PeakSolar.com is proud to announce the completion of two 50KKw solar energy system in Knoxville Tennessee. These solar kits will provide enough green power to the two office buildings that are housed on them. Payback for the systems will be 5~7 year due to TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) incentive programs and 30% tax benefit from the federal government.
PeakSolar.com is a regional expert in solar development and engineering as well as a leading supplier of Photovoltaic components and solar kits. Providing turnkey PV systems for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Peak Solar has developed systems from the home consumer to corporate energy development parks.
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Archive for Technology
Peak Solar completes a 100Kw Solar Energy Kit in Knoxville Tennessee
Let Our Legislators Know If You Think the President’s Energy Security Proposal is a Good One
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, Global, Grants and Incentives, jobs, National, Political, Renewable Energy, Solar, Technology, Tennessee, Training |
International Association of Electrical Inspectors Tennessee Solar PV Workshop
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, jobs, National, Renewable Energy, Solar, Solar Performanc, Technology, Tennessee, Training |
Solar PV Training All Day Saturday May 11th
Kemery Company, our newest business member, is having an all-day training program beginning at 8 am and continuing through lunch (included in the price) until 4:30. The location of this training will be the Jubilee Banquet Hall, 6700 jubilee Center Way, Knoxville TN 37912. The cost of the all day training is $90.00 per person. Two or more individuals registering together reduces the price of each reservation to $80. Attendees will get a binder with important information for installing PV systems. Reservations are limited so call Kemery Company at 865-933-6261 or go to the following website which contains more information on the training and the link to the reservation form.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, East Tennessee News, financing, jobs, Renewable Energy, Solar, Technology, Tennessee, Training |
Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island – RFP Announced For Renewable Energy Project
The Carbon War Room (CWR), Homer Energy, and Reznick Think Energy, LLC (RTE) launched a request for proposals (RFP) today on behalf of Virgin Limited Edition for the provision of renewable energy and energy services on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, home of Sir Richard Branson.
The Request for Proposal has two phases of bids:
Phase 1: Engineering and design solutions for a 750 kW of solar PV in an open field, 8 kW of PV on the Great House, and Solar Carports.
Phase 2: Indicative bids sought for a wind turbine, significant load controls and batteries, and an overall energy supply and management contract.
Virgin Limited Edition will purchase all services and products from one party or multiple products and services from a variety of parties, and the selected bidders will have the ability to take advantage of significant marketing opportunities throughout the project’s lifecycle and beyond. All respondents will be able to access the entire RFP or sections of the RFP after signing a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) and paying an administration fee.
Interested parties should use the following link to learn more about the RFP: http://reznickthinkenergy.com/news-events
42nd National Solar Conference, SOLAR 2013, in Baltimore, April 16-20
Register today at the American Solar Energy Society for the conference details and sign up.
Highlights of the technical session include:
New techniques for making high-performance quantum-dot and nanoparticle photovoltaic cells.
The status of the High Definition PV project, an industry-wide program to reduce the cost of solar installations through plug-and-play standardization.
Several new techniques to reduce the cost of dispatchable power from concentrating solar thermal (CSP) plants, a key development in providing cheap, clean solar power to run municipal grids through the night.
Solar-powered furnaces that generate hydrogen or syngas fuels at high efficiency.
A wide variety of simplified techniques for minute-to-minute and hour-to-hour forecasting of solar farm output, useful for balancing loads across geographic regions.
Efficient new ways to store solar-heated hot water – and use solar heat to drive air conditioners.
Cheap feedstocks for cheap biodiesel.
Hybrid light rail that runs when the grid goes down.
Driving large desalination and waste-water recovery systems with renewable energy.
Promoting Solar PV Deployment Through Micro-Investments
This conference is hosted by the American Solar Energy Society to which TSEA is the Tennessee State Chapter. Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and advocates. Our mission is to speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy.
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, financing, Fun, jobs, National, Political, PV Tech Newscast, Renewable Energy, Solar, Solar Performanc, Solar Thermal, Technology, Training |
New Thin-Film Solar Cell May Provide Electricity at Grid Parity Using Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells
Global Photonic Energy Corp. (GPEC), has created a thin-film solar cell that has the ability to provide electricity at grid parity or the cost of traditionally provided electricity.
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) is a better photovoltaic candidate than silicon reaching 30% or better efficiency. Problem with Gallium Arsenide cells is that they are very expensive to manufacture in large sizes. Instead these cells are used in concentrating solar PV arrays where the sun image is concentrated some 500 times focusing the light onto a small millimeter sized GaAs cell.
Dr. Stephen R. Forrest of the University of Michigan said the breakthrough, presented at the Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society, is the result of substantially reduced production costs. It is based on a patent-pending invention that reuses the same Gallium Arsenide wafer multiple times to produce solar cells. This unlimited wafer reuse approach to conventional “epitaxial lift off” technology that typically leads to wafer damage, and hence only a very limited number (1 to 2) of wafer reuses, has the potential to reduce the cost of a typical Gallium Arsenide solar cell to below $1 per Watt (peak).
“This exciting development implies that ultra-high efficiency solar cells based on Gallium Arsenide can eventually produce electricity at or below grid parity.” Dr. Forrest stated. “Using integrated solar concentrators and our adhesive-free, cold-weld bonding technology to plastic substrates, we estimate electricity could be produced as low as $0.45 cents per Watt, compared to traditional grid parity of $1 per Watt.”
GPEC is excited by the discovery. With this new discovery, the cost structure is dramatically reduced and can be used in numerous applications. The high efficiency, light weight and flexible solar cells are deployed on roll up plastic sheets. GPEC anticipates their use in spot powering vehicles, mobile military equipment and satellites, and off-grid locations. The company has big plans and want to license its intellectual property in order to commercialize the technology. To date, GPEC has a total of 425 patents.
Category: Business / Economics, financing, Global, New items, PV Tech Newscast, Renewable Energy, Solar, Technology |
Advantages of Solar Heat Exchangers
Design and Operation
Solar water heating is a system that uses the heat of the sun to effectively heat water for households and commercial use. Solar heaters use collectors to capture and absorb solar energy. Some systems use a flat plate design composed of insulated boxes which house a black absorber plate that is surrounded by layers of glass. The heat travels through the glass and strikes the absorber plate, becoming trapped in the process. Liquid-filled tubes attached to the absorber plate carry the heated water wherever it is needed. Liquid to liquid systems use a transfer fluid that is heated, and then convey the heat to a separate water supply. Passive solar heat exchanger consist of an absorber material and a piping system which uses no moving parts, whereas an active system might use a pump to move larger water volumes. The coil-in-tank design uses a simple tube inside a storage tank. A tube-in-tube systems has an outer and inner tube allowing direct fluid to fluid contact. Shell-and-tube systems use two tubes encased in a shell outside the storage tank, allowing fluid to travel in opposite directions. Solar heat exchangers have many benefits over conventional heat exchanger designs.
Versatility
Solar water heaters can produce a temperature increase in almost any climate. This depends upon the amount of solar energy provided and the water source, but they can typically cause a temperature variation from incoming water of 60 degrees to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In freezing temperatures, Glycol is used, which has antifreeze capabilities to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the absorption effectiveness of the plate, coil or tube material over a sustained period of solar energy radiation; even a weak solar emission is magnified and sustained.
Electricity and Fuel Savings
Solar energy is cost-free, negating the use of electrical components needed to heat coils, tubes or plates, other than an assist pump to circulate the fluid when needed. This substantially reduces the electrical heating bill by as much 50 to 80 percent, which begins to show dividends after the initial purchase and installation is recouped. The requirement for oil, wood or coal fuels used to heat the incoming water are non-existent, allowing additional savings.
Maintenance
Depending upon the complexity of the system, solar heat exchangers are less likely to fail or breakdown and the maintenance requirements are reduced. The passive solar heat exchangers excel in this area. Solar heat exchangers can be dismantled and cleaned thoroughly, often times by the homeowner or resident. On the other hand, boilers and furnaces, used to heat incoming water, develop performance problems or fail and can cause high repair costs.
Carbon Footprint
Solar heat exchangers are environmentally friendly, since they produce no toxic emissions or chemicals that are harmful to the environment. They are less likely to cause health problems in a building structure should they emit airborne particles or leak fuel oil. These factors promote self-sufficiency and safety, as well as safeguarding the environment.
About the Author
Elliot Delaney is a writer for Brazetek.com, a leading online retailer of brazed plate heat exchangers
Category: Business / Economics, Call to Action, Renewable Energy, Solar, Solar Thermal, Technology |
Solar Thermal Workshop December 19th at 6:30 pm at Bearden Beer Market Presented by CaraSol
Join CaraSol Energy and ARiES Energy for a solar thermal workshop to learn how you can lower your energy bills and have a positive impact on the environment at the same time. The workshop will take place Wednesday 12/19 at 6:30PM at Bearden Beer Market located at 4524 Old Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919.
The WORKSHOP will take place INDOORS in the YAZOO ROOM!!
Solar thermal systems, also known as solar water heating systems, have been around for centuries because solar thermal technology is the easiest way to use the
sun to save energy and money to heat water. It is well documented that early American settlers and pioneers would leave a black pot in the sun all day to have heated water for the evenings. In 1891 Clarence Kemp patented the first commercial solar water heater, which consisted of several cylindrical water tanks of galvanized iron that were painted black, insulated with felt paper and placed in a glass-covered wooden box. Thousands of solar hot water systems (SHW) were installed in the early 1900’s in the United States until fossil fuel became readily available at cheap prices. Today, more than 1.3 million SHW systems are in operation in the United States, not including solar-heated swimming pools. Typical solar thermal systems consist of five main components.
CaraSol’s presentation will cover the main components of a SHW system:
Solar Panels (to generate solar energy)
Storage Tank (to store solar energy)
Liquid Fluid (the thermal mass transport medium)
Circulation Pump (to circulate liquid fluid)
Controllers (to operate pump and monitor system)
This workshop is part of Bearden Beer Market’s series of better building practices workshops to raise funding for energy/environmental improvement efforts at Bearden Beer Market (BBM). $1 from every pint sold will go to the “Good Beer. Good Energy.” campaign!!
TSEA Welcomes Brazetek as our Latest Business Member
Brazetek.com is the largest internet distributor of solar water to air, brazed plate, and shell & tube heat exchangers. The website’s product selection, competitive pricing and free shipping option has made it an online destination of choice for residential, commercial, or industrial heat transfer solutions. This is our first solar thermal business member.
Category: Business / Economics, Global, New items, Renewable Energy, Solar, Technology, Uncategorized |
