Ontario Scores an “A” for Energy Conservation

Energy Efficiency Advocate Highlights McGuinty Government's Commitment

Ontario's commitment to energy conservation scores an "A" on the latest report card from a national non-profit group that promotes energy efficiency.     Ontario's grade on the 2007 report card from the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance - released today - is just the latest in a string of improved scores, reflecting the province's ongoing commitment to conservation as the cornerstone of a long-term energy plan.     The Alliance highlights Ontario's work on conservation so far, including the province's plan to save 6,300 megawatts of electricity by 2025. To date, Ontario has reached its first interim target: a 1,350 MW reduction in peak demand by the end of 2007, and is working toward another 1,350 MW reduction by 2010. "Solid grades," the report points out. "But even more encouraging is what is in the pipeline for the future - Ontario appears to be taking Energy Efficiency VERY seriously."
QUICK FACTS      -   Other energy saving initiatives of the McGuinty government include:         -  Banning inefficient light bulbs by 2012         -  Supporting homeowners with the $112 million Ontario Home Energy            Audit and Retrofit programs which cover half the cost of an energy            audit (up to $150) and provide access to up to $10,000 in combined            provincial and federal grants         -  Helping the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors adopt            a clean, renewable option through the $14.4 million Ontario Solar            Thermal Heating Incentive (OSTHI)         -  Extending point-of-sale retail sales tax exemption for            ENERGY STAR(R) products (e.g., light bulbs, refrigerators, and            dishwashers)         -  Installing smart meters across the province by the end of 2010.         -  Supporting Ontario Power Authority programs, such as the Great            Refrigerator Round Up, peaksaver, Cool Savings Rebate and Every            Kilowatt Counts Summer Sweepstakes programs

(via. CNW Group)

A ray of sunshine for solar energy

A new solar-cell system could one day make power from the sun as cheap as electricity from fossil fuels.

TYLER HAMILTON | ENERGY REPORTER

Nov 10, 2008 04:30 AM

RICK EGLINTON/TORONTO STAR

Morgan Solar founder Jean Paul Morgan, left, with his brother Nicolas, developed a lower-cost solar panel to bring cheap electricity to developing nations. (Nov. 4, 2008)

John Paul Morgan was a cutting-edge engineer at JDS Uniphase Corp., back when the optical telecom giant was a market titan and solar power was still perceived by many as a backwoods technology for off-grid tree huggers.

Seven years later, the high-tech whiz kid has become a solar hotshot. Morgan has developed a new type of solar panel that, like many other systems on the market, concentrates the sun's rays on to high-efficiency solar cells. The big difference is the simplicity of his design and the lower-cost materials used to build it could soon make power from the sun as affordable as electricity from fossil fuels.

All he has to do now is prove it. "We have to show this technology is bankable," he says.

Morgan's path from telecom to solar panels wasn't a straight line. A graduate of engineering science from the University of Toronto, he joined JDS in 2001 while in his mid-20s. Within three days at JDS he impressed higher-ups with his first invention and within three months broke the company record for most inventions in a year.

But the telecom market crashed and Morgan grew bored. As his older brother, Nicolas Morgan, explains, "developing products to make the Internet faster didn't inspire him." He quit JDS in 2003, and travelled a year through South America, Australia and Asia before heading back to UofT to get his graduate degree in electrical and biomedical engineering.

Read the entire story here.

(via. Toronto Star)

City of Toronto splashes into solar at Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre

City of Toronto splashes into solar at Jimmie Simpson Recreation

by CNW, TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2008

Today, community members joined Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 30 Toronto - Danforth) and City of Toronto representatives at a showcase of the solar hot water system that heats the indoor swimming pools at Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre. The centre, operated by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, has two indoor pools with an area of 360 sq. m and 70 sq. m, respectively. Under the umbrella of Toronto's Energy Retrofit Program (www.toronto.ca/environment/initiatives/energy_retrofits.htm), the Jimmie Simpson pool conversion to solar heating began in October 2006 and has an estimated cost savings of $12,095 annually thanks to reduced energy bills.     

"The City of Toronto has earned acclaim as a world leader on the environment," said Councillor Paula Fletcher. "The Solar Pool Party is a great way to invite the community to see how the City is taking great steps towards energy conservation, learn about renewable energy alternatives and how to save money on their own energy bills." As the home of Canada's largest solar-heated pool, Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre uses two solar systems, consisting of 91 unglazed solar collector panels covering 400 sq. m of the flat roof of the swimming pool area. The piping system has a dedicated pump and is piped as a secondary water system to the swimming pool water circulation system. The system is controlled by the building's computerized control system. A temperature sensor mounted adjacent to the solar panels measures ambient conditions (solar and wind temperature) and determines whether solar heating is available. The controls also prevent losses when heat is not available.     

"Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation is proud to support the energy retrofits at Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre because it is not only a great gathering place for the community and a great place for exercise, but the solar heating system uses renewable energy, saves money and protects the environment," said Brenda Patterson, General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation.     

The Solar Pool Party at Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre included workshops on renewable energy and energy efficiency, solar neighbourhood tours of the Riverdale neighbourhood, children's activities, pool games and exhibits from solar companies and community groups.     

"The Riverdale neighbourhood has done a great job of bringing neighbours together to purchase solar energy equipment for their homes," said Mary Pickering, Associate Director, Toronto Atmospheric Fund. "We hope to use the lessons learned from this local experience to accelerate renewable energy across the whole city, both on homes and on city facilities."

In June, 2008 the City of Toronto and Toronto Atmospheric Fund launched Solar Neighbourhoods, a pilot program to help homeowners in Ward 30 conserve water and energy, providing financial incentives to purchase a solar water heater. Solar Neighbourhoods will help homeowners assess their home's suitability for solar panels, assist with finding a contractor, monitor the system, and provide financing options and cash rebates of up to $1,000. These rebates are in addition to an existing $1,000 now available from provincial and federal governments.

The City of Toronto will also be accelerating solar installations on its own facilities, using a unique "solar utility" model to expand solar heating to many more of the City's pools - a step that supports actions outlined in the City of Toronto's Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan. Learn more about Solar Neighbourhoods by visiting www.solarneighbourhoods.ca.

(Via. CNW Group)

Solar Panel Demand Exceeds Supply

Americans' rushing for panels before federal incentives can expire by end of 2008, causing the demand exceeding the supply.

Solar Panel Demand Exceeds Supply

September 16th, 2008

Many American states are offering incentives to business houses and residents if they are willing to install solar panels for their use. But sadly these incentives are set to expire on 31 December 2008. The solar tax credit offers 30 percent of a system’s cost, but it will go down to 10 percent from January 1 if Congress doesn’t take steps after it returns Monday. Now manufacturers and installers are experiencing a rush for panels before federal incentives can expire. Many solar manufacturers and installers say they can’t take on more orders for 2008 because they’re either out of panels or out of time.

Arizona currently provides a one-time 25 percent income tax credit accessible to residences and a one-time 10 percent income-tax credit for businesses that set up solar panels. Along comes the federal investment tax credit, set at 30 percent, which is important both financially and symbolically, industry people say. Regardless of state-credits, solar systems for houses and businesses are too expensive without the federal credit.

Solar panels have been in short supply since 2005 because silicon, a key constituent of photovoltaic solar panels usually installed in homes and businesses, was limited. Now tax incentives haven’t done much to improve the situation. “From the manufacturing perspective, we’re sold out,” said Tom Mueller, a spokesman for BP Solar in Houston. The probability of taking on a new order right now is low, said Tom Dyer, senior vice president of marketing and government affairs at Scottsdale-based Kyocera Solar Inc. Now the present situation is if one has not placed orders months ago, few solar installers or wholesalers will have the time or the panels in stock to accept more jobs this year.

“It’s almost a man-made shortage because everyone is scurrying around to get their jobs done before the tax credits expire,” said Ron Kenedi, vice president of Solar Energy Solutions Groupfor Sharp Electronics Corp., the largest maker of solar panels. Tucson-based Technicians for Sustainability buys solar panels from Schott Solar Inc. and SunPower Corp. Both manufacturers have informed company President Kevin Koch that they will be unable to supply more solar panels this year. If a business asked Koch to set up a 30-kilowatt system, characteristic size for a commercial job, Koch said he could not take on the project this year. This shortage is hitting the business installations seriously.

Dave Haycock, of All West Energy Inc. of Fountain Hills, stated that his company will take on projects one at a time. “We have inadequate supply,” Haycock said of solar panels. But with the increase in demand before the solar credit expires, the company said it cannot take any more orders for 2008.

Phoenix’s Perfect Power would not have problem taking orders before the year end, but it is not taking any more commercial projects for 2008, said John Balfour, the company president.

Solar installers generally consider panel orders about four or five months in advance, said Mike Richter, a sales consultant for SolarCity, an installer with offices in California and Phoenix. Therefore one has to take into account this fact for uninterrupted supply line.

“(Solar installers) don’t want to go beyond the December 31st deadline, so everybody’s trying to jam-pack their orders in before the end of the year,” said Kenedi of Sharp Electronics, the largest U.S. producer of solar panels. The threat of the expiring credit has led Arizona Public Service Co. and Abengoa Solar to put the 280-megawatt Solana Solar Plant near Gila Bend on hold.

What would happen if the credit incentives would not be renewed in the coming years? Japan and European countries like Germany, Spain and Italy provide generous state-sponsored solar tax credits. As the U.S. dollar continues to depreciate, and with demand increasing in foreign countries, solar corporations could find market more lucrative abroad.

(Via. Alternative Energy)

Solar Energy System for Google Headquarters

Solar Energy System for Google Headquarters

October 17th, 2006

Google Inc. plans to build a massive solar-electricity system to help power parts of its Mountain View, Calif., campus that it says will benefit both the environment and its bottom line. The system, to be built by EI Solutions, a unit of Energy Innovations Inc., of Pasadena, Calif., will use 9,212 solar panels and have a total capacity of 1.6 megawatts, or enough electricity to supply 1,000 average California homes. That will satisfy 30% of the campus’ peak electricity needs. The installation at Google’s headquarters, known as the Googleplex, will begin next month and will be completed in the spring. It will be the largest solar-power system ever constructed at a U.S. corporate campus and one of the largest on any corporate site in the world, EI Solutions said.

The solar panels, which cover an area equal to about four acres, will be installed on the roofs of some campus buildings and double as shading for cars in parking lots. Most of the panels will be made by Sharp Electronics, a unit of Japan’s Sharp Corp.

Google declined to say how much money it would spend to build the system. However, the company estimates the savings it expects to realize on its electricity bills will pay for the cost of the panels before leases expire on its leased campus buildings, which will hold some of the panels. EI Solutions said panels typically last for 20 to 25 years and pay for themselves within five to 10 years.

“It’s good for Google, the Earth and for shareholders,” said Google’s vice president of real estate, David Radcliffe. “If we can dispel the myth that you can’t be both green and profitable, then we’ll be happy about that.”

Google also expects to realize some savings in air-conditioning costs because the panels on the building roofs, by absorbing sunlight, will reduce the amount of heat absorbed into their top floors.

The system will work seamlessly with the power grid, allowing Google to draw more energy from the grid when the panels aren’t providing enough power due to a lack of sun. But it will also allow Google to sell the utility power at times when the panels generate too much energy.

Andrew Beebe, president of EI Solutions, said companies are becoming increasingly interested insolar power as their electricity bills mount and the costs of solar power decline. Corporate America is reaching a tipping point where “people are making these decisions on an economic basis,” he said.

Google is looking for other ways to make its campus more environmentally friendly. “This is definitely just the tip of the iceberg,” Radcliffe said, but declined to discuss other possible initiatives.

Energy Autonomy at Google (YouTube): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

(Via. Alternative Energy)

Tax credits to help solar, wind projects

Tax credits to help solar, wind projects

by Ryan Randazzo - Oct. 4, 2008 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

Arizona's biggest solar-power plant, its first wind-power plant and countless other renewable-energy projects can move ahead after Friday's House endorsement of a huge bailout package.

Tacked on to the relief bill were 30 percent tax-credit extensions for wind and solar that bounced around Congress for the past year, leaving many projects in doubt, from household solar panels to 300-foot-tall wind turbines.

The credits also will benefit homeowners who install solar panels to power their houses, substantially reducing the price of such systems, which typically run in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Among the top projects in Arizona to benefit from the extensions is the Solana Generating Station, a huge solar-power plant near Gila Bend from which Arizona Public Service Co. hopes to purchase electricity starting in 2011.

The plant developer, Abengoa Solar Inc. of Spain, said the project would not be economical without the credits.

"No question this is significant and positive," APS spokesman Jim McDonald said. "We were confident it would pass sometime this year."

Solar credits were extended eight years, while wind credits got only a one-year extension.

Wind-power proponents balanced their praise for the credits Friday with an eye toward winning a longer extension.

"We are very pleased that Congress extended the production tax credit for wind, enabling our industry to continue our rapid growth and U.S. job creation," Steven Lockard, president and CEO of wind-turbine blade maker TPI Composites Inc. in Scottsdale, said in a prepared statement.

"In 2009, we hope the focus turns to providing long-term stable policy to support continued expansion of wind energy."

Many wind projects require a year or more of monitoring to ensure the most-efficient turbines are installed at the proper height to generate the most electricity, so the wind extension benefits only projects that are near breaking ground.

Arizona is scheduled to get its first commercial wind project near Snowflake before 2010, with the entire electrical output of the farm contracted to Salt River Project.

"It's possible, had the tax credit not been extended, that the plant wouldn't have happened," SRP spokesman Scott Harelson said. "We had a contract for a product at a price that assumed the tax credit. (The developer) could have gone forward, but would have needed to find a customer, it might have been SRP, who would pay a higher price for that electricity."

Homeowners who install solar panels will benefit substantially from the credits.

For example, a medium-size system might retail for more than $42,000. But rebates from local utilities and a state tax credit can cover about $20,000 of that cost, according to American Solar Electric Inc. in Scottsdale.

The remaining $22,000 still represents a significant investment, more than what many homeowners spend on a car.

But the 30 percent tax credits are worth almost $13,000 on such a system, knocking the out-of-pocket price below $10,000, according to the company's figures.

Those credits are even sweeter after the extension because they previously were capped at $2,000.

"(The tax credit) creates an unprecedented opportunity to own a residential solar-electric power system," American Solar Electric President Sean Seitz said.

(Via. AZcentral.com)

Norwegian solar panel firm to build Quebec plant

Norwegian solar panel firm to build Quebec plant

US$1.2 billion investment will create 300 jobs

by Canadian Press

August 28, 2008, MONTREAL

Quebec’s cheap energy is luring Norwegian solar panel company Renewable Energy Corp. to invest more than US$1.2 billion to build a silicon materials plant in Becancour that will create at least 300 jobs.

The province has agreed to supply 95 megawatts of electricity for 20 years at the “competitive industrial rate” that is available for more than 200 major industrial companies.

“It’s what makes Quebec attractive in terms of investment,” Premier Jean Charest said during a news conference in Becancour, southeast of Trois-Riviéres.

Low corporate income taxes, strong research and development along with skilled labour are also key factors in luring a company that is planning to make one of the largest private investments in the province in a decade.

“For us this is a first major step in an area where we want to intensify and develop our capacity as a place in the world that is renowned for clean, renewable energy.”

The project reinforces the Liberal government’s 2006 energy policy, which Charest said is also an economic policy, to leverage the province’s clean energy and show that sustainable development is synonymous with wealth creation.

The head of the Norwegian company said using non-carbon based renewable energy was key to its decision to locate in Becancour as it attempts to limit the environmental impact of producing solar cells and panels.

“Our operation in Becancour could be very significant and this site has the potential to support our proposed growth plans for quite some time in the future,” CEO Erik Thorsen said.

Construction of the plant is expected to start in 2010, with production of the raw material used to manufacture semiconductors and solar panels.

A total of 13,000 tonnes of polycrystalline silicon will be produced annually at the site, which represents nearly one third of the global production of 45,000 tonnes. Some of the material will be used by an existing company in Becancour.

The project is expected to generate more than $100 million in annual economic spinoff and nearly $20 million in tax revenues per year.

Emploi-Quebec is providing a $4 million grant for 25 per cent of the training costs for three years.

Plant construction of the first phase of two plants will employ more than 1,000 people. Four production units could eventually be constructed of similar size as REC’s factory being built in Moses Lake, Wash.

Thorsen wouldn’t rule out eventually fabricating solar panels at the Quebec location.

The site is located near the Gentilly nuclear power plant, which the government recently said would get $1.9 billion for an upgrade and expansion.

The location was selected following a 17-month review in which 100 sites were considered in 16 countries.

Toronto-based Timminco Ltd. is also building a plant in Becancour to manufacture solar-grade silicon.

(via.  Daily Commercial News)

IKEA to sell solar panels?

We all know when a product is seen at retailer such as IKEA, the public acceptance of that product is guaranteed. In other words, in 5 years, we will see solar panels become popular as other household items.

August 7, 2008 5:52 AM PDT
Posted by Elsa Wenzel

IKEA plans to pour $77 million into clean-technology start-ups within the next five years and could add "green" goods such as solar panels to its inventory, according to Cleantech Group.
The four-person, 50 million euro IKEA GreenTech fund has been operating for eight months, the report said. And it could invest in up to 10 fledgling companies in the next few years, perhaps first in Europe, where IKEA rings up about 82 percent of its sales.

Efforts to commercialize new and affordable green technologies within several years could lead to IKEA selling the resulting products among its growing collection of stores, currently 283 in more than 30 nations. The goods reportedly would relate to energy in the form of solar panels, efficiency meters, and lighting; as well as more sustainable materials, and water treatment and conservation.

In 2007, IKEA expanded sales of pre-fab, low-income, eco-friendly housing from Sweden into the United Kingdom. Could its catalog of 9,500 products someday add flat-packed, "smart" green homes available globally?

Given IKEA's sheer reach, an aggressive focus on green technologies might reshape the furnishings industry. For instance, green-business gurus credit Wal-Mart's controversial efforts to green its shelves and practices with shifting big-box stores and shoppers' tastes toward less toxic and wasteful products.

Among IKEA's latest moves in support of sustainability, by the fall, it will eliminate its checkout use of plastic bags, for which it began charging British customers about two years ago. More than 380 billion plastic bags are estimated to be trashed each year in the United States alone, polluting land and waterways with toxic chemicals.

In the early years of this decade, the modern-furnishings goliath pledged to phase out unhealthy formaldehyde and PVC in its core products, and to stock wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Its Swedish stores use mostly renewable energy. Some of the 18,000 staff members use hybrid cars or bicycles. IKEA pledged to carry organic consumables, including coffee, jam, and schnapps within the year. But a nagging question remains: would solar panels from IKEA require an Allen wrench?


(via. cnet news)

Toyota to add solar panels to some Prius hybrids

Toyota is leading the pack in hybrid innovation. We are happy to see mobile solar panels on the road.


Toyota is due to launch the third-generation Prius next year.
Photograph by : Handout photo

'More of a symbolic gesture'
ReutersPublished: Monday, July 07, 2008

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. plans to install solar panels on some Prius hybrids in its next remodelling, responding to growing demand for "green" cars amid record-high oil prices, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday.

The panels, supplied by Kyocera Corp, would be able to power part of the air-conditioning on high-end versions of the gasoline-electric Prius, the source said.

"It's more of a symbolic gesture," said the source, who asked not to be identified. "It's very difficult to power much more than that with solar energy."

Toyota is due to launch the third-generation Prius next year.

Big automakers are racing to come up with alternative solutions to using fossil fuels to appear ecologically conscious and to lure consumers looking to save money at the pump.

But solar power is not seen as a viable solution to power cars. Solar panels are expensive due to rising silicon prices and storing energy is difficult, the source said. It was unknown how much the solar panels on the new Prius cars would cost, or how many solar-mounted versions Toyota would build.

A Toyota spokesman declined to comment, saying the company does not talk about future product plans.

Mazda Motor Corp briefly offered a solar panel option on two car models, the Eunos 800 and Sentia, in the early 1990s to ventilate the sedans while parked on hot summer days. The expensive option was unpopular and discontinued after a few years.

Kentaro Endo, a director at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry who specialises in renewable energy, said the application of solar energy was severely limited in vehicles.

"Even if you laid solar panels out on the entire roof of a house, you only generate enough energy to run two hair dryers," he said.

"It's an interesting idea, but it would be very difficult to power a whole car, even with technological advances."

Toyota has struggled to keep up with demand for the Prius as soaring gasoline prices put consumers off of gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. Rival Honda Motor Co. will also step up its hybrid push with a new, low-cost model early next year, followed by several other gasoline-electric cars.

Automakers have teamed up with battery makers to develop and produce lithium-ion batteries to store more energy in smaller packages to extend cruising distances.

Toyota has partnered with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., while Nissan Motor Co. has a joint venture with the NEC Corp. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is working with GS Yuasa Corp.

The Prius, the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid car, first went on sale in Japan in late 1997 and in other markets in 2000. Cumulative sales have topped 1 million units worldwide.

Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid cars a year in the early part of the next decade by offering the fuel-saving system on more vehicles.

Toyota shares ended 1.4 percent higher at 4,990 yen as the dollar rose against the yen. Kyocera lost 0.1 percent to 9,740 yen, while the Nikkei average gained 0.9 percent.

(via. driving.ca)

The technology that will save humanity

By Joseph Romm
April 14, 2008
Clockwise top left: Newcastle, Australia central receiver array; Nevada Solar On parabolic trough; Spain's PS 10 Solar Tower; Liddell, Australia Line 1 CLFR being tested.

One of oldest forms of energy used by humans -- sunlight concentrated by mirrors -- is poised to make an astonishing comeback. I believe it will be the most important form of carbon-free power in the 21st century. That's because it's the only form of clean electricity that can meet all the demanding requirements of this century.

Certainly we will need many different technologies to stop global warming. They include electric cars and plug-in hybrids, wind turbines and solar photovoltaics, which use sunlight to make electricity from solid-state materials like silicon semiconductors. Yet after speaking with energy experts and seeing countless presentations on all forms of clean power, I believe the one technology closest to being a silver bullet for global warming is the other solar power: solar thermal electric, which concentrates the sun's rays to heat a fluid that drives an electric generator. It is the best source of clean energy to replace coal and sustain economic development. I bet that it will deliver more power every year this century than coal with carbon capture and storage -- for much less money and with far less environmental damage.
Clearly, the world needs a massive amount of carbon-free electricity by 2050 to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions. The industrialized countries need to cut their carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation by more than 80 percent in four decades. Developing countries need to find a way to raise living standards without increasing electricity emissions in the short term, and then reduce those emissions sharply. And, over the next few decades, the world needs to switch to a ground transportation system whose primary fuel is clean electricity...

read the full story here

(via. salon.com)

Solar panels could meet large share of world energy needs: study

London (Platts) -- Sept 1, 2008

Solar photovoltaic panels could supply electricity to more than 4 billionpeople worldwide by 2030 and could meet all of Europe's energy requirements,while occupying less than 1% of European lands, a study issued Monday byGreenpeace and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association concludes.

"Solar Generation 2008" said the PV industry is growing and has showed itcan become a global energy contributor. More than 1.8 million MW of PV arrayswill be installed around the world by 2030, equal to 14% of global electricitydemand, according to the analysis. This would reduce CO2 emissions by 1.6billion metric tons, equal to the carbon releases from 450 coal-fired plants,Greenpeace and EPIA said...

In Europe, "solar energy is becoming more economically viable and shouldbecome cost-competitive with conventional energy by 2015 in southern Europeancountries and by 2020 across most of Europe," according to the study. It citedestimates that power from PV could satisfy all of Europe's electricity needswhile taking up just 0.7% of its land mass.

Though PV is typically associated with rooftop solar panels,grid-connected PV plants of 1 MW or more now represent about 10% of theEuropean PV market, the analysis found.

Greenpeace and EPIA credit the feed-in tariff mechanism used in many EUcountries, including Germany and Spain, with boosting PV use. A feed-intariff, which guarantee payments for electicity generated from PV and otherrenewable sources, "provides fair remuneration to the investor, and rewardsthe effort made in investing in a clean energy source," the study said.

EU policy-makers are slated to approve a final renewable energy directivethis fall that "is expected to reinforce the current legal framework and couldfacilitate the implementation of the feed-in tariff scheme throughout Europe,"it said.

(via. platts)

Cooking with solar energy can save money

By JAMES DULLEY • August 31, 2008

Sun Ovens International
The Sun Oven opens up with hinged reflectors to increase the solar cooking heat.

Much of the world uses solar cooking to prepare most of their foods. On a clear day, the heat from the sun can easily create enough cooking energy to steam vegetables, rice, etc. and even bake cakes, potatoes and roast meats.
It is not difficult to build an efficient solar oven from just scrap boxes, paper and aluminum foil. Also, ready-to-use high-quality solar ovens are available. You take them out of the box and you can start immediately.
Cooking with free solar heat saves energy, but it also lowers your electric bills in another way. By not cooking indoors and adding extra heat and humidity to the room, your electric costs for air-conditioning are lower. A solar oven manufacturer told me a woman reduced her electric bills by $40 per month by cooking with solar.
I have used a Tulsi-Hybrid solar oven for the past three years, and it works great. I just unlatch the top and tilt it up. It has a mirror on the other side to reflect more of the sun's heat into the oven. A double-pane glass top over the black insulated oven chamber traps the heated air inside similar to a greenhouse.
This is a hybrid model with electric backup heat for cloudy days. It comes with four stainless steel covered cooking pans with special black solar-absorbing painted tops and bottoms. It generally takes about 90 minutes to steam brown rice as compared with 60 minutes on the stovetop.
Most of the complete ready-to-use solar ovens are designed to collapse into an easy-to-handle unit. This makes them ideal for camping or storage. Extra reflector sides can be attached when they are open to provide additional solar heat. This is handy for emergencies if you have to rapidly boil and sterilize drinking water.
If you would like to build your own solar oven with your children, there are many plans available online. One of the simplest designs uses a large and a small cardboard box. Put the small box in the large one.
For insulation, fill the gap between the boxes with crumpled newspaper. Cover it with a clear plastic top and face it directly toward the sun. For more heat, wrap aluminum foil over stiff cardboard and position it to reflect more heat into the box. Put a cooking thermometer inside the oven to monitor how hot it is getting.

(via. freep.com)

Saving Electricity And Saving Money

Electrical Engineers Create Money-saving Light System
By Science Daily

A photosensor paired with a dimming ballast controls fluorescent lighting and adjusts lights all over the user's home. A microcontroller automatically calibrates amounts of daylight and adjusts electrical light accordingly.

Lighting an office building can cost a lot of money, and sometimes those lights are left on even when natural sunlight is pouring through the windows. Now, an easy solution, called DaySwitch, makes the most of those sunny days at work and soon, at home.
"Lighting has a big impact on our lives but we pay the price because it uses a lot of electricity," says Andrew Bierman, M.S., a lighting research scientist from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Lighting makes up 25 percent of energy consumed by businesses. However, businesses could soon lower their electric bills.
Bierman developed the DaySwitch; it uses natural light to conserve electricity. "DaySwitch is an automatic device that will simply shut the lights off when there is plenty of daylight available," he explains. The DaySwitch is a tiny sensor that measures sunlight in an area and then it sends a signal to turn lights on or off as needed.
Bierman told DBIS about the inspiration behind the invention. He says, "You don't have to have the electric lights on when they are really not providing any more useful light than you already have with daylight."
Unlike typical lighting controls, the DaySwitch is easy to install and costs less than $25 per system. After it's installed, an easy-to-use remote control can reset the sensor to your desired level, so there is no need to call expensive electricians. When natural sunlight brightens the space, the lights go off, which cuts the lighting needs of a building in half, therefore saving on energy costs.
DaySwitch could be available for homes within a year.
The Optical Society of contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.
show background -->
BACKGROUND: Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center have developed a simple, cost-effective, energy-saving device designed to harvest daylight automatically. Unlike traditional systems where one sensor controls many lamps at once, the Dayswitch controls light fixtures individually, providing flexibility for on/off control and simple installation.
ABOUT DAYSWITCH: The Dayswitch eliminates wasted or unwanted electric light by sensing when enough daylight is available to take the place of electric light, and then responds by turning off the fixture. When daylight decreases, the device turns the light back on. A built-in microcontroller automatically calibrates the Dayswitch, allowing for easy installation and maintenance. Although it's made for office buildings with large sunlit spaces -- such as at the concourse of a mall -- the Dayswitch system can be installed anywhere, including private homes. It can even be more energy-efficient in homes, since most homes use incandescent lamps, which require more energy than fluorescent lamps.
LET THERE BE LIGHT: Typical daylight harvesting systems include a photosensor paired with a dimming ballast -- a device that regulates the electricity supplied to a lamp -- to control fluorescent lighting, dimming or brightening the lights according to the amount of daylight entering the workspace. However, full-dimming ballasts are expensive, and photosensors are difficult to program and install. Dayswitch works with all conventional fluorescent ballasts, and has simple circuitry and on/off operation, making it less expensive than similar daylight control systems.
SENSORY FEEDBACK: A sensor is a type of transducer: an electronic device that converts energy from one form to another. For instance, microphones convert sound waves into electrical signals, while speakers receive the electrical signals and convert them back into sound waves. There are many different kinds of sensors, but most are electrical or electronic. A photosensor is an electronic component that detects the presence of various wavelengths of light: visible, infrared, or ultraviolet for example. The electrical conductance will change in response to the intensity of the light being detected, and this change is recorded by a computer.

(via. Science Daily)