Cooler Planet

At the Green Bay Botanical Garden in Green Bay, Wisconsin two solar photovoltaic array exist that look like flowers.  The 4.2-kilowatt system shaped like two giant, sculptural sunflowers, were built in partnership with the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.  The College wanted to create a unique demonstration project to support its training programs regarding the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of photovoltaic systems. 

The two systems’ arrays rotate throughout the day to maximize the amount of energy absorbed from the sun and its conversion into electricity.  Since January 2008, the “sunflower system” has generated about 5,312 kilowatt-hours of energy, equivalent to roughly $530.00 and reduced carbon dioxide emissions 3,718 kilograms.  The flowers were installed in August 2007.  In December, the flower PV arrays won an award for environmental design from the Mayor’s Committee for a Cleaner and More Beautiful Green Bay.

Eco-minded partygoers will be glad to know there’s a place in London (UK) to frequent.  Dr. Earth, real name Andrew Charalambous, has opened Club Surya a nightclub where people who bike or walk there get in for free.  Though no one can actually enter until they sign a pledge and commit to take actions that reduce global warming.

The ultra-modern club has its own solar photovoltaic array and wind turbine on top.  The solar panels power the refrigerators and flat-screen TVs, the wind everything else.  The club promises to donate any excess energy it generates to the community that surrounds it.

If it’s successful, then that could be a lot of electric juice.  Even the dance floor generates energy.  The dance floor sits on top a piezoelectric system that generates an electric current from dancers gyrating on top.  Dr. Earth told Reuters that he expects the dance floor when full of energetic dancers will “provide 60 percent of the club’s energy needs.”

Ah, if only we could solve all our energy needs by dancing.

For a review of the new club try, http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/clubs/club-surya-review-52971.html

No, we’re not talking about the sunshine needed to grow hops.  Rather, about the handful of breweries that have installed solar arrays to help brew their beer.

This is not an exhaustive list, there are likely others out there using renewable energy to power their brew.  For example, New Belgium Beer, in Fort Collins, Colorado has used wind power since 1999.  Here’s the Cooler Planet short list of “solar-powered beer.”

Anderson Valley Brewing Company – since 2006 Anderson Valley Brewing in Boonville, California has relied on its 768 solar panels to brew its beer.  The solar array covers over 12,000 square feet of rooftop space and generates approximately 125,000 watts per hour. 

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – just this year, Sierra Nevada installed 1.4-megawatt solar array on top of its manufacturing complex in Chico, California.  The solar panels add to the company’s 1-megawatt fuel cell system.  Together these systems serve approximately 80% of the company’s power needs.

Lucky Labrador Brewing Company – located in Portland, Oregon uses solar thermal technology to heat the water needed for the first stage of the brewing process.

Sometimes the public process works pretty fast.  That’s what happened last week when the US Bureau of Land Management reversed its stance on review procedures for solar power development projects located on public land in six Western States. 

On May 29, the BLM declared a moratorium on processing new applications for solar energy development.  By July 2, the department reversed its decision citing overwhelming objections raised not only by the solar industry, but also members of Congress and the general public.

According to reports in the New York Times and Associated Press, the BLM planned to continue to process the 125 applications it had already received, but freeze any others from being submitted.  The solar industry viewed the moratorium as a huge threat because it would open opportunities for other industries to claim rights to projects on that same land.

The six states affected are, indeed, prime sun-drenched states, including:  Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.   Together they comprise about 1 million acres of territory.  

Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic Senator from Nevada was one of the loudest opponents of the original decision.  In response to BLM’s reverse, Reid praised the BLM for its  “good decision,” noting that “Nevada is the Saudi Arabia of solar energy and is poised to lead a global clean energy revolution.  We need to do all we can to encourage public and private investment in projects to develop this amazing potential.”

Florida announces plans for three new solar plants with anticipated operations in 2009 as part of Florida Power and Light’s seven year plan for clean green energy.  “Pending regulatory approval, FPL will build 110 megawatts of solar power right here in the Sunshine State, making Florida No. 2 in the nation for solar energy.”  http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/article644444.ece

Here is a fascinating article about a Japanese design firm that has developed “leaf-like solar cell modules,” or small, flexible solar panels that look and feel like leaves. They hope to integrate the new technology into more aesthetically pleasing forms, such as clothing materials or window shades. Here’s the link.

Alaska is known for its natural gas and oil.  Now it wants to be known for its wind.

In May 2008, Governor Sarah Palin signed a bill that authorizes $250 million over the next five years toward renewable energy projects, namely wind.  A separate law authorizes $25 million to fund the installation of submarine cables that will connect a 50-megawatt wind power project on Fire Island in Cook Inlet to Anchorage’s international airport.

With her pen stroke, Governor Palin has made Alaska the second largest state (California is still first) to fund renewable energy development.  The state has big plans for its investment; according to the Alaska Journal it hopes to augment its energy mix and cut back on using the natural gas in its gas fields that are being depleted.

Clean Edge, a research and publishing company focused on renewable technologies and the non-profit organization Co-op America released a report that states the cost of electricity derived from solar power will be on par with electricity derived from fossil fuels by 2015.

The report predicts “as solar prices decline and the capital and fuel costs for coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants rise, the U.S. will reach a crossover point by around 2015.”   It also asserts that the U.S. can grow its overall contribution of electricity generated from the sun to 10 percent by 2025.  Currently, less than a tenth of one percent of total electricity comes from the sun.

The report’s authors cite the great leaps forward already made in solar installations.  In the past five years solar installations – both solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar – have expanded from 600 megawatts in 2003 to almost 3,000 megawatts in 2008, equivalent to three conventional power plants.

From a utility standpoint, solar offers distinct advantages over conventional fuel sources, such as coal and natural gas, making its competitive edge apparent within the next ten years:

• Once a solar installation is in place, utilities need minimal, if any, fossil fuel to operate the site, offsetting both the price of those resources and the cost to transport them to the site.
• Compared to nuclear, coal, and natural gas power plants, solar has low maintenance costs and provides carbon-credits, in a cap-and-trade carbon emissions economy.
• Solar-derived electricity has proven itself a cost-effective resource, particularly during periods of peak demand.

Similar to the recent report analyzing the wind power industry in the USA, government and market forces will have to continue to propel the industry forward.  However, reaching 10 percent solar capacity is within reach using current technology available today.  

Once again the sun is proving its worth.