Archive for November, 2007
Solar Power Forum
On November 30, 2007 in Uncategorized
I’ve been browsing around over at the “Solar Power Forum” for the past hour or so, and have found some great posts I thought I’d share with you all..
Discussion regarding charging electric cars with PV arrays
Are there pros and cons to solar energy?
Wiring Inverter to a Step-Up Transformer
VERY LARGE Home PV Installation <——– GREAT!! 48kWh per day! Completely DIY! Here is a discussion about it
They seem to have opened up a forum for Design Specifications which currently has some articles about system design, but no real discussion so far.
In the “Off Grid” section of the forum I found this interesting discussion about off-grid homes being a form of sprawl, and found it to be a good read, so check it out if you have the time.
I will be adding these links to the appropriate sections of the site as I get the chance. Thanks for stopping by!
Generating Electricity With Heat From the Sun
On November 21, 2007 in Uncategorized
I’ve been doing some research while it is rainy out, regarding generating electricity with heat from the sun..
There are lots of ways to generate electricity from heat, but for the most part they don’t seem cost-effective for the do-it-yourselfer to piece together.
As far as the actual semiconductor you want to use, from what I have found Bismuth (III) Telluride is the best available. Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia page (with references for you skeptics)
“The properties relevant to thermoelectric efficiency are:
- A high Seebeck coefficient (voltage per unit temperature difference). The Seebeck coefficient of N-type bismuth telluride is -287 μV/°C[1] Seebeck coefficient of P-type Bismuth Telluride is 81μV/K[2]
- A high electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of N-type bismuth telluride is 1.1 × 105 Siemens per meter.[3]
- Low thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of bismuth telluride is 1.20W/(m*K) giving the compound a thermal insulation value similar to ordinary glass.[4]“
However, sources for the stuff aren’t abundant. I did find a place you can buy it in Washington, but they don’t list prices and it is probably expensive, not too mention probably hard to work with.
On the upside, there are lots of prefabricated units out there, but I didn’t feel like digging through bunches of them.
So far, the best deal I have found is from http://www.tellurex.com/
They have a 5.7W unit (4.8v, 1.2A) for a cool $43.95, but you have to remember that unless a regulating circuit is employed, load, voltage, current, and power will all vary as load resistance fluctuates.
Here is a link to their FAQ onThermoelectric Power Generation and Here is a link to their “Intro to Thermoelectrics” page
If one designed a system properly, it would be interesting to generate electricity from the sun’s heat as well as light.. For now though if I buy some I will just put them on a wood stove. You have to ensure that the cool side stays cool though or else it won’t generate enough power.
More on this subject later
Going Beyond the Hype of Green Investing
On November 17, 2007 in Uncategorized
I found an excellent article over at http://news.morningstar.com called “Going Beyond the Hype of Green Investing” that should be a good place to start for anyone thinking of “going green” with their investments.
If you have some spare money around and were thinking of investing in anything “green,” I would read this article first. The author apparently plans to do a part2 of the article, as well.
$135 Million for innovative Solar Technology
On November 17, 2007 in Uncategorized
From: http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com
November 16, 2007
Schueco Develops new Thin-Film Modules
Press Release from Schuco-USA, L.P.
Newington, Conn., November 16
Newington, Conn., Schüco International KG, German parent company of Schüco USA L.P., and German energy giant E.ON AG are jointly investing $135 million to develop new photovoltaic (PV) modules based on thin-film technology for metal and glass facades. Production begins in mid 2008. The modules will be produced in Germany using technology supplied by Applied Materials, Inc., global market leader in nanomanufacturing. “We want to go on improving the cost-benefit ratio of integrating PV modules in building facades, and to make photovoltaic modules a standard feature in building envelopes”, declares Dirk U. Hindrichs, CEO of Schüco International.
Schüco International KG is the world’s only system supplier that develops all types of transparent facade, photovoltaic, and solar-thermal components on its own, supplying a harmonized range of products to customers worldwide. With annual sales of $93 billion and 81,000 employees, E.ON AG is one of the world’s largest energy suppliers. In July 2007, the two companies joined forces to create Malibu GmbH & Co. KG, with a total capital commitment of $135 million.
The prime focus of capital expenditure is the thin-foil production facility supplied by Applied Materials, Inc. The plant will produce PV modules measuring up to 5.7 square meters (over 61 square feet). The PV modules produce up to 460 watts per module. The new facility will significantly boost productivity, further strengthening Schüco’s position in the building-integrated photovoltaics market. The modules will be exported worldwide.
Schüco USA L.P., on hand at Solar Power 2007 in Long Beach (Stand 414), supplies vinyl windows and doors, aluminum systems for building envelopes as well as solar power systems. Schüco USA belongs to European market leader Schüco International KG, which boasts fifty years’ experience in aluminum, steel, vinyl and solar systems. It has 4,700 employees and 12,000 partner companies in 77 countries.
Contact Information
Schüco USA L.P.
240 Pane Road
Newington, CT 06111
Phone: 860 665 9502
Email: pr@schuco-usa.com
Website: http://www.schuco-usa.com
Solar Hot Air Balloons
On November 11, 2007 in Uncategorized
Just ran across a post on a forum about making a solar hot air balloon, so I did some searching around..
http://www.solar-balloons.com has lots of good information about making your own solar hot air balloons, pre-built balloons you can buy from them, as well as videos and photos (some from the air!).
After that I ran across this news story about a blimp designed to hover in the same location at altitudes above 65,000 feet for up to a year at a time. Very interesting stuff. Apparently the blimp is filled with helium and has automated electric motors to keep it geostationary. Power is provided by solar cells.
“Home solar collectors create buzz”
On November 10, 2007 in Uncategorized
The Cincinnati Post put an article up today about DIY solar technology. Since it fits so well with the topic of solardiy.info, I submit it here for the reader’s observation.
“
Are your electric bills going through the roof? A solution just may be up there: The roof, for now, is a place to install solar collectors that convert the sun’s energy directly into electricity.
Solar water heating for home use and as means of heating pool water has been both an affordable and popular technology for many years. Now, harnessing the sun’s power to create energy to power one’s home is increasingly popular.
Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight directly to electricity. They work any time the sun is shining, but more electricity is produced when the sunlight is intense and strikes the PV modules directly (as when rays of sunlight are perpendicular to the modules). Best of all, PV allows you to produce electricity from a clean, renewable resource, without noise or air pollution.
Beyond the standard “vanilla” PV panels, recent aesthetic innovations include solar tiles that look like ordinary roofing.
A typical energy roof uses about 300 square feet of surface. In a sunny climate, it produces many thousands of kilowatts of clean energy per year. Any excess power you have can be fed back into the utility company grid for a credit on your bill.
Before you decide to buy a PV system, there are some things to consider:
First, PV produces power intermittently because it works only when the sun is shining. This is not a problem for PV systems connected to the utility grid, because any additional electricity required is automatically delivered to you by your utility. In the case of non-grid, or stand-alone, PV systems, batteries can be purchased to store energy for later use. Batteries are also an option for storing excess power, even when connected to the utility grid.
Second, if you live near existing power lines, PV-generated electricity is usually more expensive than conventional utility-supplied electricity. Although PV now costs less than 1 percent of what it did in the 1970s, the amortized price over the life of the system can still be higher than what most people pay for electricity from their utilities.
State and federal tax credits and solar rebate programs help make PV more affordable, but they typically can’t match today’s price for utility electricity in most cases. This condition is rapidly changing as utility prices continue to increase, making PV a sensible and cost-effective alternative. Also, PV system reliability and durability are excellent, with a typical PV system lasting up to 30 years with minimal maintenance.
Third, unlike electricity purchased monthly from a utility company, PV power requires a high initial investment. This means that buying a PV system is like paying years of electric bills up front. Your monthly electric bills will go down, but the initial expense of PV may be significant. By financing your PV system, you can spread the cost over many years, and rebates can also lighten your financial load. Many PV installation companies have teamed up with lending institutions that offer creative financing.
The price for a PV system depends on a number of factors, including whether your home is under construction and whether PV is integrated into the roof or mounted on top of an existing roof. The price also depends on the PV system rating, manufacturer, retailer and installer.
The size of your system may be the most significant factor in any measurement of costs versus benefits. For example, a 2-kilowatt system that meets nearly all the needs of a very energy efficient home could cost $16,000 to $20,000 installed, or $8 to $10 per watt. At the high end, a 5-kilowatt system that completely meets the energy needs of many conventional homes can cost $30,000 to $40,000 installed, or $6 to $8 per watt. These prices are rough estimates.”
Thankfully I’m here to help you cut down on some of those nasty cost estimates 
