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Sun Volt Solar

earth, the final frontier

Clean Energy, Clean Environment

We are at a cross roads in human history, we can choose to continue on as we have been, or we can make a change to improve our future and quite possibly the future for several generations to come. We are here to promote energy independence, a better environment, a secure future and a higher return on investment for your hard earned dollar. It is what I believe in, it is why I am in the solar business.

Photovoltaic manufacturing starts in Kingston, NY

26 Feb 08 | General

More good news on the local renewable energy manufacturing front. From Mid Hudson News Network:

A projected 400 jobs could be coming to Ulster County within five years with the signing of Prism Solar Technologies to the Solar Energy Consortium.

For everyone who believes that the way forward is to build better renewable energy systems, this is a very good thing. From their web site:

Prism Solar manufactures a new type of photovoltaic module that uses transparent holographic optical elements in its design. This innovative, patented holographic technology, collects and spectrally selects useful wavelengths from the sun and focuses them onto the cell to create electricity.

They look like this:

holographic optical photovoltaic panel

Damn, now you have to admit, that is cool. I’d put a big array of those on a couple of tracking mounts in my front yard and call it “Performance Art.” The basic explanation of how they work and why they are better than plain old ordinary PV panels is:

(By) increasing the optical efficiency increases the structures ability to trap more of the light by better controlling the angles that the light is diffracted within the laminate. Through this process, Prism Solar can tap the sunlight at its most advantageous point in the spectrum.

This allows for several innovations:

  1. Lower cost – uses fewer cells per watt of power.
  2. Reduces the amount of silicon required up to 85%.
  3. Transparent properties, can be used as skin on large skyscrapers without completely blocking light into building.
  4. Intelligent Passive Solar Concentrator (IPSC), uses both sides of PV cell.

More information is available on Prism Solar Technology Page.

When will this start happening? Soon. Soon…

They will start production soon at their current location at the Center for Innovation on Grant Avenue in the Town of Ulster. Plans are to eventually move to Tech City. Prism Solar CEO Rick Lewandoski said production will begin as soon as machinery is installed, and that could be within just a few weeks.

Lewandowski said positions from secretaries to engineers and scientists are already in the application process, and that employment figures in the county have already been affected by the joint venture.

Courtesy of Mid Hudson News Network.

Yes, I’ll take more technology, please.

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26 Feb 08 | General | Comments (3)

Solar Thermal Systems

21 Feb 08 | General

When you say solar, most people assume that you are talking about photovoltaics. Solar thermal systems have been around for longer than photovoltaics and have a proven track record of working well and paying back there costs many times over.

I install both types, and lately I have been receiving quit a few calls regarding solar thermal (i.e. solar hot water, or radiant floor heating) systems. I think this will continue as the price of energy goes up.

A solar thermal system move fluid through solar collectors, which collect heat.  The fluid is then stored or used in the building. In reality, a solar thermal system is about plumbing.  A Solar Domestic Hot Water (SDHW) system has three unique parts that other hot water systems or heating systems don’t have. The first is the solar collectors, the second is some type of heat exchanger and the third is some type of controller. As regarding the solar collectors, I believe that SDHW systems work best with flat plate collectors.

The flat plat collector design has been around for many years. Newer solar selective coatings have been created that increase the system efficiency. In addition to that, better insulation and better high transmisity glass have all improved on the flat plate collector design. Evacuated tubes run at higher temperatures and have problems with the seals between the glass tube and the copper pipe on the inputs and outputs of each tube.

The next unique thing in a solar system is the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger takes the hot fluid from the solar collector and cools it with the fluid from the solar hot water tank. This can be implemented in a number of ways. Some heat exchangers are part of the solar storage tank, some are a part of a drainback tank, and some are external.  All heat exchangers are made of metal (stainless steel or copper) and use counter-flow properties to move the heat from one fluid reservoir to another.

Finally, the system controller, which measures the temperature of the collector outputs and the solar storage tank. If there is enough energy in the collectors to transfer to the storage tank, the controller turns the system on, which begins collecting energy.

Beyond that, a solar system is copper piping, valves, drains, hot water tanks, pumps, and other miscellaneous hardware which is all available at the local plumbing supply house.

Solar thermal systems that are designed for space heating are very similar to SDHW, only they are usually quit a bit larger with more storage.

In most cases, all solar thermal systems should have some way of operating in backup mode in case there is a long period of inclement weather. These back up systems entail some type of conventional heating system installed in parallel with the solar system. For example a SDHW system may have an electric tank or electric element in the solar tank designed to turn on if the water temperature gets too cool. A radiant floor heating system may have a small oil or gas fired backup furnace in standby duty.

A well designed solar system should be designed to produce about 80 to 85 percent of the energy needs. More than that and the system design will be too large, causing it to over produce and over heat under normal operating conditions. Less than that and you are leaving a good deal of money on the table, to be taken by the gas/oil companies.

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21 Feb 08 | General | Comments (0)

Slowly, the ship is turning

08 Feb 08 | Commentary

In yet another narrow defeat last night, the Senate voted to keep renewable energy incentives out of the economic stimulus package. Once again, Senator John McCain was absent from the voting. It is difficult to imagine why he would choose not to show up in Washington to vote on this important legislation when Both Senators Clinton and Obama made the trip. To me at least, it seems Senator McCain is showing that he is a hollow man. By his words he says that he is concerned about the environment, but his actions show he does not really care enough about the environment to make a stand on either side. Sort of reminds me of George W. Bush before he took office in 2000. We all know how Mr. Bush’s environmental agenda shook out once he was in office.

Regardless of that, once again the tax incentives for solar energy have been cut out of the process by the Senate, this time by only one vote. Several Republican Senators took a bipartisan stance and voted for the measure, which is a nice change. However, in the end it was not enough to keep the Senate from a filibuster and far too few votes to avoid the inevitable Bush veto.

In the last few years, we have fought tooth and nail for the environment, especially in light of the current chief executive of the federal government. There is a long way still to go. In order for renewable energy, most specifically solar power, to stay a viable alternative, either one of two things must happen:

  1. The subsides for Big Oil and Big Coal are ended. This will allow a true market environment where energy costs would be able to float to their natural levels instead of being held artificially low. This is the current European model. In light of the current energy monopolies these two forces have, the energy prices would likely skyrocket to several times there current levels until other forces such as renewable energy are brought to bear causing a competitive market. It would likely ruin the ever so fragile service economy that this country has developed.
  2. Subsides for renewable energy need to be enacted for a long term period. This will encourage entrepreneurs to get into the renewable energy field and get firmly established. No one wants to start a business and then have rug pulled out from under them as happened to the solar industry in the mid 1980’s. Long term subsides will allow stable development of renewables, which, when mature will be able to compete with old tech fossil fuel sectors head on.

Of course, Big Oil and Big Coal are not interested in sharing their markets with anyone, much less any technology that can do what they do better and cleaner (and, if you count the cost of environmental damage, cheaper). The problem is that the old school guys have a lot of money and they like to throw it around. The renewable energy sector? Not so much.

That is where we come in. We are actually the ones who empower our Senators and Representatives by voting for them. To make this system work, however, you must be registered to vote. That is a start, but it is not enough. It would be very helpful if you actually went to the polling place on election day and cast a vote. Then, keep an eye on your elected official’s voting record. If you see something you don’t like, send them an e-mail, let them know how you feel. Before election day, read up on the candidates, vote for the one you think will most accurately represent you.

Remember, these guys (Congressmen/Senators) are not your average Joe. Their life experiences are vastly different from the rest of us. They, as a general rule, have a lot of money and have fairly well insulated themselves against economic trouble. The rest of us who have to work for a living will have to deal with the consequences of there actions or inactions. Don’t assume your Congressman or Senator has your back, communicate!

As for the old school big energy guys, we can cancel out there grasp on power by sticking together. The CEO of Exxon-Mobil for example, is only one vote. So is the CEO of Peabody Coal. If we stick together, send a message to our Congressman and Senators with the status quo is not acceptable, we can beat these guys. But we have to stick together.

One vote.

One District.

One Congressman.

One Senator at a time.

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08 Feb 08 | Commentary | Comments (0)