“Solar for Free” Offers in the UK Aren’t Quite as they Seem-

Experts have warned homeowners agreeing to new “solar for free” offers that they could double their financial savings by paying for the panels themselves. Since a government financial incentive was launched in April 2009, solar PV installations have skyrocketed in the UK. This has left many homeowners vulnerable to a massive amount of companies offering to fit their homes with solar panels for free. Under the “rent your roof” model, the companies receive the tariff worth roughly £835 (approx. $1,100 USD) a year and the homeowner receives savings of around £110 (approx. $150 USD) off their electricity bill each year — substantially meager in comparison. According to the Guardian UK, homeowners would likely benefit more if they paid for the solar panels themselves, even with a loan interest for the upfront cost of around £10,000 ($13,200) for a typical home. “Looking at the figures, it [paying for panels yourself] looks like a better deal on paper,” Liz Laine, energy expert at Consumer Focus, told the Guardian. She added that consumers should go into such deals “with their eyes open”. With the “free solar” deal, a homeowner would save around £2,750 (approx. $3,600 USD) on energy bills over 25 years, the length of the tariff offer. However, paying for their own solar panels with a loan at 7.7 percent interest repaid over ten years and earning income from the feed-in tariff, they could save approximately £6,506 (approx. $8,600 USD) over the same period.

Hybrid Solar Collector Generates Electricity & Heat Simultaneously-


A brand new, cutting-edge hybrid solar collector, which incorporates both photovoltaic (PV) power generation with solar water heating, is taking the renewable energy industry by storm. The concept originated from the *Task 35, a task group from International Energy Agency that aims to spur the development and market introduction of high quality and commercially-competitive PV-T hybrid systems. The focus in a PV-T hybrid system is a photovoltaic/thermal module – or PV-T module – which is a combination of photovoltaic cells with a solar thermal collector. The result is one exceptional mechanism that converts solar radiation into electricity and heat synchronously. Additionally, PV-T modules can produce more energy per unit surface area than side by side photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors, at a substantially lower production and installation cost. Due to their high efficiency, PV-T systems are exceptionally beneficial in applications using both heat and power, and can operate efficiently even with limited roof space. Another advantage of combining PV and solar thermal is that by cooling off the PV modules, the efficiency increases.

PV modules tend to lose roughly 0.5 percent of output for every degree Celsius of temperature rise. This new solar hybrid technology can offer PV efficiency as high as 28 percent while producing 60-70 °Celsius (140-160 °Fahrenheit) water. A PV-T hybrid panel maintained at an average of 45 °Celsius will generate approximately 20 percent more electrical output over a 12-month period, when compared to a PV system with the same peak output. The PV-T hybrid collector embodies optimal electricity production, as it is capable of generating 175 Watts of peak electrical output and 460 watts (1,570 Btu/Hour) of thermal output. Solimpeks Corp., a leader in the PVT market, has been awarded a research grant on exploration of new PVT types by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK). With this highly competitive research grant, the company is able to move from testing to mass production. According to Solimpeks, the PV-T market is anticipated to grow 20 percent after 2010. The company claims that 25 square meters (270 square feet) of collector would be plenty for an average northern European home to meet both hot water and electrical demand over the course of one year.

Aubanel Wind Project to Supply Jobs and Economic Growth-

Cannon Power Group and Gemesa Technology Corp., Inc. recently announced that they have combined resources for the development of a string of wind farms known as the Aubanel Wind Project in Baja California, Mexico – roughly 60 miles east of San Diego. As part of a 10-year agreement, Cannon Power Group will operate as the project’s lead developer, and Gamesa – one of the world’s leading turbine manufacturers – will provide all the wind turbines installed at the project sites. The Aubanel Wind Project is expected to be one of North America’s largest wind farms with potential capacity of 1,000 MW at various stages of development. The first stage of the project calls for the installation of between 70MW to 100MW of wind turbines. Construction will begin sometime within the next 12 months, with additional assembly taking place over the next three to four years. “Cannon Power Group is one of the most experienced wind project developers in the renewable energy market, so we are very pleased to collaborate with them on this project,” said Dirk Matthys, Gamesa’s CEO in North America. “This exciting new relationship will further strengthen Gamesa’s leadership in the Mexican market where we already have a substantial presence.” Gary Hardke, Cannon Power Group’s President and Managing Director said, “We are delighted to be working with Gamesa, a pioneer in wind and one of the premier wind turbine manufacturers in the world today… Gamesa’s experience, technology and technical support will be invaluable as we move forward to develop a strong presence in the Mexican market.” Power generated from stage one of the project is going to be sold to consumers in Mexico and as additional project stages develop, power will be sold to both Mexico and U.S. customers. The development is anticipated to create extensive employment and financial growth in Baja, California – however, a considerable amount of the capital equipment will be sourced from the U.S. “This will be a win-win for Mexico and the United States — the clean power and jobs will be shared on both sides of the border,” said Hardke. “We envision this as a major cross-border project — potentially in excess of a billion dollars – - that can both stimulate the region’s economy and provide enough clean energy for over 250,000 households.”

DOE-funded Geothermal Company Makes Discovery-

Vancouver-based Sierra Geothermal Power Corp has announced a geothermal discovery at its 100 percent owned Alum project in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The finding comes from Sierra’s slim well 26-19, which was drilled to a maximum depth of 1,484 meters (4,868 feet). The preliminary bottom hole temps reached 146 degrees Celsius (295 degrees Fahrenheit), with several zones of high permeability encountered between 1,116 and 1,325 meters (3,663 and 4,349 feet). After coring through the 209 meter permeable zone, a geothermal water sample was air lifted and flowed for three days and samples were collected for analysis. The temperature log returned a maximum of 130 degrees Celsius (266 degrees Fahrenheit) at 630 meters (2,067 feet). Under the 2009 Geothermal Technologies Program grant award, the Department of Energy (DOE) financed half the cost of the wells – with the total cash award from the DOE for the Alum project totaling $5,000,000. The Alum project was acquired from Geo-Energy Partners 1983 Ltd in 2006.“We are grateful for the financial support that we are receiving from the DOE in advancing our Alum project, as it has helped us make a discovery at Alum with less capital than we would have otherwise employed. Numerous people were employed during the drilling of these wells, showing that the DOE grant program is working. We look forward to advancing the Alum project to the next level which is drilling full sized production assessment wells,” said Gary R. Thompson, President and CEO of Sierra.

Cape Wind, National Grid Strike Power Deal-


National Grid, a leading New England power utility, and Cape Wind, the controversial company behind a much-debated Nantucket Sound wind farm, filed an historic contract with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Under the terms of the agreement, National Grid will purchase power from what will be the nation’s first major offshore wind farm, a facility expected to come online at the end of 2012. The move fulfills the requirements of the Green Communities Act, which mandates that all the investor-owned utilities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enter into long-term contracts to purchases a minimum of three percent of their energy from renewable production sources. In a statement issued by National Grid, the company’s president, Tom King, said, “It’s truly fitting that the next milestone in our nation’s clean energy revolution is taking place in the Bay State and New England. We believe this project will provide long-term economic and environmental benefits here, throughout the region, and across the nation.” Cape Wind president Jim Gordon indicated the company was looking forward to working with National Grid to diversify its energy portfolio with “pollution-free, inexhaustible wind off our shore.” The agreement, he said, firmly propels Massachusetts to the forefront of the emerging wind power industry. The Department of Public Utilities must approve the agreement, which would become active in 2013.

National Grid will purchase more than half of the wind farm’s output as well as the applicable renewable energy certificates garnered from its operation. The cost per kilowatt hour to National Grid is approximately 20.7 cents. The price, which assumes existing federal tax incentives, will increase 3.5% annually over the life of the 15-year agreement. Based on its projection of electrical rates in 2013, National Grid says consumers will see a monthly bill increase of approximately $1.59 or about 2%. (This estimate is based on a monthly consumption of 500 kWh.) King, commenting on the rate increase, said, “We recognize that all renewable energy, be it on- or off-shore wind, solar or other sources, has a cost associated with it. Carbon-based generation comes with its own set of long-term costs — to our health and our environment. Cape Wind is an investment in our future, and one that we must support if we are to achieve a lower-carbon energy portfolio.” The Cape Wind project has been a controversial one that was only approved by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on April 28, 2010. The go-ahead ended a nine-year struggle to stop the construction of the turbines offshore in Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Groups like the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, Three Bays Preservation, Oceans Public Trust Initiative, and Earth Land Institute have vehemently opposed the wind farm as has the Cape Cod Times, which called it “the wrong project in the wrong place.” Audra Parker, head of the Nantucket group described Cape Wind as an endeavor that would mar “treasured public lands” in a “corporate giveaway to private industrial energy developers.” In spite of this opposition, however, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick was a supporter of the project as were a significant number of state citizens who recognized the economy benefit for Massachusetts in becoming a leader in offshore renewables. In the wake of the decision granting federal approval, Cape Wind issued a statement inviting proponents to “join the community and country in ushering in a new era of environmental stewardship, energy security and prosperity.”

How To Save Electricity

Explore easy low cost techniques to save on your electric bill. For the serious conservationist, we cover advanced topics such as solar energy and powering your home with a residential wind turbine.

New Technology Offers Advanced Tidal Energy Generation-

“Deep Green”, an innovative advancement in hydropower developed by Swedish start-up Minesto, has recently acquired €2 million ($2.5 million) from investors for research and development beginning early next year. Described as an “underwater kite”, the technology consists of a turbine attached to a wing and rudder that is secured to the ocean floor by 100 meters of cable. According to Minesto, anchoring “Deep Green” and steering the fastened “kite” allows the turbine to capture energy from the tidal currents at ten times the speed of the actual stream velocity. One of the greatest benefits to the technology, Minesto officials claim, is its small size – 12 meters for the wingspan and 1 meter for the turbine – compared to other tidal energy concepts. Minesto’s chief technical officer, Ted Rosendahl, says that the small size of “Deep Green” offers efficiency at greater depths and when the current velocity is low; allowing tidal energy to be tested in new stretches of ocean. The technology, capable of generating 500 kilowatts per hour, may be commercially available within the next four years but Minesto says that much more testing is still required. “We are in the development stage at the moment so there are many things to look into. Of course there are things in the environment that we don’t know about fully yet,” Rosendahl told CNN. Minesto was founded in 2007 and the project began back in 2003 as a result from research at the auto and aircraft manufacturer, Saab.

Google Makes Large-Scale Wind Farm Investment-

The internet giant – Google – recently made its first direct large-scale renewable energy investment, contributing roughly $38.8 million in two North Dakota wind farms with a combined capacity of 169.5 megawatts (MW). The wind farms are being developed by NextEra Energy Resources – a division of the FPL Group and the largest wind power provider in the US. The wind farms will use present transmission capacity, and will generate enough energy to power 55,000 homes. Google’s green business operations manager, Rick Needham, confirms that the wind farms will operate using the latest wind turbine technology which will support systematic adjustment of individual blade pitch angles, large blades, and remote monitoring. In addition to this utility-scale wind energy investment, the internet group has committed its funds to producing renewable energy at a cost that is cheaper than coal and, through Google.org, is financing two solar and geothermal companies – eSolar and Altarock. Google also recently announced that it is working to develop better and cheaper reflective materials for use in solar thermal power plants.

New Technology Could Offer Solution to Seemingly Unreliable Renewable Energy Technologies-


An avant-garde technology is being implemented into wind turbines and solar panels which may potentially offer secure energy storage even when wind and sunlight is not readily available. By allowing electricity to be stored while environmental elements are out of reach, giant-sized batteries made with gravel are anticipated to improve renewable energy generation and will dampen constant criticism of opponents who claim that the renewable energy technology is not economically viable. “If you bolt this to a wind farm, you could store the intermittent and relatively erratic energy and give it back in a reliable and controlled manner,” says Jonathan Howe, founder of Isentropic and previously an engineer at the Civil Aviation Authority. The gravel-based battery would, according to Isentropic, be capable of storing energy equal to that of the former all while using less space – and cash. The company’s technology begins with two silos filled with a pulverized rock such as gravel. Then, electricity is employed to heat and pressurize argon gas which is fed into one of the silos; and, by the time the gas escapes the chamber, it has cooled to an ambient temperature while the gravel itself is heated to 500°C (or 932°F).

The gas is then directed into the second silo where it expands back to normal atmospheric pressure. This stage acts as an oversized refrigerator – causing the gas and rock temperature inside the second chamber to drop to -160°C (or -256°F). Any energy originally produced by the wind turbines is stored as a temperature variation between the two rock-filled silos – so to release the energy, the cycle is reversed, and as the energy changes from hot to cold it powers a generator that makes electricity. Isentropic guarantees an energy efficiency of up to 80 percent and, because gravel is inexpensive, the cost of a system per-kilowatt-hour of storage would be between $10 and $55. According to Howe, the energy in the sizzling silo can be easily stored for extended periods of time; and by his calculations, a silo that stands 50m tall and was 50m in diameter would only lose half of its energy through its walls if left undisturbed for three years. David Bott, director of innovation programs at the Technology Strategy Board, one of the sponsors of the 2010 Clean and Cool trade mission said: “Isentropic have done something very exciting, by revisiting scientific theory and coming up with a new technology that answers the need to match the generation of electricity with its use. For instance, the system could enable the more efficient use of wind power, by storing the energy generated by a turbine until it is needed. We need ways to store the energy we generate when we have a surplus, so that it can be used when we need extra and this innovative new system could provide the answer.”

Pentagon Halts Wind Farm Construction, Claiming Radio Interference-

With opposition looming around every corner in the fight toward a clean energy economy, it comes as no big surprise that the Pentagon is now attempting to prevent the development of what promises to be the world’s largest wind farm in eastern Oregon. Caithness Energy had planned to begin construction on the 845-megawawtt Shepherds flat wind farm near Arlington, Oregon; but last month, Pentagon officials moved to deny the developer its final Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permit, claiming that the bulky turbines could interfere with a local Air Force radar system. The dispute has targeted three other major wind projects in the same region, and other proposed wind farms in states from Illinois to Texas. The FAA sent notifications to Caithness Energy, and numerous local landowners who plan to host wind turbines on their property, stating that the structures pose “a hazard to air navigation” and indicated that the turbines would exceed “obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation facilities.” According to Caithness Executive Vice President Ross Ain, any considerable delays in construction could kill the wind farm because the project will lose its eligibility for federal funding unless its finished by the end of 2012.

Egg Systems Provide Cost-Effective Geothermal Heating & Cooling-

Geothermal energy, power extracted from heat stored in the earth, has been utilized for centuries from bathing in the Paleolithic era to space heating during Roman times – and the technology has evolved so much throughout the years that the capabilities have broadened to include electricity generation. Egg Systems, a geothermal heating and cooling company, has been offering their expertise in this field for over 19 years to show consumers how they can save the environment and their bottom line simultaneously. Their unique heating and cooling systems provide year round comfort simply using the earth’s stable temperatures, can be an exceptional cost-effective alternative to standard pool heating – and, not to mention, offers a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) in the 30’s. The company asserts that the potential return on investment, coupled with current state and federal tax incentives for utilizing geothermal HVAC technologies, could extend to around 50 percent or more; a remarkable savings for the average consumer looking to go green. To receive additional information on these remarkable geothermal heating and cooling systems, visit GoEggSystems.com. Video below, courtesy of WTVT Fox 13 News, illustrates the energy efficient and cost-effective incentives behind Egg Geothermal Heating and Cooling technology.