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World of Chlorophyll: A green building project inspired by nature

We have always taught that impressive designes are inspired by nature.

Of  course, science and technology can come up with new and advanced things, but but it is still hard to match 5 million years of evolution with a few hundred years of research and development.The design of ‘World of Chlorophyll’ is an amazing example of biomimicry.

The project is inspired by the way trees capture sunlight and turn it into energy. The idea of the design is to create individual units that seems more like the leaves of a plant in one giant structure with each unit getting the proper sunlight along with green rooftops.

Each unit has its own unique view and is not blocked by any other when it comes to natural ventilation. The green building will be largely a residential complex and  with its access to sunlight, it can embrace solar rooftops.

This project is an proposal and if all goes in a good way,then, this amazing new architectural delight could take shape in the heart of New York City.It will be among  the skyscrapers of New York that will be worth paying a visit to.

The largest rooftop solar power in North America officially completed

It is known that New Jersey likes setting rooftop solar power records.

It started in 2009 when it opened the largest solar rooftop in North America (2.4 MW of capacity).After that in 2011 when Toys”R”Us got a 5.38-MW solar roof and again later in 2011 when a 9-MW solar roof was installed on a large Holt Logistics refrigerated warehouse, the Gloucester Marine Terminal.

This solar rooftop was finally completed this week.The solar rooftop project is called Riverside Renewable Energy and its costs were about $42 million, includes  27,526 photovoltaic rooftop solar panels and covers 1.1 million square feet.

Its construction started in June 2011 and was completed on budget and ahead of schedule.Riverside will give the equivalent of up to 80 percent of the Terminal’s power  demand.The system is expected to to balance out more than 8,100 tons of carbon dioxide,    around the same amount that would be balanced out by planting 400,000 trees or removing 1,200 cars from the road.

U.S. Rep. Robert Andrews affirmed that “The Riverside project is an outstanding example of how we can create jobs that move us towards cleaner, more efficient and cost-saving energy that doesn’t come from overseas” and “By partnering with the federal government, private industry is able to make strides that are good  for job creation and the economy right now, and also for a cleaner, healthier and more energy efficient future here in South Jersey and the country.”

New on the market: the T-Series Panels

Centrosolar Canada announced the release of the new photovoltaic modules: T-Series photovoltaic

Engineered in Europe and manufactured in Ontario it is designed for residential and also for commercial applications.It is designed for optimum capture of available sun to generate very high efficiency of power.

Centrosolar Canada’s T-Series is available in two versions: 60 cell and 72 cell. They are designed to rezist when it comes for harsh weather as snow, storm, ice, hail, high humidity and the intense thermal fluctuation associated with Canadian weather patterns.

T-Series Panels are made with high-quality materials, including top-branded EVA and high-transmittance glass for maximum durability and performance over the life of the installation. The modules are powered by monocrystalline and polycrystalline high-efficiency silicon cells, providing higher power output per module: up to 255Wp and 300Wp.

One of the benefits of the Centrosolar T-Series is its certification to withstand hail impact. wind and snow loads up to 5.4n/m.The Centrosolar T-series provides a tolerance rating of 0/+4.99W, which translates into more power out of the 255W and 300W module per DC wattage than other comparably rated modules.

The T-Series is also offered as part of Centrosolar Canada’s CentroPack System that provides installers with a turnkey system, pre-packaged with all the components  needed to install an approved residential or commercial roof-top PV system.

The CentroPack contains the T-Series panels, mounting systems, inverters and all the electrical and other hardware needed. Site plans, wiring diagrams and mechanical and structural details are also available as required.

New developement:solar cells thinner than spider silk

A team of Austrian and Japanese researchers created micro thin solar cells that are thiner than the strand of  spider silk.

It consists of electrodes on plastic foil and measures a mere 1.9 micro meters thick, 10 times thinner than  all available solar cells.
It could change the development of electronic textiles, synthetic skin and advanced robotics.

The device can be attached to a person’s clothes to collect  solar electricity and help elderly individuals wearing sensors to monitor their health.People will not feel the weight of these cells and the elasticity helps using it in many other applications .

The researchers aims to increase the overall rate of the device’s sunlight electricity conversion.The power generated by solar cells increases with size and specialist said that the cells could be made larger to increase their efficiency.
Now, the cells aren’t powerful enough for any gadget but the research team work to be ready for the market in another five years.

Recreational Vehicles: A new step for comfortable trips

RV (Recreational Vehicles) are the best inventions for a perfect trip.

RV requires energy to provide you all comforts of a home while you are on the road. Solar installations  will allow more independence in creating home comforts and also save fuel.

The solar instalations consist of solar panels and also the mount on which the panels will rest.Your camper and batteries will get charged directly from the sun.A problem with RV’s is that for their power needs they may not get access to a power outlet so you need to install a generator.

Specially designed for smaller quarters a Solar Power Ventilator can further enhance the efficiency of renewable energy. Solar installations represent a green solution for saving the fuel, but they will also be a rescuer through times when power supply gets cut off.

Homemade solar panels

There are a lot of benefits to build your own solar panel.

You can save a ton of money being your own installer, renewable energy is a future field and you can help the planet at the same time.

The first thing you must do is find a good guide even if it cost more it can also save you a lot of money in the long run.

Also you can find online a lot of free information about building solar panels.

You shouldn’t buy broken solar cells, choose a high quality backing material given that your solar panels are expected to last 25-40 years, you want to make sure your backing material lasts that long as well.

The final wiring can be tricky and you’ll need a professional electrician.

You have to  keep your system charged if you use batteries.

Keeping your batteries 50-80% charged will give them longer lives.

You can decreases electricity bills and pollutes less by charging EVs at night

How you can do this?

Researchers said that lower electricity rates aren’t the only reason to charge your electric car at night and they come with a theory that finds the fact that using electricity to charge your car at night pollutes a lot less.

Here’s how it happens.

According to this theory less ozone is emitted during nighttime charging. In the chemical reaction between hydrocarbons & nitrogen oxides will result lighter quantities of the byproduct in the air, because of the lack of sunlight.

Sunlight is the the main catalyst behind this reaction.

Yet the night seems to be the best time to recharge electric vehicles, less pollution and lower bills.


Why solar powered garden lights?

There are many ways to accentuate a garden’s beauty without the brilliant light of the midday sun, and this can be easily achieved through the use of solar powered garden lights.
Why solar powered garden lights? There are several major reasons for selecting a solar powered fixture over a traditional “hard wired” option. For instance, in order to use and operate a hard wired fixture a home or property owner may have to hire a professional electrician to install the proper exterior fixtures and wires. What kind of outdoor solar lights are available? A gardener could easily, and at a relatively affordable cost, light their entire yard or garden. There are sets of lighting fixtures intended to line an entire sidewalk or pathway, and there are also lighting fixtures meant to be used as accent or solar spot lights to illuminate a particular area of the yard or a specimen tree or bush, and there are even lights intended to be attached to flag poles and properly light a flying flag during the hours of darkness.
One of the major benefits of using solar powered lighting fixtures for the yard or garden is that their cost free operation will almost immediately “repay” the owner the initial cost of investing in the lights.
As light generating device most garden solar lights use LED’s. A LED is small light embittering semiconductor (diodes). Compared to regular light bulbs they use very little energy. A light bulb converts about 5% of the absorbed energy to light and a LED about 83%.

Source: www.solarlighting.com

$25 million to a joint solar research effort by Stanford and UC-Berkeley

The U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative recently awarded $25 million to a joint research effort by Stanford and UC-Berkeley. The team, called the Bay Area Photovoltaics Consortium (BAPVC), will work to address technical barriers to the solar power industry and reduce the cost of solar installations.
BAPVC will fund research and development that aims to produce cost-effective solar modules in high volume. It will look closely at new materials, device structures and production methods.
BAPVC co-director Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, was optimistic about these efforts.
“The future of solar is clearly in cheaper, better performing photovoltaics,” Cui said to the Stanford News Service. “The SunShot funding and the exciting collaborative approach between the universities and national labs guided by industrial perspectives will advance all the components of solar modules that will bring down the dollar-per-watt cost dramatically.”

Source: www.stanforddaily.com

Astenik Solar Announces Exclusive Partnership with Largest Solar Parts Manufacturer in China

Astenik Solar is pleased to announce an exciting partnership with Hangzhou First PV Material Co., the largest solar parts manufacturer in China, and a recognized global leader in providing superior quality PV materials for the solar industry.
The partnership recognizes Astenik Solar’s commitment to providing its clients with innovative solar products that have been developed after rigorous R&D and have achieved certification compliance.
“Our company is honoured to have been chosen as Hangzhou First PV Material Co.’s exclusive Canadian distributor,” said Marcus Lou, President of Astenik Solar. “This relationship will ensure that our customers have immediate access to the highest quality solar PV materials at affordable prices.”
Hangzhou First PV Material Co. was founded in 1994, and today, the company continues its rapid growth with three plants in China and a fourth under construction. Hangzhou First currently dominates 40% of the global solar EVA Film market with sales revenue of 6.6 GW in 2010. Over 600 panel manufacturers worldwide rely on Hangzhou for their solar product requirements.
“Entering the Canadian market is a natural extension of our global growth strategy,” said Mr. Lin JianHua, president of Hangzhou First PV Material Co. “Choosing the right distributor who is as committed to quality and service as our company is of critical importance. Astenik Solar is an excellent choice to be our valued partner, and we look forward to working together to provide the Canadian solar market with superior PV materials.”
Hangzhou First PV Material Co. received its UL, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and QHSAS 18001 certifications which recognize the company’s commitment to excellence.
For its EVA film production capacity alone, Hangzhou is forecasting a doubling of its capacity over the next two years with 100 automated produced lines and 2000 workers by 2013.
Source: www.renewableenergy.com