Simpa Networks is using a ‘cell phone’ price model with solar panels
I came across a great idea at Tree Hugger. There article “Selling Home Solar Like a Cell Phone Plan” article talks about how more and more new energy consumers are expected to come online in the developing world. If they use cheap and dirty power sources like coal, the effects on the global climate could [...]
Solar Junction Achieves 43.5 Percent Efficiency
A Silicon Valley start-up, Solar Junction has announced that they have achieved record breaking peak efficiencies of 43.5 percent. They claim this was verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Measurement and Characterization Laboratory. To achieve this new efficiency, they designed a multijunction cell made up of multiple layers of photovoltaic materials. Each layer [...]
Costco to Sell Solar Panels
You will soon be able to buy ready-to-install solar kits at Costco’s website (under the “Hardware – Generators & Backup Power” Category). They will be selling 880W, 2300W, 3680W, or 5060W ready-to-install kits from Grape Solar of Eugene Oregon. From their press release: “In order to make this tremendous undertaking possible, and bring such a [...]
Van Jones tells Powershift 2011: “We can’t Afford for Poor People Not to Have Solar Panels”
Photo credit: Chris Eichler courtesy of Energy Action Coalition Van Jones, green jobs adviser to President Obama recently addressed Power Shift 2011 (a gathering of 10,000 students and young leaders) and talked about the need to bring clean energy to poor communities and to fight for social equality together with climate action. “Notice that the wealthy [...]
How Photovoltaic Systems Work
The US Department of Energy put out this great series of videos on YouTube recently explaining some basics of solar power and home energy. Energy 101: Solar PhotoVoltaics Energy 101: Geothermal Heat Pumps Energy 101: Wind Turbines Energy 101: Cool Roofs Energy 101: Concentrating Solar Power