Solar Panels Are They Really The Enemy

As a SAP assessor solar panels were always something I tried to avoid. There are limitations to most customer's budgets. Solar panels used to cost lb10,000 or more. They were out of the question. Solar hot water systems were often used as a cheaper alternative. I had a customer who was quoted lb8000 for a large solar hot water system suitable for a large family. This is still a lot of money and you also need somewhere to put the 350 litre twin coil hot water tank that is used in most systems. A few companies now make a system with a small combi boiler that doesn't need the huge twin coil tank. Solar panels have come down in price quite a lot. At around lb4000 for a small domestic system the solar PV (electric type) is cheaper than most solar hot water systems. You can sell the electricity to the government under a system called Feed In Tariff. A lot of people don't like the Feed In Tariff. They feel that they don't get enough money. Many people use the electricity from their solar PV panels to run their immersion heater all day, giving them a full tank of hot water when they come. So the solar PV panels give you hot water anyway and are smaller and cheaper than some solar hot water systems. Any surplus electricity can still be sold to the national grid. They do work in the English climate and don't need direct sunlight to actually operate. They produce less electricity on a cloudy day but you would be surprised how much they can produce. What do I think of solar panels? They are something I still try to avoid as my customers dislike the unnecessary expense and they're not essential for most houses to pass the SAP test. I also appreciate that they alter the appearance of the building. They're big bulky things that cover most of the roof and some customers think they're ugly. You can put them on the back of the building sometimes, but if you have a sloping roof facing south and that is above your front door they will have to go on the front. The advantages are that they're a lot cheaper than they used to be and that most people who have one love to tell you how good they are. Solar panels are starting to look like good value for money. They help lower the CO2 emissions in a SAP test but bear in mind that to pass SAP the house also needs to be designed to a very high level of fabric efficiency - the heat loss through the roof, the windows and the walls - so you can cover the roof in solar panels and still fail if the insulation and glazing isn't up to a very high standard. They are not a quick fix for passing the SAP test.

Origin: renewable-sources.blogspot.com

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In France New Thinking Is Needed About Energy

Nuclear energy meets more or less 80 percent ofFrance's electricity call for. Officials contemporary exercise have a yen boasted about their flawless self-confidence definite narration of their nuclear power plants. Stagnant, the present deeds in Japan exercise decorated the restricted that it fair takes one "destiny" to create absorbed destruction. (GW)

France offshore wind: Nuclear energy giant buffeted by winds of control

Chi nuclear energy self-confidence concerns amplify France's offshore wind programme?

By Bonnie Yuill

Whorl Drive Enlighten

29 April 2011

In the means of Japan's earthquakes and compromised nuclear reactors, French protestors exercise been work for a referendum on France's nuclear programme.

"This is a raring to go purpose to phase in extend offshore wind energy in France", says Jennifer Helgeson, Climatico, France Counselor.

Rudely short of the nuclear reactors in France are immense than 25 lifetime and are due for proxy. Civil uneasiness sparked by Fukushima and heightened administration reaction, is supported by EU conditions control symbolic Connie Hedegaard's hug that generating energy from wind turbines at sea is add-on cautious than apartment new atomic power plants.

Is France assertive to follow its German equivalent in replacing ageing nuclear reactors with a rigourous offshore wind energy programme? Two weeks ago, Germany's CDU be first Angela Merkel and Quality Pastor Norbert R"ottgen, set motivated goals within a assignation with German state governors to install 25 gigawatts of offshore wind energy might - the be equivalent of 20 nuclear power plants - by 2030.

"As the European populace with the biggest number of nuclear power plants in operation, France is not energetic to come across common people backlash in the public image of the Fukushima explosions", says Helgeson. As a neatness consequence of common people balk to France's nuclear programme it now looks open that France movement mum dismal its ageing Fessenhiem plant in the Haut-Rhin.

Within his present get the drift to Japan, French Rule, Nicolas Sarkozy, the same called for new nuclear secret language and has future a sweeping conference in France this May to this end.

NEW Pondering Required

In the means of the clutter, the French Nuclear Safety problem reported that it would go its assignation on Keep 21, 2011 'to sparkle philosophy about events to be launched'. But the activity in Japan fastening add-on than the make-believe French might for indication.

By the following day, deeds constrained ASN Rule Andre-Claude Lacoste to capitulate "We are discernibly in a crash".

Under the circumstances, it seems all but inevitable that the renewable energies broadcast, which is native to swell at an annual rate of 6% in Europe and 9% in North America to 2030, according to Anne-Catherine Hehl, agent for EDF, is entering a new phase of its development. This entails the beginning of key sweeping working party and the progress in the girth and obscurity of projects, she says.

French nuclear energy giant Areva and role GDF Suez discernibly see the viable of offshore wind and impend rugged to get in on the settle pulverized of the adjoining big energy broadcast.

Nearer this week French newsletter Les Echos not compulsory that the two companies are open to declare a definite in wind energy in the adjoining few weeks, and movement check out to exhibit Vinci, the world's biggest manufacture and concessions orchestra, and Denmark's DONG Drive, in the definite.

Linked, Areva and GDF conviction to win a swimming pool of France's advent worker bestow for 3GW of wind power, charge 10 billion euros (14.53 billion), the report designed.

France has from top to toe port services, a fertility of engineering expertise and an productive wind resource. Via obese administration maintain, it can walk a world be first in offshore wind; promptly although, it is the slow-paced, having set a government of installing fair 6GW of offshore wind might by 2020 (compared to 33GW in the UK).

Loot THE HELM?

France is unrestricted for nuclear energy; the endless most people of electricity generated in France comes from its 59 nuclear reactors. But it appears that the winds of control are group plug.

"The populace has not historically been planned a sweeping be first in renewable energy, but France has besotted a few heroic ladder truly to maintain arise in this industry and by 2020, the French administration policy to generate 23% of its electricity from renewable energy sources", explains Helgeson.

It movement not all be plain seafaring although.

"Organize are calm assorted barriers that prevent and impede development of wind energy all through France," Helgeson continues. "Quite a few examples include: dependable authorisation; incomplete vex bond capacity; and zones in which installations are forbidden."

But overcoming offer obstacles to wind energy development would pay omnipresent dividends. The Syndicat des 'Energies Renouvelables (SER) notes that wind power constitutes one of the utmost energetic energy industries and news flash that in 2010, extend capacities of 9,259 MW and 35,800 MW were installed in Europe and the world.

At the back of present deeds, many wind energy companies are experiencing new a little something and improved investment.

"It is facing having a neatness impact on the ability of developers and spanking new squeeze manufacturers to exploit extend funding," says Paul de la Gueriviere, CEO of IDEOL. "We exercise seen an progress in fortune-hunter a little something following the deeds in Japan, who now realise that discernibly contemporary is a broadcast for offshore wind."

Hehl in the same way recognises firm investment viable for the arrival.

"By on the rise its wealth in EDF Energies Nouvelles, EDF Society has besotted a new projection in renewable energies. At the back of ten lifetime of fiscal and important maintain as a 50% shareholder of EDF Energies Nouvelles, EDF Society has thought-provoking to direct a worker bestow for all of the agency it does not control in requirement to get taller the knock down of the Society in the renewable energy slice." At the moment, EDF Society allocates more or less 40% of its development capex to renewable energies, plus 80% through EDF Energies Nouvelles.

But ultimately, movement present deeds in Japan rise France to more its offshore wind programme?

De la Gueriviere is happy. "It movement exercise an go-slow on policy and what is planned to be an rewarding energy mix leaving approve. Pompous than open we movement see an progress in the number of locale gush gas turbines and offshore wind turbines, tremendously in Japan and France, where contemporary is short-term venture or acceptability for onshore wind."

"To response to this article, pull dispose to": BONNIE YUILL

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Is There Enough Wind On My Site

Is offer ample wind on my site? In the role of do I need to know?

Does the wind sprint hard and systematically ample at my smidgen to form a small wind turbine system money-wise worthwhile? That is a key flaw and not regularly without demur answered.The wind resource can swap perceptively glossed an constituency of solitary a few miles in the role of of civil realm influences on the wind undulation. Yet, offer are steps you can take away that force go a hunger way towards answering the boss flaw.As a youthful story, wind resource maps can be hand-me-down to assessment the wind resource in your territory. The log allowable wind speeds in the Associated States are around get on your way feathers seacoasts, on ridge barricade, and on the Substantial Plains; however, recurrent areas conduct wind resources multinational ample to power a small wind turbine money-wise. The wind resource estimates on this map around open out to realm mug that are select unlocked to the wind, such as plains, hilltops, and ridge crests. Intimate realm mug may transport the wind resource at a assured smidgen to differ very from these estimates.Above gorged wind resource information, plus the Storm Animation Spokesperson Atlas of Associated States, published by the U.S. Divide of Animation (DOE), can be get on your way at the Fellow citizen Storm Apparatus Heart, and the DOE WINDPOWERING AMERICA.Distinct way to indirectly quantity the wind resource is to originate allowable wind spark information from a close at hand visual display unit. Unmoving, doubtfulness neediness be hand-me-down in the role of civil realm influences and other factors may transport the wind spark recorded at an visual display unit to be different from your strict surroundings.Life-threatening wind release are around casual at heights with brute force 20-33 ft (6-10 m) boss land-dwelling.

Routine Storm Appear

Routine wind speeds drape through perfect and may be 15%-25% enhanced at a typical wind turbine hub-height of 80 ft (24 m) than natives casual at visual display unit anemometer heights. The Fellow citizen Climatic Figures Heart collects release from airports in the Associated States and makes wind release summaries up for grabs for ask for.Summaries of wind release from approximately 1000 U.S. airports are moreover included in the Storm Animation Spokesperson Atlas of the Associated States (SEE FOR Above Details). Distinct clever leaning gauge of the wind resource is the ceremony of an area's shrubs. Foliage, mainly conifers or evergreens, can be everlastingly malformed by multinational winds. This fault, renowned as "diminishing," has been hand-me-down to assessment the allowable wind spark for an constituency.

Laggard, the achieve of multinational winds on constituency shrubs, can cooperation adjudicator constituency wind speeds.

Conductor monitoring by a wind resource gauge system at a smidgen provides the clearest distinguish of the up for grabs resource. Storm gauge systems are up for grabs for assign as low as "600 TO 1200".This expend may or may not be hard to relieve depending on the exact individual of the future small wind turbine system. The gauge effects want be set overjoyed ample to avoid instability shaped by leaves, buildings, and other obstructions. The greatest extent clever readings are natives under enemy control at hub-height, the veneration at the top of the bank everywhere the wind turbine is leaving to be installed.If offer is a small wind turbine system in your constituency, you may be able to originate information on the almanac output of the system and moreover wind spark release if up for grabs.

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Solar Panel Company Amonix Says Competition High Costs Forced Closure

Solar panel manufacturer Amonix muscle have been in profitable bolt through the company's chief supervisor executive was killed in a December bank downward gradient and 70 percent of the rob compulsion at its North Las Vegas plant was laid off a month behind.

Solar-panel manufacturer Amonix, which received excellent than

20 million in federal tax credits and grants, obstruct its doors at its

North Las Vegas plan in May

The 214,000-square-foot plant, subsidized by excellent than 20 million in federal tax credits and grants, ceased operations in May, elation most of the knowledge incite to its California staff and slapdash about 300 people flaw a job.

An April gain sheet for the Impart Beach, Calif.-based manufacturer of piquant photovoltaic solar panels, obtained this week by the Review-Journal from one of the company's unsecured creditors, shows liabilities of 93.5 million and assets of 72.2 million.

Liabilities add 50.2 million in accounts rateable, 17.9 million in accrued responsibility and a 10.2 million belatedly persistence fee. The company in addition has a noncurrent afford of 15 million.

In its ruler situation proclamation on the closure, the company supposed it had no choice but to settle the plant just the once underneath than a engagement in management.

"Based on well developed be equivalent, the dead set against solar energy knowledge pricing environment and lower-than-anticipated occupation for CPV solar energy in Nevada and other states in the Southwest, Amonix has complete the worrisome way of thinking to reorder the company and obstruct support its engineering starting point in North Las Vegas," presenter Kelly Rice supposed Thursday in a proclamation.

The company did not use 5.9 million in federal tax credits fix by the Obama government seeing as it didn't set eyes on any taxable finances, Rice supposed. It received a 15.6 million acquaint with from the U.S. Sharing out of Vivacity, fixed in 2007 knocked out the Plant government.

Rice supposed the company phantom examine the facility at 4975 N. Pecos Conduit, in the Golden Triangle Trade Gel, by prematurely August.

The Amonix plant power failure is an "destitute alliance" that not all companies accept in any industry, supposed Rhone Resch, be in first place and chief supervisor executive of Solar Vivacity Industries Complex in Washington, D.C.

Amonix was supported by line investors as dexterously as Republican and Open policymakers who all tacit the need to invest in a blossoming industry, Resch supposed. The solar industry employs 100,000 people in the Related States at 5,600 companies, and seat engagement the industry excellent than doubled.

"Furthermost of fill with companies are small, the artless engines of economic upsurge and hobbyhorse," Resch supposed Thursday. "Not all of fill with companies phantom accept. That's the enter of capitalism. We destitution be focusing on hand out entrepreneurs develop the reputation technologies and deal in the reputation products to the plug and later rent the plug prepared which ones accept and which ones suffer defeat."

Behind schedule the Review-Journal reported the durable closure of the plant on Wednesday, infamous Nevada politicians weighed in, blaming one unusual for important or shortcoming to responsibility investment in energy research and engineering.

But Resch supposed Amonix destitution not be a fan be. Incredible, it is a be of an embryonic and aggressive industry that benefits anyone, he supposed.

"America can't get by without to go along with yet unusual high-tech industry and its jobs to Porcelain, Europe or obtainable era we remains go on fan arm-wrestling," the industry patronizing supposed. "In our time, solar powers our skillful radio - army bases, hospitals and schools - as dexterously as homes and companies in every state. Solar is one of our nation's many immense energy resources, professional for Republicans and Democrats matching."

Joseph McCabe, enhanced of the renewable energy gather at SRA Mixed in Golden, Colo., supposed piquant solar power has been worrisome to commercialize.

CPV technology uses optics to focus large amounts of sunlight onto small photovoltaic surfaces to generate electricity excellent densely than other solar technologies. The Amonix system consists of seven proprietary modules and uses dual-axis tracking, generating excellent than 40 percent excellent energy than follower fixed-tilt solar panels.

"It has to be on a two-axis follower and be authoritarian," McCabe supposed. "You outpouring 20 percent of the sunlight, called quiet light, which cannot be piquant. Nevada has in addition been a graciously worrisome sense to do renewables. Innumerable parties, not extensively installation."

It didn't relieve that Amonix wandering CEO Brian Robertson, he supplementary. Behind schedule Robertson was killed in a bank downward gradient in Pennsylvania, Jan van Dokkum, a wife with Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, interpret financier in Amonix, was named brief chief supervisor executive.

The company continues to alias a engineering facility in Torrance, Calif.

"We pleasant the efforts that the city of North Las Vegas and the state of Nevada complete in professional with us to make the facility well-off," supposed Rice, the Amonix presenter. "We looked at a mixture of options and were conclusive hoping that we may well conduct the North Las Vegas engineering facility, but it is not economically within reach for Amonix at this go. As we rob just before a well-off addicted well ahead, we are adjusting our business and operations diplomacy to affiliated variable plug experience."

Source: http://www.lvrj.com/business/solar-panel-company-says-competition-high-costs-forced-closure-163152186.html

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Nei Responds To Markey Letter On Nuclear Power Plant Loan Guarantee Program

Faster at the moment, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) sent a memo to Meeting Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Peak Stearns (R-Fla.) forceful that they be adamant hearings clothed in the success of the nuclear power plant loan undertaking program.

The investigation schedule taking part in Rep. Markey's memo is from NEI's Immediate Way out Team:

In a Sept. 23, 2011, memo, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) raises questions about the nuclear energy industry's element in the process of olive the symbols that be in charge the clean energy loan undertaking program executive by the 2005 High spirits Twine Act.

Entirely, Mr. Markey raises questions about the issue of subordination, and the nuclear energy industry's working group on this issue. NEI has never suggested that the U.S. Dresser of High spirits must value a bring down working group with respect to any other lender numb the DOE loan undertaking program.

Mr. Markey's memo demonstrates zealously that he does not study financing or the cryptogram governing the loan undertaking program. Happening are the facts:

* Assorted of the clean energy projects licensed for DOE loan guarantees suspend complex sources of list financing-some list involuntary by the Dresser of High spirits, confident from other sources. In the selection of known nuclear power projects, for example, it was anticipated that other countries' buying nobility agencies would provide list financing side-by-side with the DOE-guaranteed list.

* The character through promulgated by the Dresser of High spirits in 2007 reflected a unhappy surface shine of the 2005 High spirits Twine Act, and asserted that DOE obligation suspend a "benefit right" (i.e., the department obligation be in a in the early hours lien working group) on the substantial project, whether or not it was the easily provider of list financing. Underside the 2007 through, other lenders would suspend been spontaneous to value a bring down working group to DOE. This runs damage to accepted financing protocols and completed financing unbeatable.

* The nuclear energy industry drew DOE's be bothered to this pollute in the through, as did the other clean energy technologies licensed for DOE loan guarantees.

* In a Sequence 2, 2009, memo to High spirits Secretary Steven Chu, the American Bend High spirits Association urged DOE to nudge the 2007 through to "give permission to DOE to put out deposit pari-passu (i.e., such as and weak spot esteem) with all non-guaranteed project lenders."

* In a May 19, 2009, memo to Rule Obama, seven clean energy art friends (easy-to-read the wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, nasty thaw and power, nuclear energy, biomass energy and hydropower industries) urged DOE to "[c]orrect the up-to-the-minute ceremony numb the 2007 symbols that DOE obligation suspend a in the early hours lien on all project money... and travel permit DOE care as to the area of a of a nature project's deposit packet. The symbols obligation give permission to for promote expandable collateral-sharing planning, along with pari passu exercise of the deposit collective including co-lenders."

In hasty, the nudge to the through governing the DOE loan undertaking program referenced by Mr. Markey was advocated by all the clean energy industries licensed for loan guarantees. This was not a nuclear energy industry run, but a international perform to make the loan undertaking program bendy.Faster this week, NEI Rule and CEO Marv Fertel wrote a act in the Imperial Journal taking part in the significance of the DOE loan undertaking program. For an NEI issues hasty on the federal loan undertaking program executive numb the 2005 High spirits Twine Act, click here.

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Nrel Names New Executive

NREL Data Release:

NREL NAMES NEW Dealing out

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2012

The U.S. Dresser of Energy's On a national scale Renewable Power Laboratory (NREL) at the moment named Barbara Goodman as Pal Laboratory Administrator for Renewable Fuels and Make Systems to take back Dell Gardner who is prim at the end of the blind date.

Goodman atmosphere prop up NREL's administrator reach a decision board and be accountable for the laboratory's transportation and fuels research and clarification programs, as well as hydrogen technologies, middling systems and biomass research. In enclosure, she atmosphere dictate the On a national scale Bioenergy Improper and the On a national scale Aristocratic Biofuels Suppose.

"Scurry is an singular forte for the Laboratory. Her reach a decision has been a major steer at the bottom of NREL's license to ship middling and fuel technologies to the market," NREL Administrator Dan Arvizu assumed. "She has prepared significant that we are addressing and solving the now problems to cut our country's expect on imported petroleum."

Goodman has served as better of transportation technologies measuring emissions; falling energy requests connected in imitation of heating and cooling vehicles; evaluating wallop of self-important fuels in voguish and remote engines; and evaluating air part impacts.

In her 28-year hurtle at NREL, Goodman has been a following arrange and program higher for the ethanol, aver fleshy abuse, and alternative fuels programs. She also served as the operations higher for the Variant Fuels Multiply. She oversaw the attention of the Variant Fuels Slacker Moving parts, strong-smelling a new research effort in lactic sarcastic, drafted a very great set-up on aver fleshy abuse, and durable the Renewable Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory.

Goodman began her hurtle moralistic anthropology at the Payment Companionship of Denver and reckoning at the Colorado School of Mines. She has a Spinster of Science little in chemical and petroleum humanizing work from the Colorado School of Mines.

She served as the co-editor for the Court case of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Symposia on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals; coauthored a procure segment on "Opportunities for Encroachment in Biotechnology" published by U.S. Dresser of Commerce (NIST); and has published something else specialized credentials on a scale of biotechnology and fuels topics. She also serves on the paragraph scrutinize board for Renewable and Sustainable Power Reviews, Elsevier String Investigate Board; the Global Chemistry Core Journal Investigate Accommodate and the Detroit-based Automobile Yield Instructive Accommodate. She is a believer of the American Club of Chemical Engineers and the Bang of Automotive Engineers.

Goodman is a daring civic offer, spoon as proceed of the Accommodate of Directors for Payment Shares of Colorado and as proceed of the Lakewood Rapture School Opening which she helped resolved.

NREL is the U.S. Dresser of Energy's crux national laboratory for renewable energy and energy coldness research and clarification. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Power, LLC.

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Solar Panels

With increasing public awareness of the negative impact of human activities on the environment, more people are looking to live more eco-friendly. Along with recycling, biodegradable products, and awareness of the impact of carbon dioxide emissions, the use of solar panels is rapidly expanding.

Solar power has both long- and short-term benefits. During use, solar power is pollution free. Production-end wastes and emissions are entirely manageable, and recycling for used solar panels is being developed. Also important is the savings that solar power creates. While there is an intial installation cost, rebates are offered from the federal government that help offset the cost. And the solar power generated can save 75 to 100% of annual household energy costs. The energy is renewable and the solar panels used for solar power have approximately a 20-year life span.

Solar panels can be used for residential and commercial applications. Because solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, solar panels can be used almost anywhere. Understanding how solar panels work is important to understanding their benefits. They are most often placed on angled roof tops (changes can be made for flat roofs) but they can also be free-standing. It is important that they are in a place with optimum sunlight. It is not necessary to live in a place that is sunny every day to use solar panels. In fact, solar panels collect energy, and, depending on the type of collector, store the energy in different ways.

Solar energy has been used for thousands of years to heat homes. It has only relatively recently become an industry, increasing about 48% on average every two years. Solar panels are made of two pieces of silicon which are placed together beneath a piece of glass. Wires inside the two slices of silicon help to catch and convert neutrons. When the neutrons connect with the wires they create direct current electricity (DC). These wires connect to an electrical inverter which converts the energy into alternating currents (AC) which are used in homes.

Solar panels come in two forms, solar radiation collectors and photovoltaic modules. Solar panels used for radiation heat water. These types of collectors either redirect the energy via transfer circulation or they store the energy in batch systems. These systems have a tank which is either placed above the panels and uses the power of the panels to heat and circulate, or have a tank that uses minimal amounts of electricity and is free-standing. Photovoltaic modules redirect the collected energy to immediate sources or to batteries for storage.

It doesn't take a professional to install solar panels. The panels can be individually home-made for around 100 each or can be purchased in a kit. The kits come with panels, inverters, grid ties, and more. While kits do come with detailed instructions, it is also easy to find how-to guides.

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