Living Off the Grid With Homemade Solar Panels

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It is very important that we, as consumers of energy, do our part in finding alternate power solutions that will help our environment and reduce the ever rising demands for increased power supplies. One easy way is to build your own energy system for your home with homemade solar panels.

Building your own homemade solar panels will ensure that you will be living off the grid by saving power while reducing your energy bills by 50%-80%. For a small investment that you'll see a quick return on, you'll not only be improving the environment but you'll also be producing your bills substantially. These are some of the benefits that you'll experience by living off the grid:

You'll be less dependent on public utilities

Who wants to be entirely dependent on public utilities when you can rely on your own resources? Public utilities are supplied by governments and corporations so you are subjected to deregulation issues and any other decisions made by the higher ups. How often have you cringed when the power has gone out during an important work meeting or a party? By installing homemade solar panels to your rooftop you will be able to combat these issues and take control of your energy.

Freedom to use as much energy as you would like

Wouldn't it be great to use as much power as you would like, whenever you like, with having to worry about the electric meter running? When you build your own homemade solar panels you remove these concerns. Your solar panels will be using the natural power of the sunlight to power your home. Sunlight is free so you're providing free energy to your home.

Reduced power costs will save you money

How would it feel to open the mailbox every month and never have to look at another electric bill? Building your own homemade solar panels is easier than you may expect and is relatively inexpensive. You will get a quick return on your investment which in return makes your power free in a very short time frame. I'm sure that you can think of many ways that the savings from that monthly energy bill can be used to benefit your household in other ways.

It is entirely possible for you to life off the grid. If is very important, though, to find the best homemade solar panel instructions available before you begin to create your own energy system. Not all guides are the same so I suggest that you look for certain features before buying. The best guide should include a complete materials list, detailed instructions, drawings, and videos, and complete mounting instructions.

Harvard’s Star Alumni Urge Week of Fossil Fuel Protests

Actress Natalie Portman, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and other high-profile Harvard University alumni are calling for demonstrations to urge divestment from fossil fuels.

Organizers of “Harvard Heat Week” are planning events of “highly civil civil disobedience,” including daily sit-ins for the week of April 13, according to a letter released Friday asking alumni to come to the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to join the effort.

Comparing their cause to 1980s campus protests against South Africa’s former apartheid policy, students at Divest Harvard have been calling for the school’s $36.4 billion endowment to end investment in oil, gas and coal because of their environmental impact.

President Drew Faust has declined to commit to divestment, saying the endowment isn’t an instrument of political change. Students occupied her office earlier this month for about 24 hours.

“We need to have action on climate change and climate justice immediately,” said Naima Drecker-Waxman, 18, a freshman helping to organize the event. “A lot of campuses across the country have decided this is a spring for escalation.”

Harvard recognizes that climate change is among the world’s most urgent challenges, said Jeff Neal, a spokesman. The university is strengthening its role in research and education to help address the issue, he said in an e-mail.

Stanford Activism

Stanford University, near Palo Alto, California, said last year it would end its investments in coal companies, a decision that gave momentum to environmental activists. Stanford said at the time there are alternatives to coal that have less impact on the environment.

Among the 31 other people who signed the letter are former U.S. Democratic Senator Tim Wirth of Colorado; 1985 Nobel Peace Prize winner Eric Chivian; Robert Massie, founder of the Investor Network on Climate Risk; and Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Memorial in Washington and received an honorary degree from Harvard.

“We will come to the Yard in the spring filled not with rancor but with hope,” the letter reads. “Please join us.”

Drecker-Waxman said she couldn’t confirm that all those who had signed the letter would participate in the demonstrations.

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GM of Wuxi Suntech selected as new president

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Shunfeng International Clean Energy has selected Haibo Xiong as Wuxi Suntech’s new president, after Eric Luo had led the company and was recently appointed CEO of Shunfeng.

Haibo (Victor) Xiong had been at Wuxi Suntech for 10 years, joining in February 2005 as the manager of Product Development Department, rising to general manager of Wuxi Suntech in 2012 and responsible for cell and module operations at plants in Shanghai and Luoyang.

"Mr. Xiong has shown strong leadership in his roles at Suntech and I think his management expertise will be a great asset as we look to grow our company," said Eric Luo, CEO of Shunfeng International Clean Energy. “With Mr. Xiong's leadership, we believe that the company will help drive our vision of becoming the largest integrated clean energy provider globally."

"It is a great honor to lead such a critical part of the Shunfeng group. Suntech ended 2014 with the strongest financial footing in the solar industry and passed the 8GW mark, shipping more than 30 million modules to date worldwide,” said Xiong.

Prior to joining in Suntech, Xiong was responsible for quality management of Wuxi Nemic-Lambda Electronics Co., Ltd.

First Solar Gets Into Residential Solar, Kinda

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First Solar is one of the U.S.’ largest producers of photovoltaic solar panels and while it’s building some of the largest PV farms in the U.S. and the world, hardly any of them are on homes in the U.S. That’s because its CadTel thin-film modules are inexpensive but currently not as efficient as silicon PV—so it would take more space on a roof to produce as much energy as silicon modules do. But now, through a new partnership with Colorado’s Clean Energy Collective (CEC), homeowners are able to get a piece of the solar action through a community solar garden with First Solar modules.

The new partnership, announced today (Dec. 10), will allow the companies to market and develop community solar projects that homeowners and businesses can buy into. Since the physical size of the array isn’t confined to the home or business’s rooftop, space isn’t a concern so they can get the benefit of First Solar’s low-cost modules.A CEC solar array. Courtesy CEC

First Solar said the move is part of the company’s distributed generation strategy and helps it enter into the residential and business solar markets. "Distributed generation in the form of community solar expands the addressable market dramatically beyond the traditional residential or commercial sectors, and CEC has led the way in making that happen," said Jim Hughes, First Solar's CEO.

As part of the partnership First Solar also has made an investment into CEC and obtained an equity interest. Both Hughes and Marc van Gerven’s vice president of strategic marketing will join CEC’s board.

"This deal is a natural fit that leverages CEC's residential experience on the ground with First Solar's expertise in utility-scale generation and panel technology. This innovative and cost-competitive approach will further establish solar, and specifically community solar, as a critical part of the global energy mix for all markets,” Hughes said.

The partnership will also allow CEC to speed up rollout of community solar gardens through access to capital from First Solar. "Community solar is affecting a major shift in the broader solar industry," said Paul Spencer, Founder and CEO of Clean Energy Collective.

"Joining forces with First Solar further validates community solar and provides us the opportunity jointly to accelerate this shift with the combined power of our proven model and the economics and efficiency of First Solar as a world-class R&D, manufacturing and construction partner,” Spencer said. “This collaboration will allow us to accelerate our expansion to new markets and customers, and will provide both customers and our utility partners with the added confidence that CEC and our community solar projects will deliver long-term, scalable energy solutions at the most cost-effective pricing."

In Historic Term California Gov. Makes Historic Promise—50% Renewables in 2030

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California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) became the first governor in California to serve 4 terms—his first two were in the 1970’s, But with ambitious propositions, including sourcing half of California’s electric needs with renewables in the next 15 years he comes roaring back in like a lion.

“Neither California nor indeed the world itself can ignore the growing assault on the very systems of nature on which human beings and other forms of life depend,” Brown said at his swearing in. “California has the most far-reaching environmental laws of any state and the most integrated policy to deal with climate change of any political jurisdiction in the Western Hemisphere.”Jerry Brown being sworn in for 4th term. Courtesy Brown's office

Brown stated that the state is already on track to source one-third of its electricity from renewables by 2020. “We are well on our way to meeting our AB 32 goal of reducing carbon pollution and limiting the emissions of heat-trapping gases to 431 million tons by 2020,” he said. That’s thanks to a strong focus on renewable energy and solar policy that has created hundreds of thousands of jobs across the state. “But now, it is time to establish our next set of objectives for 2030 and beyond.

“I propose three ambitious goals to be accomplished within the next 15 years,” he said. “Increase from one-third to 50 percent our electricity derived from renewable sources; reduce today's petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent and; double the efficiency of existing buildings and make heating fuels cleaner.”

“I envision a wide range of initiatives: more distributed power, expanded rooftop solar, micro-grids, an energy imbalance market, battery storage, the full integration of information technology and electrical distribution and millions of electric and low-carbon vehicles,” Brown said. “How we achieve these goals and at what pace will take great thought and imagination mixed with pragmatic caution. It will require enormous innovation, research and investment. And we will need active collaboration at every stage with our scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, businesses and officials at all levels.”

One of the chief concerns for Brown and legislators as they move forward is making sure that far-reaching environmental policy like this doesn’t hurt the state’s economy. He called on both sides of the aisle to work with him to enact policy that will allow the state to reach the goals.

Solar Makes a Splash in Oil Institute’s Report

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Solar power, with help from the solar industry, made an appearance in the annual “State of American Energy Report” from no less than the American Petroleum Institute (API). The report shows that even the dinosaurs of energy are increasingly aware of solar’s influx in the energy industry, and they don’t see it as just a threat.

API President Jack Gerard even had some good things to say about renewable energy in the report, observing that the U.S. is a new era in domestic energy abundance characterized by rising use of renewable energy—as well as increased oil and natural gas production. “It is strengthening our economic outlook and enabling America to emerge as a global energy superpower. It’s a remarkable transformation that has been made possible because America is uniquely rich in energy resources, a talented workforce and cutting-edge energy technologies." Solar Energy in America Shines Bright. Courtesy SEIA, API

“When looking at America’s energy future, solar can be a real game changer, providing more and more homes, businesses, schools and government entities across the United States with clean, reliable and affordable electricity, while also helping states to meet proposed new obligations under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act,” the report stated.

The report also noted that solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in America. “Today, the U.S. has an estimated 20.2 GW of installed solar capacity, enough to effectively power nearly 4 million homes in the United States—or every single home in a state the size of Massachusetts or New Jersey—with another 20 GW in the pipeline for 2015-16.”

“Last year, solar installations were 70 times higher than they were in 2006—and today there’s nearly 30 times more solar capacity online nationwide,” said Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch. SEIA worked with API on the report. “We’ve gone from being an $800 million industry in 2006 to a $15 billion industry today.”

“Solar energy is now more affordable than ever. According to SEIA/GTM Research, national blended average system prices have dropped 53 percent since 2010.  Today, the solar industry employs 143,000 Americans and pumps more than $15 billion a year into the U.S. economy,” The report stated. “This remarkable growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and Renewable Energy Standards (RES).”

“The price to install a solar rooftop system has been cut in half, while utility systems have dropped by 70 percent. It took the U.S. solar industry 40 years to install the first 20 GW of solar,” Resch added. “Now, we’re going to install the next 20 GW in the next two years. In fact, during every single week of 2015, we’re going to install more capacity than what we did during the entire year in 2006. Any way you look at it, solar energy is paying huge dividends for the economy, our environment and America’s future.”

The report also predicted strong growth in all sectors of the U.S. solar industry for at least the next two years, according to SEIA.

Wallonia postpones launch date of new PV incentive program

The government of Wallonia – the French speaking region of Belgium – has postponed the start date of the region's new Qualiwatt incentive scheme for residential PV. The new scheme will replace the Solwatt green certificate (GC) scheme, which expired in March 2014. According to local newspaper La Libre, the Qualiwatt scheme will now come into force on Jan. 1, 2015, instead of Sept. 1, 2014. Local energy minister Paul Furlan said that the delay was needed to ensure that regulatory provisions related to certifications and installer accreditation were in place prior to launch.

Under the new program owners of residential PV systems up to 10 kW will receive a deduction on their electricity bill that is proportionate to their household income. The benefit, which will be granted for a period of 5 years, will amount to between €500 and €600 ($687 and $824) per year. According to former Wallonian energy minister, Jean-Marc Nollet, the new program will enable an average return on investment of 8 years and a 5% annual rate of return over a period of 20 years. Local energy regulator CWaPE will review the incentive rate every year and will change the rate based on the market development and on PV module prices.

The Qualiwatt program will have an installation cap of 12,000 PV systems per year and will prioritize PV systems that use modules produced or assembled in Europe. Wallonia had 645.6 MW of PV systems up to 10 kW installed under the local incentive program Solwatt as of the end of February, according to the latest CWaPE report. Since then, the energy regulator has not provided updated statistics on PV development. Each of Belgium’s three regions has their own individual incentive schemes, and each region has its own regulations for solar.

UK tops 4.2 GW of PV capacity

The UK had 4,201 MW of cumulative installed PV capacity at the end of August 2014, according to the latest figures from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The country added 37 MW of new PV systems in August, down slightly from 43 MW in July and 65 MW in August 2013.

The numbers for July and Auugst, however, are provisional and will be updated in next month's statistics. The UK added 1,404 MW of new PV capacity in the first 8 months of 2014, up from 824 MW in the same period of 2013. The amount of capacity commissioned under the country’s Renewable Obligation (RO) program stood at 1,420 MW at the end of August, while the amount commissioned under the FIT scheme totaled 2,513 MW. Unaccredited PV systems accounted for most of the remaining capacity.

The UK had 594,487 operational PV systems as of the end of August 2014. The UK aims to cover 15% of its domestic electricity demand with renewables by 2020. As part of this goal, the DECC aims to have 22 GW of installed PV capacity by the end of the decade.

Phoenix Solar to build 32.1 MW PV plant for Duke Energy

Phoenix Solar Inc., the US subsidiary of German PV system integrator Phoenix Solar AG announced it will build a 32.1 MW PV plant for Duke Energy, the largest power utility in the US, in Bladen County, North Carolina.

Phoenix Solar was awarded the contract for the project through a request for proposal issued by Duke Energy in February. The RfP sought developers for the installation of 300 MW of new solar energy capacity located in its Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress territories.

The new capacity must be in service by the end of 2015. Phoenix Solar said it will start construction on the project in early 2015.