PV Lab Facility and Educational Center

Solar Energy International (SEI) has a rich tradition instilled in community. Over the past 20 years more than 16,000 people from all 50 states and 66 countries have attended SEI’s renewable energy courses. Five years ago SEI expanded operations to include a 7-acre parcel of land amongst the diverse agricultural community in Paonia, CO. This expansion serves as a foundation to SEI’s long-range goal of creating a renewable energy and sustainable living educational center which provides a diverse and enriching forum for participants to engage and learn in. Looking ahead to the next 20 years the future looks bright for SEI and renewable energy as the organization moves forward with a vision and a design ethic that is intrinsic to the future of ecological systems and the biodiversity of our region and the planet. The SEI campus is grounded in nature and contemplative practice, and is dedicated to promoting ecological competence, and nurturing cooperation and creative dialogue among diverse people.

The SEI educational center is equipped to provide hands-on experiential learning and showcase the potential for renewable energy technologies, especially photovoltaics. SEI’s educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom. Over the past five years SEI has hosted many ‘hands-on’ workshops, from Photovoltaics to Wind Power, Micro-hydro power, and Natural Building. The core learning activity is around SEI’s state of the art Photovoltaic (PV) training facility. As part of SEI’s commitment to deliver code compliant, safety oriented, cutting edge curriculum and training opportunities to participants, SEI has continued to advance the hands-on training capabilities in PV. The PV training program explores the various system types (grid-direct, grid-tied with battery back-up, and stand- alone) and mounting techniques (roof mount, pole mount, and ground mount) common in the PV industry. Participants in SEI’s PV workshops work with instructors who have extensive field experience and are passionate about teaching, offering an unparalleled combination of hands-on knowledge and technical expertise. From detailed solar site analysis to system design and installation, SEI participants can experience many aspects of PV systems.

 The members of the SEI staff enter their work with much excitement and ambition in moving the organization towards the vision of a world-class training center. On the horizon SEI holds many exciting opportunities including the design and development of a trend setting classroom building. This building will symbolize the core center of SEI activities and learning. The classroom will speak to SEI’s goals and ethics with a focus designed to impact the earth as gently as possible and to teach participants about the connections to the larger community of life. Demonstrations of renewable energy technologies and sustainable regenerative design principles will be cornerstones of a beautiful, stunning and smart building.

 The SEI renewable energy and sustainable living educational center is a chance to expand upon the amazing SEI culture, community, and create a place that shares a renewed land ethic, a relationship that inspires and transcends the current paradigm and teaches people the essence of living a renewable and sustainable life. For more information about the future of SEI’s Eco-Campus contact Matthew Harris at 970-527-7657.

Promising Solar Energy Use Worldwide. Discover promising benefits of Photovoltaic Solar Cells.

Of the many solar energy technologies, Photovoltaics (PV) show the most promise for worldwide acceptance and applications. PV or solar cells have no moving parts, are simple in design, are environmentally friendly, need very little maintenance, and silently produce electricity when they are exposed to light.

Solar cells operate in accordance with the photovoltaic effect, (“photo-light, voltaic- -electricity). Solar cells are usually made of silicon. When a photon (particles of sunlight) strikes a molecule within the silicon cell, an electron is knocked free. An electrical field causes this free electron to move to one side of the cell. The accumulated effect of millions of this interaction generates electricity.

Solar modules or solar panels are series of solar cells that are wired together into strings. These strings are enclosed in self-contained glass unites to protect from harsh weather. Modules are connected by cables that link them to the inverter. The inverter converts the direct current DC into alternating current (AC).

In order to measure the level of efficiency of a solar panel, the panel’s ability to transform sunlight into electricity must be measured. Not all sunlight works efficiently to create electricity. Sunlight of certain energies perform the best, and much is reflected or absorbed by the material of the cell. A typical commercial solar cell has an average efficiency of fifteen percent.

The efficiency level dictates the size of modules needed to produce the desired amount of electricity. Low efficiencies mean larger arrays of solar panels are needed. In order to reduce the initial cost of using solar modules this area of photovoltaics solar energy needs improvement.

Improving solar cell (photovoltaics) efficiencies while keeping costs down per cell is a primary goal of the PV industry. Research and development continues to address this important aspect of using photovoltaic solar power.

Also find out more about PV systems and photovoltaic energy

Hydrogen and Future Energy Sources

We learned in Chapter 8 that fossil fuels were formed before and during the time of the dinosaurs – when plants and animals died. Their decomposed remains gradually changed over the years to form coal, oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels took millions of years to make. We are using up the fuels formed more than 65 million years ago. They can't be renewed; they can't be made again. We can save fossil fuels by conserving and finding ways to harness energy from seemingly "endless sources," like the sun and the wind.

We can't use fossil fuels forever as they are a non-renewable and finite resource. Some people suggest that we should start using hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for 75 percent of the entire universe's mass. Hydrogen is found on Earth only in combination with other elements such as oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. To use hydrogen, it must be separated from these other elements.

Today, hydrogen is used primarily in ammonia manufacturing, petroleum refining and synthesis of methanol. It's also used in NASA's space program as fuel for the space shuttles, and in fuel cells that provide heat, electricity and drinking water for astronauts. Fuel cells are devices that directly convert hydrogen into electricity. In the future, hydrogen could be used to fuel vehicles (such as the DaimlerChrysler NeCar 4 shown in the picture to the right) and aircraft, and provide power for our homes and offices.

Hydrogen can be made from molecules called hydrocarbons by applying heat, a process known as "reforming" hydrogen. This process makes hydrogen from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen in a process called electrolysis. Some algae and bacteria, using sunlight as their energy source, give off hydrogen under certain conditions.

Hydrogen as a fuel is high in energy, yet a machine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost zero pollution. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel rockets and now the space shuttle into orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems, producing a clean by-product – pure water, which the crew drinks.

You can think of a fuel cell as a battery that is constantly replenished by adding fuel to it – it never loses its charge.

Energy for Transportation

In California, about one-half of ALL the energy we use goes into transportation – cars, planes, trucks, motorcycles, trains, buses. And of all the oil we use in the state about three-quarters of all it goes into making gasoline and diesel fuel for vehicles.

As we learned in Chapter 8, oil goes through a refinery where it is made into many different products. Some of them are used for transportation: aviation fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel. From the refinery and larger storage tank farms, transportation fuels are usually trucked to service stations in tanker trucks. These trucks can hold 10,000 gallons in each tank. The tanker trucks deliver the gasoline to the services stations.

At service stations, the two grades of gasoline, regular and premium, are kept in separate underground storage tanks. When you pump the gasoline into your car, you are pumping it from those tanks below ground. Mid-grade gasoline is a combination of the two types. Other vehicles, such as trucks and some cars use diesel fuel, which is also made from oil. It is brought to service stations the same way.

California has more than 26 million vehicles on its roads. All the vehicles in the state used 14.4 billion gallons of gasoline in 2001. That's more gasoline that all other countries except for the United States and the former Soviet Union. This makes California the third-largest user of gasoline in the world!

Fourteen billion gallons of gasoline is enough to fill a line of 10,000 gallon tanker trucks stretched bumper to bumper from San Francisco to San Diego, back to San Francisco, and then part of the way to Sacramento!

Burning gasoline, however, creates air pollution. That's why oil companies are creating newer types of gasoline that are cleaner than the kind we use today. Beginning in 1996, all the gasoline sold in California will be this newer, cleaner type called "reformulated gasoline." The main ingredient in that gas, however, MTBE was found to hurt water supplies if it leaked. So, that additive is being removed by 2005.

Another concern about using oil for transportation is that a lot of oil used comes form the Middle East. This makes the U.S. very vulnerable if there is political unrest. During the 1970s, Americans saw long lines at the gas pumps because oil from the Middle East was turned off by the Oil Producing Exposting Countries - OPEC. And we're in in worse shape in 2002 because we're importing more and more oil form the Middle East than ever before.

Because of concerns about air pollution and petroleum-dependence, new clean-burning fuels made from fuels other than oil are being introduced. These fuels include methanol, ethanol, natural gas, propane and even electricity. The car on the right uses methanol, the same fuel used in Indianapolis Speedway race cars.

All these fuels are called alternative fuels because they are an alternative to gasoline and diesel. Cars and trucks that use them are called Alternative Fuel Vehicles or AFVs.

Right now, there are only a small number of cars and trucks that are running on fuels other than gasoline and diesel. Energy officials hope, however, that one-quarter of all the vehicles will run on alternative fuels by the year 2025.

For more on alternative fuel vehicles, we have a whole section on Energy Quest. Go to our Transportation Section.

Renewable Energy vs. Fossil Fuels

In Chapter 8, we discussed the world's supply of fossil fuels — oil, coal and natural gas and how it is being depleted slowly because of constant use. Fossil fuels are not renewable, they can't be made again. Once they are gone, they're gone.

In Chapters 11 to 16, we learned that there's no shortage of renewable energy from the sun, wind and water and even stuff usually thought of as garbage — dead trees, tree branches, yard clippings, left-over crops, sawdust, even livestock manure, can produce electricity and fuels — resources collectively called "biomass."

The sunlight falling on the United States in one day contains more than twice the energy we consume in an entire year. California has enough wind gusts to produce 11 percent of the world's wind electricity. Clean energy sources can be harnessed to produce electricity, process heat, fuel and valuable chemicals with less impact on the environment.

In contrast, emissions from cars fueled by gasoline and factories and other facilities that burn oil affect the atmosphere. Foul air results in so-called greenhouse gases. About -81% of all U.S. greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide emissions from energy-related sources.

Renewable energy resource development will result in new jobs for people and less oil we have to buy from foreign countries. According to the federal government, America spent $109 billion to import oil in 2000. If we fully develop self-renewing resources, we will keep the money at home to help the economy.

Continued research has made renewable energy more affordable today than 25 years ago. The cost of wind energy has declined from 40 cents per kilowatt-hour to less than 5 cents. The cost of electricity from the sun, through photovoltaics (literally meaning "light-electricity") has dropped from more than $1/kilowatt-hour in 1980 to nearly 20cents/kilowatt-hour today. And ethanol fuel costs have plummeted from $4 per gallon in the early 1980s to $1.20 today.

But there are also drawbacks to renewable energy development.

For example, solar thermal energy involving the collection of solar rays through collectors (often times huge mirrors) need large tracts of land as a collection site. This impacts the natural habitat, meaning the plants and animals that live there. The environment is also impacted when the buildings, roads, transmission lines and transformers are built. The fluid most often used with solar thermal electric generation is very toxic and spills can happen.

Solar or PV cells use the same technologies as the production of silicon chips for computers. The manufacturing process uses toxic chemicals. Toxic chemicals are also used in making batteries to store solar electricity through the night and on cloudy days.. Manufacturing this equipment has environmental impacts.

Also, even if we wanted to switch to solar energy right away, we still have a big problem. All the solar production facilities in the entire world only make enough solar cells to produce about 350 megawatts, about enough for a city of 300,000 people. that's a drop in the bucket compared to our needs. California alone needs about 55,000 megawatts of electricity on a sunny, hot summer day. And the cost of producing that much electricity would be about four times more expensive than a regular natural gas-fired power plant.

So, even though the renewable power plant doesn't release air pollution or use precious fossil fuels, it still has an impact on the environment.

Wind power development too, has its downside, mostly involving land use. The average wind farm requires 17 acres of land to produce one megawatt of electricity, about enough electricity for 750 to 1,000 homes. However, farms and cattle grazing can use the same land under the wind turbines.

Wind farms could cause erosion in desert areas. Most often, winds farms affect the natural view because they tend to be located on or just below ridgelines. Bird deaths also occur due to collisions with wind turbines and associated wires. This issue is the subject of on-going research.

Producing geothermal electricity from the earth's crust tends to be localized. That means facilities have to be built where geothermal energy is abundant. There are several geothermal resource locations in California. The Geysers area north of San Francisco is an example. In the course of geothermal production, steam coming from the ground becomes very caustic at times, causing pipes to corrode and fall apart. Geothermal power plants sometimes cost a little bit more than a gas-fired power plant because they have to include the cost to drill.

Environmental concerns are associated with dams to produce hydroelectric power. People are displaced and prime farmland and forests are lost in the flooded areas above dams. Downstream, dams change the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the river and land.

 Unlike fossil fuels, which dirties the atmosphere, renewable energy has less impact on the environment Renewable energy production has some drawbacks, mainly associated with the use of large of tracts of land that affects animal habitats and outdoor scenery. Renewable energy development will result in jobs and less oil imported from foreign countries.

Note: For those working on a school assignment comparing renewable vs. non-renewable energy, we'd suggest creating a Pro and Con list for each energy source. That will give you a a way to compare the various energy resources.

Natural Gas Distribution System

We learned in Chapter 8 that natural gas is a fossil fuel. It is a gaseous molecule that's made up of two atoms – one carbon atom combined with four hydrogen atom. It's chemical formula is CH4. The picture on the right is a model of what the molecule could look like.

Don't confuse natural gas with "gasoline," which we call "gas" for short. Like oil, natural gas is found under ground and under the ocean floor. Wells are drilled to tap into natural gas reservoirs just like drilling for oil. Once a drill has hit an area that contains natural gas, it can be brought to the surface through pipes.

The natural gas has to get from the wells to us. To do that, there is a huge network of pipelines that brings natural gas from the gas fields to us. Some of these pipes are two feet wide.

Natural gas is sent in larger pipelines to power plants to make electricity or to factories because they use lots of gas. Bakeries use natural gas to heat ovens to bake bread, pies, pastries and cookies. Other businesses use natural gas for heating their buildings or heating water.

From larger pipelines, the gas goes through smaller and smaller pipes to your neighborhood.

In businesses and in your home, the natural gas must first pass through a meter, which measures the amount of fuel going into the building. A gas company worker reads the meter and the company will charge you for the amount of natural gas you used.

Energy can be found in a number of different forms. It can be chemical energy, electrical energy, heat (thermal energy), light (radiant energy), mechanical energy, and nuclear energy.

In some homes, natural gas is used for cooking, heating water and heating the house in a furnace.

In rural areas, where there are no natural gas pipelines, propane (another form of gas that's often made when oil is refined) or bottled gas is used instead of natural gas. Propane is also called LPG, or liquefied petroleum gas, is made up of methane and a mixture with other gases like butane.

Propane turns to a liquid when it is placed under slight pressure. For regular natural gas to turn into a liquid, it has to be made very, very cold.

Cars and trucks can also use natural gas as a transportation fuel, but they must carry special cylinder-like tanks to hold the fuel.

When natural gas is burned to make heat or burned in a car's engine, it burns very cleanly. When you combine natural gas with oxygen (the process of combustion), you produce carbon dioxide and water vapor; plus the energy that's released in heat and light.

Some impurities are contained in all natural gas. These include sulphur and butane and other chemicals. When burned, those impurities can create air pollution. The amount of pollution from natural gas is less than burning a more "complex" fuel like gasoline. Natural gas-powered cars are more than 90 percent cleaner than a gasoline-powered car.

That's why many people feel natural gas would be a good fuel for cars because it burns cleanly.

Resistance and Static Electricity

As we have learned, some kinds of atoms contain loosely attached electrons. Electrons can be made to move easily from one atom to another. When those electrons move among the atoms of matter, a current of electricity is created.

Take a piece of wire. The electrons are passed from atom to atom, creating an electrical current from one end to the other. Electrons are very, very small. A single copper penny contains more than 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1x1022) electrons.

Electricity "flows" or moves through some things better than others do. The measurement of how well something conducts electricity is called its resistance.

Resistance in wire depends on how thick and how long it is, and what it's made of. The thickness of wire is called its gauge. The smaller the gauge, the bigger the wire. Some of the largest thicknesses of regular wire is gauge 1.

Different types of metal are used in making wire. You can have copper wire, aluminum wire, even steel wire. Each of these metals has a different resistance; how well the metal conducts electricity. The lower the resistance of a wire, the better it conducts electricity.

Copper is used in many wires because it has a lower resistance than many other metals. The wires in your walls, inside your lamps and elsewhere are usually copper.

A piece of metal can be made to act like a heater. When an electrical current occurs, the resistance causes friction and the friction causes heat. The higher the resistance, the hotter it can get. So, a coiled wire high in resistance, like the wire in a hair dryer, can be very hot.

Some things conduct electricity very poorly. These are called insulators. Rubber is a good insulator, and that's why rubber is used to cover wires in an electric cord. Glass is another good insulator. If you look at the end of a power line, you'll see that it is attached to some bumpy looking things. These are glass insulators. They keep the metal of the wires from touching the metal of the towers.

What Is Electricity?

Electricity figures everywhere in our lives. Electricity lights up our homes, cooks our food, powers our computers, television sets, and other electronic devices. Electricity from batteries keeps our cars running and makes our flashlights shine in the dark.

 Here's something you can do to see the importance of electricity. Take a walk through your school, house or apartment and write down all the different appliances, devices and machines that use electricity. You'll be amazed at how many things we use each and every day that depend on electricity.

But what is electricity? Where does it come from? How does it work? Before we understand all that, we need to know a little bit about atoms and their structure.

All matter is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of smaller particles. The three main particles making up an atom are the proton, the neutron and the electron.

Electrons spin around the center, or nucleus, of atoms, in the same way the moon spins around the earth. The nucleus is made up of neutrons and protons.

Electrons contain a negative charge, protons a positive charge. Neutrons are neutral – they have neither a positive nor a negative charge.

There are many different kinds of atoms, one for each type of element. An atom is a single part that makes up an element. There are 118 different known elements that make up every thing! Some elements like oxygen we breathe are essential to life.

Each atom has a specific number of electrons, protons and neutrons. But no matter how many particles an atom has, the number of electrons usually needs to be the same as the number of protons. If the numbers are the same, the atom is called balanced, and it is very stable.

So, if an atom had six protons, it should also have six electrons. The element with six protons and six electrons is called carbon. Carbon is found in abundance in the sun, stars, comets, atmospheres of most planets, and the food we eat. Coal is made of carbon; so are diamonds.

Some kinds of atoms have loosely attached electrons. An atom that loses electrons has more protons than electrons and is positively charged. An atom that gains electrons has more negative particles and is negatively charge. A "charged" atom is called an "ion."

Electrons can be made to move from one atom to another. When those electrons move between the atoms, a current of electricity is created. The electrons move from one atom to another in a "flow." One electron is attached and another electron is lost.

This chain is similar to the fire fighter's bucket brigades in olden times. But instead of passing one bucket from the start of the line of people to the other end, each person would have a bucket of water to pour from one bucket to another. The result was a lot of spilled water and not enough water to douse the fire. It is a situation that's very similar to electricity passing along a wire and a circuit. The charge is passed from atom to atom when electricity is "passed."

Scientists and engineers have learned many ways to move electrons off of atoms. That means that when you add up the electrons and protons, you would wind up with one more proton instead of being balanced.

Since all atoms want to be balanced, the atom that has been "unbalanced" will look for a free electron to fill the place of the missing one. We say that this unbalanced atom has a "positive charge" (+) because it has too many protons.

Since it got kicked off, the free electron moves around waiting for an unbalanced atom to give it a home. The free electron charge is negative, and has no proton to balance it out, so we say that it has a "negative charge" (-).

So what do positive and negative charges have to do with electricity?

Scientists and engineers have found several ways to create large numbers of positive atoms and free negative electrons. Since positive atoms want negative electrons so they can be balanced, they have a strong attraction for the electrons. The electrons also want to be part of a balanced atom, so they have a strong attraction to the positive atoms. So, the positive attracts the negative to balance out.

The more positive atoms or negative electrons you have, the stronger the attraction for the other. Since we have both positive and negative charged groups attracted to each other, we call the total attraction "charge."

Energy also can be measured in joules. Joules sounds exactly like the word jewels, as in diamonds and emeralds. A thousand joules is equal to a British thermal unit.

When electrons move among the atoms of matter, a current of electricity is created. This is what happens in a piece of wire. The electrons are passed from atom to atom, creating an electrical current from one end to other, just like in the picture.

Electricity is conducted through some things better than others do. Its resistance measures how well something conducts electricity. Some things hold their electrons very tightly. Electrons do not move through them very well. These things are called insulators. Rubber, plastic, cloth, glass and dry air are good insulators and have very high resistance.

Other materials have some loosely held electrons, which move through them very easily. These are called conductors. Most metals – like copper, aluminum or steel – are good conductors.

Wind Energy

Wind can be used to do work. The kinetic energy of the wind can be changed into other forms of energy, either mechanical energy or electrical energy.

When a boat lifts a sail, it is using wind energy to push it through the water. This is one form of work.

Farmers have been using wind energy for many years to pump water from wells using windmills like the one on the right.

In Holland, windmills have been used for centuries to pump water from low-lying areas.

Wind is also used to turn large grinding stones to grind wheat or corn, just like a water wheel is turned by water power.

Today, the wind is also used to make electricity.

Blowing wind spins the blades on a wind turbine – just like a large toy pinwheel. This device is called a wind turbine and not a windmill. A windmill grinds or mills grain, or is used to pump water.

The blades of the turbine are attached to a hub that is mounted on a turning shaft. The shaft goes through a gear transmission box where the turning speed is increased. The transmission is attached to a high speed shaft which turns a generator that makes electricity.

If the wind gets too high, the turbine has a brake that will keep the blades from turning too fast and being damaged.

You can use a single smaller wind turbine to power a home or a school. A small turbine makes enough energy for a house. In the picture on the left, the children at this Iowa school are playing beneath a wind turbine that makes enough electricity to power their entire school.

We have many windy areas in California. And wind is blowing in many places all over the earth. The only problem with wind is that it is not windy all the time. In California, it is usually windier during the summer months when wind rushes inland from cooler areas, like the ocean to replace hot rising air in California's warm central valleys and deserts.

In order for a wind turbine to work efficiently, wind speeds usually must be above 12 to 14 miles per hour. Wind has to be this speed to turn the turbines fast enough to generate electricity. The turbines usually produce about 50 to 300 kilowatts of electricity each. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts (kilo means 1,000). You can light ten 100 watt light bulbs with 1,000 watts. So, a 300 kilowatt (300,000 watts) wind turbine could light up 3,000 light bulbs that use 100 watts!

As of 1999, there were 11,368 wind turbines in California. These turbines are grouped together in what are called wind "farms," like those in Palm Springs in the picture on the right. These wind farms are located mostly in the three windiest areas of the state:
Altamont Pass, east of San Francisco
San Gorgonio Pass, near Palm Springs
Tehachapi, south of Bakersfield

Together these three places in California make enough electricity to supply an entire city the size of San Francisco! About 11 percent of the entire world's wind-generated electricity is found in California. Other countries that use a lot of wind energy are Denmark and Germany.

Once electricity is made by the turbine, the electricity from the entire wind farm is collected together and sent through a transformer. There the voltage is increase to send it long distances over high power lines.

Electricity Transmission System

After electricity is produced at power plants it has to get to the customers that use the electricity. Our cities, towns, states and the entire country are criss-crossed with power lines that "carry" the electricity.

As large generators spin, they produce electricity with a voltage of about 25,000 volts. A volt is a measurement of electromotive force in electricity. This is the electric force that "pushes" electrons around a circuit. "Volt" is named after Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist who invented the first battery.

The electricity first goes to a transformer at the power plant that boosts the voltage up to 400,000 volts. When electricity travels long distances it is better to have it at higher voltages. Another way of saying this is that electricity can be transferred more efficiently at high voltages.

The long thick cables of transmission lines are made of copper or aluminum because they have a low resistance. You'll remember from Chapter 3 that the higher the resistance of a wire, the warmer it gets. So, some of the electrical energy is lost because it is changed into heat energy. High voltage transmission lines carry electricity long distances to a substation.

The power lines go into substations near businesses, factories and homes. Here transformers change the very high voltage electricity back into lower voltage electricity.

From these substations (like in the photo to the right), electricity in different power levels is used to run factories, streetcars and mass transit, light street lights and stop lights, and is sent to your neighborhood.

In your neighborhood, another small transformer mounted on pole (see picture) or in a utility box converts the power to even lower levels to be used in your house. The voltage is eventually reduced to 220 volts for larger appliances, like stoves and clothes dryers, and 110 volts for lights, TVs and other smaller appliances.

 Rather than over-head lines, some new distribution lines are underground. The power lines are protected from the weather, which can cause line to break. Have you ever seen what happens after an ice storm?

 The picture on the right shows high voltage towers that crumpled from the weight of ice during a 1998 ice storm that hit Canada and parts of the United States. More than 1,000 high voltage towers and 30,000 wooden utility poles were destroyed in Canada by the storm.

Close to 1.4 million people in Quebec and 230,000 in Ontario were without electricity. In many places, power not fully restored for up to a week. Weather people called it the most destructive storm in Canadian history.

When electricity enters your home, it must pass through a meter. A utility company worker reads the meter so the company will know how much electricity you used and can bill you for the cost.

After being metered, the electricity goes through a fuse box into your home. The fuse box protects the house in case of problems. When a fuse (or a circuit breaker) "blows" or "trips" something is wrong with an appliance or something was short- circuited.

Stored Energy and Batteries

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be saved in various forms. One way to store it is in the form of chemical energy in a battery. When connected in a circuit, a battery can produce electricity.

 If you look at a battery, it will have two ends &emdash; a positive terminal and a negative terminal. If you connect the two terminals with wire, a circuit is formed. Electrons will flow through the wire and a current of electricity is produced.

 Inside the battery, a reaction between the chemicals takes place. But reaction takes place only if there is a flow of electrons. Batteries can be stored for a long time and still work because the chemical process doesn't start until the electrons flow from the negative to the positive terminals through a circuit.



 A very simple modern battery is the zinc-carbon battery, called the carbon battery for short.

 This battery contains acidic material within and a rod of zinc down the center. Here's where knowing a little bit of chemistry helps.

 When zinc is inserted into an acid, the acid begins to eat away at the zinc, releasing hydrogen gas and heat energy. The acid molecules break up into its components: usually hydrogen and other atoms. The process releases electrons from the Zinc atoms that combine with hydrogen ions in the acid to create the hydrogen gas.

If a rod of carbon is inserted into the acid, the acid does nothing to it.

But if you connect the carbon rod to the zinc rod with a wire, creating a circuit, electrons will begin to flow through the wire and combine with hydrogen on the carbon rod. This still releases a little bit of hydrogen gas but it makes less heat. Some of that heat energy is the energy that is flowing through the circuit.

The energy in that circuit can now light a light bulb in a flashlight or turn a small motor. Depending on the size of the battery, it can even start an automobile.

Eventually, the zinc rod is completely dissolved by the acid in the battery, and the battery can no longer be used.

For a "great" on-line page about batteries, visit the Energizer Learning Center.

Solar Energy

We have always used the energy of the sun as far back as humans have existed on this planet. As far back as 5,000 years ago, people "worshipped" the sun. Ra, the sun-god, who was considered the first king of Egypt. In Mesopotamia, the sun-god Shamash was a major deity and was equated with justice. In Greece there were two sun deities, Apollo and Helios. The influence of the sun also appears in other religions – Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, Roman religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Druids of England, the Aztecs of Mexico, the Incas of Peru, and many Native American tribes.

We know today, that the sun is simply our nearest star. Without it, life would not exist on our planet. We use the sun's energy every day in many different ways.

 When we hang laundry outside to dry in the sun, we are using the sun's heat to do work – drying our clothes.

 Plants use the sun's light to make food. Animals eat plants for food. And as we learned in Chapter 5, decaying plants hundreds of millions of years ago produced the coal, oil and natural gas that we use today. So, fossil fuels is actually sunlight stored millions and millions of years ago.

 Indirectly, the sun or other stars are responsible for ALL our energy. Even nuclear energy comes from a star because the uranium atoms used in nuclear energy were created in the fury of a nova – a star exploding.

 Let's look at ways in which we can use the sun's energy.

Solar Energy - Solar Power…

Solar Energy - Solar Power… the all-in-one solar energy site is providing all the information and products you need to start your own solar power project.The demand for information and resources for renewable energy increases daily. More and more people are looking for information on how to implement and use the sun’s power to provide much needed energy at an affordable price.

Solar power products are more accessible than ever before. Almost everyone is looking for ways to save on energy costs. Solar power could well provide the solution to this extreme need.


This site is focused to provide you with every thing relating to capturing the sun’s power and putting it to use in our daily lives.

No matter what type of solar project you are considering we can provide you with answers. As a fan of renewable energy I have re-done my home to a solar house. I know what is involved in every step of the process.

From making up your mind to go solar, choosing the systems and finding just the right solution for your home’s specific needs, I have experienced it all.

I have spent a lot of time visiting renewable energy fairs, researching, reading, viewing different websites and comparing prices and obtaining quotes.

The purpose of this site is to help you get the information you need without all the trouble I had finding & researching.

You’ll find updated news about solar power, easy to read info about solar energy, solar panels, solar power systems and many other solar powered products and solar projects. From simple solar panels to solar heating to a complete solar system for home use, the information is here.

There are also links to calculators, estimators, and in-depth technical sites. You will also find info about grants, tax rebate and different education courses relating to solar power. I’m constantly updating the site to make sure it is a current all-in-one solar site. If you have a new topic you would like to see or if you have your own story to share don’t hesitate to contact me.

Solar shingles

Solar shingles could be the latest innovation in aesthetic solar power production systems.  Here we look at what they are and how they work as well as the efficiency and expense of a power system developed using solar roof tiles.

Solar shingles, or solar tiles, could power your house and slash your electric bill too! They can offer a smart, green, and effective alternative for your home, or business.
Solar shingles‚ the aesthetic alternative

Until recently, the only way for households and businesses to generate solar energy has been through the use of solar panels, either mounted on the ground, or fixed to a roof top.  In some cases the panels can appear bulky, or unsightly, and in other cases there may be insufficient room to mount a system on the ground.

Now there is an alternative, with companies offering solar tiles, solar shingles and other building materials that have photovoltaic cells built in, and these can be less conspicuous than traditional solar panels.  The solar shingles, are designed to match existing roof tiles and are available in a number of different colors.

Since the solar shingles are available in different shapes and styles, they can be used to construct a whole new roof, without looking out of place with other houses in your neighborhood.  Alternatively, they can fit straight onto an existing roof, and matched into the existing tiles, or shingles, that are already there.  The available alternatives are increasing all the time, and it is now possible to match solar shingles with terracotta roof tiles that are so popular in the Southwest, or the gray shingles of coastal saltbox cottages.

Solar shingles are a logical step in if we are to expand the market for renewable energy products that appeal to the masses.  By improving the aesthetic appeal of solar energy systems, it allows us the opportunity to reduce our carbon emissions, and look good at the same time.
Cost and efficiency

The good news for consumers that are looking to invest in a green solar energy system; it can be good looking, and cost effective at the same time.

Recent innovations in production processes have seen big improvements in solar energy efficiency, as well as the different styles, and shapes, of solar roof tiles available.  A typical 30 tile section or solar shingles, with a 14 inch solar exposure area and a 3 inch tile overlap, can generate around 900 kilowatts per hour.  This level of efficiency is on a par with some solar panels, and is in fact superior to others.

The initial cost of purchase and installation, is again very similar to traditional solar panels, and local government subsidies and grants are available for individuals that are looking to invest in this innovative technology.  The solar shingles are independent of one another, which gives the added benefit of reduced replacement costs.  If one tile becomes faulty, then it can be replaced whilst the system stays on-line, generating electricity.
Solar roof tiles‚ construction and installation

Silicon photovoltaic cells are bonded to the solar shingles.  The cells capture and convert energy from the sun into electricity by photovoltaic effect.  The shingles are molded from materials that allow a finished product that comes in various shapes and sizes.  The solar roof tiles are easily wired into an existing electricity system, and when the household is not using the full power output, they can actually spin you meter in reverse!

Each solar tile is independent, which makes for easy maintenance, or replacement should you have a problem with one of the tiles.

As technological innovation improves the choices available will increase, as the costs of manufacturing and installation fall.  A future where we can save the planet, and look good while we’re doing it may already be here!

Solar panels power Sanyo Parking lots in Tokyo

Electronics giant Sanyo has finished work on two parking lots that are powered with solar panels.  They are designed to accommodate 100 eneloop bikes in Tokyo. The news comes soon following Sanyo’s announcement of a new series of eneloop electric bicycles.

The system will have zero emissions, and incorporates high-efficiency 7.56kW HIT solar panels.  The solar energy system will capture energy that’s then used to recharge the lithium ion batteries in the eneloop bikes.  The solar power will also supply the energy for the lights that illuminate the lots at night.  The really amazing news is that no commercial power sources will be used in the project, regardless of the available sunshine.

The solar panels parking lots are located in the ward of Setagaya, along the Keio and Tokyu Den-en Toshi rail lines.  This is an up-market community west of downtown Tokyo.

The Sanyo eneloop bikes parked at the solar energy lots will be available as community bicycles for visitors and local residents. It’ not clear as yet if there will be a deposit required, or a fee to use them.  The Japanese press release video clearly shows the solar powered parking lots protected by turnstiles and fences.

The time taken to recharge the power-assist eneloop bikes will be around 3.5 hours, according to details in the Sankei Shimbun newspaper.  The solar energy powered battery recharging cabinets will also incorporate standard outlets that can be used to power electrical equipment in the event of an emergency.

Sanyo says the lots are part of a major company initiative, known as the Smart Energy System.  The initiative aims to reduce CO2 emissions by generating and storing renewable energy.  The company is promoting it as a solution for manufacturing, transport, housing and other public facilities.

SunPower release details of new more efficient solar panels

Silicon Valley green tech company SunPower have today released their new generation of solar panels, the E19 series are designed to be 19% efficient, a significant improvement on previous iterations of solar panel released by the company.

The 19% figure is a rating derived form calculating what percentage of sun light hitting the solar panel is turned into electricity. The higher the percentage, the greater the efficiency and therefore the cheaper the cost is.
When discussing solar panel efficiency it is important to distinguish between maximum efficiency achieved in lab testing and the efficiency of a manufacturers commercial solar cells. Whilst claims of efficiency in test have been 50% or more, the average efficiency of commercial cells is 15%.|The average efficiency of commercial solar cells is around 15%, although many company have reached far more than this in perfect lab conditions.
The E19’s panels achieve a higher efficiency by using 3 percent more surface space per cell and by employing an anti-reflective coating that can capture greater amounts of off-angle light, explained San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower. By using 3 percent more surface area on each solar cell as well as a coating which reduces reflection, the solar cells can take in more light that comes in slightly off angle.
A greater proportion of energy per watt power is generated due to the coating. A great bonus with the new series is the darker look of the panels themselves. Many of the people who have seen them believe that they are far more aesthetically pleasing than previous panels.
There are two panels available in the E19 range, these are a 72-cell, 238-watt solar version with an efficiency of 19.1 percent and a 96-cell, 318-watt solar panel with an efficiency of 19.5 percent.
Besides the new E19 Series, SunPower will continue to offer its E18 product line, offering 18 percent or greater efficiency. The E18 lineup includes 96-cell and 72-cell configurations that range in power from 305 watts to 225 watts. The E19 product line will be available to both residential and business customers in North America and Europe starting in the third quarter of 2010.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are a great way to generate clean and renewable electrical energy to power homes and businesses.

There are many types of solar panel, however, the two main forms of solar energy cell are known as “solar electricity panels” and “solar hot water panels“. Solar hot water panels are designed to heat water for use in homes, and businesses, and solar electricity panels are capable of generating electricity.

Whilst solar panels are improving constantly in their efficiency and cost, up until recently they have not been widely viewed as a truly viable solution to provide affordable solar energy. This has been largely down to the high cost of production, and the inefficiency of the panels that were available.

It is a widely held belief within the solar energy industry that one day, in the not so distant future, solar panels will become a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels for both the commercial and domestic market. There are some incredible technological developments taking place today, that include concentrated solar panels with an overall energy efficiency of 75%. These advancements will will help to satisfy our insatiable global energy demands, with a solar energy supply that is both environmentally friendly and cost effective.

It stands to reason that as the technology of the photovoltaic cells used in solar panels becomes more refined, and the design of the panels becomes more efficient, the viability of solar energy will increase significantly

Solar Energy And Our Environment

Generating electricity, without burning fossil fuels, is the most important contribution that solar panels will make in the future. Global warming is now more of a threat than ever, and there is a wide consensus of opinion in the scientific community that our greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to it in a significant way.

Solar energy may well be the answer to all of our global energy requirements. Technological advancements in the production of solar panels are leading to improvements in efficiency, as well as lower production costs. Solar energy could be an accessible, affordable and every-day reality for all of us.
Concentrated Solar Panels

Concentrated solar panels could revolutionize the way we think about the generation of power in the future, as well as supplying all the electricity and hot water we could need.

Solar energy is an environmentally friendly way of generating power, and concentrated solar panels can achieve this at a price that is competitive with fossil fuels.

The concept is simple.  To produce a solar power generating system using less expensive raw materials, whilst at the same time producing more efficient power.

Concentrated Photovoltaic Systems use low cost optics to concentrate sunlight onto a small area of solar cell material.  A number of simple, flat mirrors, mounted to a molded plastic surface, direct solar radiation onto an array of very high-efficiency solar cells.

Since concentrated solar panels use less photovoltaic material in their construction, the costs of production are greatly reduced.

In some Concentrated Solar Energy systems the excessive heat that is generated in the solar cell must be removed in order to avoid cell damage, and to maintain high levels of efficiency.

However in the most advanced systems, heat that is generated in the solar receiver is used to provide hot water, which improves the overall solar energy conversion efficiency to around 75%.

Concentrated Photovoltaic Systems that are currently in development are now so technologically advanced, and efficient, that they will revolutionize the way we think about power.

They work even when the sun is obscured by clouds, and they can generate enough power to supply all of the energy requirements of the average home.

The production costs are lower, so the finished product offers a viable economic alternative to traditional fossil fuels, without the need for local, or government, grants.
Traditional Solar Panels

The main components of traditional solar panels are photovoltaic cells, the main ingredient being silicon.  Photovoltaic cells use photons (light energy from the sun) in order to generate electricity through photovoltaic effect.

They are a great way to provide electricity to remote areas and areas prone to significant weather changes, as they are not reliant on a national grid. Sometimes, in these areas, laying high voltage cable is not viable or durable enough.  A fantastic example of solar panels providing electricity in remote locations is earth orbiting satellites.  For decades, satellites have used solar panels to catch solar energy and generate power for the equipment and computers on board.

Photovoltaic cells can be aligned in arrays, with multiple panels fitted on a mounting platform. By combining many more cells, a much larger surface area is created, generating more power. This makes solar electricity a viable option to power homes and businesses. Solar energy technology is increasing massively in it’s efficiency, which means that we are able to buy and install panels, knowing we are likely to receive an efficient way of harnessing energy from the suns rays to turn into electricity for use in our homes.

Whilst current solar panels are substantially more efficient than their predecessors, the innovations in design and technology that are in the pipeline today will revolutionize the way we think about energy in the future.

Imagine a time when you can generate all of the power that you need, and for everything in your home, without the need to burn a single fossil fuel.  And at a price that you can afford.
Solar Hot Water Panels

Using solar panels to heat water is becoming increasingly popular around the world, due to the money which can be saved through doing so. Many good solar hot water panel systems can provide the average house with about a third of its hot water supply. This may not sound like much, however, it can reduce household energy costs by a considerable amount.

By combining both a solar panel hot water heating system and a solar electricity system, a family or employer can save a large chunk of cash.

As we become more educated about renewable energy sources, and what they can provide for the future, more people are experimenting with the possible options.  For example, by combining solar panels with mini wind turbines, and geothermal energy systems, to provide a cheap source of clean, renewable energy for homes and businesses.

Solar-Power Incentives Get Results but Are Rare

Corky Hilliard mounted 19 solar panels atop her Austin home last month and expects to pay less than $4,500 — about a quarter of the initial cost estimate.

“My God, I mean, why wouldn’t you do this?” said Ms. Hilliard, whose neighbors on both sides have also added solar arrays.

 For many Texans, however, there is good reason not to go with a solar option: generous local incentives that allow Ms. Hilliard to pay so little for panels projected to account for about two-fifths of her electricity use do not exist in most of the state. Environmentalists had hoped that Texas lawmakers would pass a bill this session to establish a statewide rebate for solar projects, financed by extra charges on electric bills. But it died without getting out of a House committee.

 Texas prides itself on being the national leader in wind power, and many renewable-energy companies are looking to this big, sunny state as the next frontier for solar power, which California currently dominates. But solar technology remains expensive: notwithstanding its environmental benefits, it can be twice as costly as coal or gas power on a nationwide basis before incentives. The recent fall in natural gas prices has made it even harder for solar to compete (although panel prices are falling, too).

 “I don’t really want to explain to my mother why she’s got another dollar on her bill,” Representative Byron Cook, Republican of Corsicana and the chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, said in an April hearing.

 A raft of solar incentive bills also died during the 2009 session.

 Nonetheless, some large solar projects are emerging. San Antonio began getting power from a 14-megawatt solar farm late last year, and in May a developer started building a 30-megawatt solar facility in Webberville, a small community near Austin (the power will be sold to Austin Energy).

 For both large and small projects, incentives can make a big difference. Ms. Hilliard’s installer quoted her a total cost before fees and taxes of $19,190. But an Austin Energy rebate reduced that amount by nearly $11,000, and another local incentive (from a smart-grid project) and a federal tax credit cut it further, to the final $4,438 estimate.

 Oncor, the electric poles-and-wires utility serving the Dallas area, will begin taking applications for a new round of solar incentives on Monday. A similar round last year sold out in a month. Electric utilities in El Paso and San Antonio also offer solar incentives.

 West Texas is generally considered to have better solar power potential than East Texas, which is cloudier. Randy Sowell, the McCamey-based field operations manager for Fremantle Energy, a renewable-energy developer, said that transmission lines being built by the state to aid wind power could also benefit solar power, and he predicts that projects large enough to supply utilities could be built in a few years in the Trans-Pecos region. It will be important, he said, to site solar farms in places unlikely to see much oil and gas drilling and to make sure mineral-rights owners have adequate access.

 Two solar bills did pass this session. One will make it somewhat harder for homeowners’ associations to bar solar panels. Another clears regulatory hurdles to solar leasing and other third-party ownership arrangements, which for tax reasons will be helpful to schools and churches.

 A proposal to require Texas to add 500 megawatts of non-wind renewables is pending at the Public Utility Commission. A spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, who appoints the P.U.C. commissioners, said that the governor supports a diversity of energy sources but “without imposing burdensome and costly mandates.”

Solar Energy

From magnifying glasses to steam engines, scientists through the centuries have found innovative ways to harness the power of the sun. Converting more solar power into electricity is high on the political agenda in many countries, amid the push to find domestic energy sources that are less polluting than fossil fuels.

Despite rapid growth in recent years, solar power accounts for less than 1 percent of United States electricity use. Solar power is more entrenched in European countries such as Spain and Germany, which have promoted its development with strong incentives called feed-in tariffs,which require electric utilities to buy solar power at a high, fixed price. In the United States, California is by far the leading solar state.

China has emerged as the world’s dominant producer of solar panels in the last two years. It accounted for at least half the world’s production in 2010, and its market share is rising rapidly. The United States accounts for $1.6 billion of the world’s $29 billion market for solar panels; market analyses typically have not broken out military sales separately.

The perception that Beijing unfairly subsidizes the Chinese solar industry to the detriment of American companies and other foreign competitors has drawn concern in Congress. The issue of clean-energy subsidies is also at the heart of a trade investigation under way by the Obama administration, which plans to bring a case against China before the World Trade Organization.

And a little noticed Buy American provision, created mainly by House and Senate conferees during a flurry of activity at the end of the lame-duck session of Congress in December 2010, prevents the Defense Department from buying Chinese-made solar panels -- a measure that is likely to dismay Chinese officials.


How It Works

There are several ways to use the sun’s power to generate electricity. One of the most promising is called concentrating solar power. This involves using mirrors to reflect and focus the sun’s rays, providing heat, which in turn helps power a generator. Another is photovoltaic panels, such as the displays on the rooftops of homes and office buildings (some of these displays, especially in California, have recently experienced problems with theft).

Drawbacks and Incentives

The drawback to solar power is that it is expensive to produce: generating power from photovoltaic panels costs more than four times as much as coal, and more than twice what wind power costs. In the United States, the federal government and states have offered a variety of incentives to encourage homeowners and businesses to put panels on their roofs, and for utilities to buy power from large displays. Solar panels produce no energy at night, but that is not a significant problem because the electricity is often most needed in the daytime, when consumers turn on lights and televisions and air-conditioning.

Solar energy is also used to heat water and pools — and of course a properly designed house will optimize the light and heat qualities of as it floods through the windows.

For now, electricity generation from the sun’s rays needs to be subsidized because it requires the purchase of new equipment and investment in evolving technologies. But costs are rapidly dropping. And regulators are still learning how to structure stimulus payments so that they yield a stable green industry that supports itself.

China Leading Solar Race

China has leapfrogged the West to emerge as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. China’s efforts to dominate renewable energy technologies raise the prospect that the West may someday trade its dependence on oil from the Mideast for a reliance on solar panels, wind turbines and other gear manufactured in China.

The Chinese government charges a renewable energy fee to all electricity users. The fee revenue goes to companies that operate the electricity grid, to make up the cost difference between renewable energy and coal-fired power.

In the United States, power companies frequently face a choice between buying renewable energy equipment or continuing to operate fossil-fuel-fired power plants that have already been built and paid for. In China, power companies have to buy lots of new equipment anyway, and alternative energy is increasingly priced competitively.

But China’s commitment to renewable energy is expensive. Although costs are falling steeply through mass production, solar power is still at least twice as expensive as coal.

Thin Film Solar Panel 78 W, 80 W, 83 W

GE's CdTe thin film solar module combines industry leading solar technology with GE's continued commitment to quality and customer value. The CdTe thin film module is a cost-competitive solar solution that requires less material than alternative technologies to achieve high levels of performance. Designed with the expertise developed over a combined 100+ years of thin-film deposition experience, GE's CdTe thin film module is an efficient and affordable way to meet your sustainable energy needs.

Executive Outlook: Maintaining Current Assets

As demand for a cleaner, smarter, and more efficient planet increases, the need for holistic solutions to address growing energy demand, fuel costs, and limited capital has become more crucial than ever.

Today, industries are assessing their role in the economic recovery, and many companies are looking for new ways to address lingering challenges, including proceeding cautiously with capital spending. When it comes to critical plant equipment, for example, many managers conclude that it is more fiscally sound to maintain current assets rather than invest in new ones.

In order to provide long-term care for those assets, the most efficient maintenance strategies are based on predictive plans rather than reactive ones. Predicting potential problems and activating timely solutions protect bottom lines far better than reacting to breakdowns. Unscheduled downtime due to broken or malfunctioning equipment or assets can cost a business thousands of dollars, not to mention possible safety issues. Plant managers who have a proper predictive maintenance program with a properly qualified partner can maximize the value of their assets.

Developing proactive maintenance programs that ensure safe, profitable and reliable operations have become more crucial around the globe. As customers expand their operations, they need to have the ability to effectively monitor, measure and test critical equipment, even when equipment is located in distant and, sometimes, harsh locations.

Gathering data and distilling the information into manageable, actionable formats for preventative maintenance can be a huge undertaking, and GE realized this when working with our customers in the wind power industry. The wind power boom before the economic crisis has left customers with a massive fleet of wind turbines that will soon reach the end of their manufacturer warranties. With the right tools, wind farm operators can monitor their assets remotely, understand the severity of defects, make corrections and continue to generate revenue if the problem is insignificant.

If business owners can shift mindsets and equipment performance plans from reactive maintenance to a predictive maintenance strategy, it will help alleviate many burdens associated with unplanned downtime and improve reliability.

Predictive maintenance solutions require understanding customers’ unique needs and challenges. The right partner will help companies operate cleaner, smarter, and more efficiently in a world where reliability and financial security are challenged by shrinking resources, fewer expenditures and more attention to sustainable solutions.

Biofuel jet to make first non-stop trans-ocean flight

A Gulfstream jet will fly from New Jersey to Paris, making the first ever non-stop trans-ocean flight powered by biofuels. Photograph: Gulfstream

A corporate jet is scheduled to make the first ever non-stop trans-ocean flight powered by biofuels on Friday night when it leaves Morristown, New Jersey, bound for Paris.

Pilot Ron Weight will take off in a Gulfstream G450 at around 9pm from Morristown airport, ferrying two American executives from the fuel's suppliers, Honeywell. He will land at Paris-Le Bourget airport mid-morning on Saturday.

Importantly, Honeywell has not refitted the Gulfsteam's engines to accommodate the fuel.

"We've made no changes to the engine or the aircraft, and we are confident that the plane will perform exactly as it should," said Weight, a Honeywell employee.

Two days later, pilots Keith Otsuka, Rick Braun and Sten Rossby are scheduled to trump Weight in distance and aircraft size when they leave for Paris from Everett, Washington, in a biofuel-powered Boeing 747-8 cargo plane, also using fuel from Honeywell.

Both planes are heading to the Paris air show, where Honeywell and Boeing will promote biofuels as technically ready to replace conventional petroleum jet fuels – typically kerosene – and help the airline industry reduce its massive carbon footprint.

"This is a great opportunity to show people that this stuff is here today, that is it is not five or six years off," said Jim Rekoske, vice president and general manager of Honeywell's fuel subsidiary, Honeywell UOP. Rekoske will be on Friday's flight, as will Carl Esposito,vice president of Honeywell Aerospace.

The planes will use biofuel processed from camelina, an inedible plant that Honeywell has helped cultivate in Montana and process for the U.S. military. Friday's flight will use a 50/50 mix of biofuel and conventional fuel, while Sunday's trip from Washington will be 15% biofuel.

According to Rekoske, they are not using 100% biofuel because petroleum-based jet fuels contain aromatics that help tighten plastic seals in jet engines. Biofuels lack aromatics, but a 50/50 blend includes enough to fly safely.

A key American standards body, ASTM, seems to agree. Earlier this month it gave tentative approval to jet biofuels and said it could issue final approval by 1 July.

That would clear the way for commercial flights. Lufthansa is awaiting final approval from ASTM before it starts daily flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt using biofuel from Finland's Neste Oil.

In the US, Seattle-based alternative fuels producer AltAir Fuels has signed a memorandum of understanding with 14 airlines to supply biofuel.

Aviation biofuels still face hurdles, with criticism focusing on their environmental impact and their higher price than conventional fuel. Rekoske thinks price can decline to a competitive level by 2013.

Solar

Developing countries in particular may not have the funds to build solar power plants, although small solar applications are now replacing other sources in the developing world.

Solar power is an intermittent energy source, which means that solar power is not available at all times. It is necessarily supplemented by another energy source, which brings about another significant problem with solar power.

Solar power

 

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Sunlight can be converted directly into electricity using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly with concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP installations typically focuses the sun energy to boil water which is then used to provide power. These installations  can utilize other technologies, such as the Sterling engine dishes, which use a sterling cycle engine to power a generator. Photovoltaics were initially used to power small and medium-sized applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to off-grid homes powered by a photovoltaic array.

The significant problem with solar power is installation cost, although cost has been decreasing due to the learning curve. The learning means as individuals and/or organizations get more experienced at installation, they become more efficient at it with high probability. Following a progression of the learning first getting easier and then harder as one approaches a limit. A “steep” learning curve, in colloquial usage, usually means experiencing a large and increasing amount of effort for a constant amount of learning, i.e. approaching a natural limit. Much the reverse is the meaning of a steep slope in a learning progress curve.