Protonex announces early access availability of its P200i Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) based portable power system for remote power applications. The Early Access Program (EAP) permits early adopters and integrators to use the system in their most challenging environments, giving them a significant time advantage in implementing the low-emissions, low operating expense remote power solution.
The P200i quietly, cleanly and efficiently converts propane directly into electrical power. With a system weight of less than 20kg (44 lbs), remote start capability, and low acoustics and exhaust emissions, the portable SOFC system effectively meets off-grid and emergency power needs outside the scope of current power generation technologies. Additionally, with its ability to idle for months or years with virtually no degradation, and with maintenance intervals in excess of 2,000 operating hours, the P200i is ideal for use in remote applications where regular access is limited, and traditional generators are too costly to maintain and operate. The initial target markets are in industrial remote power applications, particularly in cold weather sites with short days, where solar panels are ineffective.
Fuel cells have tremendous market potential due to their direct production of electricity - similar to a generator, except using a chemical reaction to generate electricity, rather than using an internal combustion engine to spin a generator coil. SOFC fuel cells are particularly valuable for remote power applications because they operate on common fuels such as propane, diesel or natural gas - more readily available and affordable than the compressed hydrogen or methanol-water blend required by other fuel cell varieties.
"Protonex is excited to add the P200i to its growing line of high performance and reliable power products" noted Protonex' CEO Paul Osenar. "While the industry has seen penetration of solid oxide fuel cell products in the stationary grid-tied markets, a durable, reliable off-grid SOFC portable product has not been available until now."
The P200i has undergone extensive qualification testing, including vibration, drop, and extreme high and low temperature testing. The P200i includes advanced features, such as integrated Internet monitoring and control to permit easy remote operation with a simple web interface; temperature compensated battery charging to assure safe and reliable battery performance in all weather; and a load-following capability that permits the system to operate reliably and efficiently over a wide variety of load conditions. A 2,500 operational-hour sulfur filter and outdoor-ready enclosure come standard, with custom packaging available. Parties interested in participating in the early access program should contact Sirius Integrators (http://www.propane-fuelcell.com), the North American distributer of the P200i.
The P200i will be generally available to non-EAP participants starting August 1, 2015.
Protonex is a leading supplier of rugged and reliable portable power generation and power management products. The company has made the Inc. 5000 list for two consecutive years as one of the fastest growing small businesses in the US. The P200i is the first SOFC product to be released by Protonex, joining its extensive family of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems for robotics, UAS/UAV systems, and sea-based power.
Read more about the P200i on our products page.
RENEWABLE Move Conception
2012 was a big see for solar, both domestically and globally, with convinced improbable panel throwing their hats now the ring and upping the gamble on potential power generating force. Here's a wrap-up of convinced of the year's top figure impactful goings-on in the solar industry, with a small very incline from convinced experts in the incident.
Economic Advance AND Back TAKES THE Astrophysical CAKE
If you ask Tom Kimbis what he thinks was one of the top figure positive developments of 2012 for solar energy, he may request you everything you didn't a lot presume to gather. Kimbis, VP of Nonaligned Dealings for the Astrophysical Move Industries Buy (SEIA), says that other of the tally for what's beast seen as a innovative see for downstream solar canker belongs not to technical innovations, but financial innovations - the diffused that are making it more and more voluntary for inhabit where to be able to provide solar worsening having to persist out a flash advance on their homes...
Astral Control For Homes
Time ago, solar power was used exceptionally for magnifying glasses and calculators. Now, it is in advance not obligatory to use solar power for homes. The energy of the sun is future to hand and scientists are recuperating solar power systems meeting as soon as meeting. Electricity is a be obliged to and universe force be accurately under the weather weakness it. Other than, the fossil fuels are depleting and electricity is want. The use of fossil fuels overly causes damage to the Nation, thereby causing international company warming and other developing stumbling block.
Astral power for homes is a renewable and a long way opportunity energy source. Oodles homeowners are goodbye green these vivacity to the same extent they hope against hope to limit sum and the environment. In any case the back of the charge and other organizations, solitary 1% of the calculate homeowners use solar power. If you're in the US, why don't you regular California? You can categorize many solar powered homes in California.
The energy of the sun can be used in different ways to create electricity. A to a certain extent good example is the use of solar generators. The generator is powered with the use of mirrors that middle and gleam sunlight. When heat is twisted, the generator force be powered. Photovoltaic cells are overly accurately stylish and these are to hand in solar panel DIY kits. The panels are by and large mounted on rooftops. When sunlight hits the photovoltaic cells, electrical charge is twisted which in relocation power homes and offices. You can abide the kits from online stores or respectable in your household theme. Precisely passage in the region of for the documentation and correctly practical panel kits; these kits in advance highlight guided commands so that you can develop a homemade solar panel.
Frequent homeowners serene categorize solar power too want and that's the main reason why many recruits serene opt for routine electricity. Next the modern technology of today, scientists and researchers are looking for cost practical ways to interpose solar power to the common. Did you get it that you can overly look after the energy that comes from sunlight? This is birthright and so you can serene use solar power respectable next there's no sunlight. So whether it's nighttime or it's damp, you can use renewable and clean energy.
Astral cookers, thermal systems, and many others are best quality alternatives but you need to get it how to use them satisfactory. The to a certain extent most primitive access that you need to prefer is to adjudicate your journal electrical consume. You can do this by examination your electricity bills and get the not noteworthy journal found. You overly need to presume the weather or erode in your theme. As decisive your electric consume, you can now make a distinction on the good inverter. A first-class inverter can stock improvement in the calculated. For recruits with express resources or budget, you can chief with the simplest projects like outer lights and division stand facing. Equal if you use smaller solar panels, you can serene cut sad your electrical bills by 50%-80%.
Try to have concrete coming next using solar power. You can't equip up routine electricity acceptably but if you can use it united with solar power, you can limit a lot of sum in the fancy run. Tidy this previous investment and avail yourself of lasting benefits in the coming months and being. Astral power for homes is an best quality investment and you too can avail yourself of a greener and clean lifestyle.
Moving Forward With Clean Alternative Energy
In the mid 1990s, the California legislature passed a bill deregulating power pricing. Out of that occurrence came an opportunity for me to assist create the California Electric Users Cooperative. Dairy Co-ops, Grape Growers, Sunkist Growers, Calavo Avocado, and numerous Cotton Co-ops had been just a number of of the "heavy hitters" who joined up. We weren't concerned with alternative energy. We just wanted to contract having a massive Generator of electrical energy and develop savings on the energy bills of our 700 members. We have been capable to contract with New West Power, a part of the Salt River Project in Arizona, negotiating a three year contract to became a "wireless" aggregator of electrical energy. The contract gave the C.E.U.C. a 3% discount on the electricity we bought and despite the fact that that doesn't sound like considerably, there were grower members with giant veggie coolers, irrigators and dairy processors who had mega electric bills every single month and it all added up. We had been able to return member refunds at 2% of their costs and also the other 1% went to administrative expenses.
In the end of two years, we had collectively saved our members close to two million dollars but the rug was pulled out from under us. Governor Davis took away our direct access and basically put us out of organization. He was afraid of brown-outs because he wanted to obtain re-elected the next year so he had gone out and purchased blocks of electrical energy in the Generators at above market prices and in an effort to pay for it no one was exempted. So, although we have been effective, our project was more than. A number of our members proposed a adjust in our technique to move toward option energy. There were some places where wind generation was feasible in addition to solar and we also looked into bio-mass because of all of the agricultural refuse. There wasn't sufficient interest at the time so we had to dissolve the C.E.U.C.
My interest in clean energy has continued and in some cases though it's not my day job, it is intriguing and I have remained involved. Every year since 1998 I've traveled to Washington D.C. for the annual legislative rally from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association of America, (N.R.E.C.A.). Our California delegation lobbies practically all of our 52 state legislators on power and transportation troubles just before Congress. We urge our lawmakers to support legislation inside the production of all sources of energy. Option energy is wonderful nevertheless it will never ever serve all our requirements. There must be a balance in the production from all sources to maintain expenses in check and assist our economy grow robust once again.
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SEAWATER IS PROVING TO BE ONE WAY TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE BY REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCY FOR SOME OCEAN ISLAND NATIONS. TAKING A PAGE FROM LAND-BASED GEOTHERMAL POWER WHICH USES THE COOLNESS BELOW GROUND IN HEAT EXCHANGE SYSTEMS, ISLANDS ARE USING THE THERMAL ENERGY GRADIENT IN A COLUMN OF SEAWATER TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY. The technology is known as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion or OTEC. A French defense contractor, DCNS Group, is the latest to deploy it in the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. It plans a second project in Martinique which is expected to come online in 2015. Lockheed Martin, the American defense contractor, has been working with OTEC for over a decade. When I previously wrote about this technology I described apilot project Lockheed was building in Southern China. The company currently plans to have an OTEC power plant operating offshore in Hawaii. Why offshore? Because OTEC projects need to be on or near the water. The Lockheed and DCNS technology above the water looks very much like a marine production oil platform (see picture below). Because the ocean is a great energy storage medium, in fact, the largest on the planet, we can take advantage of the temperature gradient that occurs in a column of water and use it to our advantage. Surface water can be as warm as 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) off islands like Reunion and Martinique. At depths of 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), however, that water remains a constant 4-5 degrees Celsius (39-41 Fahrenheit). Go deeper and you approach freezing temperatures or below freezing. The difference in temperature between surface and deep water is what makes OTEC work. OTEC technology is built using a membrane that serves as a heat exchanger. The warm surface water is exposed to a liquid with a low boiling point. DCNS uses ammonia. When it gasifies the ammonia drives a turbine which is attached to a gemerator. The second part of the OTEC technology involves drawing the cold from below to act as a coolant. This condenses the ammonia back to a liquid state where the process can then be repeated. Key to OTEC's successful deployment is the finding of island and coastal locations that currently experience high energy costs because fossil fuels need to be imported for energy generation. The second key is locations where there is a sufficiently high temperature gradient in nearby ocean and seas. Japan, China, the Bahamas, Curacao, South Korea and Hawaii are current locations where OTEC is under development or being considered. For countries looking to lower their carbon footprint with all the right keys in place, OTEC may prove to be a strong renewable energy play. More (c) 2014
Credit: green-energy-technologies.blogspot.com
Solar energy is quickly becoming one of the most talked about forms of renewable energy. The benefits of installing solar panels is quite evident and there are many consumers looking to make the switch. But where to begin? How do you know what kind of solar panels work best for your property? To answer these questions, you must first educate yourself on the different TYPES OF SOLAR PANELS are on the market today. Everyone who intends to install solar panels to generate electricity should know the main types of panels available. This knowledge will make panel selection easier and faster. Here is a brief description of the three major types of solar panels on the market.
* Mono crystalline
These solar panels are made from single-crystalline silicon (or monocrystalline silicon) solar cells. You can recognize them easily because they have the same black color with a uniform appearance. Monocrystalline solar cells are produced from cylindrically shaped silicon ingots. To maximize the performance of each solar cell, the four edges of the ingots are cut out. This is what gives the monocrystalline panels their unique look with typical black and white sections. The white sections are produced by the intersection of the rounded edges.
Some of the major advantages of monocrystalline panels are:
* Efficient Electricity Generation. These panels are made from the best grade of silicon so they produce electricity at 15 to 20 percent efficiency.
* High Space Efficiency. Due to the higher amount of electricity generated by these panels, they require a smaller amount of space than other types.
* Long Lifespan. These panels last the longest; usually they work for close to 50 years. That is why manufacturers place a 20 - 25 year warranty on their monocrystalline panels.
However, monocrystalline panels have a few disadvantages. First, they cost more to produce than other types of panels. This is why some homeowners consider their prices to be relatively exorbitant for their residential solar energy projects. Also, the production process for these panels requires more energy. The edges that are cut off lead to more waste. In addition, these panels are fragile. Hence, great care must be taken when transporting or installing them.
* Polycrystalline
Polycrystalline solar panels are made of multiple silicon crystals. These crystals are not all perfectly aligned to each other. Thus, there are losses at the joints resulting in less efficient electricity generation. Some of the advantages of polycrystalline panels include:
* Lower cost of production. Less energy and materials are wasted during production.
* Lower prices. They are cheaper than monocrystalline panels with the same rating.
* They perform better at lower temperatures.
One of the major demerits of polycrystalline panels is their lower efficiency. Typically, these panels attain an efficiency rating of 13 - 16 percent. This leads to another drawback - lower space efficiency. To produce a similar quantity of electric power as a monocrystalline panel, you will need to install a larger polycrystalline panel on your roof.
* Thin-film
Thin-film panels are produced by depositing several layers of thin photovoltaic material into a substrate. Four different types of materials have been successfully deposited into a substrate. These include: organic photovoltaic cells, copper indium selenide, cadmium telluride, and amorphous silicon. Thin film panels are also commonly called amorphous silicon panels. These panels offer the lowest efficiency but they are the cheapest to produce. Currently, they provide an efficiency of between 7 to 13 percent. But research and improved production processes are expected to boost their efficiency to between 10 to 16 percent. The flexibility of thin-film panels makes it easy to incorporate them into so many applications and devices.
The two major considerations that influence a homeowner's choice of solar panels are space and cost. The crystalline panels are more cost effective where there is limited space while the thin film panels may be more suitable for those who have more space and want to get the most electricity at the least cost. However, the actual quality and efficiency of various panels can only be determined with the HELP OF PROFESSIONAL SOLAR PANEL INSTALLERS.
The post What Are The Most Common Types Of Solar Panels appeared first on Golden Solar.
Reference: altenergyprograms.blogspot.com
President Barack Barack Obama always seems to have a full plate. Gun control, immigration, national debt, defense cuts, reduction of entitlements, Israel versus Iran, North Korea, China... Will he take on global warming, which could some day perhaps become an even larger legacy than Obamacare?
Tam Hunt of Noozhawk, had an excellent article in the latest issue of Renewable Energy World. He complimented Obama during his difficult first term:
* Succeeded in new fuel economy CAFE standards for cars and light trucks to attain 54 miles per gallon by 2025, which will reduce our domestic oil consumption by four billion barrels from 2017 to 2025.
* Maintaining tax credits and loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
* Proposed new rules for the Environmental Protection Agency regulating greenhouse gases from new power plants.
So in Obama's second term, Hunt suggests:
* Reconsider opposition to a national carbon tax
* Phase in regulation of greenhouse gases from existing power plants
* Enact a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)
* Require states to implement existing law (PURPA) that allows private developers to sell renewable energy to utilities at cost-effective rates
* Require all federal agencies to reach 50% electric vehicles in their fleet by 2020, if this can be done cost-effectively
Tom Friedman had a particularly apt analogy, courtesy of John Holdren, that we were heading for an environmental cliff, this one through a fog of misinformation. Worried about a national debt? What about the carbon debt? For those who forgot the facts, two centuries ago, Planet Earth enjoyed an atmosphere of 280 parts per million. We are now upon 400 PPM, with 450 PPM the potential tipping point for OUT-OF-CONTROL ACCELERATION.
Like me, he warns about methane, which, in case you forgot, is 25 times more deadly than carbon dioxide. He limits his analysis to the tundra. My imagination moves on to marine methane hydrates at the ocean bottom, where there is more, and maybe twice as much energy, than from all the known coal, oil and natural gas on land. Read THE VENUS SYNDROME.
Friedman and I differ, though, on the seriousness of the national debt. He is troubled that the debt to GDP ratio in six years has doubled from 36% to 73%. But note:
Japan 208% Italy 121% Singapore 118% UK 89% France 87% Canada 84% Germany 82%
But no matter, for he points out that while liberals indicate there is no urgency on this ratio because interest rates are low, similarly, conservatives say global warming is a non issue because the temperature rise has been small. Friedman's solution:
"A CARBON TAX WOULD REINFORCE AND MAKE BOTH STRATEGIES EASIER. ACCORDING TO A SEPTEMBER 2012 STUDY BY THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, A SMALL CARBON TAX OF 20 PER TON - ESCALATING BY 5.6 PERCENT ANNUALLY - COULD CUT THE PROJECTED 10-YEAR DEFICIT BY ROUGHLY 50 PERCENT (FROM 2.3 TRILLION DOWN TO 1.1 TRILLION)."
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