Solar Energy Projected Growth

With all the hype about photovoltaic solar energy, the only question is how much is it going to take off. According the projection below, renewable energy is expected to multiply by a factor of 7. This means that the solar industry will increase from $13 billion in 2006 to more than $65 billion in 2016.

A large portion of the solar growth will come from federal funding. The government is currently using solar funds in a manner that fosters competition. Homeowners and businesses currently pay for half a solar system (with the other half payed for by the incentives and tax rebates). Since a typical solar system costs $20,000 or more, significant investment is required. <read more>

Posted via web from bestenergynews's posterous

Solar Plants in Nevada

Fox News reports that the National Energy Summit in Lass Vegas, Nevada, will be home to discussion of a proposed solar system on the California/Nevada boarder. The system, if built, would create 400 mW of electricity, enough to power 300,000 homes.

The project, called NextLight Renewable Power LLC project, would install solar panels over 12 square miles of land. <read more about solar plants in Nevada>.

Posted via web from bestenergynews's posterous

Free Solar Buying Tips

As a result, you will be paying for the renewable energy with a high electricity bill. In addition, the average utility bill will increase in order to pay for new capital, the sources of renewable energy. So either way, you will be paying a lot more money to switch to renewable energy. The only question is, where do you want to put your money? You can install renewable energy on your home, costing money now but saving money for the rest of your life, or you can wait and pay the utility company to install renewable energy through a higher utility bill. <read more>

Find out more about more through solar buying tips free webinar.

Posted via web from bestenergynews's posterous

Iowa Photovoltaic Rebates

Wind is not the only renewable energy source that should be implemented in Iowa. Photovoltaic solar systems are also appropriate for homeowners in Iowa. First of all, Iowa receives more sun hours per day than Germany, the largest user of photovoltaic solar systems. Second, Iowa offers fantastic solar rebates. Iowa offers a Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit that applies to homeowners and photovoltaics at $0.01/kWh. 

Iowa also offers a Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Systems that applies to photovoltaics.  In Iowa, the market value added to a property by a solar energy system is exempt from the state's property tax for five full assessment years. <full Iowa Rebate Article>

Brandon Best - www.bestenergynews.com

Posted via web from bestenergynews's posterous

Hybrid Solar Lighting

Hybrid solar lighting is a relatively new technology that combines sunlight with artificial incandescent or fluorescent lighting, saving 60% or more off indoor lighting costs. Lighting alone consumes 30% of our electricity production (UCSB 2007). 

With the world headed toward renewable energy, which (as of 2009) costs much more than energy from fossil fuels, we need to reduce our energy consumption while switching to renewable sources. This way, we can install fewer renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and dams, but continue to enjoy the same energy-hungry devices we use now. 

Since lighting is the largest consumer of electricity produced in the United States, we need to reduce the amount of energy required to light the interior of buildings (sunlight-direct). Hybrid solar lighting provides one way of using a reliable renewable energy source, the sun, to light the interior of buildings. Hybrid solar lighting distributes natural sunlight through the existing artificial lighting system. This gives hybrid solar lighting systems the energy-saving light production by the sun with the reliability of artificial lights. <read more - hybrid solar lighting>

Brandon Best - bestenergynews.com

Posted via web from bestenergynews's posterous

World Photovoltaic Solar Panel Market Share

 

According to this 2007 chart, German and Spain held nearly 75% of the world's photovoltaic solar market output. This is due to aggressive plans by both countries to install significant amounts of photovoltaic solar systems.

Even church leaders and the Pope are noticing the need to install solar (Germany.info). They see the economic and environmental benefit, both of which have never been better and are encouraging investors in Germany to invest in solar (New York Times). 

Similar changes to renewable energy will happen throughout Europe, especially with countries such as Spain, France, Italy, and Greece copying Germany’s solar rebate program. This is in hopes for the country’s to reach their goal of generating 12.5% of their electricity from renewable sources, such as photovoltaic solar panel systems. 

The world photovoltaic market share is shifting. <read more about world photovoltaic solar panel market share>

Brandon Best

www.bestenergynews.com

 

Posted via web from bestenergynews's posterous

First Solar Steam Boiler Recognized as Safe

Ausra received an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) "S" certification after showing that is solar steam boiler has been built and operates within ASME Boiler adn Pressure Vessle Code. As of now, Ausra is the only company in the world to hold this certification. 

The "S" stamp is recognized by over 100 countries as exceding government safety regulations. Since Ausra is the only company to hold the "S" certification, it is the only company that has rights to install solar steam boilers to produce electricity, giving it an extreme market edge on its competition.

<read more about solar steam boilers>

Brandon Best

Renewable Energy Database

Posted via web from bestenergynews's posterous