This target chamber is 10 meters in diameter and weighs 287,000 pounds.

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Lab are betting $3.5 billion in taxpayer money on a tiny pellet that could produce an endless supply of safe, clean energy. For some, that’s hard to swallow.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside- just a drab, 10-story building on the campus of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, about an hour’s drive east of San Francisco. But as I’m walking across the parking lot on a sunny day in October I can’t help thinking that someday I might be telling my grandchildren about the time I came to this lab and met Edward Moses and saw the technology that was about to change the world.
Maybe this means I’m an optimist. Or even a sucker; a fool. All I know is that when I meet Moses, the 60-year-old scientist who runs this place, and he shows me a tiny pellet, about the size of the multivitamin I take every morning, and swears it will provide an endless supply of safe, clean energy, I want to believe him. It seems so ridiculously simple, so utterly doable. The pellet Moses holds is a model, but the real version will contain a few milligrams of deuterium and tritium, isotopes of hydrogen that can be extracted from water. If you blast the pellet with a powerful laser, you can create a reaction like the one that takes place at the center of the sun. Harness that reaction, and you’ve created a star on earth, and with the heat from that star you can generate electricity without creating any pollution. Forget about nuke plants, coal, oil, or wind and solar. “This is the real solar power,” says Moses.
Source: Newsweek

Solar roof tiles

What is the true cost of solar power? The answer to this question may determine whether or not you decide to install solar panels on your home or business. In fact, in the current economy, everyone is worried about investments, and whether they make sense long term.

How does the cost of solar power factor in?

In order to accurately determine solar energy cost, you’ll need to consider a range of factors. Get your pencil out… you should write these down:

1. Current utility bills, averaged on a monthly basis
2. Projected future utility bills, over your estimated years of ownership of the property
3. Amount you may save annually in electricity bills
4. State and provincial solar energy tax rebates and other incentives, such as no money down
5. Type of solar panel system you want to install: PV Panels or Solar roof shingles
6. Other potential energy savings, through energy efficient bulbs, shutting off lights, adjusting thermostats
7. Other potential energy retrofitting measures, including windows, insulation, Energy Star appliances, etc.

When you consider the fact that solar power is free, once you install the panels, it may be worth it to consider converting now.

Case in point

Let’s say that your solar panel system will cost you R20,000.  Now, consider that your monthly electricity bills average R600 a month, which is R7,200 a year. That alone would be about a 3-year return on investment, but wait! What about the increase in value of your home? If you can save the entire R7,200 a year, multiply that figure by 20 which is the typical loan period you get R144,000.   That’s right: R144,000 in additional property value!

Eskom tarif hike

Now, add in the rising electricity rates that you won’t have to worry about. Oh, and the cost of continued global warming – you are doing your part you know… priceless!

You see, it just takes some focused arithmetic to determine the true cost of solar power. Think beyond your initial investment/outlay, and I’ll bet you will soon see that solar energy is the way to go, without requiring you to break the bank.
Source: Solar Panel | Green Power

Those in search of renewable energy or renewable energy financing should go and knock on First National Bank’s door.

The bank has just received the approval to disburse N$6 million, in a revolving credit guarantee scheme to solar energy technicians and rural communities in search of solar financing.
Source: New Era

1. Choosing the right solar panel for your needs is like choosing a battery.

In the same way that a bigger battery will provide more power for longer, a larger Solar panel will collect more energy in less time. The right size of panel will depend on variables such as the power required by the appliance, the length of time you want to use it and how much sunshine you get at the time of year.

2. There are three things to consider when choosing a solar panel or creating a solar system.

You need to know what appliances you will be using and how much energy they require, how much energy your battery can store and which solar panel will replenish your ‘stock’ of energy in the battery in line with your pattern of use.

3. How much energy will your appliance(s) use over a period of time?

The power consumption of appliances is given in Watts (e.g. 21” fluorescent light, 13W). To calculate the energy you will use over time, just multiply the power consumption by the hours of use.  The 13W light fitting, on for 2 hours, will take 13 x 2 = 26Wh from the battery.  Repeat this for all the appliances you wish to use, then add the results to establish total
consumption.

4. How much energy can your battery store?

Battery capacity is measured in Amp Hours (e.g. 17Ah). You need to convert this to Watt Hours by multiplying the AH figure by the battery voltage (e.g. 12V).  For a 17Ah, 12V battery the Watt Hours figure is 17 x 12 = 204Wh.  This means the battery could supply a 13W fluorescent for 15 and a half hours, 204W for 1 hour, or 102W for 2 hours, i.e. the more energy you take, the faster the battery
discharges.

5. How much energy can a solar panel generate over a period of time?

The power generation rating of a solar panel is also given in Watts (e.g. STP010, 10W).  To calculate the energy it can supply to the battery, multiply Watts by the hours exposed to sunshine, then multiply the result by 0.85 (this factor allows for natural system losses).  For the solar 10W panel in 4 hours of sunshine, 10 x 4 x 0.85 = 34Wh. This is the amount of energy the solar panel can supply to the battery.

Source: GreenWeld

Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass account for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used. Solar power provides electrical generation by means of heat engines or photovoltaics. Once converted, its uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial list of solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, hot water, thermal energy for cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes. Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors (with electrical or mechanical equipment) to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
Source: Wikipedia