by Colin Swan | Mar 4, 2014 | News
Many people are choosing to have solar panel kits installed at their homes. This is not just an effort to go green or save the environment. There are also benefits to homeowners and the community.
Solar panels are installed to capture sunlight which is then converted into electricity and used to power your home. This helps you to save a considerable amount of money on your utility costs when compared to traditional sources of electricity. When solar energy is used for powering homes, it helps reduce the effects of producing electricity on the environment.
The more homes that convert to solar energy, the more natural electricity will be produced, and the lower electric costs will be for everyone. It is estimated that the percentage of homes using solar power in the United States has doubled in the past 5 years. Experts predict this number will keep climbing as more and more people realize the benefits of using the sun to power their homes.
If your electricity bill keeps getting higher and higher, it may be time to switch to renewable solar power. You will have to pay for the initial installation of your panels, but the savings over just a few years will help to offset that cost and save you money in the long run. Knowing that you are helping the environment and your community, as well as your budget, makes installing solar panel kits a wise choice for your home.
by Colin Swan | Feb 25, 2014 | News
Fort Carson is home to 19,000 military personnel, and with a base that big, there is a lot of demand for energy. The government is spearheading an initiative to install a solar power system at the base that will produce 3,200 MWh every year.
For the Army, this isn’t the first venture with solar power, but it is the largest to date. Previous solar projects included military uniforms that have built-in solar panels to reduce the amount of batteries and supplies needed in the field. The Fort Carson solar array takes up 12 acres of land, making it the most aggressive solar effort undertaken by the army to date.
The microgrid will supply energy to the base, and will also be used to charge the batteries of electric trucks that are used by personnel on base. The vehicles have batteries with large capacities, and charging them on the grid gives the military much-needed information about how these trucks could perform in the field for both combat and training.
The Army is looking at innovative technology that can cut costs and enable soldiers to do their jobs better and more efficiently. Military leaders stress that solar energy and their renewables are valuable to their missions as well as their budgets.
Of course, if the solar power system is good enough for the military, it should be good enough for homeowners across the country. As the government sees more advantages to this renewable power source, more and more private citizens will hopefully take action and make the switch to solar power as well.
by Colin Swan | Feb 20, 2014 | News
One of the advantages of solar energy is that it is growing in popularity so quickly. Soon, people who have invested in this energy source may be able to cash in using a new form of crypto-currency that is very similar to Bitcoins.
The company behind this initiative checks up on each homeowner to verify their usage of solar power, and then it rewards them with SolarCoins. This new form of currency can be used online in the same way that Bitcoins are used, but the process of earning the currency is much more simplified. Business owners can get in on the benefits of this new form of money, as well, which could make investing in solar power that much more attractive to homeowners and business owners alike.
The real motivation behind this idea is to reward people who invest in renewable resources. Instead of just realizing the savings that come with solar power, people can profit from their earth-friendly decisions.
One of the additional benefits of this program is that it can continue to incentivize solar energy even if utility companies make further moves to protect their bottom lines by assessing fees for people who use solar power. These fees are designed to protect profits, but may discourage homeowners. SolarCoins could make the decision to switch to solar more attractive even if heftier fees are assessed for solar power usage.
The advantages of solar energy continue to grow, and for those people who are already using solar panels, SolarCoins offer a great reward for sustainable energy practices.
by Colin Swan | Feb 18, 2014 | News
Solar energy technology is a growing industry. New technologies are necessary in this forward- thinking industry that provides alternative renewable energy resources to a growing consumer world. As technologies change, the solar power system will increase to include other viable options for solar technology, to help our energy grids to function in sustainable ways, many still to be invented.
Solar energy is still a young industry that has only begun to tap into the available power the sun provides. The invention of other devices will only prove to further the use of much needed sustainable solar power.
André Broessel has created a new style of solar energy in a globe that, according to him, is 35 percent more efficient than the current standard solar panels that are available, when it is used along with a device that tracks the sun to enable it to get every bit of available sun to create sustainable solar energy.
The power system is a generator. It is a free- standing rotating glass orb that captures the energy of the sun. The round surface enables it to direct the incoming energy to a focal point of solar cells, instead of over a larger area of solar panels. The globe is even more sustainable than solar panels. It uses fewer of the products needed to make the solar cells necessary in a solar power system, but it may not be the most feasible option for the average consumer.
Solar panels are a fixed piece of equipment. The rotating globe would more easily harvest the available sun and not be confined to a stationary flat surface like the solar panels. The solar globe may be one option for additional energy-efficient power sources in the future, for large corporations, but flat panels are still the best choice for the average consumer.
by Colin Swan | Feb 13, 2014 | News
With increasing costs and limited energy resources, big cities and already existing businesses within those cities use massive amounts of energy to run. Globally, cities increasingly need to find ways to cut back on consumption and costs. The advantages of solar energy are proving to be effective in London and are being incorporated in innovative ways to help the city keep costs down and decrease the damages energy consumption leaves on the environment.
Part of the Blackfriar’s Railway station, the renovated Blackfriar’s Bridge is now open with a brand new solar paneled roof. Carbon-emission-free, the 4,400 new photovoltaic solar panels will leave a much smaller overall carbon footprint for the station. An estimated 89,000 car trips worth of reduced carbon make the added panels worthwhile. In an effort to get the large railway infrastructure on track to use less energy, the newly fitted bridge is a positive step in the right direction, with more plans for additional lower environmental impact in the works for the railway system.
Built in the Victorian era, the old bridge spans the River Thames. The 4,400 panels now atop the length of the new roof which covers the bridge are the largest array of solar panels in London. The fresh new look of the bridge is also a visually beautiful feature that has added a modern style, and the more sustainable advantages of solar energy and improved function to an old form.
The United Kingdom is a leader in the installation of solar power capacity. It is included in the top ten, worldwide. Blackfriar’s Bridge is only one of the solar energy improvements already in place in the region.
by Colin Swan | Feb 11, 2014 | News
India has announced plans to use the advantages of solar energy to replace up to 26 million fossil fuel-powered groundwater pumps. These pumps, which are used to transfer water to fields for irrigation, rely on diesel fuel that creates a significant impact on the economy. The announcement is welcome news for those worried about the environmental impact of fossil fuel usage in this heavily populated country.
When completed, the switch to solar power could make irrigation the largest application for solar power in the country. Efforts are currently underway to switch out 8 million pumps, with an additional 70,000 potential replacements every year. The diesel-powered pumps are used by the nation’s farmers to pull water to their fields. Currently, the pumps operate on the Indian power grid, making them a large drain on the nation’s natural resources.
The government program will subsidize up to 86 percent of the cost for the replacement pumps. Once installed, farmers will pay less for the energy used to irrigate their fields, which means that the remainder of the cost of each pump replacement will pay for itself in short order.
India’s plan isn’t just about saving the farmers money. The nation has a population of 1.2 billion people, and the national power grid isn’t equipped to provide power to all residents. In a nation where rolling blackouts are common, and the water pumps are only accessible for about 4 hours a day, the switch to solar power will allow more people to access the national grid. Farmers will get more efficiency out of their pumps, which can improve the agriculture industry. The advantages of solar energy for the farming industry have far-reaching potential, and could improve the lives of all Indian citizens.
