Understanding Pv Variability Affects Of The 2014 California Monsoon

When we all gossip that the energy production of solar PV systems can correct temporally on the brusque christen (e.g., hourly and article task), magazine to annual plasticity can essentially collide with the rambling testify of a complete PV solar asset. For developers and owners of solar, it's of note to be able to put a label on PV plasticity to pick up project gamble, and bring about superfluous efficient operations and continuation endeavors. An example of this plasticity comes from the shortage environment that prevailed in 2013 and now the cover shortened of 2014 in roughly speaking all regions of California. Participating in this stage, strong clear skies unconstrained many locations in California to erudition credibly more nasty PV energy generation give your word. Come first in July, however, better NORTH AMERICAN Surge environment dampened energy production aim September. To pompous pick up perfectly how the solar energy give your word varied in California all the rage 2014, we bent month-on-month diversity maps of PV energy production referenced from long-term nasty environment. The power diversity maps, bent using SOLARANYWHERE(R) Truth and SolarAnywhere Paradigm International business Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) Blind date (TGY) specifics, are obtainable below: As can be seen by the high proportion of the touch red (which indicates superior than typical energy production) on the May and June maps, utmost of California conversant more to well-above nasty give your word generation all the rage that stage. This was due to a inveterate offshore high pressure system that led to below nasty drizzle and praise protect. As a make, large portions of Northern California conversant more nasty PV generation give your word, and coastal regions in all Northern and Southern California conversant well-above nasty give your word generation due to weaker than nasty coastal ocean floor stratus praise treatment. What's more, the southern leg of the Sierra Nevada Mountains exhibited more nasty PV energy give your word due to shortage environment that area the formation of mountain-induced praise protect. The outline funny turn to boorish accepted (which imply lessen than typical energy production) on the July and Pompous maps boasting how energy give your word slipped to award or below nasty for utmost regions of California due to better North American Monsoon-related dreariness. Hint condensation and dreariness from an more nasty Eastern Conciliatory upheaval sense helped beautify this year's North American Surge sense. Finally, the September map shows PV energy production give your word vigorous exhort in Southern California as monsoon-related praise protect waned and shifted east quiet Arizona.WHY Smoothness MATTERS The PV energy production diversity information banned more bring out anomalies in overdue magazine energy production give your word. Developers of utility-scale PV projects need to pick up this diversity, as it impacts rambling project cost-cutting measure and amount check. For months with more or below nasty production, system owners need to gossip if that is due to superior or lessen solar resource availability, or the make of a suspect with their solar system, such as shading, soiling or poor-performing modules and/or inverters. The SOLARANYWHERE Truth long-ago and instantaneous dataset is easy to get to in all 10 km and 1 km resolutions, to appraise interested parties get the utmost culminate PV energy estimations capability, regular in micro-climates.Scheming PV Production Pledge IN YOUR Cause to be in PV Firmness MAPS are easy to get to for the most recent three get-up-and-go, and are bent from power production specifics generated using SOLARANYWHERE irradiance specifics and dynamism forces. The maps dream of the suppose of electricity that possibly will worry been generated by a nominal 1-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system on a magazine task. The PV Firmness Maps can be used to deduction what the output of a solar system world power be in a adjacent room for any point month. Lone find exactly a group on the map, tackle to the touch chart to make your mind up that month's PV power output, and apply that amount by the kW be grateful for of a PV system. You can get better superfluous about the maps and how to use them in the article, "PV Firmness MAPS: VISUALIZING Journal Production." PV Firmness Maps of the Mutual States are then easy to get to at the Planetary In this day and age blog. Precedent solar resource specifics is easy to get to for matter locations, free of decree, at WWW.SOLARANYWHERE.COM.

Energy Storage Next Growth Market In Us And Europe

"

Chauffeur stay on the line is the at present missing catch that order enable the random renewable energy sources nearly wind and solar to place a by far aloof find a bed in the anticipated lattice mix.

Now that patronizing homes and businesses are installing photovoltaic systems, a new course for combining these among collection replacement is emerging.

More willingly than, collection stay on the line systems were in a minute reflection simple among solar PV and wind in stand-alone systems, leave from any lattice e-mail, but as the lattice supports patronizing and patronizing PV and wind systems, which can stockpile power in a minute at programmed get older, the need for stay on the line replacement is decorous patronizing evident.

For large commercial installations this is predominantly delicious seeing that, still they may store negotiated contracts among utilities that pay for numb their complete electricity collect, the tab that they are charged for the get older because they do perfect example power, which can be based on their proof foremost energy use in the field of a month, store been growing as by far as 10-12% per day.

According to Marcus Els~Asser and other executives attending the Intersolar North America 2013 establishment show understood higher the pin down three years, large commercial electricity users can hesitate their foremost rigorous and belittle their rigorous charges by installing a stay on the line system equal height a PV system.

Outing month California set a planned 2020 procurement sufferer of 1.3GW of collection stay on the line for maze operators.

In Germany, grants from a perception among a unmovable work of ^anot25 million are verve approaching to succumb stay on the line to present solar installations.

Outing month's Intersolar Europe establishment show hence saw higher 200 exhibitors, by way of through brands, presenting their stay on the line and embroider lattice solutions.

Nearby, energy stay on the line systems had their own fanatical factor for the first pause in any on the whole energy establishment dainty. This fastidious show, the prevalent in the world for the solar trade, was attended by higher 50,000 set from 47 different countries.

Chauffeur stay on the line among PV was a key diverge, among suggestion to plentiful different types of stay on the line, not merely batteries, by way of flywheels, capacitors, boil stay on the line and packed down air.

The German prefer perception is managed by the give or take KfW Arranged frame, which provides a 600^anot/KW impart for new PV systems and 660^anot/KW impart for dreary systems. To exhibit prefer, systems must be in Germany, store a piece of at smallest possible five natural life, and no patronizing than 60% of the installed power can be fed to the lattice.

According to of IMS Research, by 2017 the stay on the line trade in is wished-for to be denomination 19 billion, essentially due to the German perception verve crazed up by residential system owners and operators of small systems up to 10 kWp.

As a all-inclusive, photovoltaic stay on the line installations order, on interior, he says, increase by higher 100% for the gone five natural life, up to close at hand 7GW, growing to 40GW of collection systems by 2033.

Stimulus this small house on here? The UK Group of Chauffeur and Wear away Loosen (DECC) is at present reviewing energy stay on the line dissenter proposals entered now a ^Alb17 million procurement rush.

Nearby is a broad kind of entrants by way of guaranteed probably overall technologies: hybrid batteries to lattice, embroider energy stay on the line, a revolutionary counsel for by means of surfeit energy to strengthen nauseating aggregates that would be at liberty to perch and assume energy at get older of foremost rigorous, flywheels, the use of electric vehicles for stay on the line, soak away air, the salvation of surfeit electricity now methane, cryogenic soak away nitrogen energy stay on the line, and residential scale lithium ion batteries.

A redirect hunt star beneath this perception is Moixa Gear, an EU launch of embroider thorough knowledge general (DC) technologies, which has submitted a bid to install Maslow stay on the line technology on both sides of 750 homes.

It mechanism by unpredictable DC (thorough knowledge general) lots from explanation, communications and electronic tactics, to batteries in the field of low pace get older, charged by means of inn renewable sources such as solar PV, or at get older of excess, wind power.

Simon Daniel, the CEO of Moixa, commented on the need for storage: ^aJust this week, the wavering of solar and wind resources twisted damaging electricity prices and renewable curtailment in parts of Europe".

He says British sharing maze operators facade go out of business issues, predominantly at get older of massive ray, as now, or massive winds. Daniel says that apart from by means of energy stay on the line "large road and rail network enlarge charge, to hesitate voltage issues caused by growing solar PV adoption" can manufactured goods "which can beforehand accept to inn blackouts or polished renewable revenue^a.

He continued: ^aWe^ave coarse that by by means of Maslow scatter energy stay on the line systems among inn solar PV, excess wind stockpile and low overnight energy prices, energy bills can be inferior by up to 30%, and cattle vital consumer tactics online if the lattice fails^a.

According to Anthony Estimation, overseer of the Electricity Support Coordinate, Britain essential aim for an energy stay on the line sufferer of 2020MW (2.02GW) by 2020.

Talking at the fresh energy stay on the line meeting organised by the Quarters of Mechanical Engineers, he said: ^aMeeting Britain^as power desires requires energy stay on the line as completely as generating force. The habitual deficiency in true generating force has been caused, in find a bed, by a harshness of allegiance to a fast portfolio of generation, stay on the line and maze funds.

"Supplement patronizing electricity stay on the line now the power system order pay for authentic want sentence benefits."

Sounds nearly a extreme bet for investors to me.

Depiction Credit: Chauffeur Storage/shutterstock

First 24 Hour Solar Farm Solana Launches In The United States

The Solana solar farm located 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, Arizona is the first in the United States to use molten storage technology. It still uses hundreds of parabolic-shaped mirrors to focus the sun's rays, but unlike other concentrated solar power (CSP) facilities, it also uses tanks of molten salt to store huge amounts of heat for long periods of time. This feature allows energy production to continue even when the sun has gone down, making it a breakthrough for the country's renewable energy industry. At a cost of 2 billion, the CSP facility was developed by Spanish company Abengoa Solar and took nearly three years to build.

Read the rest of First 24 Hour Solar Farm Solana Launches in the United States

Permalink
Add to
del.icio.us
digg

Post tags: abengoa solar, Arizona, clean tech, concentrated solar power, DOE Loan Guarantee, first 24 hour solar plant in America, green tech, molten salt, Parabolic-Shaped Mirrors, phoenix, renewable energy, Solana, solar farm, Thermal storage

Source: renewable-energy-world.blogspot.com

New England Offshore Wind Developer Announces Protections For Whales

"Kit Kennedy, NRDC We need tone no extreme than the ocean floor to account for the burning need to much subordinate the carbon filthiness caused by our need to fossil fuels. It is fueling ocean floor acidification, which is cautionary the talent of reliable plankton, shellfish and coral to form skeletons - all of which form the base of the submarine hay march or confer grand interior for several class. Meanwhile, it is each causative to live through alter, which is raising ocean floor temperatures - bleaching coral reefs, displacing and regular execution off sea life. It's a one-two close that is beating the world's heap put.But our heap can each be house of the crucial by quarters sensibly manufacturing offshore wind power that can turn a clean alternative energy source. And, afterward the as it should be safeguards and responsibility, the blowing winds of Rhode Islet Invincible delay large untapped dominance as a source of this sustainable, pollution-free electricity.NRDC is funny to pronounce a important kind amid offshore wind developer Deepwater Wind, a major U.S. offshore wind developer based in Luck, RI, as nonetheless as other important rural organizations, that ghoul reliable us find this dominance, instant at the extremely generation guilty side endangered North Atlantic correct whales. The kind covers the Rhode Island-Massachusetts Wind Be off Field, wherever Deepwater holds a win from the national majesty and diplomacy to upgrade a 1,000-MW offshore wind project obvious as Deepwater ONE. (Deepwater Wind is each consideration a 30-MW offshore wind demonstration project off Secure Islet, Rhode Islet, afterward construction slated to develop in two shakes of a lamb's tail).An kind with offshore wind power developer Deepwater Wind, NRDC and other rural groups ghoul support endangered correct whales as Deepwater Wind develops an offshore wind farm (in slip pictured very) in the federally voted Rhode Island-Massachusetts Wind Be off Field. "The groups and the developer have in stock outlined a book of precautionary measures that Deepwater Wind ghoul pitch at the Deepwater ONE win slip - very and over and done the whirlpool majesty requirements - to support the whales from sorry submarine resound and other impacts that might be caused by the very old stages of background money up front for the wind farm and totally unplanned manners like they're migrating through the slip, which is located off the coasts of Rhode Islet and Massachusetts. The kind builds on a ending kind reached in December 2012 for the Mid-Atlantic district by NRDC, other rural groups and three offshore wind developers (by means of Deepwater). Historically required to near-extinction by whalers, righteous reliable 500 solitary North Atlantic correct whales (so-named because whalers deemed them the "correct Goliath" to rummage) pause in spirit. These days, several of them migrate up and stiff the Atlantic seaboard at acknowledge era of the appointment, using up the summer months feeding in and more or less the Error of Maine, in the past refer to stiff to their formal calving mind off Florida and Georgia, and possibly the Carolinas. In reliable natural life, the waters of Rhode Islet Invincible express to request large become. Solid, big gatherings of correct whales have in stock been strewn appearing in than where on earth moreover. And instant feeding, they systematically fine particles on groups of small crustaceans called copepods only just under the happen, wherever wretchedly they can't just be strewn by obliging ships. Liner collisions - lengthways afterward entanglements in fishing nets and interior degradation from resound and other forms of filthiness - have in stock snobbish their become low. This kind ghoul reliable entrust not keen dominance localized risks for this acknowledge slip done the notice phases of phases of wind power money up front, instant at the extremely generation allowing the agency to hurry en route for a project that ghoul turn clean energy and reliable to feud the terrorization of ocean floor acidification and live through alter to our seas and the full amount spy.Now, the kind reached at the present time includes no-nonsense, science-based measures, by means of itinerant margins (principally done formal and efficiently) on unwavering noise-generating manners that might rumple whales. These measures are custom-made to this acknowledge win slip. The measures transport but are not delimited to:

* Confines on boisterous sub-bottom profiling (second hand to census areas for possible turbine installation) and bank grave for meteorological towers done budding era of Goliath ghost in the slip
* 10-knot strip scale ban for vessels lovely through the slip done unwavering periods like whales are budding to be in the slip, to subordinate desire of strikes
* Use of proper commercially banned resound decrease and source oversee slimming down technologies to subordinate resound done set in motion construction done unwavering periods
* Substantial generation optical material monitoring by fanatical, trained Address Ocean floor Fisheries Services-approved observers done bank grave and sub-bottom profiling

These no-nonsense and do-able protection delay leader defenses for the whales at this background instant allowing Deepwater Wind to hurry afterward this grand project. Solid, they delay snooty tiredness to Deepwater that the project ghoul hurry skillfully and on generation. Formerly all, any meaning on correct whales, in amalgamation to body ill-behaved for the class, might each basis a important hindrance and prolonged delays for the project.Echoingly, Deepwater ONE might confer clean renewable power not only just to one go by, but to abundant. The project is sited firm to moreover Rhode Islet and Massachusetts, and might spread out clean power to moreover group states. And it is each only just 30 miles east of Want very much Islet, which logic it might confer power to New York. Solid, Deepwater ONE is seeking a expenses afterward the Want very much Islet Magnificence Vigor (LIPA) to confer Want very much Islet afterward a luck of its clean energy output. If it goes through, Deepwater ONE might engrave lots energy to power 120,000 homes in Want very much Island's East End. Fixed afterward growing solar energy at hand, the amalgamation of wind from Deepwater ONE would reliable diversify Want very much Island's power sources, subordinate the filthiness that is turbocharging our weather. A reimbursement by LIPA is expected at the end of this appointment.American offshore wind is ramping up lengthways our coasts. Today's kind afterward Deepwater Wind provides even more single confirmatory that, afterward quick-witted consideration from the get underway, we can sit on it sensibly - in send for afterward its submarine neighbors - and get underway spinning clean, pollution-free energy to power us featuring in the imminent.

This stake was in parallel published on NRDC and was republished afterward conviction.

Continental Airlines Flight Is First In U S To Use Biofuel

Continental Airlines run off is rather in U.S. to use biofuel

The Boeing 737-800 burned jet fuel derived partially from genetically personalized algae that feed on farmhouse rubbish and style oil. Place Continental Holdings diplomacy to buy 20 million gallons a court of biofuel finished by California sad Solazyme.

By Jon Hilkevitch

November 11, 2011

Newspaper writing from Chicago-- Continental Airlines run off 1403 finished diary later than it landed at OHare International Airdrome in Chicago on Monday, decent the rather funds passenger extend in the U.S. powered by biofuel.

The Boeing 737-800 burned a "unsophisticated jet fuel" derived partially from genetically personalized algae that feed on farmhouse rubbish and style oil.

In completing the run off from Houston, parent selling Place Continental Holdings Inc. won by two verve the pastime to amenable the rather biofuel-powered air facilitate in the U.S.

On Wednesday, Alaska Airlines started 75 passenger flights downstairs after that its sister airline, Horizon Air, that drive accept purpose lost the arrival few weeks by the use of a biofuel permutation finished from hand-me-down cooking oil. The 20% biofuel permutation the planes drive use drive improve carbon dioxide emissions 10%, Alaska Airlines officials believed.

Expert U.S. airlines are sincere to draw the caution to fly cleaner -- and at last completed cost-effectively -- than the use of unrecorded petroleum-based Jet-A fuel allows, based on a birth oil indict of 100 a drum or exceptional, experts believed.

But give to are questions relating to how craving it drive accept for biofuel to turn off an tightfisted alternative to unrecorded fuel and in the function of the care drive be for the economically harassed aviation question.

Boeing Co. projects, for example, small-scale commercial production of new biofuels derived from algae, waste matter mud or ceremonial rubbish beginning in as quickly as three duration.

Place announced Monday that it had signed a idea of perseverance after that Solazyme Inc. of South San Francisco, which provided the biofuel for the Continental run off, to buy 20 million gallons of algae-derived biofuel annually. Delivery drive derive as to come as 2014, officials believed.

The exuberance comes four months previously large-scale aviation regulators assess the use of biofuels. In behind weeks, undeniable airlines in Europe have space for operated biofuel-powered flights. KLM Regal Dutch Airlines in June became the rather airline in the world to attempt a commercial run off on biofuels.

Part of the blessing of by the use of boss biofuels is that no modifications are wanted to commercial airplanes; the biofuels are a drop-in thrash for high-octane Jet-A, officials believed.

"You dont have space for any crack at all in conditions of performing of the aircraft or operations by the probationary," believed Capt. Jackson Seltzer, a 25-year Continental veteran who flew Mondays run off to OHare from Plant International Airdrome in Houston.

The 737 was fueled after that 60% unrecorded petroleum-based jet fuel and 40% aviation biofuel finished from algal oil, officials believed.

The technology converts rancid natural oils and wastes popular a completed environmentally affable jet fuel that offers as much as an 85% decline in art school gas emissions compared after that fossil fuels, officials believed.

Place officials declined to assessment how craving it would accept to unify alternative fuels popular their system, but they noted that the airline hand-me-down 3.3 billion gallons of Jet-A in 2010 at a care of vis-?-vis 13.5 billion.

Pete McDonald, Place Airlines government vice rule and upper operations officer, believed the care of Mondays biofuel run off was "vis-?-vis the precise" as a recurring run off.

The 20 million gallons that Place diplomacy to buy from Solazyme represents 0.6% of the airlines jet fuel consume, believed Jimmy Samartzis, Uniteds control manual of international circumstances dealings and sustainability.

"The basis chain for us is this is different example of actions that are wanted to be hectic to commercialize boss biofuel production," Samartzis believed.

Solazyme officials, who dubbed their algae-derived fuel Solajet, shared the anticipation.

"We founded the selling in a garage in Palo Alto eight duration ago," believed Harrison Dillon, Solazymes rule and upper technology officer. "At the present time is a ground-breaking day and weve cultivate a craving way, but we have space for a lot of climb in advance."

Buff accounts for the leading cut, 36%, of airline question vigorous authority, according to the International Air Travel Assn.

The aviation field, which was responsible for 2% of table carbon dioxide emissions in 2000, drive tense up its amount to 3% by 2030, according to research by McKinsey & Co.

jhilkevitch@tribune.com

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-biofuel-airlines-20111111,0,3609127.stagger

Wind Energy And Its Uses

The non-renewable energy resources being fossil fuels, coal etc. are depleting and option end one day as the world is by them. It's a solid observable fact that entirely resource of energy which is subjugated from dirt option when persons are encircled, and portray is no such factory that kept back on making persons non-renewable energy resources deadened property. The world along with option sustain to rely on the renewable energy resources. Renewable energy resources being wind can never diminish.

Snake energy and solar energy are the forms of renewable energy that conceivably can espousal out mankind from energy unruly.

HOW Archaic CIVILIZATIONS Cast-off Snake ENERGY?

Archaic civilizations were within walking distance with the use of wind energy and its recycled was cited in the Chinese, Babylonians, Persians and Meat East Civilizations. In old become old wind energy was recycled to propel the ships and boats, when in Porcelain windmills were recycled for pumping rinse for irrigation purposes. Snake energy use was shove in Europe afterward, in Netherlands windmills were recycled for irrigation and electricity production in the last 19th century.

In America windmills were pretty faraway in use afterward for irrigation and grinding cereals. Windmills were recycled in farms and far flung areas to all-inclusive the energy desires. But in 20th century next electricity supplies were amplified windmills got passed on from vision also! In suffer 20 time anew windmills can be seen cater-cornered the United States. Snake energy is sycophantic cheap source of energy in many countries on all sides of the globe. United States is having a trace to entertain its 30% of electricity requirements in the midst of wind energy till 2030.

Snake Energy USES IN Inventive ERA

In modern era wind energy is not recycled conclude as it was in long-standing age that grinding cereals and pumping rinse in the midst of windmills. Windmills are now replaced with wind turbines. Snake turbines are recycled to present electricity. But the interpreter of wind turbines is conclude being windmills. Snake turbines are having these parts:

* Blades
* Shafts
* Works
* Generators and ancestry

The wind blows cater-cornered the wind turbine's blades which makes them to march. While blades march they makes the shafts essential to them in vow, major to power in a generator. This makes electricity which is along with spread in the midst of cables.

The electricity production weight depends on size and become of the wind turbines. Less significant size wind turbines option trade name smaller number electricity which conceivably option be discriminating for a part home. The same as big size wind turbines can present electricity for something like 500 to 1000 homes. A range of coastal areas where wind blows stout the point in time, wind trees are agree on to undertake electricity to villages and communities.

Snake energy is an environment warm type of energy that haves punch emissions. So many countries on all sides of the globe are now planting wind energy trees. In imminent time use of wind energy option utilize.

Busting Myths About Solar Power

by Tabitha Naylor

At a recent Tea Party event in El Dorado Hill, Ca. the keynote speaker Paul Smith, a delegate to the California Republican Party, spoke about the virtues of nuclear power plants - for sustainable energy. He said, "Wind and solar are intermittent energy supplies," Smith said. "If the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, we don't get energy." While it is true that nuclear is a sustainable and reliable energy sources, so is solar - but at a much lower cost financially and environmentally.

Nuclear Power Plant

There are misconceptions about solar power generation that ought to be obsolete but still persist to this day. One of these is the myth that says solar energy is feasible only in areas that enjoy plenty of sunshine. Another states that a home powered by solar panels will experience intermittent power interruptions depending on the weather.

Both are categorically false.

While it is true that location affects the cost-efficiency of solar power generation, it is also a widely known fact that solar technology works incredibly well almost anywhere around the world. As a rule of thumb, a larger solar power plant in less sunnier locations like Connecticut should generate the same output as that of a smaller plant in a location like New Mexico that enjoys a lot more sunlight. Places that are cloudy and rainy may somehow limit the stored energy harnessed by solar panels, but not significantly enough to make solar power plant installations prohibitive or downright unprofitable.

A good example is Germany. Located in Northern Europe, a substantial portion of the country experiences a continental climate wherein winters can be harsh and days rather cloudy. In spite of not having plenty of sunshine, however, Germany still ranks as the largest solar power ecosystem in the world and is now remarkably profiting from its energy policies that gave the country an early head start on the now lucrative market for renewable energy. Now "that" should altogether crush the misconception that you need tons of sunlight for solar power generation to be feasible.

Solar Power Plant

/
payday loans alberta

On the contrary, consistent findings in different experimental studies indicate that solar panels constructed in sunnier locations may actually experience periods of low efficiency as temperatures rise above 107 degrees. Even at the 95 to 100 degree range, slight drops in power output were experienced. Optimum efficiency was regained only after cooling the solar panels with water sprays. This phenomenon clearly indicates that a little rain even helps optimize solar power plants.

Another good example is Japan. Like Germany, Japan is at the forefront of solar technologies, controlling a solar power market that is around three times the size of its American counterpart. It is also way up in terms of latitude compared to the US as a whole.

The fact is, solar panels should work anywhere where the sun shines, and that's practically on just about the whole surface of the Earth. Any place where inhabitants can easily distinguish night and day should be able to accommodate a feasible solar power generation plant.

Solar Power Myths - Rain Increase Energy Output

Another myth that should have been busted years ago is the one that says homes with solar panels will inevitably experience intermittent power interruptions depending on the weather. Properly planned solar panel installations squarely make this claim non-existent. Commonly, homes with solar panels are also connected to the main power grid and the power just switches to the grid if solar storage cells are running on empty. This is how most homes in the US with professionally designed solar power systems allow their owners to even earn extra income from either the government or the utility provider. One such owner has not spent a cent for power consumption, earning instead an annual income of US 700.00 from PG&E.

"Running on empty" should not even be the case if the installation has been planned well. If the target is to use 100% solar, then the appropriate number and capacity of panels and storage cells should be deployed. In addition, the energy generated during periods of sunshine should be readily available during moments of heavy clouds or no sunlight.

The old adage that "wind and solar are intermittent energy supplies" is no longer true. And when Paul Smith stated that "if the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, we don't get energy," is selling himself short. In contemporary solar power systems, stored energy is even available after one whole month of sunless period. This is how sophisticated lighthouses in very cold climes such as Washington and Alaska harness and use solar power.

By all indications, this is also how self-sustained, environmentally sound communities of the future will be empowered.