While it is typical to hear news of worldwide solar installations in the United States and other highly developed counties, today we hear news of solar photovoltaic panels being installed all around Central America. With the high cost of electricity and an underdeveloped electric grid, consumers in these countries are buying up unsubsidized solar panels and installing them though out the region. We are always happy to see countries worldwide
The world's largest solar energy plant, the Ivanpah Solar Plant, located in the Ivanpah Valley of California’s Mojave Desert, is nearing completion. When completed, the solar plant will contain 170,000 mirrors and produce 377 megawatts (MW) of power, more than double the previous record holder of 150 MW, and enough to power more than 140,000 homes. We hope that renewable energy megaprojects such as this one will lead to
When you think of the word’s largest power plants, you probably don’t think renewable energy. However, we can thank hydroelectric--the often forgotten renewable resource--for the world’s four largest power plants. In the graph on the left, you can see how dominant hydroelectric is compared to other renewable resources. We should be excited about the great growth in solar and wind recently but must not forget about our largest renewable resource,
Reviewing the solar panels on the Solar Impulse--the solar plane currently flying across the country--allows us to look at solar efficiency in a new way that not only could affect solar flight but also ceiling exhaust fans and roof fans. The solar panels on the plane are not the best at converting light energy into electric power by the area covered but do excel in terms of weight. The lightweight
According to a report by U.S. Solar Market Insight, the US had a record first quarter with 723 MW of solar photovoltaics installed in Q1 2013. This represents a 33 percent increase over Q1 2012 and brings the cumulative US photovoltaic capacity to 7.9 gigawatts. This growth was led by residential installations, which experienced a 53% increase over the same period. Prices for residential systems fell below five dollars a
Solar Advantages Tesla debutes Tesla Motors has introduced a system is says will allow a swap of a car's battery pack in less time than it takes to fill up a traditional car's gas tank. At a demonstration of the system in California, Tesla chief Elon Musk said battery swap stations will be installed throughout a network of "supercharging" stations the company is installing around the nation, CNN reported Friday.
100 Gigawatt Milestone 100 Gigawatts! Total worldwide installed solar capacity recently broke the 100 gigawatt milestone. With over 30 gigawatts installed in 2012 alone, it is clear that there is a new push for solar energy. We are excited to see the sector grow so quickly. Wind, often considered a more mature industry, broke the 100-gigawatt global capacity mark in 2008. Let's keep pushing our elected officials to promote SOLAR
The main difference between a brushed motor and a brushless motor, (besides the differences implied by the names), is that the brushed motor uses an electromagnet system as the rotor surrounded by permanent magnets (and sometimes more electromagnets), and the brushless motor has a magnetic rotor surrounded by electromagnets. A brushless DC motor (BLDC) is a DC (direct current) electric motor that uses an electronically-controlled commutation system, instead of a
It’s time to harness the world’s virtually inexhaustible supply of clean solar energy and start building a brighter future. Solar is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, and for good reason. It offers a limitless supply of clean, safe, renewable energy. And it’s more affordable, more efficient, and more reliable than ever. The advantages of Solar and other renewable power sources are clear: greater independence from imported fossil fuels,
Ridge vents, gables vents, and turbine vents work by passive (natural) draft air convection. This means that as hot air rises in your attic, it should flow out from these vents creating a natural draft through the attic. However, they are not very effective at reducing the temperature of your attic. Turbine vents are designed to pull hot air out of your attic when the wind blows. These vents are
