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Topic Page: Solar
Sunlight is the most abundant energy source known to man: it powers solar cells, warms the air and is the essential energy for photosynthesis. PF Members offer innovative plans to utilize this valuable resource. Have an idea in Solar? Tell us
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Featured Ideas
Webisodes Related to Solar
Beer as a Model for Sustainable Business
THIS WEEK: Holy cow! This week Planet Forward got up close and personal with some Virginia livestock. DC Brau, the first local brewery in D.C. feeds their organic waste to livestock in the Virginia area. Take a look!
Empowerhouse: Community-Based Sustainable Living
THIS WEEK: How to turn a Solar Decathlon house into a home. GW students Melissa Turley and Jon Fenech followed Team Empowerhouse through the Solar Decathlon. Their innovation? Making it affordable enough to be a Habitat for Humanity home.
WATCH!
A Solar Conversation with Secretary Chu
THIS WEEK: In this week’s webisode, Planet Forward’s Frank Sesno interviews Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu at the 2011 Solar Decathlon! Chu talks about the coolest innovations, and even wonks out a bit on r-values and building materials.
Solar and the City – Team New York’s Solar Decathlon House
THIS WEEK’s WEBISODE: The Solar Decathlon teams are in Washington DC! Check out Team New York’s Roof Pod — it sits atop a sky rise building and helps generate power PLUS: Brendan Owens, Planet Forward’s newest Expert weighs in the use of new building materials.
WATCH!
Solar in the Southern Hemisphere – New Zealand’s Solar House
THIS WEEK: In this week’s webisode check out the New Zealand team’s neat innovations like the hydronic drying cupboard that can dry 6 bath towels in an hour and a half using…water?
WATCH!
Energy Secretary Bill Nye?
Planet Forward met up with Bill Nye at the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards last week. See the first item on his #EnergyToDo list. Tell us yours on twitter. (@Planet_Forward)
LEEDing after Disaster: AIA Architect on Why You Should
Can your community turn tragedy into opportunity? Bill Worthen, American Institute of Architects’ National Director and Resource Architect for Sustainability, sits down with us to talk about LEED certification and how disaster can provide opportunity to build back better.
Rolling out the Red Carpet: First Up, Solar Leasing
Planet Forward is gearing up for the April 2011 PBS special. Take a look at one nominee and find out how you can weigh in on the idea and have your comment appear on national television
New Technology Updates Public Transportation
Erin Parsons and Lexi Combs, Planet Forward members and students at Ole Miss, share an innovation that is making bussing around Mississippi the hot new trend
Solar Artist Sculpts with Renewables
Environmental artist Rein Triefeldt calls on more than just stone to make his sculptures. In this week’s webisode, we look at his innovative way of making solar beautiful. Sorry Garden Gnome, these front lawn ornaments aren’t just pretty decoration, they produce energy too. Watch>>
The Rink of Fire
The Rockville Maryland Ice Arena is powering almost a third of its energy use from the sun. In this week’s webisode, Planet Forward features a video that explains how.
Sandia Labs Aces Solar Golf Carts
Planet Forward hosted a LIVE event during the White House’s GreenGov Symposium, a conference focused on making all levels of government more sustainable. In this segment, Sandia National Laboratories shows the potential of how a little change can go a long way. In webisode 215, we see how and learn what our esteemed panel (Laura …Read More…
Solar Truck Feeds a City
Would you be more willing to buy your lunch from an environmentally conscious restaurateur? Planet Forward member Stephan Boillon, better known as @flmeetsDC, shows us his solar powered food truck. We do the math and run his business model by George Washington University professor and entrepreneur expert Paul Swiercz – does it make the grade?
Waiting for the Sun…to Pay Off
On the one hand, it’s a positive sign for renewable fans… a small family business making a go of it in solar and wind power. This Long Island family has been installing small-scale solar and wind energy packages in back yards, reducing homeowner’s electricity bills to almost zero. But, on the other hand, it illustrates …Read More…
Van Jones on Community Solar and Wind Energy
Part 1 of a 3 part series See Part 2: Van Jones on What Individuals Can Do to Increase Efficiency See Part 3: Van Jones on Obama’s Fuel Efficiency Standards Former green jobs adviser to the White House and founder of environmental justice group, Green For All, Van Jones joins Planet Forward’s Frank Sesno in a …Read More…
Planet Forward: Our Energy Future
Our first TV special focused on great ideas from you, our members, about how we as a country should approach our energy future. Originally broadcast on April 15, 2009 on PBS.
Meet the Sky Trough at the National Renewable Energy Labs
Planet Forward Host Frank Sesno travels to the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) to find out, what is a Sky Trough? Utility-scale parabolic trough solar concentrators harness the sun’s energy to make steam for electricity generation. The thermal efficiency of the trough is the percent of available sunlight that is converted into heat and available …Read More…
Solar Panels: From the Home to the Lab at the National Renewable Energy Labs
Planet Forward host, Frank Sesno visits with a homeowner with a passion for solar – National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) researcher Steve Robins built his own home energy system from the technologies he helped develop in the lab. He produces more energy than he uses and gets a check from the power company for the …Read More…
TV Segments Related to Solar
Solar Decathlon: The Race to Build the Most Efficient Solar Home
Peek into the solar powered house designs from Middlebury College in Vermont and University of Maryland. It’s all for the Solar Decathlon competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Leasing the Sun: An Innovative Business Model from Sungevity
Last month we test drove Nissan’s Leaf…this month, we show you one way you may be able to afford solar panels with zero upfront costs. Check out our piece on PBS’s Nightly Business Report and let us know what you think of Planet Forward member Danny Kennedy’s business model.
Behind the Scenes: Planet Forward’s New NBR Segment
This Thursday, Planet Forward member Danny Kennedy, will show you his idea on PBS’s Nightly Business Report. Check out this behind the scenes reel from our NBR shoots and don’t forget to set your DVRs to record Nightly Business Report this Thursday.
Articles From the Blog Related to Solar
Hydrogen Energy Generation from Sunlight
By Raymond Orbach Is it possible to create synthetic photosynthesis? Elementary school children are taught that photosynthesis is the basis for life on Earth. Plants take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, water and sunlight, and produce useful chemical energy – their “fuel” for growth and reproduction. But is it possible to create synthetic photosynthesis? …Read More…
William Paterson Wins! Sustainability Initiative Boosts School Pride
The students at William Paterson University clearly take a lot of pride in their sustainability initiatives. As a finalist for the 2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards, they won the public voting competition on Planet Forward featuring their innovative climate leadership. The video details how the campus has come together to support the American College …Read More…
Minnesota Goes Green
Happy Birthday, Minnesota! Today in 1858, Minnesota was admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state. To celebrate, we’re going to take a look at what’s going on in the land of 10,000 lakes to make the state turn from blue…to green! We’ve partnered with Minnesota 2020 to get great stories from the north. From …Read More…
Aloha Alternative Energy
In the past week I was lucky enough to be asked to travel to Hawaii with a good friend of mine over spring break. It was my first trip to Hawaii and I was unsure of what was to come—I knew there would be beaches, surf and sun but what surprised me most when I …Read More…
Solar: Does Size Matter?
A key issue for scaling up solar is where to put it: on every home or in huge arrays on the desert? Some businesses, like Sungevity, are trying to get solar panels on every home by breaking down the up-front cost barrier. They partner with financial institutions to spread the cost of going solar into …Read More…
Innovator Update: Solar is 100,000 strong and growing stronger!
Contrary to some of the media circus’ coverage, solar is doing great. Sungevity’s Danny Kennedy tells us why in this innovator update.
On Houses and Homes: Top 5 Stories Behind Solar Decathlon Entries
We build houses, but it’s the living in a house that makes it a home. Every home — even your home — has a history that represents who lived there and how they lived. The same goes for the houses in Solar Decathlon. While they’re lauded for their innovation, they also use their region’s rich …Read More…
Race for the Green Flag: 5 Auto Innovations to Sustain Our Planet
5. Is Nissan’s Leaf Too Sexy for Your Pocketbook? Tradition is sacred in the sport of auto racing. In the field of innovation, it’s a practical joke. Wireless refueling, EPA approval, and no tailpipe. These features separated the Nissan Leaf from its predecessors in the electric car business, and prompted 16,000 reservations of the vehicle …Read More…
President Obama calls for Electric Vehicles and Clean Energy in his State of the Union Address
During his State of the Union address, President Obama set a new goal: by 2035, 80 percent of America’s electricity will come from clean energy sources.
Watch
It’s a Full Contact Game
When I started working on solar energy issues several years ago, I heard it repeatedly: “Everyone loves solar.” Back then, many people in solar and other cleantech sectors saw long-term meritocracy in the energy business. Public demand, technological advances and an inevitable price on carbon were going to drive cleantech to dominance over time. “Renewable energy,” it …Read More…
Qatar 2022: A Carbon Free World Cup?
At approximately 10:45 AM EST Thursday, FIFA (Soccer’s international governing body) announced Qatar as the host of the 2022 World Cup. The announcement, which shocked people around the world, came minutes after Russia was announced as the World Cup 2018 host. The announcement has not been without controversy. From questions about strong cultural differences and …Read More…
Viva Green Vegas!
Las Vegas is considered a city of excess, with its neon lights, massive buffets, and perhaps too many Elvis impersonators. Lately, Vegas hotels and casinos are keen on a new green trend. For example, the awe-inspiring CityCenter conglomerate with the world’s first green fleet of stretch limousines and energy-efficient slot machines. The 18-million square feet …Read More…
Sampling Solar in Saudi Arabia
When most people think of Saudi Arabia, they think oil. But now, the world’s largest oil exporter is taking steps toward solar. SolFocus, a California-based solar power developer, recently announced plans to install Saudi Arabia’s first commercial solar power plant. The system, located in Bahra, will also be the largest concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system in …Read More…
Solar Energy Overflow in Germany
Wait…too much solar energy? These are words I thought I would never hear but as with anything in life, too much of a good thing always spells bad news. According to Stephan Kohler, chairman of the German Energy Agency (DENA), there is too much solar energy flowing into the country’s aging energy grid and it …Read More…
Set your sights on solar!
By Miranda Green The increase of solar panel installations seems to be increasing. This can be seen on the local, national and international levels. And there is good reason for it. Solar panels not only offset carbon fuel emissions but they can save and sometimes earn you money! The increase of solar panels internationally can …Read More…
Feeling hot hot hot
What’s up? That’s a question I often find myself wondering when researching solar power since most solar systems inhabit on rooftops. Look high and low, solar can be found in strange places from solar backpacks to solar-powered ambulances. We found solar panels in an unusual place a few weeks ago at the Rockville Ice Arena …Read More…
Government and Private Sector Come Together: Greengov 2010
The first annual GreenGov Symposium was kicked off last week with keynotes from the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Nancy Sutley, the U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack and President of the Biomimicry Institute, Janine Benyus. Harkening back to President Obama’s Executive Order …Read More…
The Need to Rebrand Solar Energy
Like most aging baby boomers, solar energy still doesn’t seem very comfortable in a business suit. Despite a new generation of entrepreneurs reducing costs and improving yields, solar energy is still a popular Republican punching bag. The GOP’s new Pledge to America doesn’t even mention solar. Even the White House rebuffed a proposed solar installation, …Read More…
UNI-SOLAR Powers One of the Largest Solar Roof Installations in Paris
Another big project (link below) …over 370, 000 sq ft of leading-edge BIPV…designed, installed and funded through private and public sector collaboration, albeit in France, but still an impressive accomplishment. And note that the technology was chosen because it yielded optimal PV performance in a “moderate” climate…showing that PV can have significant impact outside of …Read More…
Rejected! White House kicks out solar panel, now it’s sulking in Takoma Park
Last week, Bill McKibben and some college activists visited the White House to present President Obama with an actual Carter-era solar panel, one of the ones that Regan removed in the 80s. It was rejected. Largely a symbolic gesture, the solar panel delivery was meant to encourage the White House to take a small step …Read More…
Solar’s Energy Innovators
by Max Burns The cost of installing a home solar system has many early adopters feeling sunburned. With fees nearing $60,000, a growing number of alternative energy professionals and policymakers are looking for a way to bring the cost of harnessing the sun back down to earth. Planet Forward is spending September delving into the …Read More…
“Plug and Play” Solar Panel Kits
A “do it yourself” solar array! Sounds interesting, right? Chad Maglaque and Clarian Technologies are hoping that by Spring 2011 they will be able to bring to the market, an easy to install modular solar array. They also promise that this product will be cost-effective. “Sunfish”, as they call it, would consist of a power …Read More…
Air heat with solar energy, a new approach
At present, both efficiency and output of solar thermal power plants are quite low and it’s a big reason behind the high cost of kWh electricity produced in present day solar thermal power plants. The other reason is the high cost of maintenance of array of reflectors. But, this cost can be reduced to less …Read More…
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