Solar power - technocorpian - caiso

When I walk my neighborhood, I notice things like if a house has PV solar panels, or there is an EV in their driveway. I also look at the CAISO website to see what fraction of utility electricity is being generated by renewables.

For my neighborhood, I estimate the number of houses that have PV on their roofs ( Read more... )

My family, some neighbors, and I are planning to participate in Earth Hour tonight. Starts at 8:30pm.

http://www.myearthhour.org/about

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At 9pm, went out to the street in front of my house, to see if anyone else was doing Earth Hour, had candle light, etc. Could not see any houses dark with people home, other than mine. A bit of a bummer.
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2010-04- ( Read more... )

Along with my idea for a 'renewable power plug' that would be put into housing, I feel that there needs to be a commodity 1kw solar power system that homeowners and renters could purchase, to plug in ( Read more... )

There are many fires burning around Los Angeles and Orange Counties this weekend. It was almost 90 degrees with wind on Saturday, and Sunday is predicted to be the same ( Read more... )

I am a big advocate of converting lots of sunny open space that would otherwise be wasted, into solar power plants.

These spaces being parking lots.

Finally I get to share an article of someone doing just what I am advocating:

Silicon Valley firm turns parking lot into solar power plant

Applied Materials, a Silicon Valley firm that makes the equipment ( Read more... )

How cool, it seems that a company has resurrected the availability of a solar panel micro inverter.

In the past there was Trace, that made a small box that would convert up to about 100watts of AC 120v.

Now there is Enphase Energy, that sells the Enphase Micro-Inverter for about $200/each.

Each one will convert up to 175watts of AC output at 208volts ( Read more... )

Researchers Improve Solar Cell Performance

Excerpt:

"Researchers at MIT have improved solar collectors using dyes. They just increased their performance results by a factor of 4. These paint-on materials can increase the power obtained from existing solar cells by a factor of over 40 without needing to track the sun.

Reuters UK report on solar power growth

Excerpts:

After decades on the fringe, solar power is closing in on America's mainstream as surging fossil fuel prices and mounting concern over climate change spur states, businesses and homeowners into a quickening embrace with alternative energy.

...

The tipping point at which the world's cleanest, most ( Read more... )

and it is not even June yet ( Read more... )

Came back home from a week at my parents to find out the latest issue of Homepower had arrived.

And, what is on the front cover, you may ask?

Yes, A Zenn electric vehicle!