The Best Way To Select The Right Lamp Shades

The lamp shade is the fixture that covers the bulb in the table lamp. The purpose of the lamp shade is to diffuse the light which is emitted from the light bulb. Apart from this, the lamp shade also serves as a room dcor. The lamp shade is available in a wide variety of styles and patterns.When shopping around, make sure the size of the lamp shade fits with the lamp. Most people assume that the lamp shade is measured by the vertical distance. Despite that, the proper way to find out the size of the lamp shade is by measuring the slanted distance. In addition, the lamp shade fit properly on the lamp.The lamp shade should be neither too large nor too small. If the lamp shade is too large, it will obscure the light that is emitted from the lamp. Small lamp shade gives the impression that it is not fitted for the lamp. The height of the lamp shade should be at least 1/3 of the base. It should also have the same height as the socket base.
There are a wide range of styles which you can choose from. The style of the lamp shade should match with the lamp. You can easily find a matching design by taking into account the pattern, and color of the lamp.Forget Fracking: 2012 Was A Powerful Year For Renewables.There are about twenty five types of lamp shades including candelabra, shantung and drum. Each type of lamp shade will produce a different light diffusion effect. Despite that, all the lamp shade can be used as long as it match with the lamp.The lamp shade can be made from made from different materials such as silk, genuine leather and linen. The material will have influence on the price and durability of the lamp shade.
You will pay for the value of the lamp shade material. Lamp shades with cheaper material tend to be less durable and easier to be damaged. Many owners regret purchasing cheap lamp shade when they find out that it is damaged within a short time. Therefore, price should not be the primary factor which you take into account when shopping for lamp shade.Finding the right lamp shade is an easy task. The most important thing is that it fits with the lamp. In order for the lamp shade to fit the lamp, it must have the right size. By measuring the size of the lamp and taking note of the lamp's design, you will be able to buy a lamp shade that fits your need. Lamp shades are available for sale at the local brick and mortar home decor store. If you cannot find what you are searching for, you can visit the online store since they offer a larger selection.

Rooftop solar systems get even more enticing

The Desert Sun salutes Palm Springs Motors.Not that enormous flag it flies, although we're proud to see any business celebrate this great nation. We're impressed with its new 650-kilowatt solar system it has installed. With 2,743 panels atop carports at the Ford dealership in Cathedral City, it is one of the largest solar installations in Riverside County, not counting the utility-size solar farms in the eastern desert.The system is expected to generate 1.1 megawatt-hours of power, enough to power 750 to 1,000 homes. It will provide 80 percent of the power needed to run the dealership's equipment and light its 100 service bays.While we applaud this big step toward reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and helping California move toward its goal of generating a third of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020, it's not really an altruistic decision. It's a smart business move.The cost of solar panels has dropped 30 percent since 1998. The Palm Springs Motors solar system will pay for itself in six years. Solar systems are expected to last at least 20 years.
In the past, some homeowners have balked at making the investment in solar systems because of concerns that the payments might last longer than the effective life of the panels. That's no longer the case. And no-money-down leases are now available.The more solar power generated in the Coachella Valley, the less we'll need the new Sentinel peaker plant being constructed north of Palm Springs.There's also some urgency in investing in solar power because the 30 percent federal tax credit is scheduled to expire in 2016.Southern California Edison provides another incentive: In November, the California Public Utilities Commission approved rate increases for Edison of 5 percent this year, 6.3 percent next year and another 5.9 percent in 2014.Investing in solar power also is an important way to help our valley meet the state's goal of reducing carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The Coachella Valley has some of the dirtiest air in the country because smog blows in from the Los Angeles basin.The Desert Sun encourages homeowners, business, cities and other public agencies to follow the example of Palm Springs Motors. It makes economic sense and can help us all breathe easier.This is another serious policy, and politically vexed, issue. On one hand is the possibility of low-cost solar power (on the basis of cheaper imported modules with access to low cost debt) leading to higher deployment and thereby increased jobs in project construction and long-term operation and maintenance cost.

Forget Fracking: 2012 Was A Powerful Year For Renewables

Natural gas may have reshaped the domestic energy market in 2012, lowering energy prices and marginalizing the coal industry, but America's shale boom hasn't undermined renewables.In fact, while analysts were paying attention to fracking this year, a record number of solar panels were being slapped on roofs — enough to produce 3.2 gigawatts of electricity.That sounds like a lot, but solar is still providing just .05 percent of the country's total energy. Still, the solar industry keeps expanding. Roan Resh, who heads the Solar Energy Industries Association, said that's because solar panels are becoming cheaper to make and to install."Just to give you perspective," Resh said, "in Washington, D.C., where I live, when I installed solar on my house six years ago, the average install cost was about $14 a watt. Today it's about $4 a watt."
So if you're installing solar panels, business is good. But there's a flip side to that equation. Prices are low because of a global manufacturing glut. Solar manufacturers have the capacity to produce way more panels than consumers are asking for right now, and many panel producers are struggling.The bulk of solar growth is happening at businesses; companies are installing panels on roofs so that they don't have to buy as much energy from the grid. State and federal policies are making that an easy decision for companies. Businesses who install panels can qualify for grants and tax breaks, and laws in 38 states require a certain amount of electricity to be generated by solar, wind and other renewable sources.Wind was up this year, too.Solar Light Post Caps Make a Big Difference.The federal Energy Information Administration says the industry could add 1.2 gigawatts of capacity this year. Wind only provides a small portion of domestic power, about 3 percent.
Wind is on a strong streak with consumers as well, says Rob Gramlich, a vice president at the American Wind Energy Association. "Where we were serving the equivalent of 6 million homes at the end of 2008, we're serving 13 million today," he says.In three of the last five years, wind has been the fastest-growing energy sector. That was the case in 2012, but this year's totals leave a bit of a false impression. There's been a flurry of activity in December, and in fact more than half of new wind farms will likely come online this month."The single-most reason for that is the tax support system which we all rely upon is expiring at year-end," explains Jim Spencer, the president and CEO of New York-based EverPower, which runs wind farms in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and California. "We really accelerated projects that might otherwise have been built next year."

Solar Light Post Caps Make a Big Difference

Some homeowners struggle with the concept of lighting when building their deck. While many think of a deck as something to be enjoyed on hot summer days, perhaps with the accompaniment of a cookout, the fact is that you probably don't want to be restricted to enjoying your new construction project only when the sun is out. That means putting in lighting, but that can mean a process nearly as arduous as building the deck in the first place. But, there are solutions you can easily implement during the building process. One such solution comes in the form of solar light post caps.You can't turn around these days without hearing about this "green" option or this "environmentally friendly" appliance, but what does it all mean? When taking on any new construction project, it's important to consider all of your options, and if an option includes being able to reduce your carbon footprint, that's all the better! Solar light post caps are certainly "green." By using the sun's energy to power themselves, they require no electricity.
Now, this is an area where you can make a difference with lighting options that don't require electricity. While turning on a small lamp outside from time to time isn't going to make or break your electric bill, some homeowners like to use their decks on a nightly basis. Who knows, you might find that it makes the perfect place to read in the evenings. You may not feel comfortable unless your deck is lit up continuously from dusk until dawn. If so, solar light post caps can save you quite a bit of money. Because they use sun panels for power instead of the grid, you won't have a big bill at the end of your first month of usage.
Of course, some homeowners don't care anything for the green movement and don't foresee using their outdoor lighting enough to make a substantial difference in their monthly electric bill. However, there is still a good reason for choosing solar light post caps, which is the style factor. Everyone wants their deck to stand apart from the pack in some way. By using remarkable accessories like these, you can ensure that your deck won't be just another in a long assembly line of same construction projects. You will have something unique and stylish, which is of great importance all by itself. Residential solar power is the electricity relies on sunlight or even the power of your sun to supply electricity in offices, residences, etc. You may produce this sort of power if you have solar technology panels set up on the home. True, you can get panels or simply a solar powered kit for this specific purpose, but, if affordability is the best priority, you're better off with Diy solar panel.

Philips Taiwan Sets Ambitious Goal for 2013 LED Lighting Sales

Philips Taiwan plans to boost its sales of LED lighting equipment in Taiwan by two to three folds in 2013 from 2012 and the number of its residential lighting showrooms will increase to seven by the end of 2012, according to Philips Taiwan President Edward Po.The company promoted its iF-awarded and Red Dot-awarded LED residential lighting products as well as LED intelligent lighting control system at an international building-materials trade show recently held in Taipei.Po stressed that the intelligent control system is one of the crucial developments in the LED lighting industry, providing residences, marketplaces and commercial sites with energy-saving and light-color changing merits, not to mention quality lighting environment.
He said the company has released a number of indoor lighting applications and solutions in hope of building a quality living environment for Taiwan's residents in cooperation with homebuilders, architects, and indoor-decoration designers.Philips Taiwan executives pointed out that in light of increasing popularity of LED bulbs among consumers the company has begun briskly promoting 6W, 9W and 12W bulbs, with 9W lamp declining to NT$369 (US$12.7 at US$1:NT$29) in end-user price. Its 12W bulb has won U.S. Energy Star label and iF Design Award, maxing out at 825 lumens.Mehlville schools powering up with solar panels.The company's 6.5W bulb is a replacement for 50W halogen lamp, popular among residential-decoration designers and showcase providers.Making the switch from incandescent to LED is helping many Christmas light displays go green this season.
LEDs are currently the most efficient light bulbs you can buy.Six hours of daily use of 600 incandescent lights will cost you $80 per month, while the same number of LEDs runs up your bill by only $7."Some people put their lights up late November, keep them up until early January. So, there's quite a bit of cost-saving that can be realized when using the LED bulbs," notes Duke Energy's David Scanzoni.Retailers charge up to three times more for the LEDs compared to the incandescent bulbs, but they last longer and over the long haul are greener in more ways than one."They're very green, they use less energy. Less electricity has to be produced by the power company," Scanzoni explains.The issue is that, in principal, the integrated-driver approach appears straightforward. Depending on the type of control gear that has been fitted, the contractor will simply need to modify the existing fluorescent control gear by using a fuse link in place of the starter for magnetic ballasts. Alternatively, the contractor can bypass electronic ballasts completely and wire the lamp end caps directly to mains voltage rather than having to mount and wire up a new LED driver module as well.

Several Benefits of Led Spotlight and Led Lamp

Today, in many households, spotlights have become an vital part. It provides a great way to maintain the security of the house and prevent any unwanted intruder from entering the house. Spotlights can also be used as a very good decorative piece of equipment. It can be used in the garden and made to hang around the trees and plants during special occasions such as anniversaries and birthday parties.There are different types of spotlights available in the market today. However, LED Spotlight has become very popular, as these lights are energy efficient and emits less heat compared to other type of LEDs. The amount spent on making electricity bill payments will be drastically reduced as of the energy efficient nature of these LEDs.
LED spotlight comes in different configurations. For spotlights, 12V LED lights are the most commonly used forms. More and more families across the country are going for solar powered LED lights for decorating their outdoor space as solar power supplied LED spotlights are slowly becoming popular.For lighting portraits or family photographs, LED spotlights are particularly used in indoors. Thus in addition to lighting up outdoor events, they are also effectively used as indoor decorative equipment. Because LED Spotlight emits less heat they are ideally suited for lighting indoor accessories such as photo frames. Traditional LEDs emit a higher amount of heat and this will damage the piece of art.
Now LED lamp is used in several offices and homes. These LED lamps are not heated, which eliminates the risk of fire due to heat lamps. Also, it reduces the cost of air conditioning facilities. They are very durable. LEDs do not break, even falling from a height of 20 meters. In the consumer environment is very, very comfortable. It is important to note that in the design of LEDs do not use mercury, which completely eliminates mercury poisoning.Indeed, more and more designers are using LEDs in their compositions; they observe strict lines and full compliance with representations of the twenty-first century! But each new development, there are also disadvantages. And light - emitting diodes found one negative point - it's a high price. The price of LED lamp is almost fifty times more than the price of an ordinary incandescent bulb. But the price for this bulb is very much justified, after considering all the advantages of LED lamps.Despite the negative side LEDs, more good things and they are more significant. In modern science, the LED industry is a leader; this direction is promising, functional and prestigious. In today's world, more and more attention is paid to the environment. And in this direction, LED lamp has huge advantages.

Mehlville schools powering up with solar panels

Students looking for news or cartoons on the new flat-screen television at Beasley Elementary School will be disappointed.Instead, the screen shows a variety of bar and line graphs, numbers and illustrations demonstrating the number of kilowatt hours being produced by 104 solar panels on the roof.The information brings a new meaning of the words "sunny day" to students in five schools in the Mehlville School District.Besides Beasley, the other schools include Oakville High School, the Witzel Alternative Academy, Bernard Middle School and Hagemann Elementary School.Each facility has 104 solar panels that each day can provide 25 kilowatts, depending on the weather. That's about 2 to 5 percent of each building's needs. A kilowatt-hour of convention energy costs 7.8 cents, compared to 5.2 cents for solar power.St. Louis company StraightUp Solar installed the panels during the past six weeks. The company has a 20-year lease with the district to provide and maintain the equipment. The terms call for a $186 monthly payment  for each building, eventually rising to $333 monthly near the end of the lease.
Both parties estimate the district will save about $130,000 during 20 years at the five schools combined.Companies Extend European Collaboration to U.S. Solar Market.That's a small amount, compared to the district's estimate that each building's annual energy costs average about $100,000.It still presents some savings, Superintendent Eric Knost said. The lease is set for 20 years, no matter how much conventional energy costs might rise."This is not just a science experiment," Knost said. "Years ago, we started to talk about solar power as a way to save some of the taxpayers' money. That came first. Then, we saw a chance to use it as a curricular opportunity. The students can look at the monitor, see how much energy is produced and learn about it in science classes."Any amount of solar power also helps the environment, said Eric Swillinger, vice president with StraightUp Solar.
"One kilowatt-hour of sunlight is the equivalent of burning one pound of coal," Swllinger said. "Two homes can be powered by 112 kilowatt-hours. Any amount of reducing fossil fuels is worth it."Solar power already is a subject for science classes. At Oakville High, students are using solar panels to power model cars, Knost said.Just looking at the monitor and its information is a learning experience for the students, Beasley Principal Andrea Deane said."It will say that this amount of energy can power four cars or is like planting 17 trees to help the environment," Deane said. "We want to use it for our science classes. Right now, we’re still figuring out the lesson plans."The five schools were chosen because their roofs are flat and are in good condition. No repairs are planned. If work needs to be done, StraightUp Solar will remove the panels, then reinstall them when the work is finished.

Companies Extend European Collaboration to U.S. Solar Market

Krannich Solar and Renusol America have extended their relationship in the U.S. solar market with the introduction of the Renusol VS Line and the Renusol CS60 mounting solutions into the Krannich Solar line of solar products and components carried in the United States. The companies share a heritage of excellence in German engineering and a history of collaboration on solar projects across Europe through their German-based parent companies.The Renusol VS is a flexible and light on-roof system for easy installation of photovoltaic systems for pitched roofs. Pre-assembled clamps, fastener-free splice connectors, and slide-free L-feet minimize installation time.  Stainless steel hardware and aluminum rails provide strength and long life along with high strength-to-weight ratio rail design that keeps cost low, while allowing longer spans. This system offers a "one-size-fits-all" mounting solution, easy inventory maintenance and simple installation.
The popular, American-made Renusol CS60 is a ballasted mounting system for flat roof applications available in 10° and 15° tilts. Made of durable high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE), this compact system transports easily, sets up quickly, and requires no roof penetration with the addition of ballast. Specifically enhanced and wind tunnel tested for the U.S. market, the Renusol CS60 more evenly spreads point load weight across the roof surface. With only one Renusol CS60 needed for every PV module, roof design layouts and job inventory can now be 'sized per panel', simplifying the project engineering and reducing installation costs. The system design is based on Renusol's highly successful European console design that has several hundred MW installed.
"Everything about the Renusol mounting system solutions—from design to installation—was developed with the installer in mind," says Juan Romera-Wade, CEO of the United States branch of Krannich Solar's. "They are easy to put together, saving the installer time, and Renusol is well-known in the industry for the full package of expertise in system planning and for the support service they provide.""Renusol mounting solutions are now in place in solar projects in 28 states across the U.S.," states Renusol CEO and President, Bart Leusink. "Becoming a Krannich Solar manufacturer partner means that even more installers can take advantage of simpler, more cost-effective mounting solutions for their solar projects."The company's new photovoltaic test services feature a calibration certificate that indicates the measured total area of your device, its spectral response and I-V curve, and the electrical performance parameters with stated uncertainties.  Measurements are made according to the American Society for Testing Materials or ASTM standard E948-09.

Replacement lights claimed fast at Utilities event

The Colorado Springs Utilities holiday light exchange and open house keeps growing, but still can't keep up with demand.About 1,500 strings of LED lights and 10,000 CFL bulbs were handed out during the annual event Saturday at the Conservation and Environmental Center on Mesa Road."People were in line before 7 a.m.," said Nikki Richardson, Utilities spokeswoman.Customers could exchange two old holiday light strands for two money-saving LED strands. They could also exchange up to 16 light bulbs for CFLs.Holiday lights were gone by 9:30 a.m., and the supply of CFLs lasted until 11 a.m., she said.Utilities brought more lights to give away this year, but ran out of them in record time, said, Doug Bursnall, energy conservation specialist with Utilities.
The holiday lights turned in Saturday will be recycled, and the money from stripping the copper out will benefit Project COPE, a utilities assistance program.LED lights use 75 percent to 90 percent less energy than traditional bulbs, he said. They are also a lot cooler, which cuts down on fire risks.LED lights are more expensive, but people can replace them a little at a time, Bursnall said.Analysis: Georgia quietly approves solar power shift.Energy savings usually covers the increase in start-up costs in a few years.People still dropped off old strings in the hours after free replacement lights ran out.
This is a unique opportunity for creative minds from across the globe to come together and be a part of something truly life changing', continued Mr Blease.
"Whether you are an engineer, a designer, a film maker, a business entrepreneur, or a university student or group, we want to hear from you if you think you have the skills to turn one of the shortlisted ideas into reality."This opportunity is equivalent to chart-topping artists finding stardom through a talent TV show, with the big exception that success on this stage will change the lives of 17 million people around the world living with cerebral palsy."Sounds like a very worthy cause that could certainly end up helping each Australian child born with cerebral palsy every 15 hours, the 17 million people around the world with cerebral palsy, and the 350 million people "who are closely connected to a child or adult with CP".The two wheelchairs would also help anyone that ever has the need for a wheelchair in fold-up form, solar-powered form or perhaps even both in the one unit!Wouldn't that be something that could help make the lives of people with wheelchairs so much easier and more convenient.Some kind of easily deployable, or removable but wired solar panels are things that are in my mind, so the wheelchair doesn't have to be in the hot sun to recharge.Wireless solar panels to charge a battery, could that be done? Or retractable solar panel(s) of enough size and efficiency… and what about the batteries and their charge?

Solar Panels Now Cheaper Than Ever

For homeowners and businesses who want to achieve all of the benefits of solar energy but are worried about the costs related to purchasing and installing photovoltaic equipment, good news has arrived: solar panels are more cost effective now than ever.According to statistics compiled by the IHS Solar Polysilicon Price Index, the global price of silicon - a key component in PV panels that converts sunlight into a direct electrical current - in October fell to one of the lowest rates so far this year. In addition, Businessweek reported the average price of solar panels has decreased 75 percent since 2007.During October, the price for 9N silicon, one of the most pure silicon used in PV materials, decreased 9 percent. The price of 6N to 8N silicon, the lowest grade product that can actually be used in a PV power system, dropped 7 percent, Solar Novus Today reported.
According to IHS, silicon prices should stabilize or go up slightly during December this year and through January 2013. However, an oversupply of PV materials in a global marketplace means that the cost of obtaining solar-grade silicon is still likely to remain relatively low for the foreseeable future."Suppliers are trimming production, inventories in the channel are continuing to be depleted and most industry players are expecting a rebound in demand in 2013," said Glenn Gu of IHS, according to Solar Novus Today. "Because of this, spot market pricing for solar polysilicon will uptick slightly at the start of next year. Even so, spot prices will remain significantly lower than those on the contract market, causing solar polysilicon suppliers to continue to cut contract prices as they strive to catch up with the spot market."A decline in silicon prices means that it is more cost effective than ever to make solar panels, and those cost savings are passed on to the consumer: homeowners and businesses who elect to buy a solar electricity system.
Have Natural Daylight and Save Energy: Miralite has been designed, manufactured and patented in the United Kingdom to afford active natural daylight into buildings to allow artificial lighting to be turned off for up to 10.5 hours a day!Unlike passive skylights Miralite uses solar-tracking technology to follow the sun and with the clever use of pre-determined angled mirrors drive natural light into a building. The result is a bright, healthy, glare free light, just as nature intended.Miralite energy saving skylights are a solar powered green lighting solution for commercial buildings, schools, factories, public facilities, retail stores, etc; etc. In addition to significant energy and cost savings there are many more benefits from the installation of Miralite Solar tracking sky lighting.

Analysis: Georgia quietly approves solar power shift

Something remarkable happened last week during a brief meeting of a little-known state agency while most Georgians were focused on upcoming holiday shopping, turkey and college-football rivalries later in the week.Passage of a one-sentence resolution may have started in motion a series of events that could dramatically reshape the state's electricity-generation as well as much of its political landscape. And it was initiated by two of the least-likely politicians.What happened is the Georgia Public Service Commission voted 3-2 to endorse efforts by a start-up company to overturn a law, the Territorial Act, that has divided the state for four decades into geographic monopolies for 94 utilities run by cities, rural cooperatives and the giant Georgia Power Co.The upstart, Georgia Solar Utilities Inc., seeks its own monopoly as a generator of solar power with permission to sell to retail customers. Since it can't produce electricity when the sun isn't shining, it would always be dependent on other utilities for supplemental power as well as for transmission, billing and customer support.
The commission vote doesn't guarantee General Assembly agreement, but it does provide a push.Seasoned observers might bet against the legislature breaking up the monopolies. After all, they were granted for practical reasons that still have some basis.White light for laptop computers or interior lighting in cars.When companies began damning up rivers to harness hydroelectric energy early in the last century, governments stepped in to regulate. When competitors strung power lines down opposite sides of city streets and chopping down rivals' poles in the dead of night, governments became the referees.As the politicians began to sort out the winners and losers, they were persuaded by arguments that economies of scale dictated that larger companies would be more efficient than smaller ones when it came to damning rivers and building power plants, hence monopolies.
The commissioner who sponsored the resolution, Lauren "Bubba" McDonald, had been in the legislature in 1973 and voted in favor of the Territorial Act."I was there in 1973 when the act -- legislation was passed," he said. "Solar wasn't even in the dictionary, I don't think, at that time, much less photovoltaic.... It was something that wasn't anticipated at that time."He argued for removing obstacles to consumers who want access to more power generated from renewable sources.McDonald wasn't the only veteran policymaker whose vote demonstrated a change of position. Commissioner Doug Everett, a great-grandfather and conservative legislator in the 1990s, also supported McDonald's resolution."You know, everybody in here realizes I've always fought solar because I did not think the technology was there for cost effectiveness. But it's changed, technology has changed," he said.

White light for laptop computers or interior lighting in cars

Things snowballed from there, with scientists making more silicon dots (and, later, germanium dots) that emitted light in lots of bright, pretty colors, especially the highly desirable green and blue ranges. The bigger the dot, the redder the light, and the emitted light becomes shorter and shorter in wavelength — and higher in energy — as the dots shrink in size. This is called "tunability" because you can pretty much tailor the dots to emit whatever frequency of visible light you happen to need for a given application, simply by altering the size of the dots.The most obvious application is using quantum dots as an alternative to the organic dyes used to tag reactive agents in fluorescence-based biosensors. You know, the dyes start to glow when, say, a harmful toxin is present. But the number of colors available using organic dyes is limited, and they tend to degrade rapidly. Quantum dots offer a broader spectrum of colors and show very little degradation over time.
Last year, engineers at Ohio State University "invented a new kind of nano-particle that shines in different colors to tag molecules in biomedical tests." The secret ingredient? quantum dots! This breakthrough — described in the online edition of Nano Letters, in a paper by OSU's Jessica Winter and Gang Ruan — involved stuffing tiny plastic nanoparticles with even tinier quantum dots for use in biomedical tagging applications. It's easier to see biological molecules under a microscope if they fluoresce, and quantum dots glow more brightly than other fluorescent molecules used for this purpose.They also "twinkle", i.e., blink on and off, an effect that is less noticeable if there are many quantum dots congregated together. There are pros and cons to this behavior. Con: it "breaks up the trajectory of a moving particle or tagged molecule" that one is trying to track under the microscope. Pro: when the blinking stops, scientists know they've reached a critical threshold of aggregated quantum dots.
The continuous glowing makes it easier to track tagged molecules with no breaks, and they could also use the color changes to determine when said tagged molecules congregate. The nanopartices would be great for microfluidic devices, and could one day be combined with magnetic particles to enhance medical imaging for, say, cancer detection. In fact, earlier this year, Nature Nanotechnology published the results of a study showing no ill effects over a one-year period in four rhesus monkeys injected with such tiny luminescent crystals.You can also build quantum dot LEDs that emit white light for laptop computers or interior lighting in cars. As for electronics, the possibilities are endless: all-optical switches and logic gates, for instance, with a millionfold increase in speed and lower power requirements, or, further in the future, quantum dots could be used to make teensy transistors for nanoelectronics

Floating New Ideas to Build Wind and Solar Energy Projects

An all-of-the-above energy strategy may mean leveling the tax code. The wind and solar industries may potentially receive favorable tax treatment under a provision of the law that pertains to the fossil fuels or the tax structure could be totally reformed, wiping out all of those breaks in exchange for reduced corporate rates.An idea getting attention now is giving the renewables sector the right to access "master limited partnerships" -- just like oil, natural gas and coal can now do. Simply, that is a business structure that has limited liability while allowing investors to be taxed at their personal rate on dividends.Right now, the fossil fuels can set up those partnerships but the green fuels cannot. Such deals are able to attract capital because profits are only taxed once -- when the dividends are distributed, and not at the corporate level. Those investments are liquid and they can be traded, making them a valuable part of building long-term energy infrastructure projects.
Dan Reicher, former director of climate change and energy at Google, raised this issue during an EnergyBiz conference in Washington on Friday.BB is using LED bulbs in Head Office to ensure efficient use of energy.He said that those master limited partnerships could supply "hundreds of millions of dollars" to renewable energy projects by appealing to investors who seek an attractive dividend payment, which could be around 6 percent."Because master limited partnerships are so attractive to investors, they have been proven to bring new capital into American energy projects," says Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., who is sponsoring a bill to apply such business structures equally across all energy types. "This is especially important in the case of renewable energy generation, where it is harder for investors to see as quick a return compared to fossil fuel-based energy generation, for which much of the process and transportation infrastructure was built decades ago."
Why not? The argument against the move is that some lawmakers say that it would erode the tax base. That is, investments in wind and solar master limited partnerships would become tax havens, as opposed to legitimate mechanisms by which green energy development would occur.Reicher, now with Stanford University's Center for Energy Policy, disagrees with that objection. He says that investors would still be paying taxes on the dividends that they receive from the partnership. And if the tax code is properly enforced, it would lead to economically viable wind and solar generation deals that provide jobs and pay taxes.The idea has broad support: Not only are the environmental and green energy advocates behind it but so are some utilities. Specifically, David Crane, who is chief executive of NRG Energy, calls the proposal "phenomenal."

Solar panel rules considered outside St. James gate

Regulation of the appearance and placement of solar panels outside the gate likely will be discussed at the next Town of St. James planning board meeting.The property owners association already regulates solar panels within St. James Plantation—the gated area— with some rules about where they can be placed similar to ordinances enacted by Brunswick County, and other suggested guidelines for their appearance. But Thursday, planning board members discussed whether they wanted to see town ordinances regulating the panels as well, including for businesses inside town limits but outside St. James Plantation.
The POA's Architectural Control Committee (ACC) reviews and enforces POA rules regarding the appearance of homes, including the addition of solar panels. If the town's rules for solar panels are the same as the POA's, the POA will continue enforcing the rules through its ACC.The Town of St. James does not have building inspectors, relying instead on the county for that purpose, and typically responds to violations after a complaint.Board members have mentioned before that the town does not have the staff to seek out violations, instead of reacting to complaints, and members questioned the need to address solar panel regulations if the POA already does.
"Are we trying to be stricter than the POA? Are we trying to cover the POA on doing this?" asked Stephanie Macaluso. "What are we trying to do?""We've already gone down the solar road, and we already have solar in a lot of cases," said board member Bob Accordino. "I think for the most part the ACC guidelines are good depending on where the house is."But other board members pointed out that, while all residential areas inside town limits are also in St. James Plantation, there is commercial development inside the town limits but outside the gate.
"What is it that the group wants to see in solar and wind in our town?" asked town councilor and board liaison Bruce Maxwell. "What is it you folks want?""You're saying, 'What do we as a board want, inside and outside the gate?'" asked planning board member Betty Russell. "I think the question is do we want to regulate them?" asked board member John Sullivan. "Do we need to regulate them? If we choose not to, the POA can do whatever they want and it will fit in our guidelines."Accordino made a motion to consider adopting the ACC guidelines for solar panels, though he later amended it to state the town would use the ACC guidelines as a starting point, adjusting as needed, to also address areas outside the gate. The topic is expected to come up again at the next planning board meeting, scheduled for Thursday, December 13, at 3 p.m.

BB is using LED bulbs in Head Office to ensure efficient use of energy

Bangladesh is a low energy consuming country with per capita annual consumption of 220 KW hours supporting production of zero or low carbon emission energy generation. GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission in Bangladesh is quite modest in comparison with most other developing and developed countries.The Government of Bangladesh is trying to make the demand side management (DSM) of energy through energy efficiency and conservation measures involving making efficient appliances and equipment.
It is estimated that nearly 400MW power can be saved by changing fluorescent bulbs to CFLs and another 400MW by making electric fans efficient. Besides, nearly 30% load reduction is possible by increasing energy efficiency of fridge and air-conditioners.The government is investing substantially in renewable energy, particularly solar power and biogas for rural households and enterprises. The current electricity generation from Solar Home Systems (SHSs) in the country amount to 65 MW. The target is to install 2.5 million SHSs by 2014 through IDCOL.Bangladesh plans to generate 5% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2015 and 10% by 2020.Tokelau now totally on solar power.The government needs to focus on off-grid areas (60% of rural areas) for power generation through renewable to address poverty elimination and achievement of all the MDGs.
The government has taken steps set up a wind turbine based 15 MW power plant.Bangladesh Bank has issued guidelines for Environmental Risk Management and Green Banking in 2011 aiming at ensuring environment friendly business practices by banks and financial institutions.Banks have been instructed to install solar power system while opening bank branches in rural areas.BB has taken in-house initiatives to promote green banking including installation of 8 kilowatt solar power system on its rooftop. BB is using LED bulbs in Head Office to ensure efficient use of energy. Environmentally harmful incineration of non re-issuable damaged bank notes is being phased out, restoring instead of shredding by BB.
Steps for measuring carbon footprint of BB's internal processes and operations are underway.BB has advised banks to facilitate clients to open L/Cs for installation of ETP in industrial units, finance solar energy, bio-gas and ETP projects.BB has introduced Taka 2.0 billion refinance line for financing solar energy, bio-gas and effluent treatment plant (ETP), at only 5% interest rate. BB has financed 18MW PV module manufacturing plant of Rahimafroz costs USD 4.5 million through BB green fund.

Tokelau now totally on solar power

The remote Pacific islands of Tokelau have become the first territory in the world to generate their electricity entirely from solar energy, in a project hailed as an environmental milestone.Before the solar power grid was completed, the New Zealand-administered grouping of three coral atolls, with a population of just 1,500, relied on diesel generators for electricity.Project coordinator Mike Bassett-Smith said the diesel was not only environmentally unfriendly, it also cost the islands, which lie about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, around NZ$1.0 million ($825,000) a year.Bassett-Smith, from New Zealand firm PowerSmart Solar, said the change would allow Tokelau to switch money from fuel purchases to social welfare projects.
"For Tokelau, this milestone is of huge importance for their continued well-being," he said in a statement received Wednesday."Many Pacific nations struggle to provide a high proportion of their people access to electricity, and even when they do, access to affordable electricity is a significant additional challenge."New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the US$7.0 million project had achieved a world first and Wellington was working with other Pacific nations such as Tonga and the Cook Islands to develop renewable energy."Completed on time and on budget, the project is an excellent example of how small Pacific nations can lead the way on renewable energy," he said.
MGLT's revolutionary thin-film solar panels capture a larger section of the light spectrum from the sun using relatively inexpensive materials like flexible substrates and various coatings. Perhaps this is one of several reasons why MGLT has a long and prosperous history of collaborating with the federal government. Earlier this month, MGLT received a $750,000 Phase II award from the United States Air Force as part of the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The goal of this two-year program is to develop ultra-high efficiency, thin-film solar cells that provide mobile electrical power for defense and commercial applications in space as well as on the ground. The work on this contract complements the work on high-efficiency solar cells previously funded by the Air Force and announced in November 2011.
Dr. Ashok K. Sood, President and CEO of Magnolia Solar Corporation, stated, "We are working to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices via novel materials combined with innovative device designs. Quantum dot structures with excellent structural and optical properties were demonstrated during the Phase I program and are intended to be incorporated into advanced photovoltaic devices during the Phase II effort. These structures have the potential to enable photovoltaic devices to reach new levels of performance for power output efficiency."

Saving solar energy technology and jobs

The Santa Clara solar-panel manufacturer Miasole is about to be sold overseas, and possibly dissolved. Its technology is an innovative threat to some existing manufacturers. In fact Miasole's thin-film manufacturing technique, which can reduce the amount of expensive materials needed by more than 90 percent from conventional solar cells, is a breakthrough technology that will be lost to the United States without immediate action.Miasole is a very real, productive company, with a 150 million-watt-per-year production facility in California, and more than 60 megawatts already deployed in commercial operation. Miasole is, or was, the third-largest thin-film solar energy producer in the world, and has achieved an industry-leading 16 percent efficient solar panels.
Miasole's planned rollout of thin and flexible solar cells could revolutionize installation and expand market opportunities, further reducing costs. These achievements are based on their patented production process, in which layers of the thin film are deposited onto a 3-foot-wide sheet of stainless steel foil as it passes around the periphery of large circular production machines.Arizonans Continue to Embrace Solar Energy.The U.S. Department of Energy has launched an "Apollo project" called Sunshot, which is built around science, policy and deployment efforts to achieve $1 per watt solar power by 2020. Miasole's technology is already on track to produce solar-cell modules that would achieve parity for solar power with current commercial power sources.Despite these successes, Miasole is having difficulty finding buyers for its product, due in large part to Chinese companies selling below cost. Thus, even after raising more than half a billion dollars of private investment, the company is shutting down and is set to be sold to a Chinese solar company at a fire-sale price of $30 million.
Forestalling this loss of U.S. technology requires, first, action to secure U.S. ownership of Miasole's patented production technology, and then to restart manufacturing by Miasole and other competitive U.S. solar companies.The sale of Miasole overseas can be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States - a federal interagency committee that reviews the national security implications of foreign investments. Particularly valuable U.S. companies can be assessed for their value as engines of growth and, we argue, of energy independence. The committee is chaired by the secretary of the Treasury, and includes the secretaries of Energy, Homeland Security and State, as well as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Members of California's congressional delegation should request a committee investigation now.To secure Miasole technology, the Department of Energy loan program could make a loan against the Miasole patents to hold them in the United States.

Create your holiday home with lights

When it comes to decorating with lights for the holidays, there are unlimited ways to add twinkle to the inside as well as the outside of your home. Some people favor an elegant, restrained sprinkling of lights around a door, while others go for a more exuberant display of illumination on virtually every surface.The American Lighting Association (ALA) offers some holiday lighting tips and ideas:Make your home's entrance a priority. The front door is more than just the entryway into your home; it's also a welcoming first impression for family and friends. Start by adding a few, easy-to-install landscape uplights to highlight trees and shrubs, or path lighting to illuminate a sidewalk or driveway."Tree lighting uses the heights of trees to spread the light out in a soft and subtle way to bathe the area in light," says Richard Lentz, owner of Dallas-based Lentz Landscape Lighting and its interiors division Lentz Services. Do-it-yourself tip: Go for low-voltage landscape lights, which are easy to install and consume less energy.
Add drama with color-changing lights. Newer LED lights can add custom color scenes that complement a specific holiday decorating mood. You can produce the exact ambiance you like at any moment during your party or gathering this season. Colors can be changed at the push of a button without changing the fixture, making these products useful year round.Use lighting to create a focal point. Lights can draw attention to virtually anything – a centerpiece, buffet, unusual decoration – which helps guests know where to focus their eyes.Add portable spotlights as highlights. These small, inexpensive fixtures typically work with a tabletop dimmer and can create pretty silhouettes, particularly under a Christmas tree, shining up through the branches.
Illuminate corners. When decorating with lights for the holidays, make your space feel larger by placing spotlights in room corners to illuminate dark spaces.Swap out lighting accents. Replacing a neutral lampshade with one that is red or gold will soften the light and create a pretty atmosphere when decorating with lights for the holidays. Replace a chandelier's crystal teardrops with gold, silver or red glass balls, or add a few shade charms, available at many craft stores, to add some sparkle and fun."One of the great things about this time of year, when there are a lot of festive gatherings, is that it's all right to break away from a few traditions and try some new things with lighting and decorating," says Bruce Hathaway, national sales manager for the Vermont-based lighting manufacturer Hubbardton Forge.

Arizonans Continue to Embrace Solar Energy

Arizona already has one of the most robust solar power markets in the country - according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the state has had the third biggest growth rate in installed photovoltaic capacity since the end of 2009, installing 397 megawatts of PV power during that period. The latest projects in Arizona show that the state is likely to continue on as one of the very best areas in the country for solar energy.In September, the San Luis City Council voted in favor of creating a solar power plant that would cover 175 acres of Arizona state property located in the municipality, the Yuma Sun reported. The project is expected to create about 150 jobs in the area, and would generate electricity for San Luis and surrounding region for at least 30 years.
Macerich shopping centers in Arizona and other parts of the United States will get some of their electricity from solar panels over the next year, according to Solar Power World. The 12 total installations will have a combined capacity between 10.2 megawatts and 12 megawatts, which should be enough to generate electricity for about 10,000 average households."Macerich is committed to creating long term value by improving our natural resource efficiency, and operating and developing our properties in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner.Amitex LED Lighting Co gets the green light for growth.Our partnership with Panasonic embodies this philosophy," said Eric Salo, Macerich's executive vice president, according to Solar Power World. "Installing clean energy technology at our properties also aligns with our commitment to our retailers, our partners, and the communities where we operate."
The 25-megawatt Queen Creek Solar Farm, located on 148 acres about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, started generating electricity on October 4. The PSEG Solar Source-owned facility includes an estimated 90,000 solar panels, and will generate power for at least the next 20 years for Salt River Project (SRP), the main power company in the area. For every year the power plant is functioning at capacity, its output helps to ensure that 21,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide is not released from a fossil fuel-powered facility."We are pleased to be providing clean, solar energy to Salt River Project," Diana Drysdale, president of PSEG Solar Source said in a statement released on October 4. "Arizona has the attributes we look for when choosing a project – good sun, a receptive regulatory environment and supportive local officials. It is exciting to be adding Arizona to the list of states where we have operational solar facilities even while we are beginning construction on an additional site in Delaware." 

Amitex LED Lighting Co gets the green light for growth

A NORTHUMBERLAND lighting company has flicked the switch on a fresh cash injection after seeing sales rise 40% year on year.Amitex LED Lighting Co Ltd supplies a growing range of green, energy-efficient LED lighting products to some of the biggest electrical wholesalers in the UK from its Hexham base.At the end of 2011, the management team secured a ￡150,000 investment from the Finance For Business North East Growth Fund that is administered by fund management firm NEL Fund Managers to help with a drive into a number of new markets across the UK.Amitex LED has now broken into the North West, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the first time, and is establishing a strong new customer base in the Midlands.
To support the next phase of its development, the firm has received a planned second investment from the Growth Fund worth ￡100,000, which will be used to further enhance the company's product range and bring in more stock. The business, which was established in 2003, now works with most of the major names in the electrical wholesale industry, including CEF, QVS, Edmundsons and Kew Electrical.Managing director Alan Morton said: "It's still a difficult market out there, but we've achieved a great deal of success so far and this has been the result of a huge amount of hard work from every member of the team."The initial Growth Fund investment has helped us to quickly build up momentum over a matter on months."The Architect of the Capitol is replacing the roof on the Hart Senate Office Building, and as part of an effort to become more energy efficient, the AOC might look at installing solar panels.
Last year, the AOC diverted Congress' trash from landfills to a waste-to-energy facility; it is awaiting approval to use "cogeneration" to create heat and electricity simultaneously at the Capitol Power Plant.In that vein, the agency is "exploring options," according to spokeswoman Eva Malecki, regarding "installing more energy efficient and sustainable components as part of a planned roof replacement."The AOC has requested $11.3 million to replace the roof and fall protection systems of the building. The project would be overseen by an outside contractor. Some media reports suggested a contract would be awarded based on whether a company could incorporate solar panels or other sustainability components. Malecki, however, emphasized that with legislative branch offices fighting for scarce resources, the AOC would prioritize roof construction, with solar panels "purely conceptual at this time."

University celebrates 50th anniversary of Holonyak's LED

You may not know his invention, but you use it every day. From the iPhone and iPad, to laptops, flat-screen TVs, traffic lights and alarm clocks, this invention has been prevalent in modern life: the light-emitting diodes, better know as LED.Fifty years ago this month, the work done by alumnus Nick Holonyak Jr. at General Electric transformed the science of light as we know it.Although most know Thomas Edison as the inventor of the incandescent light bulb, Holonyak now stands on his shoulders with his invention of this solid-state device that can emit visible red light without generating heat like a lightbulb. While other groups have developed light-emitting devices, Holonyak's device was the first practical one to emit light in the visible range, rather than the invisible, infrared light."It is the ultimate lamp," Holonyak said. "You can maybe rival it, but you can never improve on it. If I know how to build mine right, it will have 100 percent conversion of electrical energy to light energy without any loss. It's just a little heat loss of moving electrons that I'm paying the price for ... but that's it."
The LED 50th Anniversary Symposium starts Wednesday at the I Hotel and Conference Center to honor Holonoyak's work, achievements and other developments over the past 50 years. Brad Petersen, associate director of external relations in the department of electrical and computer engineering, said many lectures will be held about the history and the future of LEDs, solid-state lighting and related work.Solar phone charger apps can steal data.Many people who are considered pioneers in the field will speak about their work, including multiple Nobel laureates in physics from around the world."It's particularly a celebration of Nick and his initial development of the LED, but it's also much broader than that," Petersen said. "The event is intended to celebrate all 50 years of the development of the LED ... from Nick's first invention to the work people are still doing today."
Holonyak's story shows the power of knowledge and research that come along with hard work. Born to immigrant parents from Ukraine, he came to the University and received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate in electrical engineering. He developed a background studying under John Bardeen, a two-time Nobel laureate who co-invented the transistor. Now Holonyak holds the title of his mentor: He is the John Bardeen Endowed Chair in electrical and computer engineering."I was Bardeen's student. He came in 1951 when I was already a grad student. We set up a lab in 1952, and for two years I'm ... learning about semiconductors and transistors," Holonyak said. "Then I went to Bell Labs working on electric switches and silicon material, the same stuff that later went into making Silicon Valley that became Intel and all the chips used in phones and computers nowadays."

Future of solar power looking bright for Chico schools

When it comes to solar power, things are looking sunny for the Chico Unified School District.Wednesday night, after hearing a report on the success of five solar power facilities, four at schools and one at the district's corporation yard, the CUSD trustees voted unanimously to investigate putting solar arrays at other school sites.Russell Driver, a consultant with the San Francisco-based Newcomb Anderson and McCormick energy, engineering and consulting, said all of the solar systems currently in place in the district are generating more power than predicted.The arrays have been erected over parking lots at Chico High School, Pleasant Valley High School and Chapman School, and ground-mounted facilities have been constructed at Marsh Junior High School and the district's Corporation Yard.
Driver reported that cumulatively over the last year, the five sites have produced 1.6 megawatts of power.The systems were built by SolarCity, a San Mateo-based corporation, under a "power purchase agreement," where the CUSD paid nothing for construction but contracted to purchase 100 percent of the electricity they produce for 20 years.Mike Weissenborn, district director of facilities planning/construction, said the district guarantees to purchase the electricity at a lower cost than it would have had to pay PG&E.Driver said, "Given the production is looking good, the saving numbers are likely to be looking pretty good as well," but the actual saving has not been figured out yet.He said his company, which produced the report on the solar project, is working with PG&E to get all of the figures sorted out.
Weissenborn told the trustees he came before them to deliver the report and to ask them to approve another contract with Driver's firm to conduct a feasibility study on putting solar arrays on other sites in the district.He said there are new regulations, new technology and new financing opportunities that could make new solar arrays attractive."More solar!" exulted trustee Kathy Kaiser.On a motion by trustee Jann Reed, the panel voted to approve a contract with Newcomb Anderson McCormick to do the new study for a fee not to exceed $29,840.
All creditors, including the government, could see a full recovery from a $1.5 billion lawsuit the company filed against Chinese solar-panel makers last week, said Solyndra attorney Debra Grassgreen. Solyndra claimed the Chinese manufacturers conspired to fix prices and flood the U.S. market with solar panels at below-cost prices forcing it out of business. Chinese solar-panel makers have said the allegations are "baseless."

Solar phone charger apps can steal data

Which of us would not want to install the Szlab solar charge app -- that claims "Go green! Charge your phone with the power of the sun! Start this application, put your phone in a well-lit place and watch your battery charge using the solar panel" -- to recharge our phone's dying battery on the go?But before we fall for this gimmick and into the category of a "mentally challenged troll", as the creators of the app put it, you may do well to remember that nothing short of magic (till scientists find a way) would convert a liquid crystal display or LCD screen into a solar panel.LCD is not a light transducer. In other words, it does not convert electrons into photons and therefore cannot be run "in reverse" to generate electricity. The semiconductor in a solar cell is specifically fabricated to do this job. Solar panels use light energy or photons from the sun to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect, which is the creation of voltage or electric current in a material upon exposure to light.
A solar cell, also called a photovoltaic cell, is an electrical device that converts light energy directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. The creators of the Szlab app have a note at the bottom of the app (which, we as we all know, is seldom read) that reads thus: "Note: Of course this application is not charging your phone.New LED lights making the War Memorial shine.You didn't think so, did you?! The only reason for this app is to collect the mentally challenged trolls--who never read the description this far--complaining about every app. Or you can fool your friends with this nice 'charging feature' if you like."
If solar charger apps were just meant to poke fun, it would have served as a healthy prank for the gullible and online challenged. But these apps, which claim to convert the phone's screen into solar panels, are not being used just to poke fun. Malicious applications, such as Battery Long (Android.Ackposts1), that appear to help with the battery life, simply steal information from the compromised device, according to a new report by security firm Symantec Corp.There are some applications that will offer status updates on battery life and notify you when your battery is getting low. Still others help make your battery last longer by turning off features that are not necessary. The effectiveness of these types of applications varies from the useful to the negligible, so a little research is required, according to the Symantec report released in October."Breaking through the boundaries of credibility are a bunch of applications that will supposedly turn your phone screen into a solar charger. Even though this is completely false, there are a number of 'legitimate' applications out there making this claim. Many operate by using the cameras to measure the ambient light levels to move an onscreen dial, indicating the 'charge rate' for increased accuracy. These are joke applications at best, in some cases even including small print on the application description page denying it has the ability to actually charge the phone," the analysts said in the report.

New LED lights making the War Memorial shine

You'll definitely notice it the next time you step into the War Memorial, whether it's for a Crunch game, Disney on Ice, or anything else. Newly installed LED lights are making the War Memorial shine and it's all thanks to a Baldwinsville company.It's not easy to make a 61-year-old arena look newer, but the lights are helping. They're also saving the county money and helping the environment. The lights use a lot less energy, by as much as 90 percent, compared to the juice sucked up by the old ones."We went from nothing, with an idea on the paper to having the brightest light now here in the world. This is incredible. I'm amazed at what we're able to do, the team," said Ephesus Technologies President Joe Casper.Syracuse's Crunch Eric Neilson says the lights definitely make a difference.
"Playing against Syracuse it was really dark in here, there were dark spots on the ice, I'm sure even for the fans to look down and see the puck sometime because I know as a player it was hard to see sometime in the corners. What a difference it makes, it brightens this place right up, you can see out there, it's no problem," explained Neilson.Just one of the interesting features of the new lighting system is the ability to turn it on, turn it off, and turn it right back on again -- instantly. Also, you can make it as bright, or as dim as you want. And each of the fixtures has an antenna on it, which means each individual light will be able to be controlled by an iPad.
"We feel very strongly that it's really going to enhance the fan experience. The stuff we'll be able to do, in terms of lighting, spotlighting players. We can spotlight players without even a spotlight," said the Crunch's Senior Vice President Vance Lederman."That's what's the real thrill of this, where this could go and what it means to the folks here in Syracuse. Who knows, we could be the next big corporation, born right here in Syracuse NY," said Casper.The company also expects savings for the building with its cooling system. The new lights don't melt the ice at all, which the old ones did and meant more energy to keep the ice cold.Gulf Power had evaluated numerous lighting fixtures and the state chose the best three solutions for streetlights. Gulf Power and FDOT will evaluate the lights for their performance. FDOT is looking into different options for improving safety, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists, along the corridor. The state will cover construction and installation costs for the project, and the county and the state will share the operation and maintenance costs.

Devicewear Announces New Protective Case for the Samsung Galaxy S III

Already an established leader in providing cases for iPad, Nexus, Kindle and Nook tablet devices, Devicewear announces a new line of protective and practical cases for the newest member of the tablet scene: The Samsung Galaxy S III.Devicewear has unveiled both "The Haven" and "The Metro," for the Galaxy, each providing protective covering while allowing access to all ports and device features. Each includes a screen protector and cleaning cloth. The Haven provides protection for the screen by keeping it slightly raised, in case of a drop, and The Metro is made from lightweight polycarbonate for ultimate protection from scratches and virtually unnoticeable weigh increase.The new Samsung products join the established line of Devicewear protective cases, such as "The Union" and "Detour 360" models for iPads, which provide both protection and a way to prop up the tablet for extended use, as well as "The Ridge," which is available in vegan leather.Signing up for Devicewear's Facebook or Twitter pages will allow new customers to take up to 40% of their protective wear purchases. And with new partnerships, Devicewear items are available at Devicewear.com, Amazon, Newegg, Walmart.com, and other retailers.
"Any 'personal privacy' of the 'johns' does not exist anymore, as their criminal activities have been captured on video," Lilley states. "To label these videos or photographs or any of the documentation 'confidential' is serving to protect the privacy of people who voluntarily surrendered that privacy due to their own criminality."Though evidence includes materials that are of a sexual nature, Lilley states all people involved are adults and "neither public policy nor any law in existence commands that all such materials be confidential and subject to such protection."As of Monday, the proposed motion had not been signed by a judge.Solar Capital Ltd: Shedding Light On This High Yielding Star.In his letter, Lilley requested a hearing before the court support the state's motion outright.Information related to the case is not currently open to the public, under order of Justice Joyce Wheeler, the judge formerly assigned to the case. Wheeler has since recused herself and Justice Nancy Mills has been appointed to preside over the case.Phone and pad covers generally fall into two categories: highly protective with the delicate design of an M1 Abrams tank, or chic and generally useless.
Hard Candy has split the difference with its Bubble cases for iPhones 4 and 4s, iPads and Kindle Fire tablets.All the cases in the line have a 1960s-looking pattern of polka dot indentations. Austin Powers might feel pretty groovy carrying one.The iPhone version is hard plastic, available in an imitation metallic chrome, gold or glossy black, or a soft textured matte red, pink, black or white case. The bottom slides off for charging. The case is priced at $35.

Cree introduces 10-year LED lighting warranty

LED chip, lamp and lighting fixture maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has introduced a 10-year limited warranty on nearly all new Cree commercial LED lighting fixtures."Cree continually pushes the limits on LED lighting innovation," said Doug Knisely, director of building and petroleum construction, Sheetz, Inc. "The new warranty further validates our decision to use Cree LED lighting. Industry leading energy efficiency, lifetime performance and quality make Cree LED lighting a smart choice.""With leading LED research and development, a strong financial balance sheet and some of the industry's longest-running field LED lighting installations, the new 10-year limited warranty underscores Cree's commitment to the long-term performance and reliability of our products," said Ty Mitchell, executive vice president, lighting, Cree. "Added to the energy savings LEDs offer over traditional technologies, this warranty is a win-win for everyone."
The 10-year warranty covers nearly all Cree globally available commercial-grade indoor and outdoor fixtures, which can be installed in restaurants, offices, hospitals, grocery stores, shopping malls, schools and universities, auto dealerships, roadways, parking facilities, gas stations and many other commercial spaces.Taiwan-based LED light guide plate maker Global Lighting Technologies (GLT), in view of growing demand for light guide plates used in large-size LED-backlit TVs, will invest NT$300 million (US$10.1 million) to expand production capacity in Taiwan and China by 30% in total, according to company chairman Lee Mang-shiang.
GLT will add another production line to the three at its factory in Taiwan and add two lines to make seven in total at its factory in southern China. The three additional lines are scheduled to come online in the first quarter of 2013, Lee indicated.GLT has begun production of light guide plates for use in 55-inch LED-backlit TVs, and models for 60-inch TVs are under certification by Sharp. The company is developing models for use in 70-inch TVs with shipments likely to begin in November or December 2012, Lee pointed out. In addition, GLT plans to supply Taiwan-based TV panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) with light guide plates for use in 65-inch TVs, Lee noted.With production capacity fully utilized currently, GLT ships 600,000-700,000 TV-use light guide plates a month. In addition, GLT expects its shipments of light guide plates used in luminous keyboards in 2013 to grow by 15-20% from 2012, Lee said. GLT has also started small-volume shipments of car-use light guide plates.GLT expects light guide plates used in TVs and luminous keyboards to account for over 30% and 40%, respectively, of 2012 revenues, LED products for up to 10% and light guide plates for other uses for 10-20%, Lee indicated.

Solar Capital Ltd: Shedding Light On This High Yielding Star

Solar Capital Ltd. (SLRC) is a special lender that is known as a business development company. It lends money at attractive rates to small and medium sized businesses, the type that are too thinly traded or too risky for individual investors to invest in on their own. In addition, most of SLRC's loans are to companies outside of Europe, which shields its performance from Euro troubles.
Book Value and NAV are important metrics used to determine the value of this company, as its book of loans is how it generates most of its collateral and income. SLRC has its book value evaluated by independent third party companies. One of the methods these independent companies use to determine fair value of a company like SLRC is to look at indices of more liquid loans to compare the fair value of its portfolio. Because of this, some of SLRC's loans are marked at "fair value", which is definitely an arguable measure.Firefly LED Lighting Wins Technology Award for Innovation.This means some of SLRC's more "risky" loans are priced at less than 100% of book value. This is because the companies of some loans have been deemed "distressed". So in effect, much of SLRC's book value already accounts for riskier loans in its portfolio. Therefore, SLRC offers reduced risk because risky loans are already reflected in the Price/Book measure, but also because independent third parties determine these delicate judgments on SLRC's massive book of loans; thus eliminating the risk of irregular or tricky accounting practices. Currently, SLRC sports a book value of around 1.03x.
As per an interview with Jim Cramer, SLRC's CEO Michael Gross explained how the company loans money to growing companies primarily in the US. Although small and less liquid, these companies were performing well. Mr Gross insinuated to Cramer than there is a very low occurrence of defaults. He also noted how SLRC's experts research perspective companies for weeks and sometimes months, before approving any perspective loan candidate. Then, they don't simply buy syndicated loans available to the public. Instead, they approach management directly for these special deals, similar to Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.B) dealings with Bank of America Corp. Since its IPO, in early 2010, the company has been a dream to yield hungry investors. SLRC has consistently paid $.60/share quarterly dividends over the past 2 1/2 years. At a current price of 23.17/share the yield is 10.36%, which certainly offers an enticing return to dividend chasers. To give perspective on this amazing return to shareholders, by using the "Rule 72" approximation, in around 7 years your SLRC investment will double assuming dividends are reinvested, and price/share and dividends stay static.

Firefly LED Lighting Wins Technology Award for Innovation

The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce recognized Firefly LED Lighting,as the winner of the Technology Award in the small business division at the 2012 Greater Austin Business Awards on August 30."We recognize these businesses as paragons for their industries, as well as being role models for diverse businesses thriving in Austin," said Austin Chamber Chairman of the Board Clark Heidrick.Receiving the award for innovation and creating significant new opportunities, Firefly LED Lighting designs and manufactures a full range of patented "smart LED" light bulbs for direct replacement of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.
According to Steve Barcik, CEO of Firefly LED Lighting, "With LED lighting becoming the most impactful technology in lighting since Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, Firefly LED Lighting set out to develop the most reliable and the most efficient LED lighting products on the market. This process created the Firefly lighting products which are class leaders in reliability, efficiency, and light output." Barcik explained, "The Firefly product line is 22 to 81 percent more reliable than the big-name brands. The product line offers the only fully dimmable fully equivalent 75 to 125 watt replacement lamps on the market."Putting it in vivid terms, he added, "These products are like buying a car that gets 232 miles per gallon and lasts three million miles!"
Through technical innovation, Firefly LED Lighting inventors created a fully modular LED lamp. This allowed the company to increase output and adjust heatsink size in response to rapid technology growth. The same modular innovation allows the lamps to be changed in beam and color with a simple change of the lens. With over 28 patents in process, the company has found innovative approaches to every component in LED lighting.Firefly LED Lighting is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and the bulbs are manufactured in the United States. "Firefly LEDs are designed for high-speed manufacture while most other LED products are hand-built in China," said Barcik. "Firefly combined new ideas with ideas from the semiconductor, electronics, and automotive industries to create a process that will use automation to build these lamps efficiently, effectively, and rapidly in the U.S.A."ConEd falls squarely into this category. The utility, which serves New York City and some surrounding areas, is seeing a booming demand for LED lighting, but is still waiting for more standards. The report notes that other Northeast utilities, including National Grid and NStar, are some of the most progressive, offering prescriptive rebate programs for a range of LED lighting applications.

Solar Project to Light Up Makueni Village

A village in Makueni is set to benefit from a multimillion shilling solar energy research project by the University of Southampton and Imperial Colleg, London . The project is sponsored by the Research Councils UK and Department of International Development, United Kingdom.The solar energy research project started three years ago, looking for options for electrification and its social implications in rural Kenya.The project will be carried out in parts of in Makueni with Kitonyoni market selected as the ideal site by the researchers. Speaking yesterday when he arrived at the village to install the solar panels, "The project, is set to benefit 3,000 inhabitants and 40 direct connections to shops, school, churches and hospitals once completed," said the group's leader Prof AbuBakr S. Bahaj, who is the head of the Sustainable Energy Research Group at the University of Southampton said:
"The main aim of the project is to help the community through sustainable energy and this is exactly what we are giving this village today," he said. "Once the project is complete, the community can harness the solar energy to light their homes and also initiate viable enterprises to help alleviate poverty in the area."He said the project will change the lives of the local community if used wisely.Are LEDs Coming Soon To A Light Socket Near You?He however challenged the community to initiate viable income generating activities that could take advantage of the venture to change their lives saying that they identified Kitonyoni as the suitable site for the project over the other sites due to its grave needs and the remote locality and the enthusiasm of its community to support this activity.
"When we came to Kenya three year ago, we surveyed 1, 200 households in various locations to ascertain the suitability of the project. We eventually settled for Kitonyoni owing to its distance from the grid and facilities and businesses in need of electrification," he added. SERG is part of the Engineering and Environment Faculty working with Social Sciences at the University of Southampton and IC constituted an interdisciplinary team of researchers bringing the different fields involved in renewables, energy efficiency, social and economic aspects of these fields to rural community electrification.SERG was established in 1993 and it concentrates on six major fields of research which span renewable energy generations, resource assessment, energy efficiency in Britain and other countries. Speaking while accompanying the team, the Makueni County Co-operatives Officer Mrs. Rhoda Mulili said the team arrived in the country last Sunday and was scheduled to wind-up the installation phase of the project before the end of this month.

Chile's capital city using solar-powered lights at bus stops

Next time you find yourself waiting at a bus stop in Santiago by night, look up and chances are you'll likely find that your stop's lights are being powered by solar energy.Santiago's bus system Transantiago currently enjoys 1,300 solar LED lit bus stop shelters - and the city plans to install 1,200 more. Today, more than 200,000 commuters can expect their journey to be illuminated by solar LED lighting.According to El Mercurio, the new project is a result of an opinion poll executed late last year. It found that Transantiago riders were requesting three essential attributes for every bus stop shelter in the city: night lighting, roof coverage, and security.
Now, seven months and 1,300 solar LED light installations later, passengers are expressing a newfound love for their Transantiago bus stops. A survey conducted by Transantiago and the World Bank showed that passengers that frequented stops with the solar LED light systems indicated a more positive perception of their bus service.This enthusiasm, coupled with energy saving incentives for Santiago municipalities on smaller budgets, has led the Ministry of Transportation to allocate an extra US$4,551,206 (CLP2,160,000,000) for the installation of 1,200 new solar LED lighting kits in the future.
When asked about the project, Transportation Minister Pedro Pablo Errázuriz responded enthusiastically, according to El Mercurio."We are improving the quality of service in all aspects," Errázuriz said. "The travel experience of people on public transport begins when they leave home, and continues when they come to the bus stops. That's where it is important to initiate investments that promote greater safety for our users."LED solar technology is based on a system of deep cycle batteries that accumulate energy captured during daylight hours. This, coupled with the low unit cost of installation, means each lighting project costs about US$3,792 (CL$1,800.000), allowing municipalities to generate significant energy savings."It would make the industry easier to understand," Doyle said. "The competition amongst them would be fierce. If there is a smaller number of manufacturers, there will be economies of scale."Even though some solar companies may be closing their doors over the next few years, all of the panelists said they expect the number of Americans employed in the solar industry to increase by 2016. While the solar industry currently has just over 100,000 employees, Pfund said she expects the industry to employ over 500,000 in the next few years.

Are LEDs Coming Soon To A Light Socket Near You?

You may think buying light bulbs get more complicated every day. Even home improvement store employee Samantha Supplee thinks so — snd she's a light bulb specialist."We have an entire aisle dedicated to straight light bulbs. There's so many choices. So many different sizes, so many different shapes. I mean, everything," Supplee says.Supplee says people come into her home improvement store with questions all the time. Supplee says she does see more people buying energy-efficient lighting.There are the compact fluorescents – those pigs tail looking lights. The LEDs – they look a little more traditional, but many have cooling "fins" on the side. And then there are the usual incandescent lights.Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have analyzed each of these options. They've studied the entire lifecycle of LED, compact fluorescent (CFL), and incandescent bulbs. The study took into account everything from the mining resources used to make the bulbs to the environmental impact of their disposal.
The study projects that in the next five years the technology to make LED light bulbs more efficient will dramatically improve. That's while compact fluorescent light bulbs, an older technology, remain pretty much the same, says Marc Ledbetter, a manager of emerging technologies at the lab."The LED lamps are a very new technology, and so they are improving very, very rapidly. Every year, you can go into the store and find lamps that are significantly improved over the lamps that were available last year," Ledbetter says.But don't go throwing away your compact fluorescent bulbs just yet. Ledbetter says the technology currently on the market is similar.Europe to Investigate Chinese Exports of Solar Panels.And disposing the CFL bulbs creates waste.
"If it's working, and it's working well, it's best to let that lamp operate until it no longer works, and then replace it with an LED product," Ledbetter says. "However, the same cannot be said of incandescent lamps."One of the trade-offs between LED and CFL bulbs: currently LEDs are more expensive. They can cost $20 to $50 for a light bulb, but they will last about 20 years. That's compared to CFLs that cost around $10 and are designed to last about 10 years.Because 20 percent of the nation's energy use comes from lighting, Ledbetter says, it's important to understand the different options available.Ledbetter says right now LEDs work better in directional lighting, like a recessed light, while compact fluorescent lights work better in omnidirectional uses, like a desk lamp."I have some LED lamps. I have a number of compact fluorescent lamps, and I also have a number of incandescent lamps. … I need an omnidirectional lamp in my closet, and the thing is hardly ever on. So I use an incandescent lamp, not a compact fluorescent," Ledbetter says.

Europe to Investigate Chinese Exports of Solar Panels

Defying Chinese threats of retaliation against European wines and industrial materials, the European Union is preparing to begin on Thursday morning a broad investigation into whether Chinese companies have been exporting solar panels for less than it costs to make them.The case would be one of the largest trade actions in European history and could lead to steep tariffs on much of China's $20 billion in annual exports of solar products to Europe, four people familiar with the dispute said Wednesday.The anti-dumping case, which follows a series of bankruptcies and factory closings by European and U.S. solar panel manufacturers, would broaden what has already become one of the biggest sticking points in trade relations between China and the United States. The U.S. Commerce Department imposed preliminary anti-dumping tariffs in May of at least 31 percent on Chinese solar panels, in addition to preliminary anti-subsidy tariffs of 2.9 percent to 4.73 percent that were imposed in March.
The Chinese government has responded by accusing American producers of polysilicon, the main material used in solar panels, of engaging in unfair trade practices and has threatened steep tariffs on the producers.Chinese polysilicon producers have asked the country's Commerce Ministry to investigate whether their European rivals have sold subsidized material below cost in China. The official newspaper China Daily on Wednesday quoted an unidentified person at the Commerce Ministry as saying that if the European Union opened the solar panel trade case, the Chinese government might retaliate with trade restrictions aimed at European wines and polysilicon.
Chinese government officials declined to comment Wednesday evening, saying that they wanted to see first what the European Union would do.The E.U. trade case differs from the American action in that the European case will most likely be limited to an anti-dumping complaint, without including an anti-subsidy charge, the people familiar with the dispute said. They insisted on anonymity, citing the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue.The Union also takes longer than the United States to investigate such cases. Preliminary tariffs could be imposed in Europe next May, and final tariffs would not be set until December of next year. E.U. officials declined to comment on the solar panel issue. Regarding the possibility of Chinese retaliation, they repeated the Union's standard position that foreign countries should impose trade restrictions only if they follow procedures that comply with the World Trade Organization's rules.

Hayward asks residents to weigh in on new LED lights

The city is replacing its old streetlights with energy-efficient LED ones, and city staff wants residents to weigh in on which style of fixture would be best.Staff members narrowed the choices to three styles, and workers installed some of the three types along C Street in downtown, from Watkins Street to Foothill Boulevard. The poles are marked A, B and C, and city staff is asking residents to say which style they prefer and why."We felt that since this was a very large scope project, and because there are so many different kinds of products, we wanted to get public feedback on their preferences," said Don Frascinella, transportation manager for the city.Hayward will be replacing about 7,700 of its 8,200 streetlights starting later this year, switching from the current high-pressure sodium lighting.
"You will see a difference in the quality of lighting. The light looks cleaner, better," Frascinella said.The three types of LED, or light emitting diode, lights along C Street were chosen based on city staff's experience with different streetlights and by looking at what is being used in other cities. The three also are PG&E-approved.LED technology revolutionizes world of lighting.Feedback from residents "should be based on quality of light, amount of light, color, etc. We are trying to evaluate the light that is emitted from the fixture, not the fixture itself," Frascinella said.The new lights are being paid for with a $3 million loan from the California Energy Commission. Although the light from the LED fixtures looks better than before, "energy savings for us was the focus" of the replacements, he said.
The city spends $650,000 annually on street lighting energy."Some agencies that have switched over to LED have seen well over 60 percent savings," he said. Hayward staff members estimate the city will cut its energy consumption by about half, with the savings being used to pay off the $3 million loan.The city is scheduled to pay off the loan in seven to 10 years, but it could be sooner if energy savings exceed 50 percent.In addition, the city will save in maintenance costs, especially the first year, when the new lights are under warranty. The city spends about $200,000 a year for streetlight maintenance. And most noticeably, LED streetlights on green poles now line much of Foothill Boulevard and the streets that will be part of the downtown traffic "loop" being created as part of the Route 238 Corridor Improvement Project. Similar LED lights on green poles also are being installed along Mission Boulevard down to Industrial Boulevard as part of that same improvement project. Funding for those lights largely came from Measure B, Alameda County's half-cent sales tax.

The Solar Pocket Factory: An Invention Adventure

Their project, "The Solar Pocket Factory: An Invention Adventure", is the first crowd-funded technological advance on Kickstarter. While other Kickstarter projects typically produce works such as books or programs, theirs promises to give backers the opportunity to be part of the solar power democratic revolution. Anyone with at least dollar to contribute can be a backer of their mission to produce high-quality microsolar panels that last much longer and cost much less than the microsolar panels available today.
Shawn's lab is in Hong Kong, while Alex's lab is here in Metro Manila. They want their microsolar technology to work here because if they can make it robust and affordable enough to be feasible in the Philippines, then it can work anywhere. He explained that the local environment is not only physically tough, but also resource-constrained, as well as "cynical towards solar panels after a string of bad experiences with cheap, low-quality panels." These conditions encourage him to work with greater discipline, focus, and resourcefulness. "No one wants us here," he said. "We don't get to think, 'Oh we're doing to save the world.' It's not just that it allows us to focus on lab work– there's nothing else to focus on. Nobody's lining up to give us money, nobody knows or cares what we're up to. Might as well go to the lab and build a factory." Free from these distractions, he is left to do what he loves best: tinkering and innovating.
Alex considers our country to be conducive not just for innovation, but also for the adoption of this type of innovation. The Philippines has demonstrated previous success in being a trendsetting epicenter for new, low-cost, micro technologies and business concepts such as SMS and sachet products. Microsolar, like the sachet concept, is about taking a product– solar technology– and distributing it in the form of its smallest useable unit– a microsolar panel. The sachet concept, however, increases both waste and long-term cost. Microsolar, while operating on a similar idea, works to reduce waste and long-term cost through the use of clean renewable energy, and high-quality, non-toxic, durable materials. He also mentioned mobile banking, pioneered in Kenya, as another example of a technology that "emerged from a heavily constrained, developing country and made the jump to the rest of the world". Microsolar, he hopes, will be just as widespread.While microsolar presents a powerful way to reduce waste, Alex admitted that recycling would be difficult due to the durability of the panels– they have to be encased in sturdy glass to make them last a decade or longer. The materials, however, are non-toxic– no heavy metals– and the product's long-term durability adds to its sustainability.

LED technology revolutionizes world of lighting

Gary Loyd, owner of the Light House Gallery, says many lighting trends have come and gone in the 50-plus years his business has been in operation.But none, perhaps, have been so great as in the past year when many improvements were made in the realm of light-emitting diode bulbs."LED obviously is the new buzzword, and there's a lot of new technology and new products coming out to conserve energy and long lamp life," Loyd says. "It's changed more in the last year than it has in forever. Of course, energy conservation is pushing that, and it's a good thing. Once you get past the upfront cost of LED, you reduce the usage by about 85 percent, you reduce heat and you increase lamp life."While LED lights have been around since the 1960s, it's only been recently that LED lighting has been able to produce the color spectrum present in incandescent lights.
"Prior to a year ago, the colors were all over the place. Now, they've got consistency. They've got the bugs worked out," Loyd says."Red, blue and green were easy. But to come up with a true white color, it took them years to get it perfected," he says.And while the price for replacing an incandescent bulb with an LED bulb is greater, the life expectancy more than compensates.An incandescent bulb typically lasts about 1,000 hours. "An LED will last a minimum of 30,000 hours, so you're going from 1,000 to 30,000," he says."Put an LED in and you don't have to change a bulb for an average life span of 17 to 19 years," he says, adding that makes them ideal for replacing bulbs in hard-to-reach lighting fixtures. "You don't want to fall off a ladder," Loyd says.
Loyd says his customers are primarily reaching for LEDs for under-counter task lighting.Solar cell efficiency receives a transparent boost.But LED lamps are available in the full spectrum of lighting products, from recessed lighting to decorative chandeliers.In other trends, Loyd says he's also seeing more people rethinking their lighting as they choose to remodel rather than build or move."Because of the interest rates and people not being able to sell their homes for what they'd like, a lot of people … are adding a little bit more and remodeling," Loyd says, noting kitchens and bathrooms appear to be at the top of everyone's remodeling list."Especially in a bathroom, you need actually two light sources, one from the top that would be recessed, and you need a wall-mounted fixture over a vanity or mirror so there are no shadows on eyes, noses and everything," he says.To get the right combination of lighting — be it LED or incandescent — Loyd recommends taking your blueprints with you when you visit a showroom."We try to come up with a certain wattage per square foot and if it's a highly used multi-task area, we try to do more task lighting," Loyd says.

Solar cell efficiency receives a transparent boost

Think about this during these dog days of summer: Researchers are working to capture the sun's rays more efficiently and turn them into electricity, using a see-through solar panel no thicker than a plastic grocery bag.Officials with Phillips 66 said Tuesday that their partnership with California startup Solarmer Energy and a Chinese university has yielded the most efficient polymer-based organic solar cell yet, a milestone that puts them closer to marketing the technology.Byron Johnson, manager of sustainability technologies at Houston-based Phillips 66, said the work reflects the company's commitment to renewable technologies, even though its core business remains rooted in the oil industry.
"Most of our work involves petrochemicals," he said. "That is our business. But we want to understand all energy sources and also participate in them."His division works with biofuels, along with other renewable energy sources, including solar.Vishal Shrotriya, a spokesman for Solarmer, said the partnership with Phillips 66 and South China University of Technology began two years ago, before Phillips 66 split from ConocoPhillips.Solarmer, based in El Monte, Calif., originally licensed the organic solar cell technology from the University of California at Los Angeles, Shrotriya said.Unlike conventional silicon solar panels, polymer-based organic solar cells are thin and flexible. They're also far less expensive to manufacture, Shrotriya said.
But they also are less efficient at converting sunlight to electricity.The partnership announced Tuesday that its technology had been certified by the Newport Technology & Application Center's Photovoltaic Lab in Long Beach, Calif., as achieving 9.31 percent efficiency - that is, the percent at which the technology converts photons, or sunlight, to electrons, or electricity.That's a record for power conversion efficiency for polymer-based photovoltaic cells, although Johnson said the technology will have to reach 12 percent to 15 percent efficiency to become commercially viable.Silicon solar panels typically operate at about 20 percent efficiency, Shrotriya said.He and Johnson said organic solar cells offer some advantages over silicon solar panels, despite being less efficient.They're cheaper, for one thing.Silicon panels typically cost three to five times as much to make, Johnson said.Johnson suggested they could be taken to remote locations, for camping or military use. Ultimately, he said, they may be used to power buildings, rolled across the windows like tinted film.