Solar Powered Parking Meters to Curb Illegal Parking

The Roads Service has implemented solar to power the simple functions of its new parking meters in Lisburn which will be implemented from 21st July 2008. This not a new technology in the world of parking meters, look at the uber stylish Misco Parkman Pay & Display. But this shows our continuing use of renewable technology into standalone amenities where supplying alternate mains power would be costly environmentally and financially.

Picture: Zero Carbon City

Masdar City will be constructed in the desert on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. The aims are to use only renewable energy sources, and to eliminate 99% of the waste stream. This artist's impression shows wind turbines on the edge of the city and public transport links running through. The six-square-kilometer city designed by Foster and Partners, will be capable of housing 47,500 people, who are scheduled to start moving there in 2009. Construction is expected to take 10 years.

The city will be placed to take advantage of the cool sea breezes, while a perimeter wall around the entire city will protect buildings from the hot desert air and noise from the nearby Abu Dhabi airport.

No cars will be allowed in the city. People will get around through an electric light-rail system that will be linked to the center of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

What Could be Better than the iPhone?

Since I got my iPhone last month, which I cherish, it is the ultimate item for the gadget lover. But it failed to win Popular Science magazine top Innovation of the Year 2007. (check this link out for lots of pics and more background information). Ranked overall winner was a product by a company called Nanosolar.

Nanosolar, after five years of product development – including aggressively pipelined science, research and development, manufacturing process development, product testing, manufacturing engineering and tool development, and factory construction have just began shipping their first solar panels. You may ask why this is an exciting development, and why their product is sold out for 12 months.

Their product is defining by being:

• the world’s first printed thin-film solar cell in a commercial panel product;
• the world’s first thin-film solar cell with a low-cost back-contact capability;
• the world’s lowest-cost solar panel – which we believe will make us the first solar manufacturer capable of profitably selling solar panels at as little as $.99/Watt;
• the world’s highest-current thin-film solar panel – delivering five times the current of any other thin-film panel on the market today and thus simplifying system deployment;
• an intensely systems-optimized product with the lowest balance-of-system cost of any thin-film panel – due to innovations in design we have included.

A truely exciting development in the world of renewable energy technology, Nanosolar have been developing this technology for years and have attracted some high profile investors too, none other than the Google founders Larry Page and Sergay Brin in the early days. I just can't wait to get my hands on all the solar power I can afford and set up my own solar farm on my roof.

Google's Solar Panel Project

Just over six months ago Google installed a 1.6MW solar array atop their corporate campus aptly know as Googleplex in California. Since June 17, then they have managed to generate 613 861kWh of electricity. Reducing CO2 emissions by 278 000kg. I love visual interpretations and equivalents and you can follow these on a page dedicated to the Google Solar Project.

Picture: EMSD Install Hong Kongs Largest Solar Array

A 350kW solar photovoltaic installation at the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Headquarters has been installed on the roof of their new headquarters in Kowloon Bay. The installation, being the largest PV installation in Hong Kong, comprises of a solar array made up of more than 2,300 PV modules which together has a total area of around 3,180 m2, and a smaller system made up of PV glass laminates.

Each PV module in the solar array is constructed in the form of a rectangular panel and consists of 72 series-connected mono-crystalline silicon PV cells. The panels are mounted on supporting racks in an inclined manner and facing southwards so as to receive maximum solar irradiation during the year.

In addition to these, PV glass laminates are installed on the viewing gallery on the roof of the building. There are totally 20 sets of PV glass laminates, each consisting of 100 series-connected mono-crystalline PV cells sandwiched between two sheets of glass.

Picture: CIS Tower, Manchester

The CIS Tower in Manchester is the UK's largest solar PV project which cost £5.5m to implement, and received over £1m in grants, the tower generates in excess of 180 000 kwh annually reducing CO2 emissions by 90 000kg. The scheme on the 40 year old building also offset the need to reclad the existing building with traditional rainscreening, which would have an adverse ecological impact.

Solar Powered Bin to Reduce CO2 Emissions

The UK seaside resort of Torbay is trialling a US designed bin run on solar power, you may ask why a bin needs to be powered at all, but this bin is special. Aptly named "Big Belly" by its US manufacturer Seahorse Power Company, the bin is designed to compact waste on the spot using the power generated from the solar panel. The bin can hold up to five times that of a bin of equivalent size, preventing the bins from overflowing and seagulls from enjoying a feast on the disposed food contained within. Through the simple act of compacting the waste, this results in the need for fewer collections, saving the emissions of vehicles and man power from regularly emptying. But the "Big Belly" comes with a big price tag in comparison to standard waste disposal units, each unit costs approximately £1900 ($3600), a little more for optional extras such as bear-proofing. But over time this will be recouped through reduced labour cost through collection of the bins. However, it would be nice to see a similar system introduced with recycling facilities for PET and Aluminium. If the trial is a success, the bins will be installed across Torbay.

"We must be able to think outside the box and be willing to try new ideas. The council has already planned a major clean up drive in Torbay this summer targeting street cleaning, graffiti, public toilets and litter. We hope that this latest trial will compliment the work whilst also helping the environment."
Jeanette Richards, Torbay Council, Cabinet Member

With Big Belly's in most major US cities, and slowly creeping across the globe this is one product which is sure to be making its way to a city near you in the future.

For more information and details how to order visit the Seahorse Power Company.

Renewables: Solar Water Heating Systems

Solar water heating systems use heat from the sun to work alongside your conventional water heater. The technology is well developed with a large choice of equipment to suit many applications. Last year the UK's leading DIY retailer, B&Q began selling solar water heating systems at their stores and online.

By installing solar water heating systems to your home you will help to reduce your energy consumption for heating water, some systems can currently provide up to 70% of your hot water needs, almost 100% all during summer months. This not only will save you money but reduce our dependency on fossil fuels which are conventially used to provide the energy in our homes to heat water. A basic solar water heating system will reduce your CO2 emissions by about 400kg per annum. Solar hot water systems generally come with a 10-year warranty and require very little maintenance. A yearly check by the householder and a more detailed check by a professional installer every 3-5 years should be sufficient.

For domestic hot water there are three main components;

• Solar panels or collectors - are fitted to your roof. They collect heat from the sun's radiation.
• There are 2 main types of collector:
  Flat plate systems - which are comprised of an absorber plate with a transparent cover to collect the sun's heat, or
  Evacuated tube systems - which are comprised of a row of glass tubes that each contain an absorber plate feeding into a mainfold which transports the heated fluid.
• A heat transfer system - uses the collected heat to heat water
• Hot water cylinder - stores the hot water that is heated during the day and supplies it for use later.

There are many applications that a solar water heating system can be used for, including within the home, businesses and swimming pools. You will need 3-4 square metres of southeast to southwest facing roof receiving direct sunlight for the main part of the day for a domestic system. You'll also need space to locate an additional water cylinder if required.

Choosing a system suitable to your needs requires consideration of a range of factors, including the area of south facing roof, the existing water heating system (e.g. some combi boilers aren't suitable) and your budget. A competent accredited installer will be able to assess your situation and discuss with you the best configuration to meet your needs.

If you are interested in installing a solar hot water system, typical installation cost for a domestic system is £3,000 - £4,500. Evacuated tube systems tend to be more expensive, however grants are available from the low carbon buildings programme (funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI). To be eligible for a grant you will need to use a certified installer and products. The low carbon buildings programme offers a maximum of £400 or 30% of the relevant eligible costs, whichever is the lower for solar thermal hot water systems.

Related Links

Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Department of Trade and Industry
Certified Installers
Certified Products

Renewables: Solar PV Systems

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems use energy from the sun, converted to electricity to use in your household. The technology is well developed with a large choice of equipment. Last year the UK's leading DIY retailer, B&Q began selling solar PV systems at their stores and online.

Photovoltaic systems use cells to convert sunlight into electricity. The PV cell consists of one or two layers of a semi conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity. PV requires only daylight, not direct sunlight to generate electricity and so can still generate some power on a cloudy day.PV cells are referred to in terms of the amount of energy they generate in full sunlight, know as kilowatt peak or kWp.

PV arrays now come in a variety of shapes and colours, ranging from grey 'solar tiles' that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass to provide shading as well as generating electricity. Solar panels are not light and the roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the panel is placed on top of existing tiles.

Some local authorities require planning permission to allow you to fit a PV system, especially in conservation areas or on listed buildings. Always check with your local authority about planning issues before you have a system installed. Obtaining retrospective planning permission can be difficult and costly.

By installing a solar PV system to your home you will help to reduce your energy consumption through electricity use, some systems can currently provide up to 100% of your electricity needs, however these systems are expensive. This not only will save you money but reduce our dependency on fossil fuels which are conventially used to provide the energy in our homes. Each kWp will reduce your CO2 emissions by about 325kg per annum, and over 8 tonnes over the lifetime of a system per kWp. Solar PV systems require very little maintenance. A yearly check by the householder to ensure panels are clean and a more detailed check by a professional installer every 3-5 years should be sufficient.
Choosing a system suitable to your needs requires consideration of a range of factors, including the area of south facing roof, type of system and your budget. A competent accredited installer will be able to assess your situation and discuss with you the best configuration to meet your needs. If you are replacing a roof or on a new build you could consider installing solar PV roof tiles which will offset the cost of conventional roof tiles.

If you are interested in installing a solar PV system, typical installation cost for a domestic system is £4,000 - £9,000 per kWp, however grants are available from the low carbon buildings programme (funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI). To be eligible for a grant you will need to use a certified installer and products. The low carbon buildings programme offers a maximum of £2 500 or 50% of the relevant eligible costs, whichever is the lower for solar PV systems.

"I am a strong believer in green energy and want to promote it. I have decided to put my money where my mouth is and demonstrate my real concern for our environmental situation"
Peter Hain, Member of Parliment, Labour

Related Links

Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Department of Trade and Industry
Certified Installers
Certified Products