Adair Solar

Courtesy of FedEx-Enchanted-Forest

Big companies and giant corporate complexes are starting to step forward with efforts that will benefit the planet. Oftentimes, it seems as though their intentions may primarily be part of a larger marketing campaign, but if it winds up doing something positive for the planet in the meantime, does it really matter?

Last week, FedEx announced it’s new partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation in an effort to drive a more globally aware image. The branding of “EarthSmart” for FedEx is now complete, and consumers can visit the results at www.FedEx.com/earthsmart

But most importantly, and probably most fun of all is the Enchanted Forest. It’s pretty dreamy, especially considering the only way to get there is via Facebook. But here’s where the giving back to the planet comes into play: You can actually plant a tree in the Enchanted Forest, and yes, there’s an app for that! Just log in, visit the FedEx Facebook page, (or click here) and it will take you there.

So why all this environmental hullabaloo? According to FedEx, it’s all about cleaning and greening up. Electric trucks, increased amounts of recycled shipping materials and more and more low-emission planes are all on the docket for the shipping mogul, and plans for a greener future seem sincere, well-meaning, and part of a larger picture of corporate responsibility that we at Adair Solar Company in Mesa hope will rub off on other big businesses. Wouldn’t you love to see a UPS sponsored whale preserve or a Walmart brand Spare the Air app? We can dream can’t we!?

We hope you’ll all take the time to go plant a tree in the Enchanted Forest. Here’s a video from FedEx to entice and enthrall your imagination.

Happy planting!

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

Solar dye: On a solar panel coming soon...

A new press release from Science Daily explains the positive potential of new and upcoming lightweight dyes that will hopefully be perfected soon enough to take the place of many of the old types of photovoltaic solar panels we still see in use today. While many solar installers in Phoenix and beyond pride themselves on using the most modern and up to date technology available in solar panels, the truth is that what’s available for many installers to use for consumers, while relatively cutting edge, simply isn’t on par with newer discoveries like dyes that can make use of solar energy, and solar panel “stickers” such as those we have blogged about in the past.

Modern advances in solar panels shouldn’t shake consumer confidence though. Think about other technologies, such as computers. Why, you can barely get a PC or a Mac out of the store and into the car without a better, newer model showing up in the display area of Best Buy before you leave the parking lot!

Science Daily tells us, “Solar power is an essential part of the green energy mix, but adoption has been limited in many parts of the world where government subsidies and financial incentives have not been in place. However, as part of a sustainable approach to electricity generation, it offers a clear view of a future in which domestic supply relies less and less on grid power systems or else provides a localised grid for remote places, particularly in sunny climes. Photovoltaic solar cells based on poly-crystalline silicon are the most commonly used devices, having first been used as space satellite technology back in the 1950s and 1960s.”

The reason consumers and homeowners who have already installed solar panels in Phoenix should not be downtrodden in light of this news is because it means the industry is moving and shaking–it means that the future where we shed our addiction to oil and start to use more renewable resources isn’t a fantasy anymore–it’s a real future with real innovators working on it–and it has real legs!

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

Inspiring news comes to us today from Kuwait by way of REVE.com. According to their early May report, Kuwait is going into its second phase of implementing solar energy as a widespread–and hopefully widely used resource. REVE notes, “Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) signed here on Sunday a contract to execute the second stage of the country’s solar energy project costing KD 1.5 million.”

The cost is high, but the hope is that the savings will be higher, and that the country’s overall interest in solar energy will continue to grow and thrive. This is particularly interesting news for a small burgeoning country, but especially one that is nestled in the oil-rich region of the Middle East. The fact that nations in this region–and indeed their governments are looking to solar and wind power is an amazing show of faith in these energy sources.

But it also tells us something else. Could it be that the people of the Middle East, in places like Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia know something about the longevity of oil that we don’t know? If they are preparing for a future sans oil, shouldn’t we be too? And even if there is no shortage of oil, the fact that these groups so near to the supply are so ready to move on tells us a great deal about where global culture is when it comes to alternative energy sources: The time is now, and everyone knows it… or do we? That’s a sharp-edged question, but one that certainly deserves a response.

Here in the US, there are no real reasons why home owners should not invest in rooftop solar panels for their homes, but the enthusiasm and zest for solar energy should be like a fever that Americans can’t help but catch. So why is it not taking hold here like it has in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and even now parts of Africa and the oil-laden Middle East?

Food for thought, but it’s about time Americans begin to take solar energy seriously. It’s not alternative if it’s the only thing left–and really, how far away are we from that reality?

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

That's some flower!

Just when we think the solar industry can’t get anymore cutting edge, NASA chimes in with ideas of sun power right from the source to prove us wrong. We just blogged a couple short months ago about nanotechnology and microscopic solar panels, and now, here’s the latest scoop about flower-like solar arrays beaming energy from outerspace–not unlike a moment out of Stargate.

PCWorld tells us, “The idea is to use a satellite with an array of mirrors to collect energy from the Sun and send it back to Earth via a Microwave beam. It might sound like another crazy death ray beam to us, but NASA thinks that it’s realistic enough that they’ve funded the Artemis Innovation Management Solutions group to develop its Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large PHased Array (SPS-ALPHA).”

“The array will feature a modular, tulip shaped satellite equipped with thin-film mirrors to reflect sunlight into photovoltaic cells. The collected solar energy will be converted into microwaves that will then be transmitted back to a receiving station on Earth at a low frequency and intensity.

Power plants on Earth will be able to convert the Microwave energy into electricity and add it to the power grid. NASA says that each array system could create anywhere from tens to thousands of megawatts of energy.”

Did you think you’d ever hear of coming so close literally energizing right from the sun? If something like this can be done on a large scale over time, imagine the global impact–parts of the world that have never had a regular source of electricity would suddenly be able to plug in, and places where the cost of electricity is wildly prohibitive would become overnight metropolises.

We hope that while it’s still being researched and studied that the NASA solar energy program will help to raise awareness of good old regular planet earth style solar energy and create a newfound spark that will entice home owners to look into solar panels for their houses and businesses too. As a local Mesa AZ solar panel installer, we here at Adair Solar Company are always thrilled to hear about any new advances that could spring board solar to a new level in the United States.

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

Solar energy is good for our economy and our pocketbooks.

In the wake of solar energy adversaries and those who question the true value of renewable energy in general, President Obama took to the public today to defend solar energy and shared a little about why it’s important and what it can do for American citizens and American businesses, as well as the American spirit and economy.

Since becoming the president, Barack Obama has seen 16 very large scale solar projects go up–more than any other president in history. His energy bills and retrofitting/weatherization policies along with his staunch support of wind and solar energy have given rise to some enormous strides in the solar industry, and have helped to continuously drive the cost of solar energy down.

President Obama noted during his speech today that those who oppose solar energy and the channels by which it will become mainstream are not unlike the members of the “Flat Earth Society” during the age of Columbus. While some may see this as a direct jab to the conservative opponents of solar energy, one has to consider that no matter which side of the aisle you’re on, seeing solar as a bad thing probably means you have some blinders on. Here in Arizona–a very red state–we are proud to be installing solar panels more now than ever. Solar water heaters in Phoenix are more popular than any other time in Arizona history, and it isn’t a partisan issue at all. It’s a matter of cooling and heating homes more cheaply by way of using existing local resources, like an abundance of sunshine.

It’s that simple for us at Adair Solar Company in Mesa, AZ. There doesn’t need to be anymore political arguments–if you need to argue, then debate over the cost effectiveness and the efficiency of various solar installation types, or solar versus nonrenewable resources in areas that have a wealth of sun that can be used to power homes.

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

Palo Alto Municipal Solar Panles

For those who still think solar energy is just a trend, those of us on the West Coast have some news for you! While “Washington Insiders” may be trying to do a number on solar energy and its proponents since the Solyndra ordeal, Adair Solar Company in Mesa is proud to let you know that Palo Alto, California’s city council has approved a program to pay back those with solar installations for the energy they create.

In an article from the LA Times, Marla Dickerson writes, “This week, the Palo Alto City Council approved a plan to buy clean power from local utility customers who install solar panels on their roofs. That’s right. The power company will pay them, not the other way around.

The arrangement – known by the clunky name ‘feed-in tariff’ – is still a rarity in the United States. But Palo Alto officials want to help pioneer the effort. They’ve even rebranded their pay-for-sunshine plan with a clever acronym they hope will catch on: CLEAN (short for Clean Local Energy Accessible Now).

Under a pilot program that will kick off April 2, the City of Palo Alto Utilities will sign 20-year contracts with local producers that will pay them 14 cents per kilowatt-hour.

That’s about double what the utility currently is paying for hydro-electric power, Palo Alto’s single largest source of electricity. But it’s on par with the wind and biogas energy that the city imports from other parts of the region, according to Jon Abendschein, resource planner with City of Palo Alto Utilities.

Plans call for 4 megawatts of solar panels to be installed during the pilot, enough to power about 1,200 homes. Only large commercial projects are eligible for now. But if the test is successful, Palo Alto may expand the opportunity to homeowners.”

We look forward to this plan’s extension to home owners and think that here in Phoenix we would all benefit from a plan where Phoenix solar installers could provide home owners with a way to feed energy back into the grid with their own rooftop solar panels in Phoenix.

Not sure how far off something like this plan is for Phoenix at the moment, but ASU solar panel installations across the valley, Arizona solar tax credits and federal rebates, along with one of the largest ever solar loans in history having been given to Arizona last year by the Department of Energy bodes well for a fruitful future in solar energy for Phoenix!

Fractal Trees under the microscope, courtesy of www.physorg.com

CleanTechnica’s Tina Casey is on the case (excuse the play on words!) and is informing us of a completely mind-blowing new way that solar energy could be delivered to us in the future. The technology is called “nanoscale silver trees,” and Tina’s story goes something like this:

“A team of researchers at the University of California, Davis has developed solar energy’s Next Big Thing: nanoscale silver filaments grown in a treelike pattern. Just as a tree’s leaves collect sunlight over a broad surface area relative to their trunks, the filaments of silver nano-trees would be able to collect solar energy over a broad surface area relative to their supporting structure.”

Now THAT sounds cool. But it reminds us a whole lot of that middle school student, Aidan Dwyer who was technically the first person on the books (as far as we’ve been able to find) who had the idea of creating tree branch-like structures that would deliver solar energy to us consumers in much the same way that it leaves deliver the nutrients from the sun to plants. Read more about Aidan Dwyer’s idea from our previous blog about him here.

Nonetheless, nanoscale silver trees has quite a cool ring to it. Casey writes, “Aside from the potential for greater efficiency, the fabrication method (which depends primarily on a chemical reaction rather than mechanical processes) represents a broad approach to lowering the cost of solar energy. Other factors are the cost of materials, the installation process, and the permitting process, all of which are being tackled under President Obama’s SunShot Initiative.”

Now THAT is the kind of information we in the solar sector are interested in hearing! Lowering the cost of providing solar equipment is always on our minds, because the lower the cost, the more people can afford it, and the less we will have to lean on government programs, meaning the cost of solar energy installations could some day be so low the out-of-pocket cost could be on par with buying a new washer and dryer. Think about that for a minute! Pretty great stuff from some little silver trees

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

The time for solar energy is now.

Last year, renewable energy investments in solar energy and wind power technologies in the United States ruled the worldwide market, thrusting the United States beyond China, and into the head spot, based on findings from Ernst and Young in their most recent Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index.

Michael Bernier, Senior Manager of the Ernst and Young report states, “The State Attractiveness Indices data enables us to look at specific states and regions and understand what they are doing with renewable energy development and infrastructure on a microscopic level. It enables us to fine-tune the discussion about the overall US market. Moreover, this report uncovers the new national leaders in energy infrastructure. Massachusetts, for example, is a top-five solar market due to a multitude of state-level initiatives, even though it is not the sunniest market. Like Colorado, Massachusetts is building up its research and development in addition to its manufacturing facilities. These factors make renewable energy development in these states possible and further investment probable.”

These are important pieces of great news for the solar energy sector across the United States, and prove that solar energy isn’t going anywhere but up. REVE.com journalists write, “The continuance of [these] tax credit would have a significant impact on what has become a thriving domestic manufacturing sector.”

For places like Arizona, Texas, California, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and others, solar tax credits and solar rebates on the state and federal level will be the spring boards that make solar energy pop over the next several years, so it’s important that we all do what we can to take advantage of them, and preserve them as voters.

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

Echo PV, similar to Sydney's new solar project

We love this story out of Sydney, Australia, because it reminds us a lot of what our own Echo PV solar equipment does. In an article released by The Sydney Morning Herald, writer Ben Cubby discusses how a new solar roof project underway in Sydney will make use of the power that is typically wasted to heat both the air and the water in a residence or other structure.

Cubby tells us, “A NEW form of solar panel that warms air and water as well as generating electricity is being developed by Sydney researchers. The twist in the University of NSW project is that the solar cells are integrated into the structural fabric of a building, so rather than being attached to a roof, they are the roof.”

Much like our Phoenix solar installations that use Echo PV, the idea is to use otherwise underutilized air that moves over the home structure. By harnessing this energy, Echo PV in Phoenix–and this new technology in Australia–are able to create vast amounts of energy saving. So guess what, Adair Solar Company in Phoenix is ahead of the curve!

Cubby goes on to tell us more about the project and how it will work, adding, “The project is also looking at carving out a place for Australian manufacture of some products if possible, with several firms monitoring the progress of the research.”

We love the sound of this. Imagine the jobs we could create here in Arizona if we took a page from Sydney’s book. By creating the new technologies right here at home, and using local scientists who are the ones who know everything about how the desert and sun in Arizona work to create energy, we wouldn’t just be creating awesome energy solutions, we’d be creating jobs that Arizonans badly need!

We hope that this new technology will take hold in Sydney and continue to grow from there. Here in Phoenix, Echo PV is a relatively new technology, but one that makes a huge difference for homeowners. If a solar water heater installation in Phoenix can save you hundred per year, imagine what a system that converts unused air moving above your house could do for your utility bills!

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]

For years scientists and other solar energy experts have been trying to figure out a way to make solar panels work in the same way that plants work using photosynthesis. Until recently, it has pretty much seemed like a pipe dream. But Andreas Mershin of MIT

Could grass be the future of solar panels?

has turned the idea that it can’t be done on its head by… doing it!

Essentially, it’s possible to take grass clippings and other organic materials and marry them to a chemical mixture to create solar panels that make use of the photosynthetic properties that living plants have in nature. In this way, solar panels that are made using this technology will be able to harness the power of the sun in a whole new way that will in most instances be even more efficient than what science offers us now for rooftop solar panels in Phoenix and beyond.

Some opponents of this idea believe that while the technology is good and will probably work, most government entities won’t get behind it because of how “new fangled” the theory seems. But we feel differently. While it may not be how we bring solar energy to homes next week or even next year, it’s evidence that great thinkers are in the world of, and on the side of solar energy. Even if this technology doesn’t come into play for another decade, the fact that it ever will can make solar energy that much more sustainable, and literally, that much greener.

By showing us how this can be done, Mershin has created a whole new world of opportunity for those who live in regions where buying or using conventional solar panels just isn’t an option due to cost and availability. By painting a mixture of grass clippings and a natural chemical agent onto slats on their roofs, people residing in third world countries will one day be able to enjoy the cost-saving benefits of solar energy the way we do here in the United States. We’re all for it!

[[Call today for your free in-home consultation for a solar installation from Adair Solar Company in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, and beyond by calling (480) 827-1162.]]