Eco Factor: Rooftop solar array to generate about 2.6MW of renewable electric power.

NexGen Energy and Bella Energy have announced that the two companies will built a gigantic 2.6MW solar array on the roof to the Calvin L Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. The new solar array will supply around 25 percent of the building’s electricity demand by generating more than 3.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

Bella Energy will design and install the project, with construction expected to begin later this year. Once functional, NexGen Energy will own and operate the facility, while selling power to Salt Lake County at a fixed rate through a 20 year power purchase agreement.

Image Courtesy: Flickr [Under a Creative Commons License]

Via: Brighter Energy

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Eco-Factor: Solar powered electric assist bicycle trailer takes a musician on tour.

With Kristin Rule’s new album release round the corner, the cellist who creates music with an environmental edge has planned a music tour with that is equally eco friendly. The lady gets mobile this time using a bicycle accompanied by a solar-powered, electric-assist trailer.

She uses a ‘Watt-Bot’ trailer equipped with photovoltaic panels to harness solar energy and store it in a pair of 12 volt batteries. The contraption built from recycled material provides generated enough power to assist three hours of riding for pedaling a cello laden bike extension built directly into the bike. The bicycle is also equipped with cycle analyst on the handle bar for better power management. The panniers used for carrying clothing and camping gear too has been built from custom built from salvaged canvas.

Via: Treehugger

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Eco Factor: Fuel stations to have system that converts water to hydrogen using solar energy.

Italian company Acta has recently signed a framework agreement with filling station forecourt equipment installation company Girelli Bruni to be its exclusive supplier of photovoltaic panels. The clean energy company has successfully developed a commercial system that converts water to hydrogen at a fueling station using solar energy. The duo is seeing their partnership as a boon for the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market.

Both the companies are taking advantage of the country’s legislation that requires any new fuel service station to install a minimum quantity of photovoltaic generation capacity and to provide a gaseous fuel alternative to petroleum per regional requirements. Under the agreement, it has also been mentioned that Girelli Bruni will be the exclusive distributor of Acta’s hydrogen generators for the fuel supply market in Italy.

Via: Cnet Reviews

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The cylindrical-shaped Heliotrope has a series of balconies covered with vacuum-solar thermal collectors and features one large 6.6 kW roof solar panel called the Sun Sail that pivots (in addition to the house’s rotation) to match the angle of the sun.  The pivoting motion allows the Sun Sail to produce about 30 to 40 percent more energy than a static solar panel.

The roof houses a hand railing system that doubles as solar thermal tubing for water heating.  The house also features triple-paneled thermal-insulated glass on the side of the house facing the sun so that the light streaming into the home is maximized throughout the day.

The design also includes rain-water collectors and a waste water purification system.  Currently, three Heliotrope homes have been built.

via Good Clean Tech

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Reports say that the spray on material consists of nanoparticles that are embedded in a transparent composite matrix. The best news of all is – it can be sprayed onto the rest of the house as well, not just on the windows.

What sets the technology apart from others that provide ultra thin solar cells is that the coating can be built into the windows or other parts of the building exterior during the manufacturing process. And the spray on factor means that it can even be used on the roofs of vehicles to charge batteries.

The biggest advantage is that now, it’s not the rooftop of a building that can harness solar energy – now, the whole house can! According to EnSol AS, the product will be available at reasonable prices by 2016.

(Via Inhabitat)

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Eco Factor: Concept yacht powered by onboard solar panels.

Aiming to make your weekend cruises sustainable designers over at Novague Studio have conceptualized an environmentally friendly yacht that is propelled by a zero-emission electric engine. The stunning yacht includes two solar panels placed on the sides of the boat, which can be unfurled when power in the onboard batteries deplete.

The solar panels spread outwards like wings of a bird and absorb solar energy. The energy generated by the photovoltaic members is stored in battery packs for successive usage. The simple shape of the yacht reduces drag and betters the efficiency of the electric propulsion system.

Via: Novague Studio

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The new solar cells make use of thin film made from a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), so as to be environmentally responsible both in the manufacturing process and in use. The new residential-use solar cell module with maximum output of 130W are said to return solar energy conversion efficiency of 11.6 per cent. This, incidentally, is the highest among CIGS-based solar cells currently being sold in Japan.
Going by statistics, Honda Soltec has already sold residential-use solar cell modules to approximately 2,250 homes through home builders and contractors. A slew of public and industrial-use solar cells have been installed at around 120 buildings.
It is being expected that the company might now mull over looking beyond Japan to sell its solar cell products.

(Via Fareastgizmos)

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The new design is created by the company’s ray tracing software that embosses microstructures onto thin polymer film.  That film can then be applied to solar panels much like tinting film can be applied to a window.  In testing, the microstructures in the lens improved PV efficiency by 10 to 12.5 percent.

The microstructures in the lens provide greater light absorption, an anti-reflective coating that allows more light capture, even if the light is off-center or off-angle, and lengthen the path of light so that more electrons are stimulated and therefore more electricity generated.

Another great feature is that the lens can be applied to PV modules, regardless of what they’re made of — silicon, CIGS or cadmium telluride — and to newly-manufactured or already existing units.

via Greentech Media

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Eco factor: Enbridge works on the largest photovoltaic solar energy facility in North America.

It looks like Enbridge, the Canadian company behind the recent oil spill in Michigan’s Calhoun County near Marshall, is making an attempt to do some good to the environment. The company in collaboration with First Solar is working on the largest photovoltaic solar energy facility in North America. The Sarnia Solar Project in Ontario is being expanded from 20 megawatts to 80 megawatts.

The facility is expected to be completed in September and will produce enough energy to power 12,800 homes and keep about 39,000 tons of CO2 a year out of the atmosphere. Enbridge has earned a bad name for the spill has been called the worst in Midwest history. So, making this green initiative is certainly a great step, but it certainly doesn’t excuse the company’s most recent disastrous act.

Via: Treehugger

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The idea for the construction is to make sure that the museum will look like it is floating in the air. The exterior will be an undulating, molten metal looking, organic shaped one; and the surface will have a mirror effect, reflecting the surrounding environment and landscape onto the exterior walls. This exceptional design will be heightened by the fact that the structure will be a sustainable one – making use of the sunny climate of Xiamen to create energy through roof solar panels. Also, because it almost floats – resting on five stilt-like extensions that could rightly be called legs- there is a lot of free space under the structure. The museum is set in a location that is similar to a natural park, and the beauty of the surroundings together with the novelty of the museum is expected to draw in crowds.

The floating museum will have three levels – space below, museum interior and the roof with solar paneling. The ground floor is set to have landscaped areas that are open to the public, as well as sports areas, amphitheatres and meeting spaces. The middle level that is housed in an organic cloud like form will house the exhibitions, and also have restaurants, cafes and offices. The stilts that function as the legs of the structure will house the elevators that provide access to the middle and upper levels of the building.

The roof will have artificial landscapes – with lakes, wetlands and greenery creating a fantasy land on top of the cloud structure. This level will also have the solar panels that will provide the energy for the structure.

(Via Inhabitat)

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