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.