New Building-Integrated PV: Solar Windows

Skyscrapers like Chicago’s Willis Tower consume huge amounts of energy but have so far been unable to install solar panels because of the comparably small amount of roof space they have. However, solar technology company Pythagoras Solar has now found a way of using the massive amount of sunlight that hits the tall building walls every day.

Pythagoras’s new solar windows are now being tested on a few buildings, including the Willis Tower. The product is the world’s first transparent photovoltaic glass unit, and is used in place of regular windows, which do nothing to offset energy use. The typical window is also a huge burden in the summer; all offices want natural lighting, but that invites more heat for which we then need more air conditioning. The solar window allows light to come in, but can also use it to generate electricity, all in the same product. The panel, like traditional solar panels, still has grids on it, but they resemble a set of open venetian blinds. Other than that, it is also clear, just like an ordinary window. Its silicon PV cells sit between two panes of glass.

Pythagoras Solar’s new product combines the ideas behind self-tinting windows and thin film solar windows, which also tried to control the amount of light let in and generate power. The added aesthetic value of not actually looking like solar panels makes the product more attractive to architects and homeowners, as well. Prices have not been revealed yet, so interested residential customers may have to wait to install them. However, Founder and CEO Gonen Fink estimates that the typical consumer will recoup the cost of the windows after three to five years.

The unit, which has already won GE’s Ecomagination Challenge, joins other BIPV products like solar shingles and solar façade modules in using buildings themselves to generate energy.

With SB1 passed, what has been implemented? Great incentives for CT!

The Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) is going to be offering a residential solar incentive program which aims to build at least 30 megawatts of solar by 2023. A third of their funds, which is $10 million dollars a year, will now be used toward this new program. CEFIA can structure this incentive in two ways, as an upfront rebate or as performance-based incentives. As funding diminishes over time, so must the incentives and CEFIA plans to keep us updated on the status of their budget via their website.

Taking effect on January 1, 2012 the electric utilities must solicit 15 year contracts with developers for zero-emission Class I renewable energy credits for non-emitting Class I renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, and micro-hydropower. The budget for this program starts at $8 million per year and will go up to $48 million a year by 2018. These projects must be customer-sited and less than 1 megawatt in size. This project will make it possible for municipalities to install far more solar power than ever before on town buildings and schools, and will be benefit those interested in powering town facilities with wind.

A reform has also been made to the CT Energy Efficiency Fund. The electric and natural gas utilities have been removed as voting members of the Efficiency Fund board, although they are still kept as paid program administrators. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s commissioner/designee is now the chair of the Efficiency Fund’s board. This change in the CT Energy Efficiency Fund board will allow the fund to be more transparent and responsive to outside input.

Speak Your Mind—That’s Wind Power |EMagazine.com

Speak Your Mind—That’s Wind Power EMagazine.com

Let the Sun Shine On Your Face & Power Your Bike While Going For a Ride!

Electric bikes are already a greener way to get around, getting riders about 1,000 miles per gas gallon, but what about riding an electric bike powered by solar energy?! This trend has been gaining popularity in recent years. There are different ways to go about using solar energy to power your electric bike. You can either use a mounted solar panel from your house and/or work to charge the bike’s battery, or mount a solar panel to the bike itself. Electric bikes are actually pretty powerful, requiring 200-500 watts of energy to be stored in their batteries in order to travel a desirable range. Although they may be less efficient than normal solar panels, roll-up solar panels are an easier and more transportable way to acquire solar energy for your electric bike. These roll-up solar panels can come with 25-75 watts of output, they can be put out on your bike while riding, and rolled up to be stored away once you reach your destination. An even newer and upcoming way of traveling on solar energy is the solar electric bike that has photovoltaic panels built in to its wheels! I’ve provided a picture with this blog post to show how unique this bike looks! This particular bike is called the E-V Sunny Bicycle and can go up to 19 mph from its 500 watt motor. It may be a little pricey, but it sure looks cool!  The company who made this bike called it the “first of all solar electric bicycles driven completely from power derived from the sun’s rays”! Would you consider a solar electric bicycle to replace your gas guzzling car??

PurePoint Energy is attending the CT Farm Energy Fair & so should you!!

We will also be giving a presentation between 5-6pm during this event! Don't miss it!

U.S. Solar Market Trends of 2010

While 2008's Great Recession put a damper on the solar market in 2009, steady growth since then meant a boost for the solar market in 2010. This boom, expected to carry into this year, was facilitated by increased capital through recovery after the economic meltdown, in conjunction with financial stimulus and higher consumer demand.

The U.S. Treasury Grant, for example, was enacted by Congress in early 2009 as part of the stimulus package. The program gives the option of a cash grant for installations-this in lieu of Investment Tax Credit, which was a weaker incentive for consumers. The Treasury cash program, which was originally meant to expire at the end of 2010, was later renewed for 2011. It provided $410 million, funding about 40% of non-residential PV installations in 2010, the tax credit levels of which are set to continue until 2016 (cash grants are up for renewal on a yearly basis). Many federal and state government solar installations were also funded by ARRA, while capital markets recovery for 2010 contributed to the growth of non-residential solar installations by 63%. Prices for PV modules decreased as well, by between 14 and 20 percent, providing a stimulus for areas without local policies already; however, financial incentives will continue to determine where the most solar installations are happening.

The number of installations in the residential sector in particular has grown a lot in the past decade. It increased by 64% and accounted for 91% of the grid-connected PV installations in 2010, but only 29% of the capacity; non-residential systems are, on average, ten times as big as residential ones. The overall PV capacity installed in 2010 doubled compared with 2009 and was over eight times the capacity of PV installations in 2006.

California stayed the state with the most installations, largely thanks to a 10 year, $3 billion program called "Go Solar California" that started in 2007. The state also has a steadily increasing RPS requirement mandating that a certain fraction of the electricity supply be provided by renewable energy. It is planning for 20% by 2013, and 33% by 2020 (Connecticut will be requiring 27% by 2020). In contrast, states like Kentucky with no solar RPS policy or few incentives also have relatively few installations.

In 2011, analysts expect there to be continued growth for the solar market, especially for grid-connected PV systems. Installations doubled in nine states, and will spread to more. As in the past, growth for this market will be predominantly determined by federal and state incentives.

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Recent Research Confirms That Homes With Solar Sell For More!

     Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in California has conducted a study comparing 2,000 homes equipped with photovoltaics to comparable homes without solar. The Lawrence Berkley lab is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and was conducted by the renewable energy research group, which conducts public-interest studies on renewables, including policies, costs and financing.

     Their research suggests that a house with a 5 kW solar system sells for $19,500 to $32,000 more than comparable homes without solar systems. This is useful and hopeful information for those looking to invest money into PV systems and are worried about being in their homes long enough to earn back the money that they put into their solar investment. This study also found that new homes with PV systems had a lower premium than existing homes, $2.30 to $2.60 per W compared to over $6 per W value.

     This study proves that there can be great financial benefit in more ways that just one when you invest in solar, however local market conditions do vary from state to state. Electricity prices and installation prices do affect the financial benefit of solar, so the next step to take is to apply this study to other states and see if the results coincide with those from California. Overall, the results of this study are very positive for the solar industry. Not only do solar consumers save on their electricity bills, but they can see money coming back to them if they decide to sell their homes.