/feed/ 7 African Countries to Get Utility-Scale Solar? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:05:08 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/

California-based eSolar has just announced that it is expanding into southern Africa now. It has partnered with Johannesburg-based Clean Energy Solutions (CES) to create “eSolarSA” which will sell its concentrating solar power technology throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/feed/ New California Bill Gives More Money to Small-Scale Solar Projects http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:14:26 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/

Governor Schwarzenegger just gave solar power a boost in California, especially for relatively small-scale solar generators.

Taking notes from Europe, perhaps, Schwarzenegger signed legislation for a “feed-in tariff” earlier this week that requires Calfornia utilities buy solar power from relatively small generators and at higher than market-value prices.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/feed/ Comfort Inn Partners with Pursol Solar Systems to Push Green Energy into the Mainstream http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/13/comfort-inn-partners-with-pursol-solar-systems-to-push-green-energy-into-the-mainstream/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/13/comfort-inn-partners-with-pursol-solar-systems-to-push-green-energy-into-the-mainstream/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:39:45 +0000 Tina Casey http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/13/comfort-inn-partners-with-pursol-solar-systems-to-push-green-energy-into-the-mainstream/ Comfort Inn La Estancia will get 100% of its electricity from a photovoltaic installation.From the outside, the Comfort Inn La Estancia near San Diego looks like your garden variety mainstream hotel, complete with free parking for truckers and RV’s.  But soon it will share something sustainable that many boutique “green” hotels boast, 100% solar power for its electricity usage.

The greening of Comfort Inn is thanks to a partnership with Pursol Solar Systems, which will install an 83 kilowatt photovoltaic system under its Solarize financing program, basically guaranteeing the hotel a 20% savings on its electricity bill without any up-front costs.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/13/comfort-inn-partners-with-pursol-solar-systems-to-push-green-energy-into-the-mainstream/feed/ Better and Cheaper Solar Cells: Gaining Control of Light-Harvesting Pathways http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/better-and-cheaper-solar-cells-gaining-control-of-light-harvesting-pathways/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/better-and-cheaper-solar-cells-gaining-control-of-light-harvesting-pathways/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:37:41 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/better-and-cheaper-solar-cells-gaining-control-of-light-harvesting-pathways/

New research at the University of Florida (UF) has just brought to light a new method in the capturing and guiding of energy that may lead to cheaper and more efficient solar cells.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/better-and-cheaper-solar-cells-gaining-control-of-light-harvesting-pathways/feed/ US Department of Energy Dishes Out $87 Million for Solar Technology and Deployment http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/us-department-of-energy-dishes-out-87-million-for-solar-technology-and-deployment/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/us-department-of-energy-dishes-out-87-million-for-solar-technology-and-deployment/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:38:38 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/us-department-of-energy-dishes-out-87-million-for-solar-technology-and-deployment/

Steven Chu, US Energy Secretary, announced at the start of the Solar Decathlon on DC’s National Mall on Friday that the Department of Energy (DOE) would be dishing out an additional $87 million in new funding for the development and rapid deployment of solar energy technologies.

This money is being given to 47 projects in a range of sub-fields and sectors.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/12/us-department-of-energy-dishes-out-87-million-for-solar-technology-and-deployment/feed/ Top 10 Solar Technologies to Watch Out For http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/11/top-10-solar-technologies-to-watch-out-for/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/11/top-10-solar-technologies-to-watch-out-for/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:00:34 +0000 Derek Markham http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/11/top-10-solar-technologies-to-watch-out-for/

Solar power technology is moving forward by leaps and bounds, with some new advancements being built out into usable installations virtually every day. Design concepts once thought to be ‘pie in the sky’ ideas are being implemented, and making a simple solar panel array look like old-school technology.

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