Archive for the ‘solar energy’ Category

STEP 1: Home Wind Turbine 101, Electricity Used and Cost

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

STEP 1: Electricity Used and Cost

This is the first in a series of quick and brief (DIY) Do It Yourself articles from WindEnergy7.com.  It is best if you read this series in order because they are written to benefit readers in that way. Our goal is to help educate customers not just sell products.  Many customers actually become dealers, because they have learned so much when they are done. The first step in installing a home wind turbine is to determine how much electricity you use in your home or business. Your electrical energy is measured and sold in kilowatt-hours (KWH), so you need to find out how many kilowatt-hours (KWH) you use per month.

On your home, you can read your utility meter, but it’s easier to simply reference your utility bill.  The utility bill usually displays a summary of the past year’s electrical usage, maybe an average. If you’re planning new construction, you’ll need to estimate your electrical use. Reviewing your utility bills from your current home or another existing home with a similar range of appliances. The best you can do on new construction is only be a guess, your actual usage may vary considerably. 

How Much Electricity: Your main goal for the electrical needs analysis is to come up with the number of KWH per year that you want your wind system to generate. Without this analysis, you’re more likely to end up being unhappy with your investment in wind power. 

What Does it Cost: Your second goal is to figure out exactly what this electricity kilowatt-hours (KWH) is costing you. That is critical in doing the return on investment (ROI) of a system. Our goal at WindEnergy7.com is to help people econolmically, to lower your energy costs.  So, you will notice this as a big difference in our company and others, we focus heavily on return on investment (ROI). We want to make sure that any money you spend on green energy is a good investment first.  It’s great that the environment and planet are saved too, but these systems are usually a great investment in your personal economic future.

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Without knowing your electricity use and costs, you cannot begin to communicate with your WindEnergy7.com dealer about a system.  You cannot decide on what would be a good system for you or what it may cost.  Most importantly, you cannot connect the dots, financially, to see the savings and payback of your home wind turbine.  So, this is our first step of a personal energy systems design.  Our goal in these articles is education, to put buyers in a situation to actually help themselves.  Our site and products at WindEnergy7.com is designed to be a true (DIY) Do It Yourself resource.

Homework: Find out what your electrical use is in kwH, Find out what you cost per kwH is.

Next Step, Article 2

If you are interested in starting a wind project for your residence or acreage, contact us. To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

Home Wind Turbine Kit

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

Building your home wind turbine is pretty simple and allot of fun. The kits from WindEnergy7.com are made to be quick and easy with assembly taking about an hour. You can look at the finished home wind turbine kits here. Of course the turbine is only part of a real home energy system like you see in the video below. That’s why people buy systems from WindEnergy7 LLC, because we ONLY SELL COMPLETE SYSTEMS. We don’t sell parts and pieces, a home wind turbine kit from us is a complete system of matched components, engineered to work as planned. We back you up with technical support, training, and even help you become a Wind/Solar Dealer for your area if you like. See Movie Below, Home Wind Turbine Kit

Since the new law was passed for the 30% IRS tax credit, customers get 30% of their system paid for by the IRS. All our system are qualified for full 30% credit. We have been fielding calls and emails from all over the country.  This past year, we installed home wind/solar kits from Hawaii to New Jersey, Canada, and Europe. A home wind turbine kit is such a good investment.  You can read about the new home wind turbine tax incentives here.

We are starting a network of dealers and distributors right now and many people are getting in on this now, involvement is open to all interested.  I am however not talking dealershp details to anyone who isn’t a customer first.  If you buy a system, you can become a dealer with no further investment.  There’s a very simple agreement and structure, all win/win.  Based on geographic areas you can stake a claim now.

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On a higher level of dealer involvement, WindEnergy7.com is looking to create ONLY A FEW distributor level dealers.  Again, first step is to buy and install a system, now you really in a position to show and help others do same. That’s about all the detail we can offer without being in the dealer group and under the NDA (non disclosure agreement).

Have a look at these windmaps at the link above and see can you pinpoint what number your area is in.  2 is OK and anything over 2 is very good. Let’s double check your wind resources are good. Check Your Wind Map Here

The hybrid rooftop wind turbine system in the video above is is around $16,000 for Grid-Tie system with battery back-up.  Single turbine systems start at around $6000.  That has every component with it (except batteries) which you buy locally, is a matched kit of components.  It’s really a handyman level install, many folks put it in themselves and many have an electrician finish it up for safety.  Pay by credit card secured, takes WindEnergy7.com about 3 weeks to pack and ship, the home wind turbine kits go out UPS Ground with Free Shipping.

Our systems come with the whole Wind Turbine, Blades, Cone, Tail, Roofmount Kit, Pole, Charge Controllers, Solar Panels, Hardware, Inverter etc.  The whole Kit of matched components is a complete home energy system.  Did you see the blog post about the 30% federal tax break law, as soon as word got out on that new tax incentive just passed, This sites traffic went up dramatically in one day and sales are brisk ever since.  

If you are interested in starting a wind project for your residence or acreage, contact us. To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

Small Wind Turbine Federal Tax Credit is Law

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

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Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit
Our customers ALL QUALIFY FOR 30% of INSTALLED COST of our home energy systems. All WindEnergy7 systems qualify as solar electric, solar water heating, small wind energy, and geothermal heat pump property. This includes all your  labor costs of the onsite preparation, assembly, or original installation of the property and for piping or wiring to interconnect such property to the home and its systems.

Our Wind/Solar Hybrid Kits are qualified as small wind energy property costs. Qualified small wind energy property costs are costs for property that uses a wind turbine to generate electricity for use in connection with your home located in the United States. The home does not have to be your main home.  All WindEnergy7 systems qualify and we show our customers how to get the credits.. no problem.

Our Wind/Solar Hybrid Kits are qualified as solar electric property costs. Qualified solar electric property costs are costs for property that uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in your home located in the United States. This includes costs relating to a solar panel or other property installed as a roof or a portion of a roof. The home does not have to be your main home.  All WindEnergy7 systems qualify and we show our customers how to get the credits.. no problem.

Our Solar Hot Water Kits are qualified as solar water heating property costs. Qualified solar water heating property costs are costs for property to heat water for use in your home located in the United States if at least half of the energy used by the solar water heating property for such purpose is derived from the sun. This includes costs relating to a solar panel or other property installed as a roof or a portion of a roof. To qualify for the credit, the property must be certified for performance by the nonprofit Solar Rating Certification Corporation or a comparable entity endorsed by the government of the state in which the property is installed. The home does not have to be your main home.  All WindEnergy7 systems qualify and we show our customers how to get the credits.. no problem.

Download IRS Form 5695

Congress passed legislation, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, H.R. 1424, that includes a new federal-level investment tax credit to help consumers purchase small wind turbines for home, farm, or business use. President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law. Owners of small wind turbines with 100 kilowatts (kW) of capacity and less can receive a credit for 30% of the total installed cost of the system. The credit will be available for equipment installed from the date the president signs the bill through December 31, 2016. For turbines used for homes, the credit is additionally unlimited to the amount of capacity that you install.  See Wind/Solar Hybrid Kits

To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Wind Turbine Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.  We encourage anyone to become involved as a customer, installer, and or dealer of our products.  We train and support everyone regardless of your experience level.  WindEnergy7 is a major nationwide trainer of customers, dealers, and installers of all skill levels.  Join Us!

Rooftop Wind Generator Kit, Hybrid Wind/Solar

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

Helping homeowners build and install wind/solar hybrid systems is a really fun way to make a living.  We have kits starting at just $2990 and going up to whatever size project a customer needs.
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We even sell larger community sized wind turbines for school districts or local government projects.  Anyway, the best selling is the smaller rooftop mounted turbines that connect with a solar panel to give clean reliable power.

wind-energy wind turbine rooftop wind solar hybrid

You see, since the wind is stronger in the winter months, sun is stronger in the summer months, we designed a system that is attractively priced, that gives an even flow of energy year round.  Many interested in home wind power are exploring homegrown junkyard turbines to build yourself.  I think it’s great to check out the home grown turbine kits and plans, but they will look like what they are when finished.  They will not look like these kits that we sell.  For most people, a professionally designed high tech kit is the way to to.  It’s way simpler to assemble and put up and is simply more attractive at the home.  My starter kits put out far more reliably and will perform much better.  Small DIY Wind Turbine Generator Kits

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See Small Wind Turbine Tax Credit

To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

Wind Power Home Turbine

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Homes across the united states are installing wind power home appliances. Like the couple in California in this video below. People are cutting their electrical bills by using clean wind power home appliances. Of course unlike the guy in this video, if you get a more economically designed system from WindEnergy7.com your cost is 1/2 to maybe 1/3 of cost of some of these other systems.

With our systems, the units pay for themselves with or without government subsidies. If you have wind resources over a zone 2, your wind system will make economical sense, paying for itself in 7 to 10 years, depending on your local situation and how large of a system you want to put in. We have done ROI studies in zone 3 to 4 that show a 5 year payback on the investment. A zone 2 is most likely 7 to 10 year payback on the investment. BUT, the system is designed to go 25 to 30 years without a rebuild. Our wind power home appliances start around $2,500 and can go as large and complex as you wish. We make sure that every customer is satisfied and the system is working for their needs.

Our wind turbines all have slip ring design. Many other turbines don’t have slip ring design, the connection cable will get twisted as the wind shifts direction and requiring constant untangling. Tangled wires can be damaged and connections can be lost with potentially disastrous consequences. Our Slip Ring design is the elegant solution to this problem. Like all other problems, you don’t have them with WindEnergy7.com turbines.

slip ring design wind turbine wind power home

WindEnergy7.com has reliable, Innovative two moving part design with 25-year maintenance-free generator life span. Can be used as either wind turbine only or wind/solar hybrid system. Integrated wind and solar power sources to capture the most energy in all conditions.  Our turbines all have very durable rotor blades. Excellent workmanship, stainless steel parts, with high strength aluminum die cast generator housing. These home wind power appliances are designed for various working conditions.  Our turbines designed for severe climate, sand and salt corrosive environments and marine usage. 

We use strong Neodymium magnet PMA, the unique winding and multi pole design reduces the start-up torque of the alternator that assures the it can generate more electricity at low wind speed than other systems. Our turbine is 400 rpm, starts charging at under 6 mph.  This unit comes with connection to easily plug-in a solar panel with plug-n-play ease.  You can use this residential turbine as a hybrid wind/solar system which will give more consistent power.  Wind is strongest in winter months, Sun/Solar is strongest in summer months.  Using our hybrid wind/solar home systems will give you more consistent power for your residence.

This starter small turbine is incredible, tested to sustain 134 mph survival speed, system operates and generate electricity up to 134 mph. The advanced speed limitation design uses electromagnetic speed limitation supplemented by aerodynamic speed limitation by blade deformation. Combination of Electromagnetic braking and aerodynamic braking maximizes energy capture by extending turbine’s operating speed range into higher speed winds and lower speed winds.

Email us.  We sell well designed, high tech systems, not just parts, plans, ideas. I could write a book on the research and design technology that goes into a little turbine like this one that WindEnergy7 sells. Our turbines are state of the art and the best there is.

residential wind power home

If you are interested in starting a wind project for your residence or acreage, contact us. To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

 

 

 

 

Power Inverter Terminology

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

Power Inverter Terminology

The following is a glossary of terms that may be routinely heard when shopping for equipment or reading operator’s manuals.

The Grid– Also called the utility grid, this refers to the public power distribution system.

Off Grid– Not connected to public power in any way

Sellback or Selling back to the grid– Some inverters have the capability to take energy stored in batteries or from solar panels and put it back into the utility grid. The public utility company will then pay you for using your energy. Check with the power company before attempting this.

DC– Direct Current. Electrical current that does not vary with time.

AC– Alternating Current. Electrical current that varies with time. The rate at which the voltage changes polarity is the frequency in Hertz(Hz).

Load(s)– Any electrical item which draws power. (i.e. lights, radio, washer/dryer, refrigerator, etc.)

Voltage– The pressure of electrical flow. Equivalent to water pressure in a hose.

Current(Amps)– The volume of electricity flowing through a conductor. Equivalent to gallons per unit time of water flowing through a hose.

Watts– Measure of power output or utilization. Watts=Volts x Amps

Resistance– The opposition to flow of direct current (DC)

Impedance– Opposition to flow of alternating current (AC)

Fuse or Disconnect– An electrical pressure relief valve. When current exceeds a preset limit the fuse or disconnect will fail before the wiring or equipment it is protecting. Disconnects are also called circuit breakers. These are usually resettable and can act as a switch to turn off power to equipment for servicing.

NEC code– National Electric Code. The guidelines and acceptable practices for electrical installations. It is a book published every three years.

Deep Cycle Battery– A battery designed to be routinely discharged to 20% of its maximum capacity without damage. These are the type of battery most commonly used with an inverter system.

Output Waveform– Shape of the wave that alternating current makes as its voltage rises and falls with time.

Sinewave– A waveform that looks like rolling waves on water. It rises and falls smoothly with time. The grid puts out a sine waveform. Any plug in AC equipment will operate from a sinewave output. (See graph below)

Modified Sinewave– Also called a quasi waveform or a modified sine wave. This output looks like a one step staircase. Most loads that will run from a sinewave will run from a modified sinewave. However things such as clocks and furnace controllers may have trouble. (See graph below)

Square Wave– The simplest wave form, this is shown below. Some types of equipment behave strangely when run from a square wave.(See graph below)

Islanding– The condition present when the utility power grid fails and the inverter attempts to power the grid. An inverter which is “islanding protected” senses the loss of AC power from the grid and does not back feed into the grid system.

Locked Rotor Amps– The current drawn by an electric motor with the shaft or rotor stopped and locked in position. This can be used to determine if an inverter has enough surge current to start a motor. If the inverter is capable of producing more amperage than the locked rotor amps rating of a motor, it will most likely start the motor easily.

Pass Through Current– The amount of current the inverter can safely pass directly from the AC input to the AC output.

Automatic Transfer Relay– An automatic switch that switches between inverter and charger mode depending on availability of AC input power. If AC is present the unit will be a battery charger, when AC goes away the unit becomes an inverter.

Efficiency– Usually given as a percentage, efficiency is the ratio of the output to the input. The efficiency changes with power output levels of any inverter.

Battery Equalization– Controlled “overcharging” of the battery causing it to bubble and mix. This reduces stratification.

Stratification-With time, the liquid portion of a battery (the electrolyte) will separate into layers. The sulfuric acid will go to the bottom, and the water to the top. If allowed to sit in this condition the battery will be ruined. Equalization will bubble and mix the electrolyte eliminating this problem.

LED– Light Emitting Diode. A light made up of semi-conducting material.

Line Tie– Term used when the inverter is connected to the public power or “grid” system.

Stacking– Two inverters operating together to produce more power and higher output voltage. The units must be stackable, and an interface cable must be utilized. See the manual for details on stacking if it is an option.

PV– Photo Voltaic. Solar powered.

Bulk Charge Stage– This is the first of the three stages in three stage charging. In this stage a constant current is fed to the batteries and as they accept the current the battery voltage will rise.

Absorption Stage– In this second stage of three stage charging, the batteries are held at a constant voltage (the bulk voltage setting) and the battery is charged to its maximum capacity.

Float stage– During the third stage of three stage charging, the voltage and current are reduced to a level that will trickle charge or maintenance charge the battery. This assures the battery remains fully charged even while sitting.

True RMS Digital Volt Meter (DVM)– A voltmeter that incorporates an RMS converter to read true RMS for any waveform shape.

RMS– Root Mean Square, a measure of AC voltage that would provide the equivalent heating value across a resistor as a DC source of the same voltage.


If you are interested in starting a wind project for your residence or acreage, contact us. To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

New Jersey – Net Metering

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

New Jersey – Net Metering

Incentive Type: Net Metering

Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: Solar Thermal Electric, Photovoltaics, Landfill Gas, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal Electric, Anaerobic Digestion, Tidal Energy, Wave Energy, Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels

Applicable Sectors: Commercial, Industrial, Residential

Limit on System Size: 2 MW

Limit on Overall Enrollment: No limit

Treatment of Net Excess: Several options exist according to customer preference. Generally, NEG will be credited to customer’s next bill at retail rate with next excess purchased by the utility at the avoided cost rate at the end of an annualized period.

Utilities Involved: Electric distribution companies (does not apply to municipal utilities or electric co-ops)

Interconnection Standards for Net Metering?

Yes

Authority 1: N.J. Stat. § 48:3-87
Date Enacted: 1999 (subsequently amended)
Effective Date: 1999
Authority 2: N.J.A.C. 14:4-9
Date Enacted: 9/13/2004
Effective Date: 10/4/2004

Website: http://www.njcleanenergy.com

Summary:  
Note: In September 2007 the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) approved an order regarding a redesign of the state solar-energy program. As a result, the New Jersey Office of Clean Energy (OCE) has been directed to develop modified interconnection, net metering and renewable portfolio standard (RPS) rules consistent with the program transition. Click here to view the proposed rules.  

New Jersey’s net-metering rules and interconnection standards apply to all residential, commercial, and industrial customers of the state’s investor-owned utilities (and certain competitive municipal utilities and electric cooperatives). Eligible systems include those that generate electricity using solar, wind, geothermal, wave, tidal, landfill gas or sustainable biomass resources, including fuel cells (all “Class I” technologies under the state RPS). The maximum individual system capacity is two megawatts (MW). There is no firm aggregate limit* on net metering. Many supporters of distributed generation believe that New Jersey has the best standards for net metering in the United States.  

A single metering arrangement is preferred. Customer-generators have several compensation options for net excess generation (NEG), listed below: 1. Customer-generator receives month-to-month credit for NEG at the full retail rate and is compensated for remaining NEG at the avoided-cost of wholesale power at the end of an annualized period.  

2. Customer-generator is compensated for all NEG on a real-time basis according to the PJM power pool real-time locational marginal pricing rate, adjusted for losses by the respective zone in the PJM.  

3. Customer generator may enter into a bilateral agreement with their electric supplier or service provider for the sale and purchase of NEG. Real-time crediting is permitted, subject to the applicable PJM rules.

The latter two options were added by S.B. 2936 enacted in January 2008 and effective July 11, 2008. This legislation also: (1) extends net metering to industrial and large commercial customers; (2) extends net metering to all systems that generate electricity using “Class I” renewable-energy resources; and (3) permits utilities to recover the costs of “any new net meters, upgraded net meters, system reinforcements or upgrades, and interconnection costs” through either their regulated rates or from net-metered customers. These changes are not yet reflected in the administrative rules.  

Customers eligible for net metering retain ownership of all renewable-energy credits (RECs) associated with the electricity they generate. Customers with photovoltaic (PV) systems may apply to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to participate in New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (S-RECs) program, which tracks and verifies solar certificates, and allows the certificates to be sold on-line to electric suppliers to meet suppliers’ solar renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requirements.  

*S.B. 2936 amended this portion of the law by removing a potential financial impact cap of $2 million and by increasing the aggregate capacity trigger to 2.5% (formerly 0.1%) of statewide peak load. As before, the BPU retains discretionary authority over capping net metering if this trigger is met.

Contact:  
Benjamin Scott Hunter
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
Renewable Energy Program Administrator, Office of Clean Energy
44 South Clinton Avenue
P.O. Box 350
Trenton, NJ 08625-0350
Phone: (609) 777-3300 
Fax: (609) 777-3330
E-Mail: benjamin.hunter@bpu.state.nj.us
Web site: http://www.bpu.state.nj.us

If you are interested in starting a wind project for your residence or acreage, contact us. To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

 

Colorado – Net Metering

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

Colorado – Net Metering

Incentive Type: Net Metering

Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: Wind, Biomass, Geothermal Electric, Solar Electric, Recycled Energy, Small Hydroelectric, Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels

Applicable Sectors: Commercial, Industrial, Residential

Limit on System Size: IOUs: 2 MW

Cooperative and municipal utilities: 10 kW for residential; 25 kW for commercial and industrial

Limit on Overall Enrollment: None

Treatment of Net Excess: Credited to customer’s next bill; IOS: utility pays customer at end of calendar year for excess kWh credits at the average hourly incremental cost for that year

Coops and Munis: annual reconciliation at a rate deemed appropriate by the utility . The annual period is undefined.

Utilities Involved: All IOUs and co-ops; munis with more than 5,000 customers

Interconnection Standards for Net Metering?
Yes. Interconnection is governed by PUC rules for IOUs and co-ops. Per HB08-1160, by 10/1/2008, the PUC must initiate a new rule making to revisit interconnection rules for co-ops. Interconnection rules for munis must be “functionally similar� to PUC rules for IOUs.

Authority 1: 4 CCR 723-3, Rule 3664
Date Enacted: 12/15/2005
Effective Date: 7/2/2006
Authority 2: C.R.S. 40-9.5-301 et seq.
Authority 3: HB 1160 of 2008
Date Enacted: 3/26/2008

Summary:  
In December 2005, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted standards for net metering and interconnection, as required by Amendment 37, a renewable-energy ballot initiative approved by Colorado voters in November 2004. The PUC standards apply to the state’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs).

Systems up to two megawatts (MW) in capacity that generate electricity using qualifying renewable-energy resources are eligible for net metering in IOU service territories. Municipal and cooperative utilities are subject to lesser maximums as described below. Electricity generated at a customer’s site can be applied toward meeting a utility’s renewable-generation requirement under Colorado’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The RPS mandates that 4% of the renewables requirement be met with solar energy; half of this percentage must come from solar electricity generated at customers’ facilities.

For Colorado’s net-metering rules, any customer net excess generation (NEG) in a given month is applied as a kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit to the customer’s next bill. If in a calendar year a customer’s generation exceeds consumption, the utility must reimburse the customer for the excess generation at the utility’s average hourly incremental cost for the prior 12-month period.

If a customer-generator does not own a single bi-directional meter, then the utility must provide one free of charge. Systems over 10 kilowatts (kW) in capacity require a second meter to measure the output for the counting of renewable-energy credits (RECs). Customers accepting IOU incentive payments must surrender all renewable energy credits (RECs) for the next 20 years. Cooperative and municipal utilities are free to develop their own incentive programs at their discretion but they are not subject to the solar set-aside.  

House Bill 08-1160, passed in March 2008, requires municipal utilities with more than 5,000 customers and all cooperative utilities to offer net-metering. The new law allows residential systems up to 10 kW in capacity and commercial and industrial systems up to 25 kW to be credited monthly at the retail rate for any net excess generation their systems produce. Coops and municipal utilities are free to exceed these minimum size standards if they so choose. The statute also requires the utilities to pay for any remaining net excess generation at the end of an annual period but does not define what the annual period is, nor the rate at which it will be paid. The law says that the utilities will make a payment based on a “rate deemed appropriate by the utility”. The new law also required the PUC to open a new rule making to determine if the existing interconnection standards adopted in 4 CCR 723-3, Rule 3665 should be modified for cooperative utilities. Municipal utilities are required to adopt rules “functionally similarâ€? to the existing PUC rules, but may reduce or waive any of the insurance requirements.

Contact:
Richard Mignogna
Colorado Public Utilities Commission
1560 Broadway, Suite 250
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 894-2871
E-Mail: richard.mignogna@dora.state.co.us
Web site: http://www.dora.state.co.us/PUC

If you are interested in starting a wind project for your residence or acreage, contact us. To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

Texas Solar Pond in El Paso Generates 70kW

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

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solar pond energyIn El paso, Texas, the University of Texas at El Paso, (UTEP) has had a solar pond producing power since 1986. The El Paso Solar Pond project, a research, development, and demonstration project initiated by UTEP in 1983. It has operated since May 1986 and has successfully shown that process heat, electricity, and fresh water can be produced in the southwestern United States using solar pond technology. An organic Rankine-cycle engine generator was installed on site in 1986, making it the first in the U.S. to generate grid connected power, producing up to 70kW. Most of this power has been delivered to Bruce Foods Corporation for peak power shaving. This demonstrates one of the primary benefits of solar ponds: power on demand — even at night or after long periods of cloudy weather.

To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer, Please fill out our Contact Form. The system will automatically send you some additional info.

geocolumbus Meeting: Solar Concentrators in Ohio

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

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Thursday morning the Central Ohio Clean Energy Network is having a meeting and I hope I can make it.  The meeting is about Solar Concentrators and that being an economic opportunity for Ohio.  It’s being held at the Ohio Governors Residence which is at 358 N. Parkview Avenue, Columbus, Ohio.

A promising approach to reducing the cost of solar energy is solar concentrators.  Concentrators can either focus high intensity sunlight onto photovoltaic cells, minimizing the area of expensive materials required to generate electricity, or produce high grade thermal energy.  Ohio’s economy is well suited to provide the industrial competence required to deliver these solutions to the market.  Neil Sater, CEO of PhotoVolt, Strongsville, Ohio will provide an overview of where solar concentrator technologies fit into the market, the potential economic impact to the region, and what we can do to accelerated its promise. 

To Buy a Wind Turbine or Become a Dealer turbines@windenergy7.com.