WIND ENERGY VS. SOLAR POWER – WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

When considering a off grid or grid connect power system; the two main choices for renewable energy equipment are wind turbines and solar panels. So which is the superior, wind energy or solar power?  It really depends on your geographical location and energy requirements, but given the substantial investment involved with either option, it’s critical to select the right system for your needs from the outset. For most suburban and rural settings and applications; solar power is usually the best choice...

http://www.energymatters.com.au/components/solar-vs-wind/

The average price of a solar panel has declined by 60% since the beginning of 2011

Solar power systems generate electricity at peak power usage times (during the day) when the value and cost of electricity is the highest. Modern grid-tied home solar power systems can use the cheap rate grid power at night and reduce or eliminate the need for the high rate electrical power during the day.  Home based solar power is a quiet, nearly maintenance free, continuous source of electricity.

http://solarenergy.com/

Analysis Shows That Community Solar Is Competitive in the Vast Majority of the US

Solar power is now more affordable in the United States than at any other point in history. Reductions in the cost of photovoltaic (PV) systems, innovative financing options, and high consumer demand have led to unprecedented levels of solar deployment over the last five years.

In particular, community solar projects are gaining popularity, as they allow the almost half of U.S. households that may not have access to a “solar-ready” roof to take advantage of the sun’s energy and do it at a lower cost.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/new-analysis-shows-national-potential-for-solar-power-in-low-income-communi

Tesla has converted an Entire Island to Solar Power!

The island of Ta’u in American Samoa has been using diesel generators and burning over 100,000 gallons of fuel per year in order to supply its nearly 600 residents with electricity. That’s no longer the case and the island is now virtually energy independent thanks to a new solar and battery installation by Tesla and SolarCity, which is now officially part of Tesla since the merger closed yesterday.

https://electrek.co/2016/11/22/tesla-island-microgrid-battery-solar/

Sweden to scrap taxes on solar energy in 2017

Sweden is set to ditch taxes on its production of solar energy in 2017 in a bid to run entirely on renewable energy by 2040, the government said on Monday.

"This makes fast investments possible," Social Democratic Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson said.

http://phys.org/news/2016-11-sweden-scrap-taxes-solar-energy.html

We Could Power The Entire World By Harnessing Solar Energy From 1% Of The Sahara

The Great Saharan Desert in Africa is 3.6 million square miles and is prime for solar power (more than twelve hours per day).  Now, if we cover an area of the Earth 335 kilometers by 335 kilometers with solar panels, even with moderate efficiencies achievable easily today, it will provide more than 17.3 TW power.  That means 1.2% of the Sahara desert is sufficient to cover all of the energy needs of the world in solar energy. There is no way coal, oil, wind, geothermal or nuclear can compete with this. The cost of the project will be about five trillion dollars, one time cost at today’s prices without any economy of scale savings.  

By the way, note that the cost of a 1 GWe (Gigawatt electric) nuclear plant is about three billion dollars. the cost of 17.3 TW nuclear power will be fifty-two trillion dollars or ten times that of solar even if all the other issues with safety and uranium supply are resolved.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/09/22/we-could-power-the-entire-world-by-harnessing-solar-energy-from-1-of-the-sahara/#6d7291c23e5b

Colorado gives green light to add a lot more solar power

Colorado regulators on Wednesday unanimously approved a sweeping settlement agreement that will change how customers of Xcel Energy Inc. in the state get and pay for their electricity.

The agreement, between Xcel (NYSE: XEL) and 24 of 26 parties in three cases before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, involves adding a massive amount (392 megawatts) of new solar power supplies in Colorado, and testing whether customers will cut their electricity use if prices vary by the time of day or the amount of power consumed.

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2016/11/09/colorado-gives-green-light-to-xcel-s-plan-to-add-a.html

Careers in Solar Power

Clean energy such as solar power is expected to be a key piece of the growing "green economy," and jobs in solar power show great potential for new employment opportunities. Jobs are expected to grow in all the major sectors of the solar power industry: manufacturing, project development, construction, operation and maintenance, and installation.

http://www.bls.gov/green/solar_power/

5 Robots that are Revolutionizing How We Clean Solar Panels

The world’s solar panels need cleaning to maintain efficiency, and it’s not always the most practical thing for humans to be walking about with a bucket and sponge. Take desert solar farms, for instance. Operators need a way to clean the endless rows of solar panels, and it turns out robots are perfectly suited for the job.  

There are tons of startups out there working to build the latest and greatest in solar panel robot cleaners, but we’ve picked out five favorites below.

https://www.revolvesolar.com/5-robots-that-are-revolutionizing-how-we-clean-solar-panels/

Planning a Home Solar Electric System

To help evaluate whether a home solar electric system will work for you, you should consider the following:
Your available solar resource -- do you have clear and unobstructed access to sunlight for most or all of the day, throughout the year?
The system size -- do you have a roof or area large enough to accommodate it?
The economics -- is it worth the investment?
Local permits and covenants -- are there any issues with installing a system?

http://energy.gov/energysaver/planning-home-solar-electric-system