Solé Tiles: An Integrated Solar Solution For Clay Tile Roofing

Solé Power Tiles are electricity-generating “barrel-style” tiles which can be installed in an integrated way with US Tile’s traditional clay tile roofing. The Solé Power Tiles install like a standard tile with no penetrations into the tile itself. The benefit to the consumer or developer is that the solar components are not readily visible.

Solar energy is a renewable alternative to power plants that burn fossil fuels, finite resources that contribute to pollution, global warming, as well as the reliance on imports for our energy security. Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight into electricity, powering everything from lamps to air conditioners in a residential or commercial building.

In PV systems, direct current (DC) electricity is produced. Appliances and machinery, however, operate on alternating current (AC). The DC energy produced by the panels is fed into an inverter that converts the DC power into AC power, which then feeds into the main electrical panel that powers a home or business. Any excess generation is fed back into the utility grid. Over a year, as a utility customer, your electricity bill is reduced by the energy you produce.

To learn more visit ustile.com and srsenergy.com.

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The New Look of Solar

Solyndra, a California based solar power company, has developed a revolutionary new solar product that utilizes tubes — resembling fluorescent lights — instead of conventional panels. The cylindrical shape allows Solyndra to cover a larger surface area and capture more light resulting in greater electricity generation. The cylindrical modules can capture sunlight across a 360-degree surface capable of collecting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight.

Solyndra modules are also much easier to install than conventional panels. They don’t have to be positioned on an angle, and can be installed for about half the cost of normal solar panel installation. There are no roof penetrations needed and they can be easily moved for maintenance or relocation.

Despite the dismal state of our economy, solar technology has seen rapid growth in the past few years. This new offering from Solyndra is poised to grow the industry even more and they have just announced over 1.2 billion, yes billion, worth of new contracts. Most of the new modules however will unfortunately be heading overseas, but as solar technologies continue to mature and drop in price, expect to see more and more buildings employing them.

Further Reading

Solyndra Website
Solyndra in The Business Journal
Solyndra interview in Scientific American

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Day4 Energy Has Introduced A New Solar Panel Technology

Day4 Energy, A startup company in Burnaby, Canada, has introduced new solar panel technology, which will increase energy efficiency and decrease costs by 25 percent. President of Day4 Energy, George Rubin, has estimated that the cost per watt of solar power would be about $3 compared to the $4 for conventional panels. After months of research and experiments, Day4 has developed a new solar panel that has evolved in design and performance. The company has redesigned the solar-cell structure and has also developed a new electrode that allows these solar panels to absorb more light and operate at a higher voltage. This increases the efficiency from an industry standard of 14 percent to 17 percent, and these solar panels will generate more power than conventional panels do.

In conventional solar panels, the silicon that converts light into electricity is covered with a network of silver lines that feed into thicker wires called bus bars. Day4 replaced these bus bars with rows of fine copper wires coated with an alloy material, creating a new electrode. It covers up less silicon than the bus bars, leaving more area for absorbing light. In addition, less silicon was used in the production of this electrode, which allows more light to pass through to be converted into electricity. Although the new panels won’t be available for another 18 months, they are already in production.

Day4 Energy

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Ecolean Packaging, A Unique Alternative

Ecolean makes a packaging system that uses a material which is based on calcium carbonate (aka, made from a chalk). They are calling their patented material “Calymer” and it consists of 40% calcium carbonate, natural chalk and polymers (PE and PP) as the binding agent. The packages are manufactured and printed by Ecolean in accordance with each food producer’s instructions. They are then delivered on reels to the factory (who will be adding the contents), hygienic and hermetically pre-sealed. Their Calymer material should not be confused with biodegradable plastics on the market as they follow a different life-cycle. According to their site, upon disposal, a used Calymer package can either be recycled as a traditional plastic or “recovered as energy by incineration.”

The Ecolean Calymer material comes with a full Food Contact Approval Certificate and has improved organoleptic properties over traditional plastic packaging options, meaning that it will preserve the freshness and protect the containers contents longer. The system requires their proprietary production line with filling machines and packing stations. The filling machine opens, fills and re-seals the packages in 2.4 seconds. Although their Ecolean packaging is available with the system, the Calymer material itself is not for sale.

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e2 On Harvesting the Wind

A 3 minute trailer from the e2 series on PBS. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this particular video focuses on the story of a wind energy project taking place in southwest Minnesota. The farmers featured in the video have joined with a local developer to set up a wind farm, supplying energy to residents and businesses in their area.

According to Reuters, the world’s largest international multimedia news agency, United States wind power grew by 45 percent in 2007 and $9 billion was invested. In addition, through their annual year-end report, The American Wind Energy Association noted that wind power accounted for 30 percent of all new power generation in the US. In comparison, 2006 only saw a wind power growth of 20 percent and $4 billion was spent.

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Check This Out!

Bio-based Plastics That Can Survive Freezing Temperatures

CP-INJ-13 is the first ever first-ever freeze-tolerant bio-based resin. This material is an extension of the existing biodegradable, compostable plastics in the Cereplast line. A substitute for petroleum-based plastic, their alternatives are starch-based, made from corn, wheat, tapioca and potato starches. To learn more about the new PLA (polylactic acid), click here…

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Post-consumer recycled promo cards from Clubcard

Looking to print name cards or postcards for an upcoming event but want a more sustainable alternative than Overnight Prints or VistaPrint? Clubcard is a printing company with locations in San Francisco and Vancouver, selling what they are calling Green Cards. 100% post-consumer recycled cards printed on FSC certified 15.5 point uncoated matte Mohawk cardstock. They are printed weekly using vegetable based inks and can be printed full color on both sides.

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The Source Toothbrush by Radius

This new “reversible” (a niche term for right or left hand compatible) design from Radius comes with a replaceable head that holds the brush. It’s handle is comprised of blended wood fiber and a PLA made with Nebraska maize. Available at your nearest Whole Foods store and many other locations.

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