Solar Power World

Project Review: The Home of the Future is Here Now

Nexus EnergyHomes builds net-zero homes available at market price Imagine opening your mailbox and never seeing another electric bill. This may seem like a dream for the future, but with today’s technology it’s actually possible to build houses that produce as much power as they generate. “Net-zero” homes have made headlines here and there, but at such high prices they are... Read More

Eclipsall To Supply 3-MW to Uganda

Eclipsall Energy Corp. has agreed to supply 3MW of solar modules to the Government of Uganda, Ministry of Health. The solar modules will be used for planned solar projects on 100 medical clinics throughout the Republic of Uganda. The medical clinics are located largely in remote areas of the country. The installations will include both grid tied and off-grid photovoltaic systems... Read More

Solectria Inverters Power Largest CSP Facility

Solectria Renewables’ solar inverters will be used in the 30-MW Alamosa Solar Generating Project, the largest high concentrating photovoltaic power (CPV) generating facility in the world. The solar project consists of over 500 large CPV pedestals, solar inverters and dual axis trackers. The site is located in Alamosa, CO, and extends 225 acres. The San Luis Valley in Colorado... Read More

Report Recommends Changing Solar Standards for Ground Mounts

The Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs) has released a final report, “Grounding Photovoltaic Modules: Issues and Recommendations,” which draws on feedback from solar industry experts as well as ongoing research at Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) and presents the issues with recommendations for changes to existing standards. The need for this study was... Read More

Sustainable Soccer

Solar Energy World, a Maryland solar energy systems provider, plans to install a solar energy system in Soccer Dome’s newest recreational indoor soccer facilities, Soccer Dome II in Harmans, Maryland. In recent years, sports arenas and stadiums have become champions of sustainability for both social and financial reasons. The STAPLES Center, home to the Los Angeles Lakers, has... Read More

Solar Trackers In Tennessee

The 6000NT dual-axis solar tracking system from DEGERtraker helps align the solar modules to the brightest source in the sky to guarantee maximum yield. The manufacturer says its systems generate up to 45 percent more energy than fixed installations. The tracker’s rails are made of impact extruded aluminum by Hydro Aluminum Extrusion America. This material combines efficient... Read More

6.4 MW Planned for New Jersey

The Mountain Creek Resort and Grand Cascades Golf Resort in Vernon, New Jersey are going solar. SPI Solar will develop the solar project with EPC KDC Solar. KDC Solar will own and operate the systems, which will include a mixture of fixed ground mount and custom designed solar parking canopies and car ports at three separate sites at the resort. The photovoltaic systems will provide... Read More

School Offsets 90% Of Energy Use With Solar Panels

Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, N.J., has installed 6.1 MW of solar modules. The photovoltaic system, ground-mounted on 30 acres of school-owned farm land, is believed to be the largest installed at a U.S. primary or secondary school. It will generate enough electricity to offset 90 percent of the high school’s annual power needs and provide a centerpiece to the school’s... Read More

Upcoming Solar Trainings

Solar mounting company Sollega is hosting training sessions around the country. Here’s a preview: Infinite Solar 5-Day Entry Level Solar PV Design and Installation Course Philadelphia, Pennsylvania    This class covers fundamentals in design, installation, and evaluation of residential and commercial solar photovoltaic systems. The training includes the use of various... Read More

Insurance Bundle Helps Mitigate Risks and Support Financing

Specialty insurance provider Assurant, Inc. offers a comprehensive insurance solution for commercial solar project developments. The company says the new offering is designed specifically for the fast growing 100 kw to 3-MW solar market, and will allow developers of commercial and industrial scale projects to address problematic risks that have traditionally made financing difficult. Assurant... Read More

Home Heliostats

Turning on a light indoors while the sun is shining outdoors creates frustration for an environmentalist. Knowing that a simple flick of the light switch causes a chain of energy production, transportation and conversion just seems crazy when the sun is pouring down free photons outside only a few feet away.One often proposed solution for this is to use a heliostat, which is... Read More

Panasonic Solar Panels Installed At New City Nissan in Honolulu

Panasonic announces that New City Nissan in Honolulu, Hawai’i has installed a 305.7-KW Panasonic solar system to generate additional revenue and energy-cost savings for the dealership. The Nissan dealership unveiled the system at a ribbon-cutting event on the new system as part of its “Earth Day Event.” The dealership installation features Panasonic HIT Power 220-watt panels,... Read More

Missouri Baseball Teams Go Solar

UPDATED APRIL 16 to reflect whose panels were used in the St. Louis project — SCHOTT Solar. Missouri’s two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams have recently scored renewable energy projects. Both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals have installed solar panels that were up and running when the 2012 season opened. At Busch Stadium in St. Louis, home of the 2011 World... Read More

Project Review: Stimulating Schools With Solar In California

  JMC Steel Group’s Atlas Tube division was able to work through PDM Steel to provide 1,200 tons of large-size HSS squares and rectangles to for use in the steel columns of the solar carports. By leveraging its resources and relationships, JMC Steel delivered the order on time, despite a tight schedule. –photo courtesy of SRVUSD Utilities are often school districts’ second... Read More

Racking and Mounting: Managing Municipal Budgets

  More municipalities than ever are looking to lower costs in the wake of poor economic times and slashed budgets. One of the most obvious places to start is to provide your town with self-generated, more efficient energy. When the Lower Township (N.J.) Municipal Utilities Authority (LTMUA) decided to move in that direction, they explored adding a solar farm to their water... Read More