Solar in the News
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Solar energy continues to nab headlines across the nation this month. From new investments to new technology, solare energy continues to gain attention as the next big energy source.
In Boston, a team at MIT announced a breakthrough, reducing the scale of solar energy. Just like the first computers took up entire rooms but now fit into your 
pocket, MIT has produced a solar panel the size and weight of a piece of paper.
The new technology “prints” solar energy cells onto an array of surfaces, including paper and fabric. This drastically reduces size and weight of solar panels, essentially creating portable solar energy sources. While not as efficient as traditional solar panels, the technology, which boasts a low manufacturing cost, will allow people to power individual electronic devices. Not to mention the potential uses for them as the technology gets further refined.
On the other end of the scale, Hawaii started constructing its largest solar energy installation to date. Hoping to create one of the largest solar communities in the U.S., military families at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will soon be powered by solar energy. In addition to creating 55 green jobs, when finished, the four MW installation is expected to produce more than 5.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) and power over 2,000 homes.
And here in the DC Metro area, the Washington Redskins are bringing solar to FexEd field. Officials announced plans for a two MW system that is expected to generate enough power to run the stadium on non-game days and off-set some electricity usage during game days. The photovoltaic solar panel system would span over 800 parking spots. While the league hopes the location will help increase solar visibility to its fans, the solar array will also creatively double as a covered parking area.
Solar in the News: Maryland Correctional Institution
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To continue the growth of the Maryland solar industry, the state is expanding its solar energy projects to include a $70 million dollar investment at a state prison near Hagerstown. The solar energy farm would sit on 50 state-owned acres surrounding the medium-security Maryland Correctional Institution and inmates will tend the grounds and keep the panels clean. California currently uses open space around correctional facilities to house solar panels.
Construction is planned to begin this year with completion by December 2012. The solar energy farm would project enough energy to power 2,250 homes and help meet requirements of a state law mandating that 20 percent of Maryland’s electricity be generated from renewable energy sources by 2022.
Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Service approves of the project, noting that the photovoltaic solar panel farm would make productive use of the land and provide employment opportunities for inmates in the pre-release system. The installation is a great example of the commercial use of solar energy.
Source: BusinessWeek
Kicking off a solar summer: How many solar panels do you need?
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There are many essential variables to consider when calculating how many photovoltaic solar panels you need and what type. How much energy am I using? How much sunlight does my house receive? What are the most efficient tilt and panels that would be useful to use? Each solar power system is different, which is why our installation crew designs a specific solar power system to meet your individual needs.
The first of these variables involves calculating how much power in watts your household uses on a daily basis. Using your electrical bill and/or a kWh (watt-hours) load tool you
can calculate total watts you use per day or month.
The next step would be to calculate the amount of useable sunlight in your area or insolation, when your solar panels will produce their rated voltage. This can be done using a solar calculator to find the tilt and size of a suitable system, and total hours of usable energy or you can use solar insolation table to determine the average hours of sunlight.
Determining the size of the system
To then calculate the size of the system in kW (kilowatts), divide watts-hours by your insolation value. In order to account for average energy losses and inefficiencies you can increase this number by 30%. This will give you the size of the solar energy system needed in kilowatts.
What type of solar panel is right for me?
This all depends on how much energy you need to produce and how much space you have. It is possible to have one bigger solar panel that produces the same watts-hours as six smaller ones. It is also possible that one type of solar panel is more aesthetically pleasing than another. This may be the case with the new SunPower solar panels.
The best way to determine how many solar panels you need would be to have a professional come to your property to survey the proposed area. This is done as part of a solar assessment. During the solar assessment, you’ll discover all the financial benefits that come along with solar too.
Solar Farms
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The owner of local energy supplier BGE recently acquired one of a solar energy farm in Sacramento. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District owns several solar energy farms, and Constellation Energy purchased a 30-megawatt project composed of 381,000 film photovoltaic solar panels that will create enough solar energy to light approximately 30,000 homes.
Constellation’s purchase will help the Sacramento Municipal Utility District meet state requirements for utilities; by 2020, the utilities must get one-third of their energy from renewable sources. The project is slated for completion by the end of 2011. Constellation will own and operate the solar panels and sell the electricity over 20 years.
Source: Sacramento Bee
Solar history: Alexandre Edmond Becquerellar
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Born in Paris, Edmond Becquerel (1820-1891), a French physicist in 1839, is known for his studies in the solar spectrum, magnetism, electricity and optics. He is best known for his discovery and unraveling the key principle to solar energy cells, the photovoltaic effect. He received his doctorate from the University of Paris, and eventually took
a professorial position at the Agronomic Institute of Versailles. He was especially interested in phosphorescence and luminescence, chemical reactions caused by exposing certain substances to light. In the1840s he found that these reactions could produce an electric current in both liquids and metals. The connection between light energy and chemical energy was seized upon by many scientists in the following years, and research has led to the development of the photoelectric cell.
Photovoltaic effect
The photovoltaic effect is the basic physical process through which a photovoltaic cell converts sunlight into electricity. Sunlight is composed of photons which are packets of solar energy. These photons contain different amounts of energy that correspond to the different wavelengths of the solar spectrum. When photons strike a photovoltaic cell, they may be reflected or absorbed, or they may pass right through. The absorbed photons generate electricity.
Post written by: David Zamostny, Solar Energy World Intern
Energy Summit: What’s next in the Maryland energy future? (part 7)
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One thing is certain – Maryland is in a better place than we were just a few short years ago.
Commercial solar and residential solar continue to make large strides.
Maryland homeowners are sharing the investment benefits with neighbors and colleagues, while more events like the Wind & Solar Expo are becoming commonplace. Yet, there is still a goal in front of us to hit the 6% solar carve out.
Federal grants and bonus depreciation have helped boost commercial solar installations across the US. Today’s workplace now include discussions of energy conservation and “green teams” are being formed.
Right now, there are 1,200 jobs created in Maryland due to the solar industry. And that number is expected to rise.
The Wind Energy Act is work in progress. The state has established a inter-agency State/Federal task force to advise US Department of Interior on offshore wind leasing. And, the state as entered into a formal partnership with the newly created Atlantic Offshore Wind Consortium to coordinate the development of offshore wind energy production on the Atlantic coast. http://www.gov.state.md.us/pressreleases/100608.asp
To wrap up all these posts, the 20% from renewable resources by 2020 is a goal that is readily achievable with today’s technology.
Maryland has also made large strides in energy conservation. Technologies are available now to reduce demand nationally by 20-30% over the next decade. Innovations in energy efficiency should allow us to keep demand constant after 2020, even as the population grows.
In our next post, we’ll connect you to useful links that help drive change in Maryland.
Energy Summit: How does solar relieve the aging power grid? (part 5)
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We discussed peak demand in an earlier post so we wanted to discuss renewable energy and peak demand.
For a utility company, the actual point of peak demand is a single half hour or hourly period, which represents the highest point of customer consumption of electricity.
Most of the solar installations in Maryland are grid-tied. Meaning, the PV system is connected to the existing power lines and supply so there is no need for energy storage.
It seems a little strange that a grid-tied solar power system could relieve the grid but it can. Solar is considered “Peak Technology”.
During the day – when utility rates are at their highest – solar is generating power. Solar is alleviating the stress on the grid because in many cases, energy is being consumed in the same location it’s being produced.
In a report from Lux Research in June 2010, peak demand time has given an entry point for three types of technologies to curb electricity usage: demand response, solar and storage.
“The verdict is that it’s really going to be a mix because of the limitations and capacity factor,” said Lux analyst Ted Sullivan. The capacity factor is the amount of time per year that a power-producing resource is available.
We’ll cover how Maryland is doing in the race to a clean energy future in our next post.
International solar: Sarnia PV Power Plant (Ontario)
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On October 4, 2010, Canada became home to the world’s largest solar power plant: Sarnia PV Power Plant in Ontari
o. Enbridge, Inc. and First Solar, Inc. constructed the facility, which will generate enough energy to power almost 13,000 homes; 1.3 million solar panels span 950 acres. The Ontario Power Authority is contracted for 20 years of power from Sarnia.
Enbridge noted that constructing the solar farm created more than 800 jobs for the economy. To keep the project as environmentally friendly as possible, no water was used during construction and minimal waste—including noise pollution—was created.
In December 2010, Enbridge and First Solar were honored by the Canadian Solar Industries Association where Sarnia PV power plant was named “Solar PV Project of the Year.”
Reviewing solar tax rebates
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In 2009, Congress passed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to extend consumer tax incentives started by the 2005 Energy Act. That equals big tax rebates for you when you choose to invest in sustainable energy home improvements.
So how big are these rebates? Homeowners who invest in solar energy systems will receive a 30% federal tax credit as long as the systems are in place by the end of 2016.
In Maryland, several counties offer property tax credits. Howard County, for example, allows a tax credit that is 50% of the eligible costs up to $5,000 for electricity generating or heat generating systems, and $1,500 for a hot water supply system.
Daunted by the idea of the paperwork and details that go into claiming those tax credits? Don’t be.
We will do all of it for you. Contact us to learn more!
Please note, this post was written prior to the change in the Howard County Property Tax.
Earth Day Round-Up
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You most likely knew that April 22nd was Earth Day but did you know that the month of April is “Earth Month”?
Many events were held all over Maryland (even one of our own!) where people celebrated green jobs, clean energy, organic gardening, recycling and much more. Here are a few highlights around town:
Elkridge Solar Firm Launches Nonprofit Coalition to Lobby for More Clean Energy
Solar Energy World became convinced that community activism would have to be part of their business strategy before their rooftop solar panels would gain wide acceptance. In short, they realized they had to first win the hearts and minds of voters if clean energy–principally solar, geothermal and wind–would garner the same tax incentives oil and coal companies received.
Read more about Solar Energy World and the launch of the Clean Energy Coalition>>
To learn more about the Clean Energy Coalition>>
Here is a clip from the press conference with Solar Energy World guests, Maryland Delegate James Malone and Jim Pierobon from the Maryland Clean Energy Center:
BWI Gets Eight Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for Earth Day
Gov. Martin O’Malley celebrated Earth Day on Friday by announcing the installation of eight electric vehicle charging stations at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Read more about the BWI EV Charging Stations>>
All over Montgomery County Earth Day was being celebrated! – brought to you by Patch
Congressman Chris Van Hollen and professional artists from Montgomery County stressed the importance of art to young people and to the community as VisArts at Rockville hosted an awards ceremony for the 8th Congressional District Art Competition for High School Students on Tuesday.
A new community garden will give 50 families the chance to grow and harvest their own food. County Executive Isiah Leggett, as well as community and religious leaders, were on hand at the Emory Grove garden to break ground on Saturday..