Increase Solar Power Output by Keeping Panels Clean

It makes sense that dirt, grime, tree sap and other debris on solar panels would decrease their power output – anything that shields them from the sun will keep them from absorbing as many rays as they need to be super-efficient. So, a company called OCS Energy has created a solar panel cleaning system for 100kw or larger installations that attaches to the array of panels to wash the system on a weekly basis. It’s called ‘SolarWash’, and it’s “the first commercially available automated photovoltaic panel cleaning system.”

From Earth2Tech:

OCS says if the solar installation is experiencing a loss of energy of 5 percent or more due to dirt, then the system can pay back within 3 to 5 years. (Update: The company’s CEO Richard O’Connell tells us that the system costs $0.30 per watt DC to install, and that the company is in the process of bringing those costs down.) That energy loss estimate is actually a pretty conservative claim from a solar panel maintenance company. Many of the service-oriented companies in the solar panel maintenance market say dirt and grim can reduce a panel’s energy output by 15 to 25 percent.

I wonder how many solar panel owners actually think about cleaning their panels on a regular basis. An automated solution certainly seems like it would be more convenient than having to crawl up on your roof and do it yourself, or hire a company to come out. Seems like it’d be a huge help for commercial owners of large solar arrays, but time will tell whether they deem it worth the investment.

Watch a video of the system in action over at Earth2Tech!

Link [Earth2Tech]
Photo credit: The Guardian

How To Get Your Own Solar-Powered Bag

You’re in the middle of an important call and your phone dies. Or you’re on an airplane when your iPod runs out of batteries. If you’re like most gadget-carrying people, these scenarios are familiar and can leave you feeling helpless.

But never fear, the solar-powered bag is here! With flexible solar panels attached to small batteries, these bags allow you to charge your electronic devices where ever the sun shines. There are a few companies that make solar-panel bags like Eclipse and Voltaic Systems but the most stylish ones we’ve found are from Noon Solar.

From their website:

All of our collections at Noon Solar are inspired by the need to rethink the way things are made, and what they are made with. Each material used in our bag is specially chosen for its longevity and its ability to biodegrade. The other materials, such as the hardware and the solar panels can be reclaimed and reused for many generations of bags.

By integrating solar panels into our bags, we offer not only the convenience of portable power, but also a means for all of us to incorporate renewable energy into our daily lives.

[Photo by Joe Wigdahl]

Big Solar and Little Solar Engaged in Turf Wars

So it goes – in every industry, the little guys will battle the big guys. In this case, it’s the many small solar companies that are fighting power giant Southern California Edison, who plan to install 250 megawatts’ worth of solar panels on the roofs of warehouses. The pros of Edison’s plan are that it would lower the cost of photovoltaic power, expand the market and transform currently unused space exposed to plenty of sun throughout the day into mini power plants.

The lone con is a big one – solar companies, trade groups and consumer advocates are afraid that allowing a large utility company to own and operate such “massive green megawattage” will crowd out competitors.

From Green Wombat:

There’s no doubt the program will be a boon for solar module makers. For instance, thin-film solar cell company First Solar (FSLR) is supplying 33,000 panels for the program’s first project, a 600,000-square-foot roof array in the inland city of Fontana. However, Southern California Edison intends to contract for union labor to install the solar systems and tap its own capital and a rate hike to finance the project. That won’t leave many opportunities for solar installers and financiers like SunPower (SPWR), SunEdison and MMA Renewable Ventures (MMA).

“Even though this program is kind of taking bread out of our own mouth, the demand for solar will keep going up,” says Mark McLanahan, senior vice president of corporate development at MMA Renewable Ventures, a San Francisco firm that finances commercial solar arrays.

“What they have announced is extremely visionary,” McLanahan tells Green Wombat. “It’s game changing and opens up whole new realms of what solar can do. That’s exciting.” On the other hand, he says, “It’s certainly possible that a young, growing industry that is pretty fragmented could be hurt by this rather than helped.”

It seems that Edison’s program will be funded by a hefty rate hike. Some solar industry critics have suggested opening up the program to competitive bidding, not just for the procurement of solar panels. Of course, Edison’s not crazy about that idea, saying it would work against the economies of scale it says it can bring to the program.

Tough situation, and we’ll undoubtedly see a lot more of this sort of thing as our country starts making what could be a somewhat arduous transition to new energy sources.

Link [Green Wombat] via [The Huffington Post]
Photo credit: Flickr user clownfish

Next Generation Toyota Prius Will Have Solar Panels

Toyota will be installing solar panels on the roof of the next generation Prius, set to begin production next year and released in 2010.  The power generated by the solar panels will be used to power the air conditioning system, which was previously putting strain on the hybrid powertrain.   The panels will only be available on high-end Prius models.

There have also been rumors that the next generation Prius will have a lithium battery and may get over 100mpg.  The body has been redesigned to be slightly larger and more aerodynamic.

I can’t wait to see how high gas prices are going to continue to spur innovation in all industries.  We should be seeing some extremely cool cars in the next few years, and the best part is they’ll be getting greener and greener!  With so many interesting new designs and concepts in the works right now, the hardest part will be choosing between them all.

Link [Reuters]
Photo credit: Popular Mechanics

U.S. Stops Solar Energy Projects Over ‘Environment Fears’

It sounds like a joke: the U.S. has decided to put off large-scale solar projects on public land so they can first study the effects that the solar panels will have on the environment. No word yet on whether they’ll do the same for coal mining, power plants and other major sources of environmental damage and disruption.

From The Telegraph:

The move has angered some solar energy proponents who argue it could hold up the industry at a vital juncture, given the pressing need to secure alternative energy sources at a time of soaring oil prices.

“This technology has been around for nearly three decades. If there is an environmental concern, that can be addressed without putting a halt to this technology and helping to impact our greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental degradation from coal-fired and natural gas plants,” said Brad Collins, executive director of the American Solar Energy Society.

Amazing, truly amazing. Granted, it’s just PUBLIC land. There will still be plenty of room for the growth of solar technology elsewhere – but that doesn’t change how incredibly stupid this is. Be cautious and think about the environmental repercussions of everything we do, absolutely. But we already know that our current energy production methods are far more damaging, and that we need a better way ASAP. Being conscious of solar panels displacing wildlife is good, but in the meantime, our current energy methods are hurtling us toward destruction of the entire planet at light speed.

Link [The Telegraph]

Photo credit: Worst President Ever