Imagine 3.8 billion years of design brilliance available for free, at the moment of creation, to any sustainability innovator in the world.  Imagine nature’s most elegant ideas organized by design and engineering function, so you can enter “filter salt from water” and see how mangroves, penguins, and shorebirds desalinate without fossil fuels. Now imagine you can meet the people who have studied these organisms, and together you can create the next great bio-inspired solution.

That’s the idea behind AskNature, the online inspiration source for the biomimicry community. Think of it as your home habitat—whether you’re a biologist who wants to share what you know about an amazing organism, or a designer, architect, engineer, or chemist looking for planet-friendly solutions. AskNature is where biology and design cross-pollinate, so bio-inspired breakthroughs can be born.

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I know it’s the day after Christmas and most of you (including myself) are still in the spirit of things. We are all loving the days off work and all that but when I came across this piece of news just a few minutes ago, I could not help but share this with you.

See, in Napa City, some solar panels were stolen. Yes. That is right. Even solar panels are now being stolen. And one of the victims is the mentioned city’s plant for water treatment which is located in Lake Hennessey. A representative did mention that the 40 solar panels that were stolen amounted to around $30,000. Wow!

Capt. John Robertson is the sheriff of the mentioned area and he said that they currently have no suspects. He also added, “Nobody was seen or heard on the property.”

Is it now time for us to place alarms on our solar panels?

Source: St. Helena Star

Tags: Napa City, Solar, solar panel thievery, solar panel thieves, solar panels

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And today, we all celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Today, we all get to open our gifts and enjoy the time that we are spending with our family. There is nothing much more precious than spending quality time with them.

This may be a holiday but still everybody has still got to do their part and make sure that everything is in order. It does not mean that we should be extravagant and just throw away things that we may not use at present. For example, all those Christmas tree décor and all those gift wraps. Hey, you may have to wait a year before you can reuse them but that means less garbage outside, right?

There are a lot of things that we can do to make Christmas this year green. And it doesn’t have to get in the way of all our celebrations with family and friends.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Image source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: Christmas, Christmas greetings

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Since GUNTHER Portfolio launches guntherportfolio.com, I’ve contributed a lackluster though high quality thirteen (13) posts. This should improve as the new year approaches.

I didn’t have the time or positive material for a Christmas Eve post, so I decided to wish email and RSS subscribers a Happy Holiday. Please see Best Wishes for the Holidays and a fine 2009! for my online greeting card.

I do wonder if photovoltaic industry analysts are too negative about 2009. If polysilicon is supposed to be in oversupply and solar module prices are projected to decline by 20-30%, shouldn’t this spur additional demand because of price elasticity? In Germany, is there a better guaranteed investment than photovoltaic panels on one’s home or business?

Per “Fachbücher als Geschenk” from the Märkische Allgemeine, Nanosolar GmbH donated books focused on solar technology to the Luckenwalde Public Library just before Christmas. Good Christmas Spirit deal!

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From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanzaa and a very Happy New Year.

SunRun’s offices are closed from December 25th until January 2nd and Rise & Shine will resume on January 5th, 2009.

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Did you know that in the United States alone, there is 25% more trash during the Christmas season? Yes. That is technically between Thanksgiving and the color New Year’s Day. That may look like much to you but it is the truth.

With that in mind, what should you actually do? There are things that you can focus on and one is reducing or recycling stuff. Leah Ingram is one of those who have decided that going green is still applicable despite the holidays. She says, “I’m trying to reduce what I’m throwing out, I am recycling, I am reusing. One of the things that we did last year was to use re-usable bags to wrap the gifts.”

What can be recycle and what can you reuse? There are lots of materials going around during Christmas and if you really take a good look at them, you can actually see what else you can do with them.

Source: TMJ4.com

Tags: Christmas, Christmas recycling, green Christmas, holidays, recycle, recycling

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Have you made a resolution yet for the New Year?

According to FranklinCovey’s 4^th annual New Year’s resolutions survey, “get out of debt or save money” will be Americans’ top resolution this year. Actually, almost 90% of those surveyed plan to treat their bank accounts nicely in 2009, whether that’s sticking to a budget or saving for the future.

Here are 5 ways solar will help you achieve your financial goals for the New Year:

1. Save money on electricity

When you go solar, your monthly bill for electricity will drop right away. Even if you’re paying for solar over time with a solar service or by financing a system purchase, the total amount you’ll spend on solar will likely be less than what you’re paying for electricity today - especially if you’re in a state like California where electricity is expensive.

2. Protect yourself from future electricity rate increases

In California, electricity rates have increased almost 7% per year since 1970. PG&E is bumping up their rates 11% in January of ’09! Solar is the best way to fix your electricity costs for the future so you don’t ever have to see those nasty rate increases  again.

3. Make an investment than can only go up

In this economy, if you’re looking for a place to put your money besides your pillowcase, solar can’t be beat. Think about the upfront cost for solar as your “initial investment” – like a deposit in a savings account – and about your electricity savings as the interest you earn. You’ll be impressed that solar will beat out almost every other type of investment, even in a good economy.

4. Increase your home’s value

In a housing market where more homes foreclose every day, adding solar to your home is a great way to actually improve the worth of your home. Read more in Sweet Solar Home’s previous post about solar and home value.

5. Take advantage of Uncle Sam

In addition to the federal tax credit for solar, many of our 50 states have rebates for solar too. California’s solar rebates, in particular, are pretty generous. The bad news is that, as more solar power gets installed, the lower the rebates get. It’s a great reason to go solar sooner rather than later.

Happy saving and Happy New Year – and let us know if we can help you switch to solar!

Are you in California and interested in solar for your home? Call us at 877.SUN.MOJO or visit our website to learn more.

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The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun.

NATIONAL NEWS

Sopogy, Inypsa & Omniwatt Announce 50MW MicroCSP Plant
Sopogy Inc. has entered into a solar power agreement with Spanish solar project developer Inypsa Informes y Proyectos S.A. and German solar project financer Omniwatt to develop a 50-megawatt (MW) MicroCSP solar power plant by December 1, 2010 in Toledo, Spain.

First Solar Completes 10MW Thin Film Solar Power Project
First Solar has completed its first 10 megawatt ground-mounted photovoltaic power plant for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, Nevada. This project is the largest thin film solar power plant in North America.

US $80B in Contracts Awarded by DOE
These contracts could result in up to US $80 billion in energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects at federally-owned buildings and facilities.

Mapping Renewable Energy, Rooftop by Rooftop
The engineering company CH2M Hill is now joining hands with the U.S. Department of Energy to provide Internet solar maps of 25 American cities, using Google Earth technology to chart the precise solar potential of neighborhoods, literally rooftop by rooftop.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS

PG&E & Sempra Sign 10 MW Thin Film PPA
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced that it has entered into a long-term agreement with El Dorado Energy LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sempra Generation, to purchase 10 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic solar energy from Sempra Generation’s new El Dorado Energy Solar facility in Nevada.

FPL?s Efforts to conserve Power Usage Spark Battle
The simplest way to battle global warming is to use less electricity. But that basic idea has produced a bitter battle between environmentalists and Florida Power & Light.

Green Power Cuts Raise Questions
The Durango City Council approved the budget, which included the removal of the green power purchase, earlier this month.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH

PV Costs Set to Plunge for 2009/10
The cost of photovoltaic electricity is due to plummet in 2009, according to a new analysis by New Energy Finance. Its latest “Silicon and Wafer Price Index” shows average silicon contract prices falling by more than 30% in 2009, compared with 2008.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

BOC Lien Hwa Supplies Gases to Auria Solar Thin Film Plant
As part of its continuing success in the rapidly growing solar sector, BOC Lien Hwa (BOCLH), has been selected to supply Auria Solar in Tainan.

Juwi Finishes Waldpolenz and Koethen Photovoltaic Projects
Woerrstadt-based system integrator, juwi Group has connected to the grid the company’s largest solar projects to date at the Energy Park, “Waldpolenz” in Brandis near Leipzig as well as in Koethen.

Solar Sports Stadium Nears Completion
Construction on the new main stadium for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan will be complete by the end of this year. The new, architecturally impressive sports arena is also Taiwan’s largest photovoltaic installation to date.

Sharp Expands Thin-Film Production in Japan
Since October, Sharp has been operating its second production line for thin-film modules made from micromorphous silicon.

CCID Consulting: Review and Forecast on China’s Solar Cell Industry
China’s solar cell industry has been enjoying a period of stable and rapid growth in recent years, which is likely to be slowed under the current economic environment.

Are you in California and interested in solar for your home? Call us at 877.SUN.MOJO or visit our website to learn more.

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You will be hard pressed to find a group of people who treasure the land quite as much as farmers and ranchers; after all, their livelihood and way of life depend upon it. Farmers and ranchers realize that their future depends upon the preservation of our natural resources, and that is why California agricultural farms […]

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On a recent walk through downtown Palm Springs, I happened across yet another ingenious solar innovation: the solar trash compactor. These nifty gadgets, developed by BigBelly Solar, use solar energy to compact daily waste from residents and tourists into neat 40-pound bricks. They cut down on collection, labor, and carbon emissions involved in trash pick-up.
So […]

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