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REC Solar and General Electric (GE) are working together to create more of GE’s WattStations. (Courtesy of GE.com)

By Erika F. Washington
December 19, 2011

With the interest steadily growing for alternative fuel options for vehicles, more and more consumers are turning to flex fuel or electric-powered vehicles (EV). Issues still remain, however, with purchasing an EV. Some areas have few, if any, spaces for drivers to plug and recharge their cars.

REC Solar and General Electric (GE) are working together to create more of GE’s WattStations to make the transition easier for consumers ready to purchase an EV.

“With expectations of one million EVs entering America’s roadways by 2016, the need to establish a sustainable EV infrastructure is here today,” says Lee Johnson, CEO of REC Solar.

Besides adding economic benefits to owning an EV, solar-powered charging offers environmental and energy-saving benefits.

GE designed its WattStation to help accelerate the adoption of plug-in EVs by significantly decreasing the time needed for charging. It delivers a full charge in only four to eight hours, while standard overnight charging can take 12 to 14 hours, a negative for many would-be EV purchasers. Its smart, grid-enabled technology also could help utility companies manage the impact of EVs on the local and regional grids.

As a distributor of the GE WattStation, REC Solar will make it easier for its thousands of commercial, government, and residential customers to incorporate EV charging capabilities. REC Solar specializes in state-of-the-art solar technology with a vision to make solar electricity a part of the mainstream energy supply.

REC Solar and GE also are looking at a future transportation system free of fossil fuels. The partners  seek to create an end-to-end solar EV charging system that will enable cars to run literally on sunshine.

With a cost around $2,000, EV owners can have a WattStation installed in their garage.

“Actual installation only takes a couple hours, but the big advantage is that it significantly cuts your charge time—basically in half,” says REC’s Cary Hayes.

The ultra-sustainable intersection of solar and EV industries means greater reduction of greenhouse gases and independence from fossil fuels. At the same time, the marriage of the two delivers economic benefits to drivers. The cost of driving a solar-charged EV may be 66 percent less than a gas-powered car, according to a recent study by Green Tech Media Research, an online media company.

GE says it is dedicated to innovations in energy, health, transportation, and infrastructure. With operations in more than 100 countries, the company’s goal is to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry, including renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas, as well as other alternative fuels and new grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.

Incorporating solar energy into EV use will help to ease the demand on electrical grids by a sharp increase of EV chargers. And solar energy itself contributes to a cleaner environment.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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Close-up of a solar panel. (Dept of Energy Solar Decathlon, Flickr)

By Victoria Lanier

DALLAS — The University of Texas (UT) is known for developing innovative treatments to save lives, and now is using an innovative solar carport to help save the planet.

UT Southwestern Medical Center recently added a solar carport to both protect cars from the elements and generate electricity for nearby buildings. It helps the campus reduce its energy bill and also serves as a charging station for electric vehicles.

It also makes a big difference in UT’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. The university estimates that it saves them more than 400,000 kilowatt-hours, which is the equivalent of taking the carbon output of 56 passenger vehicles off the road.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC. 

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A solar bulb brightens a marketplace. (Courtesy of ALiterofLight.org)

By Debra Atlas

PHILIPPINES — Millions of people in the Philippines live in (relative) darkness. The cost of electricity is beyond the means of many, so residents of poorer communities resort to candles or kerosene lamps, which pose serious health and fire hazards.

Using electricity 24 hours per day, something most of us take for granted, raises a household’s expenses by approximately 40 percent. In a country where the average income ranges from minimum wage to less than $1 a day, this added expense is not seen as crucial.

However, there is an incredibly simple solution that is both greener and safer.

The Solar Bottle Bulb was originally developed by students at MIT and spearheaded by Mac Diaz, the innovative founder of MyShelter Foundation. It uses plastic water bottles and a little bleach to bring light to the darkness.

To create the bulb, developers fit 1.5 liter plastic bottles containing water and bleach snugly into holes in a metal roof. Sunlight refracts through and off the water, creating free solar lighting equivalent to 55 or 60 watts of clean white light. The bleach inside the bottles prevents algae from forming inside them. The bottles do not heat up and are designed to produce clear light for approximately five years.

The MyShelter Foundation is currently distributing thousands of these lights to homeowners across the Philippines, where oftentimes homes are built so close together that little to no light can get through the windows.

The Isang Litrong Liwanag (“A Liter of Light”) project is a sustainable lighting project whose aim is to bring light to low-income communities. The organization envisions lighting 1 million homes by 2012. So far, they have distributed 10,000 solar bulbs.

The installation of these bulbs is brightening more than the homes they light: They are helping to create a better quality of life for entire communities.

Check out more articles by Debra Atlas.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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An electric vehicle is stationed beneath the Solalib solar charging station, a 12.6-meter diameter symbol of the Kasai Green Energy Park, resembling a “tree in the sun.” (By E.Q. Lam)

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series looking at Panasonic and its ecological strategies and technological developments.

By E.Q. Lam
November 16, 2011

Incorporating the strengths of SANYO into Panasonic undoubtedly puts the latter company closer to achieving its quest to be the leading green electronics company by its 100th anniversary in 2018. Panasonic Group recently gained full control of SANYO Electric, thereby acquiring SANYO’s technology in solar and battery power systems.

Interestingly, in 1918 Konosuke Matsushita started what would become Panasonic with his wife and brother-in-law, Toshio Iue, who later set off on his own and founded SANYO. Today, the two companies are back in the same fold again.

Panasonic made SANYO and another company, Panasonic Electric Works, subsidiaries in April and is undergoing group-wide reorganization. In the past couple of years, Panasonic’s operating profit and net sales have dipped (both down about 15 percent from 2008 to 2009), and the company posted losses in 2009 and 2010. But the 2011 annual report shows that Panasonic is returning to black. The shutdown of nearly all of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors (which accounts for about a third of Japan’s energy resources) after the March 11 earthquake has helped to draw greater consumer and government interest in Panasonic’s energy solutions. And the consumer-electronics giant is embracing comprehensive green technology solutions as part of its new growth strategy.

Residential solar panels make up about a third of Panasonic's sales in Japan but only a slight amount in the United States. SANYO has a PVC production facility in Oregon. (By E.Q. Lam)

SANYO adds to Panasonic’s wide-ranging technology with the latest developments in solar panels, including bifacial photovoltaic modules with HIT technology that can be mounted vertically instead of lying flat on a roof, so that sunlight hits both sides of the panels. Panasonic also acquired SANYO’s Solar Ark facility in Gifu Prefecture, Japan—a gallery, museum, lab, and community center of sorts.

But one of the most exciting acquisitions is Kasai Green Energy Park, a massive testing site for large-scale, renewable power storage systems located near Osaka. “This is Panasonic’s answer to how our group will supply power,” says Fumitoshi Terashima, general manager of SANYO’s Smart Energy Systems Division. “After various tests, we set up this facility to develop the best products—safest, low cost, long life span—to meet our customer demand.”

HIT bifacial PVC modules are installed on the façade of the administration building. Exactly 5,200 solar panels line the entire Park facility. (By E.Q. Lam)

The year-old Park generates, saves, and stores all of its power from a mega-solar power system (for daytime) and the world’s largest, commercial lithium-ion (li-ion) rechargeable battery power system (for night-time). The smart energy system can cut energy costs significantly; for example, in Japan the daytime energy cost is five times that of the night-time rate. The facility features a one-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PVC) system and 1.5 megawatt hours (MWh) and can produce 1,060 kilowatts (kW) annually. That’s enough power for 330 standard households in Japan—or, as facility tour guide Motoko Scott puts it, enough power to drive an electric vehicle to Spain. The battery system is designed to last at least 10 years using the same rechargeable batteries.

As part of the facility’s energy management system, eight 42-inch screens are located at the main entrance to the administration building, displaying real-time visual information on energy usage throughout the Park—and translating the numbers into more meaningful quantities, such as the equivalent number of trees saved. The company combines technology with information to instill in its employees a green mindset, which Panasonic hopes transfers into eco-conscious behavior at home and elsewhere.

SANYO concluded that li-ion batteries as ideal in comparison to lead-acid and sodium-sulphur (NaS) batteries, taking into account size, weight, lifespan, safety, and cost. The batteries have a charge/discharge efficiency of 98 percent, compared to 90 percent for NaS and 85 percent for lead-acid batteries, Terashima points out.

The li-ion power storage system is scalable for homes, schools and other buildings, and industrial use. “We can arrange or make this system from small one to large one. That’s unique about this system,” Terashima says.

Although the Kasai Green Energy Park facility has strict security, Panasonic opened its doors for a press tour of the world’s largest use of solar and lithium-ion battery power: 

Click here to view the embedded video.

For related articles, see:
Novel Japanese Recycling Plant
Technology for Smart Homes, Smart Cities
Double Energy Savings With DIY Tips and Technology
Panasonic Makes Eco Innovation Central Focus
Exclusive Interview With Panasonic Vice President

Travel and accommodations provided by Panasonic Corporation.

Check out more articles by E.Q. Lam.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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A new GE factory in Colorado will produce solar panels. (Wikimedia Commons)

By Jake Richardson

AURORA, CO — General Electric has decided to locate a new solar panel factory near Aurora, Colorado. The company also was considering the state of New York but could not find a suitable building there and did not want to wait for a new building to be constructed. Another factor is that GE already is collaborating with Primestar Solar, which is located in Arvada, Colorado, about 20 miles away.

The new factory will require $300 million to make it fully operational, and it is scheduled to open next year.

The solar industry continues to grow as the cost of solar technology decreases, and this clean energy source becomes affordable and practical to both residences and businesses.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.  

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A view of the showcase, with San Jose City Hall in the background. (Courtesy of the City of San Jose)

Editor’s Note: This is the final piece in a four-part series looking at the environmental efforts of the city of San Jose, California.

By Debra Atlas

SAN JOSE, CA — Solar installations grew by 69 percent nationwide over the last year, and the City of San Jose is at the head of the race. Last year, San Jose made more solar installations than any other city in the state. The U.S. Department of Energy named San Jose one of three “Solar American Showcase” cities in 2007, and in 2008 the city was designated one of the 25 Solar America Cities.

The Solar America Cities program was created so the designated cities could share their experiences and best practices with other cities. Cities interested in using the technology more can then adapt this information to their own community. The designated cities cover different climates from around the country. It was a way to help break down barriers to this energy source, both commercial and residential, according to Mike Foster, who manages the city’s community energy efficiency and green building programs.

San Jose has always been at the forefront of innovation, ever since it became California’s first established city in 1777, and using technology to go green came naturally. To promote public awareness of clean-tech, San Jose created the Clean Energy Showcase, which puts solar, wind, and electric vehicle (EV) technologies on display across from City Hall.

Close to 6,000 people have toured the showcase since it opened in December 2010, including groups as varied as local schoolchildren, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and Russian entrepreneurs. The block-long exhibit is a hands-on demonstration area created to help educate the community about the benefits of the clean energy technology and how to save money by adopting it.

Among the various solar technologies the exhibit features are the Solar Clover by Armageddon Energy, a Sun Oven solar cooker that scouts use to bake their favorite cookies, and a solar heating and cooling unit reminiscent of a bay window. The Showcase is a great example of the city’s Green Vision Plan and the possibilities it holds for the future of San Jose.

For related stories, see:
Northern California City Reinvents Itself as Green
San Jose’s Green Vision
The Solar Power of San Jose

Check out more articles by Debra Atlas.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC. 

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The McCracken home, one San Jose residence that has gone solar. (Courtesy of REX Solar)

By Debra Atlas

SAN JOSE, CA — Solar energy is prominent in the City of San Jose. Large solar arrays adorn the airport, the city parking garage, and the central service yard. The City Council recently signed off on a new power purchase agreement with SolarCity to receive four megawatts of the renewable energy source for its 28 city facilities and parking areas.

Even San Jose City Hall boasts solar panels. A small, one-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic system sits on the roof of City Hall, which was installed by Armageddon Energy, a participant in the city’s clean-tech incubator. This allows the company “to test their product, get some real life experience with this system, then hopefully be able to scale up, hire more people,” says Mike Foster, who manages the city’s community energy efficiency solar and green building program.

Over the past two years, as part of San Jose’s Green Vision Plan, the city has worked to raise the public’s awareness about this clean energy source, increase the number of installations, and provide more opportunities for consumers and businesses to purchase or invest in green power.

On October 1, San Jose participated in the National Solar Tour. The city partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy; local companies, including Clean Solar, REC Solar, RPS Solar, and SunWize; and San Jose residents to help host this year’s tour of San Jose homes with solar panels installed.

“The tour made it easy for neighbors to talk with neighbors about solar, its cost, rebates, etcetera,” says Foster.

Almost 400 people went on the self-guided tour of about a dozen homes all around San Jose. Homes featured different types of solar arrays using different kinds of technology. Four renewable energy companies were featured on the tour.

Homeowners had different reasons for installing the product—economic, environmental, or simply philosophical, Foster says.

For homeowner Mary Tucker, who also is energy manager for the City of San Jose, participating in the solar tour was an opportunity to answer the questions of other homeowners such as why she installed her solar energy system, how long she’d had it, and how she financed it.

In 2003, Tucker installed solar on her 102-year-old bungalow that sits in the heart of downtown. Her home is a “contributing house” in a federally designated historical area, so she had to convince the historic commission with pictures of what it would look like. She got the job done. Tucker installed 18 solar panels that produce 2.6 kW.

The performance of solar panels is better today, she says. “I wouldn’t need as many today.”

When it comes to installing the product, Tucker says there are key factors to consider beforehand. “Energy efficiency is first. Make sure you’ve gotten your energy bill as low as you possibly can first,” she says. Get Energy Star appliances, LED bulbs, and reduce the amount of energy you need to produce, Tucker advises.

Next, look at the time it takes for the investment to pay off. For Tucker, it took eight years, although she was able to get a 50-percent rebate from the California Energy Commission before then. Tucker says that a lot of other financing options are out there now, including power purchase agreements.

A few companies offer solar purchase agreements in California. The city is using these to install solar on up to 38 of their municipal buildings, an installation that is projected to save approximately $5.7 million over the next 20 years.

For Tucker, reducing her energy bill also was important. Currently she pays only $4 a month to be connected to the grid. On an annual basis, she nets zero, meaning she produces more energy in the summer, so she gets a credit in the winter.

The last key factor that motivated Tucker was her grandchildren, specifically leaving a healthier environment for them. “I wanted to be sure I was contributing to reducing the fossil fuels we’re using,” she says.

In 2003, there were not as many programs and resources as are available now through the Department of Energy, the Solar America City Program, and the city itself, Tucker adds.

“Solar is more affordable than ever,” says Foster. “The technology is here, and now is the time to do it.”

For related stories:
Northern California City Reinvents Itself as Green
San Jose’s Green Vision
Solar Clovers and Gadgets Galore

Check out more articles by Debra Atlas.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

By Jake Richardson

OAKVILLE, CA– Far Niente winery is one of Napa Valley’s oldest winemakers, with operations that began in 1885. Now the winery holds another distinction because it runs almost entirely on solar power from “floatovoltaic” floating panels.

The winery installed floating solar panels to conserve precious land for growing grapes. Land in Napa Valley is very expensive; it would have lost the vineyard about $150,000 in revenue each year to tear out vines currently producing grapes in order to install solar panels on the land.

Instead, Far Niente let the vines alone and installed 994 panels floating on its pond, with another 1,302 land-mounted panels. The “floatovoltaic” installation actually functions slightly better than if they were all land based, says Greg Allen, the winery’s Dolce winemaker. Solar panels generate more electricity when they stay cool, and the pond water reduces their temperature. Marine-quality electrical cables with thick insulation are laid in the water between the rows of panels and carry the power. Having the panels in the water also might reduce evaporation, which helps maintain the water level.

Far Niente is not just a residence; it is a vineyard and business with onsite staff, requiring more energy than a home would. Yet the solar energy system is meeting all of the winery’s power needs for everything from winemaking operations to office lighting. Some people today are skeptical about the reliability and robustness of solar energy, but Far Niente’s system has proven it can work for a business as well.

Another potential benefit is net metering, meaning on days when the panels produce more energy than they need, the winery can sell the excess back to the electrical grid. It is possible in those cases for solar power generators to make some money, albeit not large amounts.

Financing of Far Niente’s system was aided by the California Solar Initiative program. The winery has received a rebate, federal tax credit, and accelerated depreciation.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

By Debra Atlas

The cost of solar panels has fallen 20 percent so far this year, according to a report from Navigant Consulting, making solar more affordable than ever for consumers.

More and more, our on-the-go lifestyles demand having solar power at our fingertips. FTL Solar has its finger on that button.

Designed and manufactured in the United States, FTL Solar’s products utilize a thin, flexible, lightweight solar integrated fabric. Built to tough military standards, these durable chargers come in a variety of styles, sizes, wattages, and power outputs. And they can operate maintenance free for up to ten years.

In 2006, FTL Solar began creating the first solar pavilions and portable solar farms. The solar-producing structures are designed for and used by commercial, military, and disaster relief organizations both in the United States and internationally.

FTL Solar’s personal-sized Powerfold Battery Charger is designed as a fold-out blanket. It delivers power outputs from five to 70 watts and can charge everything from iPods to MP3 players to laptops. In case it is a foggy day, this nifty charger also comes with a USB output as well as a 12-volt, 2.5 millimeter barrel output. This makes it unique in the solar charger market.

FTL Solar’s next sized charger is the PowerMod. These portable, wind- and rain-proof “tented” rooms can offer shelter in a storm while charging construction tools, lights, fans, water purifiers, medical equipment, pumps, and refrigeration units. They also can charge communication equipment centers that contain everything from radios to computers. The PowerMod comes in 300-, 500-, and 1000-watt versions.

As with all FTL Solar’s products, these power-generating structures are quickly and easily installed, disassembled, folded up, and transported.

The beauty of FTL Solar’s larger charging units is that they can provide a sustainable, secure source of renewable power. Able to power everything from small temporary structures that power laptops, cell phones, water purification and sanitation systems to large-scale, state-of-the-art installations, the electrical energy produced by these lightweight, high-density solar panels can be used immediately, stored in batteries, or even sold back to the grid. 

FTL Solar’s charger line includes the Powercase charger, a safe, portable, rechargeable power source for a wide variety of devices. It features a real-time LCD display that provides critical power data such as how much power your device still has available and how long until it runs out. Portable and water-resistant, the Powercase runs on lithium-ion GOTS technology and can power devices off-grid for extended periods. This includes sensors, communication equipment, and computers.

FTL Solar’s line of solar chargers will be available at outdoor retail stores later this year. To find out more about these amazingly useful solar charging units, go to www.ftlsolar.com.

An environmental journalist and blogger, Debra Atlas is reachable through Eco-hub.net/wp or debraatlas@gmail.com. Check out more articles by Debra Atlas.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

Review by Debbie Van Der Hyde

What if there was a mobile app to help us understand our planet? A guide to tell us how to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and increase our use of renewable energy? PBS has answered this need with Earth: The Operators’ Manual—a visually stimulating and informative one-hour program on how science can help us respond to climate change and move toward clean, green energy solutions.

Released to coincide with the celebration of Earth Month 2011, this timeless program traverses the planet from the ice floes of Antarctica to the hot springs of New Zealand to study how the earth operates, why the earth is warming, and what we can do through energy innovations. The program is available for viewing online as well as in DVD and book forms.

Earth: The Operators’ Manual is hosted by Dr. Richard Alley, a geologist at Pennsylvania State University. Alley is a professor you would have liked to have in college. He explains science in straightforward terms and understandable graphics. Watching the program can help you feel like the CFL bulb in your brain is brighter.

The program begins by exploring the interrelationship between humans and energy, including our reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas. As the earth’s population grows and more people in emerging countries such as China, Brazil, and Africa gain access to electricity, the demand for energy will spike. Alley shows how fossil fuels cannot fulfill this need, since they take millions of years to make—and we are burning them up over a few hundred years.

This brings us to the problem of carbon dioxide.

In the second section, the program shows how CO₂ affects the earth’s atmosphere—and the ripple effects being seen today in rapidly melting glaciers and rising sea levels. Alley takes a fascinating tangent to explain the patterns of the earth’s past ice ages and how 400,000-year-old air bubbles trapped in ice cores can be analyzed to understand climate history. According to Alley, the amount and type of carbon in the atmosphere today clearly indicates that the source is burning fossil fuels.

Turning toward solutions, the third part of the program looks at the actions the US military—the nation’s biggest consumer of fossil fuels—is taking to maintain operations, reduce costs, and save lives using renewable energy resources. For instance, different branches of the military are field testing portable solar-powered units, LED lights, hybrid engines, electric motors, and biofuels.

Thousands of miles away, energy innovations also are happening in the world’s fastest-growing nation: China. Today, the country is working on sustainable energy solutions, such as wind and solar, while also building clean coal factories and carbon sequestration plants until more renewable options are widely available.

The remainder of the program makes the case for renewables and continues with breathtaking scenery from the Algodones Dunes of Arizona to the wind-friendly section of the United States stretching from Texas to the Canadian border. Alley outlines a US renewable energy portfolio that reduces fossil fuels to a mere 13 percent by including solar, hydropower, ethanol from sugar cane or agricultural waste, geothermal, onshore and offshore wind turbines, and next-generation nuclear. The program also encourages energy efficiency, saying America could reduce demand for energy by as much as one-third by the year 2030 through energy-efficient measures. Efforts include retrofitting or building LEED-certified buildings, or driving hybrid or electric vehicles.

The program ends on an optimistic note, with Alley acknowledging “many feasible paths to a sustainable energy future” using today’s technologies and future innovations. In all, Earth: The Operators’ Manual is an inspiring view of how we can use science and collaboration to help our planet run smoothly for future generations.

To engage viewers further, PBS created an accompanying Web site with answers to frequently asked questions about climate change, an interactive test on sustainable energy solutions and additional resources. The site also provides a number of tips to help people reduce their personal energy use, including the WattzOn ENERGY GAUGE.

For those who still prefer something to read, Alley’s companion book is available in hardcover or as an eBook. The book gives more detail on the topics introduced in the PBS program, using Alley’s same approachable style mixed with scientific and technical evidence.

Debbie Van Der Hyde is an experienced freelance writer with a strong interest in sustainability, clean energy, and the green economy.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC. All rights reserved.