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Fuel Production by Sunlight – Will this be the New Way of the World?

Solar panel on a red roof

Solar panel on a red roof reflecting the sun and the cloudless blue sky

A lab in Berkeley, California has released information about a new solar power center that has the goal of producing fuel from sunlight. Chu Hall, named after the former Energy Department Secretary and Lab Director Steven Chu, this 40,000 square-foot building have the goal of creating more efficient renewable energy to replace the use of fossil fuels. This solar energy research center costs almost $60 million to create and get going.

Chu’s Motivation:

Chu believes that this is one of the most prominent issues in today’s society. He believes that by solving this major problem, the world will be saved. Science is thought to be the problem solver in this situation. Chu truly wants to increase the amount we utilize solar energy as well as make it cost-efficient.

Solar Energy:

At this time, scientists are only able to use the solar energy while the sun is shining; but they are hoping to change this. Since it is a natural resource, solar energy can easily be used without almost any repercussions. It’s simple: solar energy is free, clean, reliable, and renewable.

On a slightly smaller scale, solar energy is starting to become a main source of energy in homes today. It has been proven to actually improve a house’s value because of its modern aspect it. Solar panels are typically durable because they have no mobile parts, so once it’s situated in its place, it’s all set!

Solar Solutions Solar Application Specialists offer expertise in solar energy and heating solutions. This company has served many large hotels in Las Vegas, the Atlanta Summer Olympics, the Athens Olympic Games, Fort Bliss Military Base, and more. Based on their success stories from not only these large-scale projects, but on their small-scale projects as well, Solar Solutions seems to have solar solutions for everyone!

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_28192804/berkeley-lab-unveils-new-solar-energy-center-aimed

 

Solar Power Is Gaining Traction Around the Globe

Solar energy has been a growing market within the U.S. for some time now. In fact, according to SEIA’s U.S. Solar Market Insight for Q1 2015 (released in June), residential installations grew 76% compared to Q1 2014. Additionally, non-residential and utility solar PV installations continue to grow.  Recognizing the need for alternative energies, the United States is well on its way to becoming more energy efficient and the trend is a growing global trend.

China, for example, is now considered to not only be the manufacturing hub for solar photo voltaic panels, but also the fastest growing market for energy over the next five years, according to a Nasdaq article.

As the world’s largest consumer of coal, China is also the world’s largest emitter of carbon. This concentrated effort to become more energy efficient and to consciously reduce of the amount of greenhouse gas emitted as a country is huge. And the amount of investment into renewable energies is also huge. China’s renewable energy market is valued at $89.5 billion, making it the largest in the world.

In their effort to reduce their carbon emissions, China will soon begin construction on — yep you guessed it — the world’s largest solar power plant. Spread across 10 square miles in the Gobi desert, the solar plant will have the capacity to power nearly one million households.

When the solar power plant is commissioned, it will help decreases coal consumption by about 4.26 million tons per year. It will also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by 896,000 tons and 8,080 tons, respectively.

If you’d like to read the full article, you can do so here.

MIT Researchers Find That Solar Panels Can Power the World

 

 

 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently released a report stating that the solar panels used today have the ability to supply the world with power, with the capacity to produce terawatts of energy by 2050. One terawatt of energy is equal to one million megawatts, and the world population currently consumes 15 terawatts of energy.

Battery technology is seen as key to assisting in the switch to solar energy, because of the ability for a battery to store electricity during peak production and then dispense it when there is little or no sunlight.

Germany is seen as a successful example of solar energy use. In 1991, a Feed-in Tariff rebate plan was created to encourage production of solar panels and other low carbon energy sources. In 2013, Germany was producing 27 percent of the world’s solar energy.

With scientists already capable of harnessing the sun’s energy, the writers of the study believe investment will be the biggest setback in transferring to solar power. The United States uses 26 percent of the world’s power, but there is very little federal support for solar energy which will not likely change until carbon dioxide emissions become too costly. The study emphasizes a need for this support, as well as more research.

Solar Solutions Inc. has helped countless customers power their home or business with solar panels, providing them with an avenue to reduce their energy bills and their environmental footprint.

For more information about the numerous benefits of solar energy, please contact us today.

A Brief Look At the Future of Energy

With two-thirds of this planet’s human population living in cities by the year 2050, how can we sustain our environment rather than wrecking it? Obviously, the way we get and use energy will matter more than ever, simply because billions of people’s daily lives will depend on it.

Cities have no choice but to integrate renewable energy into their landscapes in order to both survive and thrive in the coming years.

Solar power is going to take the lead– even in places that don’t seem so sunny. The solar industry is currently being built up to handle an increasing demand, and technology is making it possible to deploy solar power in many ways.

Today, we’re used to thinking of big solar panels on rooftops, but the solar panels of the future will be transparent and mounted on the windows of buildings, thus capturing more sunlight than before. Furthermore, solar cells are being optimized to take advantage of the light that’s available to them.
For instance, in cloudy climates, solar cells can be made to utilize longer wavelengths, in order to effectively harness enough light to be productive.

Remember when people first had giant satellite dishes to receive TV signals? Over time, they became a lot smaller and more compact. That’s happening with things like wind turbines, too. Smaller, lighter, more efficient wind turbines of the future will be built into and onto buildings to capture the wind and turn it into energy. Even right now, this sort of thing is happening: The Eiffel Tower in Paris has recently been fitted with two wind turbines.

Whether it’s wind or solar power, one thing’s for sure: we’re moving away from polluting energy sources, and moving toward a planet where clean energy rules. That’s a great thing.

Solar Solutions Inc. is one of the most experienced solar power companies in Texas and New Mexico. When you’re ready to “go solar,” call 915-581-0461 or email solarsolutions.texas@gmail.com.

Even Oil Workers Know: Solar Power is the Future

For as long as it has been around, fossil fuels have been the world’s most constant source of energy. That is however, until the recent emergence of solar power. This form of energy has slowly gained steam and is threatening to topple fossil fuels as top dog. It has created such a convincing case that even oil workers have started to take notice, and for good reason too!

The Proof is in the (Solar) Power

In a recent article on Forbes.com, a oil worker stated he believed that solar power is becoming so predominant for three different reasons. One of them being that the technology for it is getting better and cheaper as time goes on. This is important because any technology that is too expensive struggles to be relevant because it won’t be very accessible to the masses. Another reason he sees it on the rise is because support for it has been very steady and showed no signs of wavering. Also, many sun rich countries around world are starting to invest more in to it to make it a substantial form of power them and their people. In addition numerous agencies have claimed this energy source is only going to continue to grow, showing no signs of slowing down.

GR Solar Solutions is a solar company offering the designing and installation of many solar systems for homes and businesses. No matter what you are looking for, we will work with you to meet all of your solar needs. For more information on our products, feel free to contact us today!

Solar Power Is Gaining Traction Around the Globe

Solar energy has been a growing market within the U.S. for some time now. In fact, according to SEIA’s U.S. Solar Market Insight for Q1 2015 (released in June), residential installations grew 76% compared to Q1 2014. Additionally, non-residential and utility solar PV installations continue to grow.  Recognizing the need for alternative energies, the United States is well on its way to becoming more energy efficient and the trend is a growing global trend.

China, for example, is now considered to not only be the manufacturing hub for solar photo voltaic panels, but also the fastest growing market for energy over the next five years, according to a Nasdaq article.

As the world’s largest consumer of coal, China is also the world’s largest emitter of carbon. This concentrated effort to become more energy efficient and to consciously reduce of the amount of greenhouse gas emitted as a country is huge. And the amount of investment into renewable energies is also huge. China’s renewable energy market is valued at $89.5 billion, making it the largest in the world.

In their effort to reduce their carbon emissions, China will soon begin construction on — yep you guessed it — the world’s largest solar power plant. Spread across 10 square miles in the Gobi desert, the solar plant will have the capacity to power nearly one million households.

When the solar power plant is commissioned, it will help decreases coal consumption by about 4.26 million tons per year. It will also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by 896,000 tons and 8,080 tons, respectively.

If you’d like to read the full article, you can do so here.

The Cost of Solar Panels Continue to Fall

With the presidential campaign heating up (although it’s still a ways away!), there’s been a lot of talk about the middle class, working people, and income. Many are saying that the country is split into two, between the haves and the have-nots. The statistics, unfortunately, backs this up to an extent; income for working people has stagnated since the 80s or, in the worst case scenario, declined rapidly altogether. It’s certainly a disheartening state of affairs, but not all is lost; solar energy is poised to even out the playing field a little bit. It seems like the sun will once again become the working person’s best friend.

According to the Billings Gazette, “Because the cost of solar panels has fallen dramatically in recent years, they are reaching parity with utility rates in Montana and are below it in many areas of the country. Costs are expected to continue to fall. This could help working people a lot – if the barriers to fair access to the grid for net metering and community solar projects were removed.

”This is especially the case when it comes to net metering, which means that although there are solar panels on your roof, you are still connected to the grid. This helps manage your meter and decreases the money you spend. When you purchase a solar system, you are revolutionizing your entire income for the better; there will be no frivolous utility costs. In the long run, a solar system will improve your life for the better and for the working class, this is a much-needed boost to fiscal happiness. It’s funny to think that the sun is the most democratic object in our lives; it’s for everyone, giving men and women equal opportunity. The sun is as American as it can get and now with solar power, ALL Americans can utilize its energy and at GR Solar Solutions Inc., we think that’s a beautiful thing.