Hippy Green

BrightSource is doing just that (Yes, 400 Megawat Solar Power Plant) and has filed an application with California to build these plants. (if only they were COOP, UGH!) The idea is to build 3 power plants, two 100 megawatt power plants and one 200 megawatt solar power plant. These power plants will be made up of many sun-tracking mirrors that focus on a tower with water that boils and rotates a turbine to create electricity. I am all for building solar power plants in the desert, living in Arizona for over 2 weeks makes me think, lets cover more of Arizona with solar.

BrightSource is not the only utility company going green, some of the others utility companies are also thinking solar like Southern California Edison who are contracting a large-scale solar power plant with Stirling Energy Systems. As for where power is going, BrightSource has talked about selling the power to PG&E(PCG) a California utility company.

Are you planning on laying out on the sand and get your tan on? Do you plan on bring your iPod, iPhone, mp3 player, and/or electronic gadgets. Well if you are like me, you are always looking for an outlet to “recharge”, we theres a new green solution for an outlet.

Reware is now selling beach bags equipped with solar panels built in that allow you to bring your towel and charge your electronic device. The techno pale nerd inside of you, can now get a tan and listen to some tunes. I think integration solar panels into current products is not only an amazing idea, but something that needs to be picked up by the masses! I would also be interested in mailing or shipping my current “product” to a company and get a solar panel integrated into it. For example, I have thought about picking up a new crumpler, but want one with a solar panel. Maybe this is a sign I should start a company that does this and converts popular products like clothes, cars, anything that is outside and could require power. Do you want to preorder one? Have a bag you like but want to go green?

Maybe I should try and team up with timbuk2 and/or other companies and either get them to go green, or allow me to license their product for resale with solar panels attached to them. Anyone interested?

Well okay, maybe not all the cool technology, but the researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology have created a way a solar cell can be painted on flexible plastic sheets.

Somenath Mitra, PhD, professor and acting chair of NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences says, “Imagine some day driving in your hybrid car with a solar panel painted on the roof, which is producing electricity to drive the engine. The opportunities are endless.”

The researchers have developed a way to utilize carbon nanotubes to produce the power for these inexpensive solar cells. One day we may even see household printers that allow for printing solar onto clothes, houses, etc.

So the next time you think New Jersey what’s that smell, remember NJ is on the ball creating the technology to paint on solar.

Spectrolab has developed a low costing solar cell. The average solar cell cost about $2.30 to generate one watt of electricity, where as these newly developed solar cells cost about 10 cents a watt! This is a BIG DEAL because the upfront cost of solar can be a hit to any persons bank account. By drastically cutting the cost to go alternative then we can look at getting every person in the world going solar!

One thing that I have to bring up because I am traveling out to Arizona soon is the LACK of solar in Arizona! Come on people, get with it! Scottsdale, AZ averages over 300 sunny days! I have recently been looking at buying a condo out there and have found it scary that HOA (Homeowners Associations), the “people” who tell you want you can and can not do to your condo, are stating you CAN NOT INSTALL SOLAR PANELS! I even discussed setting up two 230watt panels off the porch and was told that it would “ruin” the view, but was later told the 17 inch Satellite dish is fine! WTF PEOPLE!!!

I am about to just buy some land and put up energy efficient condos that run completely off solar panels! We could run net meter houses and/or use batteries and run off grid! This can cut electric costs as well as do thing GOOD for the ENVIRONMENT! With these new cheap solar cells it would make even MORE sense to install these and pass the savings on to the resident. Imagine putting your electric cost into a 1 time fee into the mortgage and NOT have an electric bill! Think its not possible, well if we build a mini solar power plant on the roof of condos, we could. Google has build a 1.6 MW solar power plant, why the $@&!# not?

If you are planning on camping this summer and will need to “juice up” your ipod, you may want to think solar. Brando’s Solar Charger features various output voltages such as 4.5v, 5v, 6.3v, and 9v, great for all your gadgets. For only $69 USD you too can be going solar and charing all your gadgets.

While I was in europe, I picked up a nice usb wind up charger, but found it to be a pain to crank, so a solar version would be more idea to just layout and let it charge. You may even want to over night one of these fur the couple hours (days?) you wait on line for your iPhone.

Well that didn’t take long. It looks like Google is not only going solar, but they are showing it off. I posted a blurb about Google and their soon to install 1.6 megawatts of solar power.

At time of writing this (June 19,2007) Google Solar Panel Project has produced 9,810 kilowatt-hours of electricity. This project has added a total of 16,593 killowatt hours since yesterday (June 18,2007). Google explain their project as well as provide some nice pictures and dumb equivalent values like they have produced enough energy to power 3,567 loads of laundry.

What do you think about Google building this solar panel project? Should we take action to require large business to go green?

One of the popular tourist attraction is the Circle Line boat that laps the waters around NYC. The Circle Line aka a 3 hour tour, serves as a ferry that shows off the status of liberty as well as ellis island. Circle Line has unveiled their solar/wind power hybrid electric ferry. It looks pretty futuristic and I have not done the Circle Line (even thought I have lived less then 20 miles from NYC almost all my life!). So whey they release this, I am so down, who’s with me?

Sarnia, Ontario will be the future site of the largest solar installation in North America. This solar installation will be a 40 megawatt field of panels. This installation will not be the largest solar installation in the world, currently Germany is building their own 40 megawatt solar farm. The solar farm in Canada, OptiSolar Farms Canada Inc. will cover about 900 acres. The main reason behind building the solar farm in Ontario, is the Ontario government is offering 42 cents per kilowatt hour! OptiSolar Farms Canada Inc hows to start construction in 2008 after getting the right zoning and building permits. The estimated completion date for this solar farm is 2010!

Although 2010 is far away, starting January 2009, Southern California is planning on building a 500 MW solar farm with possible expansion to 850 MW. The news broke back while the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was still being worked out.

While doing some research today I stumbled across some great website to help lower the cost of going green. With most technologies the new they are the more they cost. Over time the price goes down and economics of scale play a role. Anyway, please take a look at DSIRE for tax breaks for adding alternative energies to your home. Now please keep in mind that some houses (condos, gated communiteis, etc) have a HOA that would prevent you from setting up or installing a wind turbine or solar array.

As for your commute, if your thinking about a hybrid or converting a car to bio-diesel please take a look at the Tax incentives for alternative fuels.

The German town of Dardesheim will soon be running completely on renewable energy. Most of the town has solar roofs installed as well as some huge wind turbines, like the 6 megawatt turbine, the E112. This turbine produces 12 to 15 million kWH per year!

The 1,000 residents of Dardesheim want to attach tourist who are interested in renewable energy. The town has organized a monthly newsletter, the Dardesheimer Windletter, to inform the population of the latest project progress.

The town does not completely run on wind, there are 9 different solar PV plants that generate about 250,000 kWh or able 1/3 of the Dardsheim’s domestic electricity.

via Wind Works