Solar Farm

The Future of Solar Energy

Posted on May 10, 2017

At first blush, solar energy is perhaps the most elegant solution to our energy needs. The sun blasts our planet’s surface with more than enough energy to keep us going forever.

The United States government estimates that the Earth receives over 173,000 terawatts of energy every year, which is more than 10,000 times what humanity needs. The challenge has always been collecting that energy. Even though most people are aware of photovoltaic cells, solar panels have been expensive enough to keep them firmly in the luxury bracket. For years the low efficiency of solar panels and the high costs per square inch of these panels made solar power economically unviable.

That has now changed. In the five years between 2008 and 2013, the cost of solar panels fell by over 50 percent. Between 2015 and 2017, experts estimate the cost will fall another 40 percent. Researchers in the...

St. Jude and Green Solar Technologies Banner

Green Solar Technologies Announces Commitment to Raise Funds and Awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ®

Posted on May 9, 2017

Beginning February 1, 2017 through January 31, 2018, Green Solar Technologies, Inc. will raise funds and awareness for the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® by donating $100 to St. Jude for every solar panel installation with a minimum fundraising commitment of $50,000. Green Solar Technologies, Inc. currently operates in 19 states, installing 1000+ solar installations each year.

“We at Green Solar have always understood that customers want solar not only in order to save money, but also because they want to make a positive impact on the environment and their communities. Part of our value proposition is that we enable our customers to directly affect the lives of the thousands of Americans that we employ, who in turn are able to support their families and their communities. We feel that partnering with St. Jude is just an extension of this,” said...

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Green Solar Awarded SolarWorld Platinum Installer Status

Posted on May 9, 2017

Green Solar Technologies today announced the achievement of being named a Platinum Installer by SolarWorld , one of the world’s largest and most respected solar panel manufacturers. With more than 25 years of experience in the solar energy industry, Green Solar Technologies operates in 19 states and is considered a pioneer in the solar energy industry.

“Green Solar Technologies is a tremendous addition to SolarWorld’s Platinum Installer program,” said Shane Messer, U.S. vice president of sales and marketing for SolarWorld. “Green Solar Technologies has proven to be a premier solar installer time and time again, and we’re thankful for the trust placed in SolarWorld to produce the highest quality solar panels here in America.”

SolarWorld’s Platinum Installer program is reserved for select solar installation companies that meet and exceed stringent criteria for...

Home in the woods

PASSIVDOM: MOBILE HOMES FOR MILLENNIALS

Posted on May 8, 2017

In many parts of the world, living in a trailer has gained a social stigma. We’re talking about a rectangular building placed on three wheels and towed to your preferred plot of land. It’s going to take a lot to break that social stigma, but this is a pretty sweet attempt.

PassivDom is an off-grid home. It sidesteps the electrical grid as well as water and sewer service. It’s marketed as utilizing revolutionary breakthrough in wall insulation which they claim makes it very easy to heat and cool. In addition to this self-sustaining angle, it taps into the tiny home movement with a footprint of just 36 m 2 (4 m by 9 m; about 118 390 ft 2 or 13′ by 30′).

For this to make sense you really need to get the “Autonomous” model, the only one that is designed for “off-grid” living and comes with solar panels and battery storage plus water storage and purification. That’ll set...

Solar Panel Array

California’s Electricity Prices Turn Negative Thanks To Solar Energy

Posted on Apr 28, 2017

So, here’s something pretty unusual: California harnessed so much solar energy earlier this year that electricity prices turned negative, at least for a short while, according to official data.

At its peak, the state is now supplying more than half of its energy demand through solar farms, solar thermal plants, and domestic cells, the US Energy Information Administration revealed.

Prices can turn negative if the grid is overwhelmed when solar energy production surges. Because the energy is intermittent and it’s expensive to turn off and on conventional power plants, non-renewable sources keep running even when solar is over-performing. Operators then pay customers to take the excess energy out of the grid. In reality, Californians won’t get a windfall. The negative prices last for just a few hours, while bills are averaged out over a much longer timeframe. But it...

Girl Camper

10 Useful Solar-Powered Camping Gadgets

Posted on Apr 25, 2017

Nobody likes a drained battery in the middle of a camping trip. Well, noble camper, you need not suffer the same fate as other less-informed adventurers. Solar -powered gadgets not only ensure functional reliability but also often outperform battery-powered equivalents. As equal partners in harnessing the power of nature, the modern camper and solar-powered gadgets go hand in hand.

Here are 10 must-have camping gadgets (all powered by solar), in no particular order.

1. Inflatable Solar Lantern by MPOWERD

Perfect for backpackers with limited space for gear, an inflatable solar lantern from MPOWERD weighs only .3 pounds and emits a soft white LED light. The built-in solar panels are rechargeable and last up to 12 hours after a 7-hour charge in direct sunlight. Even better, the lantern is waterproof and shatterproof, so you can throw it in your pack and...

Disney Solar Panels

"Not So Hidden Mickey" Shaped Solar Farm To Power Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort

Posted on Apr 24, 2017

On Tuesday, April 12, representatives from Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort, Duke Energy, and Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) flipped a giant light switch to mark the highly anticipated opening of a five-megawatt solar facility. Cleverly designed to resemble the familiar "not-so-hidden-Mickey," the massive solar farm that is located near Epcot is clearly visible from Space.

The farm's 48,000 solar panels will not just help meet Walt Disney World Resort's energy requirements but also those of the surrounding hotels that house the park's visitors. Though producing green energy on such a large scale is a new endeavor, Epcot is no stranger to solar power. The futuristic theme park's Universe of Energy building has been the fuelled by the solar panels fitted on its roof since October 1982!

The Orlando Solar plant is part of the company's ongoing efforts to...