Greener Dawn Energy Blog
January 13, 2012
There is talk within the renewable energy industry that solar energy is going to aim at the overall “poor population.” More than a billion people worldwide lack access to electricity. The best way to bring it to them — while reducing greenhouse gas emissions — is to launch a global initiative to provide solar panels and other forms of distributed renewable power to poor villages and neighborhoods. Read more about this compelling solar energy topic in the article below.
Article: http://bit.ly/xZs8qo
January 10, 2012
As we have testified numerous times on our blog, solar energy is making headway in the energy industry but there are certain roadblocks present in the industry that we have to be able to face. One obvious roadblock would be when the sun is not shining. Whether it is night time or just an overall cloudy day, it is key that our nation and our world for that matter, be able to capture the sun’s energy no matter what the circumstance. A new form of solar power, solar thermal, is a possible solution for such a challenge. The process is simple. Within a ‘storehouse’ water is kept and when the sun is out and shining, the water heats up. The water will eventually begin to boil which can then be used to heat up salt where energy can be stored for when the sun goes down or on a rainy or cloudy day. Households would then be able to tap into this reserve solar energy and begin to use it when needed.
Two California based companies have signed up to deploy this storage technology, BrightSource and SolarReserve. Together, these solar energy projects will be capable of powering tens of thousand of households throughout a summer evening. Whether the technology will be widely adopted remains to be seen, but companies like Google, Chevron and Good Energies are investing in it, and the utilities NV Energy and Southern California Edison have signed long-term contracts to buy power from these radically different new power plants.
We at Greener Dawn are confident that this new science is as good as it seems to be on paper. Read more for yourself in the article posted below!
Article: http://nyti.ms/yhusWU
January 6, 2012
In today’s society, we as Americans are still reliant on fossil fuels. The United States Energy Department states that, “solar power accounts for just 1% of America’s alternative energy production.” As many media sites and blogs have pointed out, solar power is growing but the “boom” so to speak as yet to occur. Financial giants, such as Google, have taken steps towards that boom with different investments but we are not quite there yet. In the meantime, people all over the world are taking different solar initiatives and thinking outside the box. Take a look at what Serbia, the Netherlands, Finland and the United Kingdom are doing with their solar innovations in the article below!
Article: http://on.mash.to/wVApsp
January 5, 2012
Nokia has recently released a mobile phone with solar capabilities. Although there are some restrictions with this sample phone, this is just the start for mobile technology. The phone has a solar panel embedded in to the back cover where it can hold a charge based off of the sun’s energy. The phone was placed in the hands of four researchers where it was tested in the Arctic Circle, southern Sweden, Kenya and by a Nokia team member sailing the Baltic Sea. Nokia says the prototype phones were able to harvest enough solar energy to allow the phone to remain on standby mode but with a very restricted amount of talk time. Read more about this mobile phone breakthrough below. We cannot wait to see what is developed next and how the solar mobile phone progresses over time!
Article: http://bit.ly/wsRH9Z
January 4, 2012
At Greener Dawn we hope that everyone had a great holiday season and are healthy and happy heading into the new year! To open the new year in terms of solar energy news, we have some great things developing in the industry and are excited to spread the word. Take a look at the merger piece between the SEIA and the Solar Alliance below.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which represents 1,100 solar companies around the country, said it merged with the Solar Alliance in order to focus more on state-level policy issues. The two groups have acknowledged the fact that solar is in fact expanding at a steady pace and the SEIA needs to be able to mirror such growth in order to expand the markets for solar energy. This is incredible news for the industry and solar energy at that! Take a look at the article posted by ‘The HIll’ below and learn more about this merger.
Article: http://bit.ly/zjqXxP
December 12, 2011
A team of municipalities, utilities and nonprofit organizations led by the Washington State Department of Commerce has been awarded more than $520,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate the use of solar power in the state. This particular grant will provide $523,800 to streamline and standardize permitting, zoning, net metering and interconnection processes while also improving financing options, reducing barriers and lowering the cost to install residential and small commercial rooftop solar energy equipment. Read the article below to learn more about the state of solar in Washington!
Article: http://bit.ly/vW4HE6
December 9, 2011
As the week winds down and the weekend is right around the corner, take a break from whatever you might be doing and have some fun with this energy efficiency video. Wherever you may be located across the country, energy efficiency in the winter time is key and this video may trigger you to become more aware of what is going on within the walls of your household! Take a seat, relax and enjoy this clip on energy efficiency! To our viewers, have a great weekend, keep warm and think solar because we’re not going anywhere!
Article/Video: http://bit.ly/syIiak
A French semiconductor developer, Soitec, has recently purchased a property location through Cushman & Wakefield and will be settling down in Rancho Bernardo, California. The new building was once property of Sony Electronics, Inc. and with the new company entering the foundation, 450 jobs will be created directly and 1,096 jobs will be formed indirectly! With so much negative energy rotating around the solar energy field in terms of job creation and job loss, we love to hear that a move such as this one will amp up the job creation levels tremendously. The payroll through Soitec is estimated to be at $22 million when the company and building are prepared and ready for opening day. Read the article below to learn more about Rancho Bernardo’s new neighbors.
Article: http://bit.ly/sIt9AD
Billionaire investor, Warren Buffett, has recently placed his mind and money in a solar farm located between LA and San Francisco. The farm, formerly known as Topaz Solar Farm, is estimated to be worth $2 billion. What is the most impressive is that the farm is expected to produce enough power to run 160,000 homes by 2015 as well as generate 550 megawatts of electricity which is equivalent to half the power of a nuclear reactor! Warren Buffett comes to the rescue again and in high fashion. Take a look at the article below to learn more!
The IKEA store in Baltimore, Maryland has just revamped their solar array and have made an even bigger push for 100% clean energy! The store location now has 2,576 solar panels installed on their building and a 77,300 square foot solar array. Store manager, Danielle Ellington, states “We constantly ask ourselves how we can improve what we do today for a better tomorrow.” This solar array set up will cut 626 tons of carbon dioxide emissions to the environment and we at Greener Dawn could not be more impressed! Take a look at this article posted by IKEA to learn more about their next location alteration in Tampa Bay, Florida!
Article: http://bit.ly/u8janT
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