House in Leadville

I remember my house in Leadville, Co. It faced Mt. Elbert and we would get around 300 sunny days. It was awesome because it didn't take much to heat the house! Also, the snow we did get was almost like an insulation barrier. We had built the house from the ground up, it took a long time, but I was so much more appreciative of it because of all the hard work. The only thing I wish I had added was solar energy. This post reminded me a lot of that house. Kimberly Tracey

PV Fire hazards

Troy Marquard

I though it would be interesting to note can the PV catch on fire? California has tracked several of these fires with their investigation results summarized. The conclusions are that the majority of the fires started were caused by "other system" components. In short this relates to the quality of the installation. See pages 16 and 17 for a listing of fires around the state.
If the link does not open try opening it in a new browser.

http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/training/pdf/Photovoltaics/Fire%20Ops%20PV%20lo%20resl.pdf

Passive Buildings ~Z Williams

It happened with wine and it is finally happening with homes too. The old world's ingenuity and style are finally making their way to the new world's shores. True to form, these innovations are sure to change the way we think about something very basic. In a not too distant time it was wine making that was touched and a multi-billion dollar New World Wine industry is the result today. This time it is buildings.

   Putting the walls to work may not be at the top of conversation in offices around the United States but the German born concept is quickly gaining ground here in the U.S. Rather than using various technologies to regulate temperatures within the building the construction of the building is such that (due to materials used, walls facing at certain angles, etc.) the structure works to maintain its own temperature. This creates increased energy efficiency but demands exceptional insulation and low air leakage.
  According to one care2.org article:

"[O]ccupants of a passive house may use up to 5 kWh per square foot for heating and cooling according to the building standard used in Germany, but they don’t have to.
And in fact, when the house is well-designed, they don’t need to. The temperature shouldn’t fluctuate considerably, and the minimized leakage of air keeps humidity levels stable as well. The end result is a home that can be slightly cooler in the winter or warmer in the summer than is conventional, but one that uses far less energy than its neighbors. There’s also much less waste: thermal imaging studies of passive houses versus conventional ones illustrate how great they are at conserving heat in the winter and keeping heat out in the summer"

Imagine coupling this with a small solar array. Since one of the commonly touted disadvantages of solar is the necessity for a large array area, having a reduced energy load/consumption rate would greatly affect the area required for an efficient PV system. All of a sudden BAM! An architectural prodigy unites with a solar genius and Beethoven's 9th get's married to Daft Punk. The result is pure bliss. Yet, as technologies continue to evolve so will the sweet sounds of efficient and responsible energy consumption.

Spring Break Fun

Powder days at Sunlight ! My spring break/work week. This was my lunch break...not too bad. -Josh Kinzer

Solar Schools California

When I was back home over break I noticed the student parking lots at the local high schools all had covered parking. At first I was a bit upset that the schools wasted money giving students covered parking. I would later find out that there has been an initiave to build solar arrays all across the city.

Article about the school down the street from my childhood home joining the solar revolution:

Branham Joins Other San Jose Area Schools Going Solar

CME could could result in CMC students unable to access internet for class

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/giant-sunspot-trigger-solar-flares-nasa_n_2732061.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCDJvnG4XY4 Posted by Jacob Patrick

Solar Energy in Carbondale

I saw this on the front page of the paper the other day. Then the company involved drove by me and hour later on Hwy 82, felt like it was hard to ignore.

Here is the link :

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20130214/VALLEYNEWS/130219958&parentprofile=search

-Posted by Josh Kinzer

Great solar passive home facing Mt. Sopris

Sun warms this home like no other place I've ever lived in, I barely have to burn wood in the day times this winter.

Posted by Josh Kinzer

900 kw project, John Muir Medical Center, Concord, CA

These are Co-generation machines, combined heat and power systems. They create power, supply hot water, A/C, Diesel Engines with natural gas and inductive generators while using waste recovery processes. Very efficient but high maintenance and costly up front costs.

Link to company I worked for that installed this:

http://www.eliteenergysys.com/



Posted by Josh Kinzer

Electric car

                                                                                                                               By: J. Erick Rascon
I watched this documentary a few years ago and found it very interesting, although is not about solar PV, I think it somehow relates to it and alternative energy in general. You can watch the whole documentary online or find it at your local library. Here's a link to the trailer:

Who killed the electric car?

And here's the link to the whole documentary:

Who killed the electric car? movie.


Watch it to find out who killed the electric car, the answer may not surprise you!!

Enjoying the sun at the top of the Super Bee lift at Copper Mountain!

-Matt

Intro to Sunspots

Welcome to sunspots:
I've set this up as an assignment, but it is more of a participation portion of the class! I would like you to share all of your favorite things to do in the sun, interesting technology that you've heard of recently, or videos that would be pertinent to our courses in solar electricity. Feel free to post pictures, videos, and links that relate to our little spot in the sun (the third rock circling around it)!!
Thanks,
Chris from CMC