The Solar Drop @ GoGreenSolar.com

prices for LED bulbs dropping like a rock

2009-07-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Your electric bills are raising on the other hand the prices of LED bulbs such as the EarthLED ZetaLux and EvoLux are falling. EarthLED has made bold price reductions to make LED light bulbs make more financial sense for you. The price of the ZetaLux has dropped down $10 dollars, now costs $39.99 and the EvoLux has dropped down $30 dollars to only $49.99 LED light bulbs have an extremely long lifetime, most will last over 10 years since they are solid state technology.

A typical LED bulb would break even in two years when you factor in the incandescent bulb replacement cost and energy savings, if your cost for electricity is 10 cents per kWh (kilowatt-hour) I think EarthLED is making some game changing moves to accelerate the adoption of high efficiency light bulbs, this is great news for customers because now you will even break even faster as the price of LED bulbs continue to reduce.

stopping solar panel theft dead in it's tracks

2009-07-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

Solar panel theft is a growing problem in the solar power industry. This is a problem is currently being addressed through lockable clamps that hold solar panels down to rails, although thieves can still cut through with the right tools. Lockable clamps are just one line of defense you can use to protect your investment.

Gridlock Solar Security, a start up company is taking solar panel theft deterrent to the next level by using electronic technology. The company is producing a wiring system that would be installed on your solar panels, if the solar panels were removed without authority, bright lights and sirens would go off. Also the system would send out an alert to your cell phone and even call the law enforcement. All this protection at the cost of 1% of your solar electric system.

I think this is a pretty neat solution to a problem that is quite new, people want to steal solar panels more than ever. And this is great time for companies to create solutions that are going to make the process of going solar less risky for the customer. What do you think?

Sanyo N Series Complete Systems

2009-07-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let you know that we now have complete solar electric systems with the brand new Sanyo HIT 215N high efficiency solar panels. The complete solar electric systems with Sanyo HIT 215N solar panels generate even more watts per square foot and cost less than the older Sanyo HIT 200BA19 solar panels which are being phased out.

The great aspect of purchasing a complete system versus sourcing all the parts yourself is that these packages are permit-ready and include an installation manual, very useful for people who are installing solar panels for the first time. Residental solar electric systems traditonally require design, drawing out single line diagrams, and buying all the little parts that make up a solar electric system. With pre-package solutions it's much easier to get started with solar power since every compotent you need comes in a kit.

QuantaSol breaks efficiency record

2009-07-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

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At the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition QuantaSol announced their world record breaking solar cell that is 28.3% efficient. Founded as a spin off from Imperial College in London, the company started in 2007 to focus in commercializing the solar technology developed at the university.

QuantaSol not only claims they have developed the most efficient solar cell on the market but they say the manufacturing process is an ease. The company's secrete sauce to their highly efficient solar cells is the nanotechnology behind their products.

This is good news for mass market customers because the trend of the solar industry is more highly efficient at lower costs, this is the perfect recipe for solar power to go mainstream, wouldn't you agree?

SMA Sunny Tower Inverter System

2009-07-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

SMA is well known for residential grid tie inverters, but how about commercial solar electric systems that need larger inverter capacity? Meet the SMA Sunny Tower, offered in a 36kW or 42kW models the Sunny Tower groups 6 inverters into a single tower enabling the grid tie inverters to handle commercial scale applications.

The advantage of using a Sunny Tower in a commercial application versus one central inverter is the increased reliability since multiple SMA inverters are linked together to increase capacity. Therefore if one inverter goes down in the Sunny Tower the entire solar electric system does not fail.

The unique design of the Sunny Tower requires less installation space which is a big plus when you encounter a project site with limited space to install the inverter. SMA claims the Sunny Tower offers the lowest cost per watt for a commercial solar grid tie inverter solution. What do you think about the Sunny Tower?

a new Declaration of Independence

2009-07-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, 1776 our great nation declared Independence from England, this day marked a significant shift in world history. One of the most famous phrases in the Declaration of Independence was "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", which is a phrase honored by many countries around the world.

To this day Americans, continue to protect to live life protecting the values set by the founding fathers, "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". Although today we face another challenge that can disrupt the way we enjoy our freedom.

When gas prices go up, people start to cut back on the things they enjoy to do, they cut back on their freedom. Energy has a python like grip around our lifestyle, we make adjustments in our lives based on the cost of energy. Wouldn't you agree the people who supply our energy are controlling our freedom?

Today, we aren't fighting for freedom from England but we're fighting multinational corporations for Energy Independence. Let's face it, as a country we're addicted to energy and we depend on the hand that feeds us energy everyday. It's time we write a " Declaration of Energy Independence", a vision that preserves our right to purse Life, Liberty and Happiness by empowering you to control your own energy destiny through solar energy, wind power and renewable fuels.

Happy 4th of July!

printable batteries, wave of the future?

2009-07-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

The Fraunhofer Research Institution in Germany is developing the next generation battery, currently batteries are heavy and depending on their capacity can be very large and not portable. Similar to silk printing, the new battery technology being developed can be printed which is revolutionary in terms of battery manufacturing.

The battery shown in the picture above is not only small, thin but weighs only 11.5 grams and can produce up to 1.5 volts, which is unlike any battery on the market. Since the battery can be printed, the manufacturing costs are intended to be very low thus reducing the cost for batteries to customers. I'm glad to hear about advancements in battery technology because I think battery technology is not good enough yet, there is a lot of room for improvements with batteries. What do you think about printable batteries?

why do UMG solar panels have a lower cost per watt?

2009-07-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

UMG (Upgraded Metallurgical Grade) Silicon based solar panels have been debated because they use a lower grade Silicon to reduce the cost per watt for solar power to the end customer. Canadian Solar Incorporated (CSI) is a company that has changed the game by introducing UMG Silicon solar panel on a large scale into the solar panel market. The primary reason solar power has not reached grid parity yet is because pure silicon prices very high and UMG silicon based solar panels are more competitive to coal based generation because of the lower cost.

UMG Silicon is 95% pure compared to high grade silicon which is 99% pure. Solar cells only need a silicon purity of 95% to produce energy, therefore CSI blended UMG with pure silicon to create a lower cost solar panels. Although many people argue that these newer lower cost solar panels are unproven in the field, and it's a point well taken. On the other hand, CSI is offering 25 year performance warranties on UMG based solar panels. What do you think about low cost solar panels that use UMG Silicon? Do you think they will be as reliable as solar panels that are pure silicon?

should you build your own solar panel?

2009-07-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

This week many people have been asking me if they should "build their own solar panels". There are quite a few eBooks and videos being sold online give you step by step instructions on how to find solar cells and turn them into solar panels in your garage. This is my two cents on if you should make your own solar panels or not.

it would make a fun experiment, for educational purposes
don't expect too much power output in which you could power your entire house with homemade solar panels
they have a higher risk catching on fire than factory made solar panels
You typically can't grid tie homemade solar panels because they don't have a UL mark. Most utility companies won't allow you to grid tie unlisted product.

If you're looking for a fun educational weekend project that results in you making a solar panel to charge a battery then that is what should expecting purchasing a "make your own solar panel" resource. Although if your looking to generate serious power with reliable and safe solar panels I would highly recommend purchasing a high quality factory made solar panel. What do you think about the concept of making your own solar panels?

meet the air breeze land

2009-06-30T23:16:00.001-07:00

Are you looking to "just get started" with wind power without having to invest tens of thousands of dollars? Well the air breeze land maybe the perfect product for you, with it's low price point $699, the 200 watt small scale wind turbine has a built in charge regulator to protect your battery bank from being overcharged. You would also need to buy a tower to mount the Air Breeze and an inverter to turn the DC power generated from the Air Breeze Land into AC power used by most our electrical devices. For a couple thousand dollars you can get a nice small battery based system to provide backup power for emergencies.

Many people use the Air Breeze as an educational project since its a inexpensive way to learn more about wind power technology. I think this would make a great learning unit at grade schools across to U.S. to expose more children to the science behind renewable energy, what do you think about the Air Breeze by Southwest Windpower?

obama understands lighting efficiency

2009-06-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

"I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and businesses" - President Obama

Standing next to Steven Chu, Energy Secretary Obama stressed the importance of energy efficiency today. New energy efficiency standards the President announced will result in 4 billion dollars in savings annually between 2012 and 2042.

To make this happen Obama has accelerated the disbursements of the 346 million dollars in economic stimulus money set aside for energy efficiency for commercial buildings. This is great news for LED light bulbs since the technology will greatly benefit from the White House's support.

I think with new lighting standards, LED light bulbs will become more affordable through economies of scale. It's always more cost effective to produce and then produce clean energy, this is a great investment in our future since we are a society of energy wasters, wouldn't you agree?

solar panels manufactured by bpsolar catches fire

2009-06-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

I've heard a few cases about bpsolar panels catching on fire on rooftops, today we add another story to the book. Recently, a bpsolar panel caught on fire in Germany on top of a warehouse. The faulty equipment was provided by BPSolar about 5 years ago and the owner of the building says the fire started in the middle of the solar panel array and spread to the wooden beams of the building according to the UK TimesOnline.

BPSolar and independent third parties have launched investigations behind the cause of the fire. A few years back, BPSolar made changes to their solar panels by replacing the junction box since it was overheating.

I wanted to let you know about case about the bpsolar panel catching on fire not make you think that solar panels are unsafe but to point out some brands of solar panels have a better track record than others. In my opinion, studying the history of bpsolar panels they are not the best manufacturer in the market compared to others that have a sucessful track record to performance and saftey. What do you think about BPSolar panels?

making sure your solar power system is running right

2009-06-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Many times dirt on your solar panels or shading can reduce the power output of your solar electric system, not achieving your maximum potential could result in many lost kWh (kilowatt-hours) every year. IBC Solar has developed the "SolControl" which is a device that compares your solar electric system's power harvest to current weather data.

The SolControl basic has built in sensors which collects the weather data and then determines how much power your solar electric system should be producing under the given weather conditions. If the solar electric system is not achieving the maximum power yield then the system owner is remotely notified, who can check and fix the problem.

The SolControl can be used with any inverter and is offered in three different models which accommodate different sized solar panel arrays. This is a great tool for solar electric system owners who want to make sure hey squeeze every drop out of their solar panels. What do you think about the SolControl?

sunway's sleek frameless solar panel

2009-06-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

Sunways is a solar panel manufacturer we don't hear much of over here in the U.S. although the company is a well known supplier of solar panels across the pond in Europe. What caught my eye is their SM215L model, which is a sleek black frameless monocrystalline solar panel that closely resembles the sought after frameless FirstSolar thin film solar panel. The increased aesthetic appeal of Sunway's SM215L allows the solar panel to be used in the most challenging architectural applications.

The company gives the solar panel a "OutputPlus+" rating which claims that the actual electrical output in real world conditions is higher then what is rated by the manufacturer. I think sleek black solar panels are great for residential applications, many times aesthetics is a huge decision making factor when people are buying solar panels for their homes. Typically on commercial buildings with flat roofs, aesthetics is less of a concern. What do you think about frameless solar panels?

LEDs vs. Incandescents, round one.

2009-06-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

We were at the ecotuesday event in Santa Monica this week and people mentioned their curiosity about LED lighting. One member at the event even said he replaced a bulb in his home with an LED light bulb and said he loves it but also mentioned it "costs too much." Is that really true? Do LED bulbs really cost more than Incandescents, well let's find out. Below is a table we put together that shows a head to head comparison between a LED and Incandescent bulbs.

	LED	Incandescent
Lifespan	50,000 hours	1,200 Hours
watts used	7	60
kWh consumed per year	20	175
costs per kWh	$0.10	$0.10
total annual operating costs	$2.00	$17.50
cost for bulb	$49.99	$1.50
replacement costs over 10 years	$0.00	$36.50
total investment over 10 years	$69.99	$213.00

Comparing the LED with an Incandescent bulb over a 10 year period, it's quite easy to see that LED bulbs are the more cost effecitve method to go with. Would you agree with our calculations? Do you think LED bulbs a good investment for the future?

Mitsubishi Solar develops organic solar panels

2009-06-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Mitsubishi Solar partnered up with a couple agencies to develop a highly integrated organic photovoltaic solar panels that can be implemented into windows, walls, cloths, textiles, outdoor equipment and even toys. Typically traditional silicon based solar panels are difficult to implement in areas that need flexibility since silicon solar panels and are rigid and somewhat fragile.

Traditionally organic solar cells are associated with low efficiencies although Mitsubishi Solar and their development partners claim they have solved the efficiency issues with organic solar panels by developing a unique manufacturing process that uses lasers to make the solar panel. The process creates a highly integrated organic solar panel that increases efficiency significantly.

What do you think about organic solar panels?

Sanyo vs. SunPower, who's better?

2009-06-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

I talk to a lot of people about solar panels and I've noticed there is a common misconception about "the king of solar panels". Obviously when comparing solar panels, some solar panels are more efficient then others, this is where the comparison comes into play, which solar panel generates the most watts per square foot? Many people claim that SunPower is the most highly efficient solar panel on the market, but I would tend to disagree because I've seen head to head comparisons in which Sanyo solar panels outperform SunPower.

One reason Sanyo's generate more kWh (kilowatt-hours) on an annual basis than competitor solar panels is because they are a hybrid solar panel, they are composed of amorphous silicon and polycrystalline which gives them a higher temperature coefficient.

The hotter the ambient temperatures become the less efficient solar panels become, although since Sanyo solar panels have a higher temperature coefficient, when temperatures are 70 degrees and higher they will produce 10% more energy than other solar panels on the market. SunWize conducted a great study comparing a Sanyo 215 watt solar panel to a SunPower 225 watt solar panel, even though the Sanyo is outnumbered by 10 watts by the SunPower, it still generates more energy. What do you think?

california's title 24 is now solar panel friendly

2009-06-22T21:58:00.000-07:00

Title 24 is a California building code that sets standards for energy efficiency for new building construction. The standards were founded in 1978 in effort to reduce California's heavy energy consumption. The Title 24 code is updated often to ensure it's up to date with the newest energy efficiency technologies. Today a Title 24 provision was made in favor of solar panels. If your building is not passing title 24 code in some areas, solar panels can now be used to offset areas that do not meet title 24 code requirements.

This new provision is a big plus for solar power, because there are many new construction projects that are stuck in the process because they don't meet energy efficiency code requirements. Solar panels can add weight to ensure buildings pass, this will increase the demand for solar panels in California. Wouldn't you agree?

solar power as an investment

2009-06-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Edward Simburger, an electrical engineer and owner of a grid tie solar electric system on his home published a research paper called, “Residential Photovoltaics; An Investment Vehicle for Retiree’s II” which answers the question if solar power should be part of everyone's investment portfolio.

In his paper, Edward compares an investment in a solar electric system to financial indexes and concludes that in investment in photovoltaics provides a better return since it's low risk and has built in inflation protection.

Edward collected the data for the solar electric system from the system installed on his own home in California. As electric rates continue to increase the rate of return on a solar electric system also increases. With rebates, tax credits and other incentives given by local, state and federal governments, today solar power is a much safer investment than the stock market, wouldn't you agree?

is Michigan reinventing itself?

2009-06-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Wayne State University's engineering technology department recently installed a vertical axis wind turbine called "The Franklin" manufactured by Franklin Wind Energy Group based in Michigan. A vertical axis wind turbine can generate power from low wind speeds from any direction, does not vibrate, and operates very quietly. The special vertical design of The Franklin allows wind turbines like this to be installed in urban settings.

The Franklin at Wayne State is connected to a battery bank and can generate enough power to supply the computer lab in the engineering technology department. The Franklin is installed on the rooftop and mounted on a tower that elevates the wind turbine 30 feet above the building. University researchers will evaluate the performance and work closely with Franklin Wind Energy Group to provide feedback to improve the wind turbine design, this installation on the campus officially kicks off renewable energy research & development at Wayne State.

The Franklin will be used as a learning tool and students will be encouraged to create innovative designs for wind energy systems by evaluating the performance of The Franklin. This story highlights a great trend taking place in Michigan, its great to hear when a University and a local manufacturer team up to reinvent Michigan into a "green energy technology" hub. What do you think about The Franklin vertical axis wind turbine?

a free guide to solar pv design and installation

2009-06-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

I thought sharing the guide to solar photovoltaic design and installation manual published by the California Energy Commission (CEC) would be helpful to you to understand the details behind solar electric systems. The guide does a good job starting from the basics and even includes example single line diagrams of how a solar electric system would interface with a home.

Towards the end of the PDF file there is a nice table that helps you determine the optimal wire size needed to minimize voltage drop. I figured since many people call us that want to learn all the details about solar power, this would be a good starting point. What do you think about the free guide to photovoltaic design and installation by the CEC?

texas school gets a 1kW solar power system

2009-06-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

Minshew Elementary School in Texas recently got a free 1 kW (kilowatt) solar electric system to offset a small percentage of the school's electric bill. TXU, a local utility donated the system to the school mainly for educational purposes. The grid tie inverter on the system includes web-monitoring capabilities through fat spaniel so teachers, students, parents can all monitor through the school's website how much electricity the 6 solar panel system is contributing to the grid in real time.

Teachers at the school are being trained on how to use the solar power system as a tool to educate students on the science behind photovoltaics. TXU plans to give away more solar electric systems to schools, under a program they call "Solar Academy", the utilities' push to help younger generations realize the importance of conservation and energy of the future. It's quite shocking that a utility would support this kind of initiative, wouldn't you think so?

Seattle buys into LED street lighting

2009-06-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

Seattle announced that they would be switching to LED streetlights by investing 6 million dollar of federal stimulus money into replacing 40,000 HPS (high pressure sodium) streetlights to high effiencey LEDs. It's estimated that the transition to LED streetlight s will take between 4 to 6 years.

The mayor of Seattle, understands that LED streetlights don't get as hot as HPS light bulbs. Heat is a key indicator of energy loss. LED streetlights not only save the city on energy costs but also last up to 10 years longer than standard HPS streetlights which reduces annual maintenance costs.

If more cities across the US invest in LED streetlights not only would it generate millions of negawatts (negative watts) but it would make LED lights more affordable since the manufacturing volume would increase. What do you think about LED Streetlights? Is your city considering replacing old HPS lamps to LED Streetlights?

on demand solar power

2009-06-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Sunpods is a company based in Northern California that is simplifying the solar panel installation process through "pre-fabrication". What different from solar power kits that typically come in multiple parts and as assembled at the project site, Sunpods are ready to power on delivery since they come assembled from the manufacturing plant. Once the Sunpod arrives at your location, all you need is a electrician to plug hook up the grid tie inverter to the grid.

The "plug n play" design of the Sunpods reduces the needs of site-preparation, engineering and installation. The simple installation process of the Sunpods reduces labor costs and time to commission projects from days to just hours. Sunpods are available in many configurations including ground mounted, roof mounted, battery based, grid tied or even systems made specifically to charge electric vehicles.

What do you think about the Sunpod? Will we see more pre-built solar power solutions in the future?

Honeywell wind power system for your home

2009-06-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

When I was at the Go Green Expo in downtown Los Angeles earlier this year, one of the most interesting products I saw at the expo was the Earthtronics Honeywell Wind turbine. When I visited their booth, they had limited information about the product and just a picture of the unique looking wind turbine. Recently the company released more information about their product including a short video of how it works.

The radial design (that looks like a bicycle wheel) of the wind turbine can start generating electricity at 2mph! That opens up the market for small scale wind turbines to the majority of North America with lower average wind speeds.

The Honeywell wind turbine is a complete kit, it includes a "smart box", grid tie inverter, and an interconnection switch to connect the wind turbine to the electrical service panel. The wind power system has the ability to produce up to 2,000 kWh (kilowatt-hours) on an annual basis. The MSRP is $4,500, that's before the financial incentives given to you by the state and federal governments. This product is designed as a low upfront investment for homeowners, would you put up a small wind turbine to offset your electric bills?