iSol

Where global wind power has grown about 25 percent per year in the last decade, global solar power has grown an average of 68 percent each year over the last five years (including Bloomberg New Energy Finance projections of 28 GW of new solar in 2011). This is a doubling literally every 1.3 years. So today’s 40 GW of capacity becomes, under the same growth rate, an astronomical 1.3 million GW by 2030. Obviously, the recent rate of growth won’t continue because, among other reasons, this is far more power than we need for the entire globe! But even if solar power’s rate of growth drops in half to 35 percent over the next two decades, this produces a doubling every 2.3 years and we get 16,000 GW (16 terawatts) by 2030 – almost as much as the entire world will need by then.

keep in mind that clean energy doesn’t come with the enormous health and economic costs that are inherent to dirty energy, such as the $500-billion-per-year cost of coal in the United States alone

Just weeks after the solar industry installed the one millionth system in Germany, the country's solar trade association announced that the technology accounted for three percent of total energy generation in 2011 — increasing 60 percent over 2010 to 18.6 terawatt-hours (18.6 billion kilowatt-hours).

“By teaming up with Phoenix Solar, we now have a partner with the worldwide reach to help make our structural adhesives a catalyst for accelerating the adoption of solar energy,”

"Putting storage into the charger rather than using the vehicle for power to the home will preserve the life of the EV’s batteries and can capture cheaper energy even if the vehicle is not plugged in,"

These batteries could also be integration with a photovoltaics/solar power installation

prototype integrated solar-assisted electric vehicle charging station to be erected at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Optimise the design with focus on energy efficiency Utilise natural design solutions for heating and cooling Use renewable energies either integrated into the building or taken from the nearby collective energy system and electricity grid Include material energy and the CO2 footprint in the overall energy calculation Evaluate per m2 and per occupant

renewable energy to account for 36 percent of electricity generation by 2020

Energy efficiency will be a big topic in 2012

From a broader perspective, though, the Topaz deal is a positive signal to other developers and the market overall. The Topaz project "demonstrates that solar energy is a commercially viable technology without the support of governmental loan guarantees," s

high quality projects will get financing even in a dislocated macro environment that has hampered project financing, and will have a positive perception effect" on the likes of downstream players such as SunPower and MEMC Electronic Materials.

The smart guys are getting into these early projects because they have very attractive power-purchase agreements,

For example, Free Hot Water pre-engineered systems are ideal for hotels, multi-family residents, nursing homes, hospitals, restaurants, laundry facilities, and many other commercial and industrial applications. Installers who can sign contracts for these applications and purchase at least 5% of the equipment will enable their clients to take advantage of the 30% cash grants available under TGP.

“Quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals which exhibit size-dependent optical and electronic properties. In a quantum dot sensitized solar cell, the excitation of semiconductor quantum dot or semiconductor nanocrystal is followed by electron injection into TiO2 nanoparticles. These electrons are then transferred to the collecting electrode surface to generate photocurrent.

Microgrids, pockets of distributed energy resources that can be isolated from the utility power grid, have been called "the ultimate example of energy democracy," diversifying supply infrastructure ownership, says Pike Research. Campus environments are the largest sector of grid-connected microgrids globally: educational institutions, hospitals, the military, and some large corporations.

A more eco-friendly approach involves the installation of solar panels to actively capture sunlight and convert it to electricity to power your home. Other active strategies include solar thermal, energy savings gadgets, and sophisticated controls such as automated controls to bring in fresh air when needed, as well as automated blinds and exterior awnings to control shading.

Passive strategies on the other hand use natural elements, in particular solar and wind to achieve comfort.

orientation of the building

wo major categories of silicon have been used in the manufacture of solar cells—monocrystalline silicon in the form of single wafers made from ingots, and poly- or multicrystalline silicon made from large blocks of molten material carefully cooled and solidifie

C:Si technology will represent 42.9% of the module shipments by major technology by 2015. The material will experience a 34.1% growth rate from 2010 to 2015. Thin film materials will represent 32.0% of the module shipments by major technology by 2015. Thin films will experience a 55.7% growth rate from 2010 to 2015.

onocrystalline silicon proved to be the most efficient but its single wafers are more costly to produce because they are cut from cylindrical ingots. They have registered the highest solar to electric conversion efficiency (25%) of any material. Multicrystalline, or poly-silicon solar cells, while less costly to produce, are a little less efficient averaging 17% to 21%. They are extremely durable however, and over the past several decades, multicrystalline silicon has become the leading material used in solar cells.

Even if some European and US PV companies, such as SolarWorld, are underperforming in some respects, such underperformance has nothing to do with the exports of Chinese PV companies, but instead is because of their misjudgement of the growth opportunities in the market

Due to reduced incentives, improper investment decisions and lack of scale, certain PV companies have found themselves in a disadvantageous position in the market competition. It is a normal phenomenon in market competitions. These frustrated companies should revisit and adjust their own business strategies, elevate their production and management levels, and meet consumer’s demand in a better wa

The solar industry in the US generates approximately 100,000 jobs, while in comparison SolarWorld provides only 1,000 jobs. If the US market were denied access to the PV cell products of competitive prices, other 99,000 jobs would be put into a dangerous situation. That is exactly why SolarWorld’s petition is opposed by US companies from upstream raw material and equipment suppliers to downstream distributors and users, environmental protection organizations and climate experts.”

El Plan será lanzado oficialmente en marzo de este año a través de una campaña masiva de difusión. En este momento se está inscribiendo a los oferentes de tecnología. La Dirección de Energía trabaja en la especificación de equipos a financiar.

Ahora estamos embarcados, desde UTE, colaborando con la Dirección de Energía y el Banco Hipotecario, en lanzar del Plan Solar