Floating solar panels

Since 2007, SPG Solar has been promoting its floating solar panels to government officials and commercial enterprises, such as wineries and industrial mine owners.  Floating solar panels, or “floatovoltaics” as they are cleverly called, can help increase the use of solar power where it might not otherwise be practical or possible.

So what does this entail?

Instead of installing solar panels on rooftops, or even ground-mounted, floating solar panels rest on pontoons on a body of water.  For example, at Far Niente Winery, one of its irrigation pond holds 994 solar panels to help generate clean, green, free solar electricity.

And, Why is this helpful to the company?  According to Larry Maguire, Far Niente’s CEO:

“Vineyard land in this part of the Napa Valley runs somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000 an acre.  We wanted to go solar but we didn’t want to pull out vines.”

Beyond vineyards, other commercial uses could benefit from floating solar panels.  For example, an owner of an industrial gravel mine is considering Floatovoltaics for a settling pond where traditional solar panels may not work otherwise.  Golf courses, amusement parks and other similar uses are also prime candidates for this solar technology.

Would floating solar panels work for your business?  Using prime “real estate” like ponds with ample sunlight exposure may be just the answer to reducing energy costs and carbon footprints.

Solar lease options minimize upfront costs

Solar panel financing is hot these days, and solar leasing is becoming a favored method for homeowners to go solar without big upfront costs.  A new residential solar lease program by Suntech, called BriteLease™ is the newest option for property owners that wish to install a solar array to generate clean, renewable electricity.

Suntech is the world’s largest solar panel manufacturer.  Its new lease program offers you the ability to have solar panels installed on your home with a deposit of $500, then low monthly payments thereafter.  Payments cover maintenance, repair and insurance coverage.  The savings you will see in your electricity bill will more than pay for the cost of the solar lease.  Instead of waiting to break even on the cost of purchasing a solar power system, you can start reaping the benefits of abundant free solar electricity right away.

The BriteLease lease term is only 15 years, as opposed to a 20-year solar lease offered by other companies.  In addition, the lease is transferable in the event you sell your home before the end of the contract.

Given the fact that electricity rates will continue to rise, you can lock in your monthly power bill for years to come with a solar lease program.

If you are interested in BriteLease from Solar Universe or any of the services offered by Solar Universe, call (805) 777-7477 or e-mail MatthewEstes@solaruniverse.com to learn more.

Solar panels will be the latest attraction at the Cincinnati Zoo

A new attraction is coming to the Cincinnati Zoo in April 2011.  No, its not a unique endangered species, nor is it a fun new playground for the kids.  Solar panels at the Cincinnati Zoo are being installed right now, which will generate enough clean solar electricity to meet about 1/5th of the park’s energy demands.

The installation will be the largest urban solar array accessible to the public in the United States.  Which, in my mind, is just perfect for a zoo!  After all, people come to learn about animals and the environment.  What better place to showcase the power of the sun to help us reduce our carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels than in an animal kingdom? When the new solar array is operational, visitors will be able to use an interactive kiosk to learn how the solar panels work and how much energy is being produced.

The solar panels at the Cincinnati Zoo are being designed, installed and operated by Melink Corporation pursuant to a solar power purchase agreement.  The 1.56 megawatt system will include 6,400 solar panels and is projected to cost $11 million.

Check it out on this great video:

Amazon.com

Representing the next generation of solar panel technology, the Solaris 26 maximizes performance while taking up virtually no space at all. The unit’s multi-section design folds up into a compact footprint that’s just a bit larger than a DVD case, while still delivering an impressive 26 watts of power, more than enough to charge a laptop or digital video camera or power a satellite or cell phone. In addition, the unit’s high-performance CIGS solar cells–the most effi (more…)

New Jersey County goes solar

In news yesterday, Burlington County in New Jersey announced the planned installation of its first solar power system.  Just across the border from Pennsylvania, Hessert Construction will build a $1.5 million solar array on the County office building.

This is not first time solar power has been in the news from New Jersey this year!

While the panels on the County Building will generate solar powered electricity, it is also taking steps to improve its environmental report card.  Energy-efficient heating and cooling will be installed, the exterior of the building replaced and several offices inside will be refurbished.  While this project will take most of a year to complete, other county buildings are taking note and planning to contract for their own eco-updates.

According to news releases:

“Newly hired county consultancy firm Birdsall Services-PMK Group, with 10 offices in New Jersey and New York State, analyzed the project and said it will save the county about $5,000 the first year and up to $19,000 every year thereafter over the course of 30 years – the expected lifetime of the solar system.”

Solar Panels coming to New Jersey County government building

The solar panel system to be installed will be made up of 88 panels which will generate together more than 27,000 kilowatts annually.  What does a system like this cost?  Nearly $200,000, including the price of the panels, installation and annual maintenance costs of about $500 per year.  Rebates through the New Jersey Customer Onsite Renewable Energy (CORE) program will defray over 10% of the cost.

The CORE program provides financial incentives to all the state’s ratepayers, and offsets the cost of a solar system based on its size. Currently, New Jersey’s public RECs are paying about $700 (per megawatt-hour), a value that will decrease to $549 in 2016. Burlington County expects to net about $13,000 a year on its RECs.

Even though the system will generate less than 10% of the building’s energy needs, it’s a great start.  Given New Jersey’s net metering policy (no cap and refunds at electric retail rates) the state now boasts more than 3100 solar systems.

Big kudos to the County officials in New Jersey!  Hopefully more counties and other municipalities across the nation will also see the benefit of converting to a solar power system.

Have solar news in your hometown?  Be sure to share in the comments below.

Girl Scouts Go Green with Solar Panels on Council Office

Great green news in scouting this week!  To showcase the importance of safeguarding the environment (and to save on energy costs), a solar powered Girl Scout Council office is located deep in the heart of Texas.  The Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council (GSSJC) located in Houston, should be proud of their new solar array on the council building, installed by the Austin,Texas Green Mountain Energy Company.

The Girl Scout council office now boasts a 10.08 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system, donated by Green Mountain!  Not only will the solar array generate clean, green electricity, but an educational station inside will help instruct families on the importance of reducing your carbon footprint through similar measures.

Girl Scouts and visitors will be educated about the benefits of solar energy. A sign describing the benefits of solar energy will be displayed in the lobby of the GSSJC building and a monitoring web site will also be linked to the array, and will display real-time energy output data.

The scouts were pretty enthusiastic this weekend when they got to officially “flip the switch” of the solar array at the GSSJC.  Perhaps even more exciting is the fact that the GSSJC will be hosting the Girl Scouts of the USA National Convention in 2 years.  Right where the solar powered Girl Scout Council Office is located!

Protecting the future for all girl scouts!

Here are some fast facts on the solar powered Girl Scout council office:

• Its the first solar installation of its kind in Texas for a Girl Scout Council Office
• The 2,068 square foot building includes 56 solar panels on its roof
• Estimated electricity savings for the GSSJC is over $300,000 over the 30-year solar array lifetime

Green Mountain Energy is probably almost as excited as the scouts!  Paul Markovich, Sr. VP of Residential Services gushed:

“Green Mountain Energy Company is proud to partner with the Girl Scouts, an organization that not only represents leadership and character, but is also deeply committed to the environment and the benefits of renewable energy.  Donating solar systems like this helps Green Mountain give back to the Houston community where our customers and employees live, work, play, and attend school, while supporting our mission to change the way power is made.”

Personally, I think its exciting to hear that Green Mountain obtained funds for the new Girl Scouts solar array through a program by which its customers can choose to support other solar panel installations in Texas by paying an additional (small) utility premium.  Here in Oregon, we have the Blue Sky Program through my local utility, Pacific Power.  For as little as $2 per month, you can fund renewable energy projects if your state has a program like Big Texas Sun Club or the Blue Sky Program (stay tuned, this will be the subject of a future blog post!)

The GSSJC President, Mary Vitek is also very proud and excited about the solar powered Girl Scout council office:

“Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is thrilled to partner with Green Mountain to set an example for others and demonstrate our commitment to being good stewards of the environment. This array will allow us to reduce our carbon footprint, but also teach girls the importance of conserving the environment and working together to tackle a real issue. The impact will be felt for years to come.”

Solar panels on the GSSJC Building in Texas are the next great thing

So, before we leave to go taste-test some thin mint cookies, consider these amazing facts regarding the GSSJC:

• The array is expected to produce more than 19,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a year
• Clean solar energy genearted will reduce nearly 27,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually
• The solar electricity that is created by the solar array is equivalent to not driving nearly 30,000 miles, or planting about 1,600 trees.

Consider the clean, green efforts of the Girl Scouts next time they come knocking on your door with delicious cookies.

While the solar powered Girl Scout council office is newsworthy in Texas, I will bet a box of Thin Mints that other Councils will get into the solar swing of things soon!

Denver International Airport

Visitors to the Denver International Airport  (DIA) in Colorado can literally witness the future of solar power when they arrive.  The second largest solar array at an airport in North America is spread over 7 1/2 acres of airport property.  The Denver International Airport PV system consists of two megawatts and is comprised of more than 9,200 solar panels which will generate more than three million kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean electricity each year.  The future of solar power is already being realized!  Experts estimate that the DIA system will reduce carbon emissions by more than 6.3 million pounds each year.

The solar energy system at DIA was designed and installed by WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. (WorldWater).  Xantrex inverters were used for the project.  The solar energy system was formally dedicated on August 19.

WorldWater’s CEO, Dr. Frank Smith, stated:

“A major transportation hub like Denver International Airport has complex power demands. Our expertise in design and installation, coupled with high quality products like Xantrex inverters, enable us to tackle these projects and make commercial solar systems sustainable options for large-scale operations.”

The 50 million passengers that visit DIA annually will be reminded of the future of solar power each time they drive up to the airport entrance, making the installation is one of the most visible solar systems in the United States.  The Denver airport is the largest in the nation as far as land area, and the fifth busiest.

Why Denver International Airport for such a huge solar array?  Not only does it have the land area on which to install the solar panels, but it is also already well-known for its other green practices:

The Denver International Airport’s solar panels are ground-mounted and include tracking devices so that the panels can follow the sun’s path through the sky, maximizing exposure and energy generation.

Denver’s mayor was proudly on hand for the dedication this summer.  He noted:

“This installation at Denver International Airport fits with our Greenprint Denver action agenda for sustainability and our pledge to do all that we can to reduce our carbon footprint. We are proud to have such a large and prominently placed solar power system at DIA. This installation is both a symbol and a practical example of the City’s commitment to renewable energy.”

Will more solar projects “take off” as a result of the system at DIA?  I’m willing to bet that once the figures regarding the amount of money saved by the Airport over its first year on solar power are released, we’ll be seeing more interest in similar projects.  So, grab a ticket to the future of solar power!  Otherwise, you could be “grounded” with high utility costs.