Setting it straight about science fair solar energy breakthrough

There’s been a lot of stories about arranging solar panels to mimic leaves on a tree, thereby boosting their efficiency. But before reading that story you might want to check out this blog post correcting some flaws in that breakthrough.


Before we go any further, we’d like to point out that the original work was done by a seventh grader. He looked at leaves on trees and postulated that the Fibonacci sequence can be found in the layout of leaves, and that by laying out solar cells in the same way you can capture more sunlight. Comments can get negative fast around here, so remember that trashing his work may discourage other kids from participating in science fair events.


Anyway, long story short: there were some issues with original assumptions, and about what was actually being measured during testing. The article linked at the top covers the fact that the cells were not measured under load, and that simple calculations can show why the tree-mimicking-cell-placement can be proven sub-optimal to 45 degree, south-facing solar farms.


[Thanks Jeffery and Steve for the original article and Brian for the follow-up article and cached link]


Via:Hackaday

KACO new energy expands PV inverter production capacity by 4 gigawatts

KACO new energy (Neckarsulm, Germany) has invested EUR 30 million in its headquarters in Neckarsulm and has expanded its peak capacity by 4 gigawatts (GW). The new, scalable manufacturing facility enables flexible production in line with market developments, the company emphasizes in a press release. 


The third largest inverter manufacturer has therefore secured itself logistic advantages at the international competitive level. As with all its other manufacturing facilities, the production in Plant 5 is also climate-neutral.


Read more at : SolarServer

Su-Kam Signs Distribution Agreement with Global Infonet Distribution

Su-Kam the leader in the Indian Power Backup Industry has recently signed an exclusive agreement with Global Infonet Distribution Pvt. Ltd. thereby appointing them as an exclusive National distributor to distribute its UPS Products across India.


Global Infonet Distribution headed by Vishal Sopory who is the Executive Director, was established in January 2008 with its head quarters in New Delhi. Commercial operations commenced in May 2008. They aim to provide superior market access to leading technology brands and support their expansion plans in India.


With leading technology brands in industry and a nationwide network of 30+ branch locations connected through real time on-line ERP platform enables Global Infonet to distribute a portfolio of over 5000 SKUs to over 4000 customers.

Su-Kam signs Agreement with Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric

Su-Kam has signed an agreement with Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric for distribution of large central solar PV inverters. After signing the distribution agreement with Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric, Su-Kam is to bring to India large central grid tie inverters, available in capacities of 100, 250, 500 and 630 KW. This will enable Su-Kam to bid for large projects to generate 1 MW and more of solar power.


Su-Kam is to also offer complete consultancy for the optimum product configuration, installation, commissioning and after sales support across the length and breadth of India as well as offer components and accessories to the customers.


Via: VArIndia

Ford to Sell Solar Panel System Alongside Electric Cars

Ford Motor Company is teaming up with San Jose-based solar panel maker SunPower to offer a rooftop solar system option which will be sold alongside the upcoming Ford Focus EV. The “Drive Green for Life” program, as it’s being called, involves mounting solar panels on a customer’s home.


These panels wouldn’t be used just to charge the Focus itself, however. They actually help offset the cost that comes with having to charge the car, something which most electric car owners do every night.


The 2.5 kilowatt solar panel system would offset the cost of about 1,000 miles per month, says Ford. After federal tax credits, the cost of the system would be around $10,000. Some local and state rebates may also be available, but it’s still a fairly pricey system.


At least Ford and SunPower are targeting the appropriate demographic. The option should appeal to environmentalists who want to buy an electric car, but don’t want to  feel guilty about consuming all the extra electricity needed to charge it. After all, it’s not really that “green” to drive electric when you’re charging your car using fossil fuels.


Read More at: Techcrunch

Google Pushes for Greener Buildings, Leads by Example

Google has taken to its public blog this morning to talk about the company’s focus on building greener, more sustainable workplaces for its employees. The company is involved in several green initiatives, including energy and water audits, the use of green building materials, and competitive programs that pit teams against each other to become the greener office.


In addition, Google says that it has now added its first LEED-certified building to the Googleplex in Mountain View, California.


LEED, which stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” is an internationally recognized certification program for rating green buildings. Google says this is not its first LEED building, but it is the first at the Googleplex.


The new LEED platinum achievement was awarded for an interior renovation which used healthy building materials and practices, says Google. The company now has 4.5 million square feet of building space worldwide which it hopes will soon earn the LEED certification.


Read More at: techcrunch

REFUsol aims high on solar inverter business

REFUsol GmbH, one of the leading manufacturers of solar inverters to establish its presence in India and provide support to customers onsite, opened a dedicated office in Pune, which went operational from August 1, 2011.
The company would also roll out its manufacturing facilities in the larger area of Pune, stressing its commitment to the Indian market. Local production would start end of 2011 with first deliveries from the Indian facilities beginning of 2012. REFUsol already delivers into the Indian market from existing manufacturing sites.
REFUsol GmbH, which recently participated at the 5th Renewable Energy India 2011 Expo in New Delhi, showcased new inverters in a variety of performance classes, as well as an innovative monitoring solution for photovoltaic systems. The inverters are well equipped and feature a resourceful, compact and robust form factor.


Via: expressbuzz

Inverter Could Help Clean Energy Costs

Converting the energy produced by the sun and wind into usable electricity is critical to incorporating large-scale renewable energy systems into our existing grid infrastructure. Enter the grid-tied inverter—an expertly engineered piece of equipment whose primary role is to change the direct current generated by PV panels, wind turbines or batteries into high-voltage, 60-Hz alternating current that can be transmitted on power lines, or sent to a transformer to power loads in a home or business. Although essential; inverters are heavy, often finicky, and use proprietary components and design algorithms, making make them an extremely expensive component of any renewable energy system.

Currently, inverter manufacturers have to build every inverter from scratch. This leads to higher costs for components, design and labor. Finding a smarter, more flexible and  cheaper solution to connecting renewable energy resources to the grid is one of the goals of the Electric Infrastructure Systems Research program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

NREL, with industrial partner Semikron, and with funding from the California Energy Commission, has developed a prototype 50-kilowatt inverter with an integrated modular power block to control the flow of energy from a PV system or wind turbine onto the electric grid. The power block is the size of a microwave, and is considered to be more reliable, more durable, lighter, and significantly cheaper than other power blocks of its size.

The 50-kW power block is designed from off-the-shelf components, meaning it can be incorporated into a variety of inverters. It is also modular and scalable, meaning it can be used for multiple technologies and connected to other power blocks to accommodate larger systems. The power block is currently in its final prototype stage, and will be distributed to industry partners for feedback before being mass-produced.

via:Earthtechling