Solar Max Advantage

Wind turbines near Deming, New Mexico

2010-08-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

The photo below shows that someone seems to be testing a variety of different types of wind-power generation equipment--both the traditional western windmill blade style as well as the more modern types of turbine fans. This shot was taken near Deming, New Mexico.

Solar Installations Near Denver, Colorado

2010-08-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

The following two photos show the large photovoltaic array in front of the Denver International Airport. It's an impressive sight for arriving and departing travelers to see--a reminder about how available and accessible solar power really is!The following two photos are from a housing area near Longmont, Colorado. Not sure whether the panel installation is for the neighborhood or for just one

Windmills on the Tehachapi Pass, California

2010-06-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

After enjoying a weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada (a place that should be the home to SOLAR POWER!), we drove back to our Northern California home through the Tehachapi Pass Windmill farm -- and I had to stop and get a picture of some of the large wind turbines perched on the ridge of one of the hills by the road. We got there late, so I didn't have much sunlight to help with getting a picture (but

Watching Energy on Facebook!

2010-05-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

If you are on Facebook, you can follow Tesla Motors and get the latest news from them as it develops. Lately, they've been showing enterprising folks using photovoltaic solar panels to cover the carport in which they park their Tesla roadster. They use the solar panels to recharge their car while it's parked. This is truly a great way to get oil out of the picture. Check out their site on

Tesla and NUMMI - New Manufacturing! Great News!

2010-05-20T22:36:00.000-07:00

News just came in that the old GM-Toyota NUMMI plant in Fremont, California, will be reopening as a manufacturing plant for Tesla Motors to produce the electric cars. Tesla is inspiring potential buyers around the world with demonstrations of their cars. In more ways than one--this is GREAT news! Not only will these non-oil-burning cars be made in higher numbers and with great efficiency (the

Solar Wine! (No, It's Not Like Solar Tea!)

2010-04-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

We recently toured Napa Valley during a relatively sunny weekend. And I was impressed with the amount of alternate energy being used there. One vineyard and winery in particular caught my attention. Their solar array in the back of their winery was impressive (I don't drink -- can't for certain medical reasons. But I do enjoy sightseeing, photography, and investigating alternate energy

Retrofitting Factories, Retraining Workers - Why Not? Saves the Economy and Many Other Things!

2009-09-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Toyota Motor Company has decided to close its New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) Factory in Fremont, California, next year in March. This will put 4700 workers at the NUMMI plant on the streets without a job and the ripples from this will also zap 1000+ other companies that supply parts for the facility.California officials had offered all sorts of financial incentives for the plant

Oil Prices Heading Up Again? Car Manufacturers Get Bailout? Affect on Alternate Energy?

2009-08-19T12:50:00.001-07:00

Well, you may have noticed that oil prices are going up again (after the nice drop back in October, November, and December of last year)... and, since the Feds (in the U.S.) have given bail-outs to the banks and the automotive manufacturers, they are still pushing the gas-guzzling monsters. Maybe oil prices have to exceed $90/barrel before the screaming and fussing will cause more interest in

Great Listing of Alternate Energy Jobs!

2009-08-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting here regularly lately ... sorry about that. Been keeping busy with editing/writing jobs (that is what my real job is--I am a technical editor/writer for high-tech companies and clients).Anyway, I found a website that posted a cool list of alternate energy jobs: http://www.mywindpowersystem.com/2009/05/a-guide-to-renewable-energy-jobs-a-look-at-the-wind-power-industry/If you

Windpower Gaining Interest on Guam!

2009-07-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting YouTube Video of a Wind Generator installed at a home on the Western Pacific island of Guam. Note that the speakers also mention the solar water heater! What a great way to save on power bills! (Also, since the power frequently goes out on Guam due to all sorts of factors--with sometimes the blame going to the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis -- having your own source

Upcoming PV Conference in San Francisco - July 14, 2009

2009-06-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

"The Solar Future; A realistic approach to California's PV market opportunities" conference in will be held in San Francisco, California in a few weeks on July 14, 2009--during the same week as the "Intersolar North America" conference. Experts from the field will discuss barriers to market entry, incentives schemes and their practical experiences.Guest speakers include: Sue Kateley; Executive

2009-05-27T00:12:00.000-07:00

This is a wind turbine generator we saw in Deming, New Mexico just off the freeway at a rest stop. Interesting contraption. Inspirational to see how it had been erected and tied down. And it was fun thinking of other possibilities for a device like this in other places around the world. Note that unlike most of the other wind power generators, this device has only two blades opposite each other

Mini Wind Generator for Charging Your Portable Devices!

2009-05-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

Just saw this come over the "wires"... A miniature wind generator for charging your portable devices. Interesting. I can see it being used when out driving and your cell phone is starting to die and you haven't brought your car-charger. Just hold this thing out the window as you're driving (have your passenger do it, you shouldn't be doing this yourself as you drive). HYMini claims that you can

The only hybrid vessel in the United States?

2009-05-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I did some digging and got some more information about that interesting "Hybrid Boat" I saw when I was walking along the piers in San Francisco. Here are some more specifics:Previously used as a commercial diving boat, the Hornblower Hybrid is a 64ft catamaran with a fully-enclosed main deck and a covered roof deck. The boat, which has a capacity of 149

Hybrid Boats? Yup, They're Out There!

2009-04-30T21:21:00.001-07:00

While wandering around the piers in San Francisco the other day I came across a boat that sported the label "Hybrid"... Of course, I had to take a closer look and perhaps get a picture or two of this interesting contraption. I'm not sure what aspect of the boat was "hybridized"--Were the wind-generators on the top deck powering the whole ship or providing only electricity for charging the

Inside Workings of an Electric Vehicle

2009-04-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wondered what the innards of an electric vehicle (non-hybrid) looked like, here's a view. Pictured under the raised bed of this Xebra Zaptruck pickup is the bank of 6 lithium batteries; the QuiQ HF/PFC Battery Charger from Delta-q Technologies in Burnaby, BC, Canada; the electric motor (next to the spare tire); and the DC Motor Controller. The batteries are connected in serial

Windmills on Altamont Pass, California

2009-04-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Now these are the huge windmills that generate lots of electricity to be fed into the power grid. Can you imagine if parking lots had windpower generating units in addition to photovoltaic panels on the light poles with plug-in outlets at the bases of the light poles (or at the tire-stops for each designated parking space)? You could drive plug-in-hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) and not only

Solar Water/Air Heating Facility Schematic

2009-04-15T10:43:00.001-07:00

This is a schematic for a solar water/air heating facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico. I had a tour of this facility when I was working as a writer/photographer for the local daily newspaper. The interior of the actual facility is shown below..

Santa Barbara, California, Dedicates Their Solar Power System Today, March 11, 2009

2009-03-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara, California, dedicates their solar power system today, March 11, 2009 with a ceremony and educational tour from 2:00pm through 3:00pm in the David Gebhard Meeting Room, at 630 Garden Street.Santa Barbara's City Corporate Yard solar system can produce 550,000 kWh of energy per year, effectively offsetting 421,466 lbs, or 191 metric tons, of carbon dioxide emissions. Similarly equal

Oil? What Oil? Crisis? What Crisis? How about a NEW GAME?

2009-03-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

It's a game of supply and demand. And sometimes, like when playing poker, you have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. (Or pack up your game, and just go home; or create a new game with new rules!) Depending on who you talk to, we're facing an oil crisis. Or, maybe we aren't. We're facing an environmental crisis. Maybe we aren't. Go figure. Maybe we should ignore all the

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Motorcycle ...

2009-03-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

Two engineering students at Swarthmore College, in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania have come up with a hydrogen fuel-cell powered motorcycle. The "frankencycle" is described on their college's web site (along with photos). Awesome. Seems that some colleges and some folks are still working on new ways to work with energy--alternatives to dependencies on oil..

Upcoming Solar and Alternate Energy Events/Conferences

2009-02-20T21:12:00.000-08:00

Organic Photovoltaics 2009April 27-29, 2009Philadelphia, PA IntertechPira Tel: 207-781-9618 Email: brian.santos@pira-international.comPhotovoltaics Summit 2009June 1-3, 2009San Francisco, CA IntertechPira Tel: 207 781 9637 Email: sheri.bonnell@pira-international.com Concentrating Solar Thermal Power 2009June 4-5, 2009San Francisco, CA IntertechPira Tel: 207-781-9618Email: brian.santos@

More Alternate Energy News Coming from India

2009-02-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

Using Solar Reflective Concentrator for CookingSu, KerenBuy at AllPosters.comThe Times of India had an article that the India Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has expanded its Village Energy Security Project (VESP) to deploy solar devices to meet the energy needs for cooking, electricity, and transportation power through solar, renewable energy technologies, and biomass conversion

Alternate Energy and Environmental Alternatives Seen in India

2009-02-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

It was announced a while back that Toyota was planning on having solar panels on the roof of their 2010 model Prius. I got excited to hear that--until I heard that the panels were to power a "fan to cool the interior when parked on sunny days".Good grief. Hot interiors of cars have been with us since the creation of enclosed passenger compartments. We've learned to live with it. You know...

Silica or non-Silica, Photovoltaic or Non-Photovoltaic? The Sun Still WORKS!

2009-02-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

The sun works! We've got proof of that. Virtually EVERY source of energy on earth (except perhaps nuclear and geothermal) has its origins somehow related to the effect of the star in the center of our SOLAR system. This STAR is otherwise known as the SUN...So, those of us looking for alternate energy (other than oil, that is) don't have to be wrapped up in just the Photovoltaic (PV) electricity