Portable Solar Power Kits for Africa: Now in the U.S., via Kickstarter. There's a widespread informal energy market in Africa. Electricity sockets can be difficult to find and people walk (sometimes far distances) to charge their cellphones with diesel generators. San Francisco-based company Fenix International developed the ReadySet Solar Kit three years ago to help solve Africans' energy problems — and now they're trying to bring it to the U.S. by using a Kickstarter campaign. "The Fenix ReadySet is an intelligent battery system that can be charged from solar, electric grid, and even a bicycle generator to charge mobile phones, tablets, WiFi hotspots and other devices," the company says.
It's a valuable technology for rural areas of Africa, but CEO Mike Lin sees a need for it in the U.S., too. As Lin told Mashable, there are many Americans who cannot access solar power because of where they live. Apartment renters typically can't install solar panels on the roofs of their buildings, and neither can college students if they live in dorms. Each kit comes with: 'Solar sisters' spreading light in Africa. Solar Sister is a growing network of female entrepreneurs creating access to clean energy while earning an income to support their families. The women sell green products such as solar lamps and mobile phone chargers, earning a commission on each sale. More than 270 women have so far joined Solar Sister in Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Households in rural areas removed from the electricity grid rely mainly on fuel-based devices such as kerosene lamps for access to light. Such lanterns, however, are polluting and expensive: they emit toxic fumes, pose fire hazards and also put a strain on family budgets. The group says that access to light can have a big impact on people's lives -- children can study more and go to school while women can set up their own business and have a steady flow of income. The group provides the female entrepreneurs with a "business in a bag," a start-up kit of inventory, training and marketing support. Solar Sister Solar Sister in Africa. Pay-as-you-go solar power lights up rural Africa.
A renewable energy scheme by the British based company, Eight19, is enabling remote households in rural Africa to generate their own electricity using pay-as-you-go solar technology. The unique electrification system works by capturing sunlight to charge a 2.5 watt battery during daylight hours. Users can access the electricity their solar panel generates by entering a code into their IndiGo battery pack. The technology can generate enough energy to power two small rooms for seven hours. IndiGo schemes have been set up in rural communities in South Sudan, Kenya and Zambia. IndiGo aims to replace Kerosene oil lamps, which can can have harmful health and environmental impacts, as the main source of light for rural communities in Africa. Electrifying rural Africa Pay-as-you-go solar aims to bring affordable electricity to rural AfricaTechnology aims to replace harmful environmental products such as kerosene lampsService allows users to light their homes for as little as $1 a week.
How Heat Affects Solar Panel Efficiency. It may seem counter-intuitive, but solar panel efficiency is affected negatively by temperature increases. Photovoltaic modules are tested at a temperature of 25 degrees C (STC) – about 77 degrees F., and depending on their installed location, heat can reduce output efficiency by 10-25%. As the temperature of the solar panel increases, its output current increases exponentially, while the voltage output is reduced linearly. In fact, the voltage reduction is so predictable, that it can be used to accurately measure temperature. As a result, heat can severely reduce the solar panel’s production of power. In the built environment, there are a number of ways to deal with this phenomenon. Different module designs and different semiconductor compounds all react to temperature – here’s a brief intro into what to expect.
Determining Your Efficiency The best way to determine your panel’s tolerance to heat is by looking at the manufacturer’s data sheet. What This Means. German Solar Subsidies to Remain High with Consumers Paying the Price. Germany's new environment minister Peter Altmaier had only been in office a week before he traveled to Bonn for an urgent appointment. Important representatives from the German renewable energy industry were expecting him, including Frank Asbeck, CEO of the Bonn based Solarworld AG. And they were not to be put off. They wanted to know from Altmaier, who assumed his office in May, what was going to happen with solar industry subsidies.
The results of those closed-door negotiations will soon be passed on to the general public via their electricity bills, which are once again about to go up -- even though Germans already pay the second highest energy prices in Europe. Next year, a three-person family will likely have to pay up to an additional €175 ($220) to finance the construction of renewable energy infrastructure.
The biggest culprit behind this increase is the German government's misguided subsidy policy. Costly Mistake Fine, In Theory Excessive Boom Knack For Politics. Federal Tax Credit for Solar Energy. Updated for Tax Year 2016 To encourage Americans to use solar power, the EPA and the Department of Energy offers tax credits for solar-powered systems. Tapping the sun for power just feels good -- solar power doesn't pollute, reduces our use of coal and other fossil fuels, and thereby helps reduce your individual carbon footprint.
But it's also be up to five times as expensive as electricity from natural gas and other sources. To encourage Americans to use solar power, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy run the Energy Star program, which, among other projects, offers tax credits for solar-powered systems. Credits for approved solar installations Installing alternative energy equipment in your home can qualify you for a credit equal to 30% of your total cost. Qualifying equipment includes solar-powered units that generate electricity or heat water. Claiming solar credits for rental property Filing requirements for solar credits Get every deduction you deserve. Study Discovers That Solar Panels Have a Cooling Effect on Buildings.
It turns out that solar panels can do more than provide you with renewable energy - they can significantly cut down the power needed to heat and cool your building as well. In a study recently released in the journal Solar Energy, an engineering team at UC San Diego found that the presence of solar panels on rooftops keeps buildings an average of 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler during the day and keeps heat in during the nighttime, which could save cash on heating costs in the winter.
The team of researchers, led by Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, discovered that the amount of money saved on heating and cooling costs could add up to a 5% savings on the total cost of the solar panels if factored in as energy saved. Via PhysOrg. Introduces New “Cool” Film That Helps Solar Panels Beat The Heat.
PowerShield® Cool Black helps reduce operating temperature and improve the efficiency of black solar panels MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., Sept. 25, 2012 – Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that it has introduced a new black laminate film designed to help make black solar panels cooler and more efficient. All-black solar panels are increasingly being used on homes because they blend with rooftops more easily. PowerShield® Cool Black is a backsheet that helps reduce solar panel operating temperature by using an innovative and proprietary technology that reflects solar radiation. When panels operate at lower temperatures, their electrical components are able to operate more effectively and generate more power. “Heat reduction is a key factor in improving solar panel efficiency, and black panels are especially susceptible to increased temperatures,” said Jerry Buchanan, global business manager for Honeywell’s photovoltaic (PV) backing systems business. Why Solar Panel Installation Is Three Times Costlier in the U.S. than in Germany.
In 2011, residential solar system installers paid a little over $1.80 per watt for solar panels in both Germany and the United States. In Germany, installers added $1.20 to the cost of the solar panel to complete an installation. But in the U.S., they tacked on $4.36 per watt, more than three times as much. A report released this month by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory explains why. The most obvious difference between the United States and Germany is the total amount of solar power installed in each country—there’s five times as much installed in Germany. The study concludes, however, that the learning curve isn’t enough to explain the price disparity—it might account for only half of it.
The most marked difference is in the cost of acquiring customers. U.S. installers also spend more on labor during actual installation (in some cases, higher winds force more expensive installations). The report lists some more line items. The U.S.
Arizona solar plant gets big boost from feds. By Ryan Randazzo - Jul. 3, 2010 09:51 AM The Arizona Republic President Barack Obama announced Saturday that the federal government will provide a $1.45 billion loan guarantee through the stimulus act for the Solana Generating Station solar-power plant in Gila Bend. The plant will be one of the largest solar projects in the country and the first to store heat on a large scale so that it can continue to make electricity after sunset. Its developers have struggled for two years to find a decent loan amid the recession. Obama discussed the loan guarantee in an advance copy of his Saturday radio address provided to The Arizona Republic.
The deal gives the plant the assistance it will need to finally move ahead. The plant could now open by mid 2013 after originally being scheduled to open in 2011. "We're going to keep fighting to advance our recovery," Obama said. Solana will be built and operated by Abengoa Solar Inc. of Spain. "The good news is these are very low-risk loans," he said. U.S.
Myths And Facts About Solar Energy | Research. Conservative media have denigrated solar energy by denying its sustainability, ignoring its successes, and arguing the U.S. should simply cede the solar market to China. Yet this booming industry has made great strides, and with the right policies can become a major source of our power. MYTH: Solar Energy Is "Dirty" Claiming that a "green future" would be "dirty," the Taxpayer Protection Alliance's Drew Johnson wrote in a Washington Examiner op-ed that "It turns out that it takes a lot of power (and a lot of carbon) to build solar panels and wind turbines.
" [Washington Examiner, 7/24/12]A Wall Street Journal editorial lent some credence to the claim that solar "really doesn't reduce greenhouse gas emissions" because the carbon savings from solar projects on desert land could be "negat[ed]" by disturbing caliche deposits that release carbon dioxide. FACT: Solar Energy Can Greatly Reduce Pollution Solar Energy Emits Much Fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions Than Fossil Fuels.
DOE: 90% Of U.S.