First Solar-Powered Flight Around the World

Above is a prototype of the solar powered plane known as the Impulse. It is the result of six years of work by a team of 70. Bertrand Piccard has already made history by flying around-the-world non-stop on a balloon flight. Now he plans on making history again by circling the world in the Impulse.

At 63 meters, the Impulse has the wingspan of a Boeing 747-400 and, at 3500lbs, the weight of an average family car. Over 12,000 solar cells supply the four 10 HP electric motors. This is roughly the same amount of power the Wright brothers had in 1903. During the day 90 lbs of lithium-polymer batteries are charged to allow flight throughout the night.

The first long range test flights are planned for later this year at Dübendorf airport followed by night flights over Switzerland in 2010. Based on the results of these test flights, the final version of the aircraft will be built to circumnavigating the world in 2012.

Links:

EV News

inhabitat: Solar Impulse Unveiled

Project Energy Code: The Green Gap

All things being equal, given the choice between clean renewable energy or dirty polluting energy, nearly everyone would choose clean power. However, things are not always equal. Even in cases where renewables are available, some people that claim they would prefer renewable energy, for various reasons, still do not make green choices. This is called the “green gap”, when individuals claim to have concern for the environment; however, their actual decisions and behaviors do not display these stated values.

In short, talk is cheap. Why don't people put their money where they say their principles are? The "Project Energy Code" report seeks to understand the green gap. Why does this green gap exist? What data could help align actions with stated values? How can consumers be empowered? The report explore these issues and looks at two factors in depth:

1. Technological change. New infrastructure technologies that increase transparency, consumer awareness of electricity consumption, and enable adoption of such innovations.
2. Individual cognitive characteristics. How individual behaviors affect economic decision-making, particularly regarding risk aversion, status quo bias, and the use of heuristics to make choices in a complex information-overload environment.

Full Report

via ecoalign

Related: 6 in 10 would choose 'green car' over gas-powered one

Berkeley on Electric Vehicles

The University of California Berkeley has released a study examining the electric vehicle market. It includes the economic and environmental benefits of mass-market adoption. The study shows rapid EV adoption will decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil, increase employment, and reduce transportation emissions.

The study also predicts:

• A net gain of up to 350,000 new jobs by 2030 related to EVs
• Reduced emissions by as much as 62% from 2005 levels
• Healthcare savings up to $205 billion from emissions reductions
• Reduced oil imports up to 3.7 million barrels per day (equivalent to Persian Gulf and Venezuela import rates)

Worldwide growth in energy demand could drive 2030 U.S. gasoline prices to $6 per gallon. Widespread EV adoption could be a significant factor to reduce demand and keep gasoline prices at a lower $4 per gallon.

The complete study is available here.

Electric Dreams

Abundant wind power, electric cars, and an eco-minded population.

PBS's NOW investigates how Denmark and Better Place are working together to put electric cars into the hands of as many Danes as possible.

Denmark could be a global inspiration to a new way to live this millennium.

PBS NOW Page

SolarHub Website

SolarTech, SolarPro magazine, and SolarNexus today announced the launch of a new, free resource for solar professionals called SolarHub (www.solarhub.com). The site provides a one-stop shop, aggregating detailed product specifications and allowing users to search listed products by a variety of attributes specific to each product type. Data in the site is maintained directly by manufacturers and the SolarHub team.

“SolarHub directly supports SolarTech’s mission of accelerating the solar industry’s growth by removing market barriers,” said Doug Payne, Executive Director for SolarTech. “SolarHub reduces time to market by identifying and addressing one of the key inefficiencies inherent in the delivery of solar PV systems: timely access to accurate technical information. We look forward to working with our partners to expand the scope and functionality of the site in the months to come.”

Using SolarHub will save professionals a significant amount of time when compared to accessing the same data via manufacturer websites, datasheets, or printed distributor catalogs. Consistent format and data further facilitates comparisons.

The Beta version of SolarHub is launching now. The formal launch of the site is planned for December 2009.

Link

The Empire State Building Goes Green

After 8 months of detailed planning, the Empire State Building is now undergoing a major sustainability retrofit. This project is projected to save 38% of the building's energy use and $4.4 million annually.

Heating, cooling, lighting, windows, and air handling are all getting an overhaul. Designing a new building to be efficient is difficult, retrofitting a building from the '30s is even more challenging.

What they achieve here can become a template for many other buildings and office spaces that want to improve energy performance and do so profitably.

Link

Solar Bill of Rights

If you own your home, and you have good sun exposure and you can afford it (or have a clever lease), you should be able to put solar panels on your home. Unfortunately, site assessment and affordability are not the only hurdles that many home owners need to overcome.

Across the country, local zoning laws and homeowners' associations (HOA) govern the approved uses of a property. While these rules are often created to uphold a community's property values, they can also prohibit the installation of solar panels, solar water heaters or solar heating and cooling technologies.

The tide is recently shifting and zoning laws are now being used to protect a homeowner's right to solar access from California to Maryland. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) aims to eliminate zoning laws and HOA rules that prohibit the installation of solar nationwide.

Recently the House-passed energy and climate bill included a provision which would direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to prohibit private covenants or homeowners associations from preventing the installation of solar systems through rules or excessive fees.

Related Legislation

• H.R. 2848 Solar Opportunity and Local Access Rights (SOLAR) Act
• S. 1016 Solar Opportunity and Local Access Rights (SOLAR) Act

To secure policies of solar freedom and to empower consumers, Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the SEIA, declared, on October 27, 2009, in the City of Anaheim, California, a Solar Bill of Rights:

"We seek no more than the freedom to compete on equal terms and no more than the liberty for people to choose the energy source they think best."

Here is the 8 point proposed Solar Bill of Rights.

1. Americans have the right to put solar on their homes or businesses. Restrictive covenants, onerous connection rules, and excessive permitting and inspections fees prevent too many American homes and businesses from going solar.
   
   
2. Americans have the right to connect their solar energy system to the grid with uniform national standards. This should be as simple as connecting a telephone or appliance. No matter where they live, consumers should expect a single standard for connecting their system to the electric grid.
   
   
3. Americans have the right to Net Meter and be compensated at the very least with full retail electricity rates. When customers generate excess solar power utilities should pay them consumer at least the retail value of that power.
   
   
4. The solar industry has the right to a fair competitive environment. The highly profitable fossil fuel industries have received tens of billions of dollars for decades. The solar energy expects a fair playing field, especially since the American public overwhelmingly supports the development and use of solar.
   
   
5. The solar industry has the right to equal access to public lands. America has the best solar resources in the world, yet solar companies have zero access to public lands compared to the 45 million acres used by oil and natural gas companies.
   
   
6. The solar industry has the right to interconnect and build new transmission lines. When America updates its electric grid, it must connect the vast solar resources in the Southwest to population centers across the nation.
   
   
7. Americans have the right to buy solar electricity from their utility. Consumers have no choice to buy clean, reliable solar energy from their utilities instead of the dirty fossil fuels of the past.
   
   
8. Americans have the right, and should expect, the highest ethical treatment from the solar industry. Consumers should expect the solar energy industry to minimize its environmental impact, provide systems that work better than advertised, and communicate incentives clearly and accurately.

Solar Energy Industries Association: Solar Bill of Rights

Heat Seeking Energy Saver

November is here and in much of the northern hemisphere, that means cold temperatures‎ and high heating bills. One simple way to help reduce these bills is to find and seal air leaks. Hiding around doors, windows and even electrical outlets, the average house has enough leaks and drafts to equal a 1-sq foot hole. According to Energy Star, sealing your home could result in savings of up to 20%.

You cannot seal the leaks until you find them. Black and Decker has a gizmo that helps you do just that, the Thermal Leak Detector. It emits a light that changes color when it detects a spot that is not the ambient temp. The light turns red to indicate a hot spot and blue for cold, making it easy to find hidden leaks.

The included booklet shows easy ways to seal and insulate your home.



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October 2009 EV & PV Report

October's yield of electricity from our solar photovoltaic system was 228kWh. October last year was slightly more sunny at 250kWh.

Our total generation for the year is up to 3581kWh and our total since the November 2007 power-on to 7542kWh.

My electric vehicle driving for October logged 510 miles using an estimated 360kWh.

Year to date, EV driving has used ~2,689kWh. This is less than the 3581kWh that the PV system has generated. Drivin' on Sunshine.