Mark Lusher » Energy

Windward Solar Project, Big Black Lab Video, inc.

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:56:49 +0000

Erik is a friend of mine and has a great video on his latest installation.

YouTube – Windward Solar Project, Big Black Lab Video, inc..

Broker creates local groups for collective solar purchasing – Springwise

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:08:28 +0000

When consumers band together, their collective crowd clout makes for hefty purchasing power. An example that recently came to our attention is San Francisco-based One Block Off the Grid, or 1BOG, which facilitates the group purchase of residential solar installations.How it works? 1BOG launches campaigns in various cities, each lasting a few months, during which they negotiate group discounts with carefully selected solar installers and offer local consumers access to the discounted rates via the 1BOG website. Homeowners can enter their address on the site, select their roof from an aerial view of Google maps and outline where they want the panels located. They can also view detailed information on costs, leasing options, local rebates and how long the panels will take to pay for themselves. On average, 1BOG saves customers around 15 percent, and receives referral fees from installers.To date, 1BOG has signed up over 600 homeowners across 11 US cities. In February, the company secured a USD 5 million venture capital investment which will accelerate its nationwide expansion. Studies from the International Energy Agency indicate that market penetration for solar today is less than one percent in the US. As electricity becomes more expensive and solar becomes more affordable, the demand for solar is sure to rise worldwide. One to tap into! Related: Farmers barter produce for solar panel funding — Neighbourhood

via Broker creates local groups for collective solar purchasing – Springwise.

Customisable window collects solar energy – Springwise

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:35:34 +0000

Aesthetically pleasing as they may be, windows are typically a drain on a buildings energy efficiency. Enter Smart Energy Glass, a new innovation from Dutch Peer+ that turns windows into solar energy collectors with a customisable appearance.Not only are Smart Energy Glass windows available in several colours, but they can switch between three modes: dark, bright and privacy, which scatters the light passing through. Even better, the glass serves to collect solar energy, which can then be used directly or fed back to the grid.

via Customisable window collects solar energy – Springwise.

Ice Energy :: Ice Bear: How it Works

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:29:35 +0000

The Ice Bear energy storage system works with a standard commercial air conditioning system. Requiring no modification to existing ductwork, each Ice Bear unit can be applied to 85% of air conditioners ranging from a 3-5 ton system to a 20-ton system, providing 30 ton hours of cooling.

The Ice Bear energy storage unit operates in two basic modes, Ice Cooling and Ice Charging, to store cooling energy at night, and to deliver that energy the following day.

During Ice Charge mode, a self-contained charging system freezes 450 gallons of water in the Ice Bear’s insulated tank by pumping refrigerant through a configuration of copper coils within it. The water that surrounds these coils freezes and turns to ice. The condensing unit then turns off, and the ice is stored until its cooling energy is needed.As daytime temperatures rise, the power consumption of air conditioning rises along with it, pushing the grid to peak demand levels. During this peak window, typically from noon to 6 pm, the Ice Bear unit replaces the energy intensive compressor of the air conditioner.The Ice Bear unit, fully charged from the night before, switches to Ice Cooling mode. The Ice Bear uses the ice, rather than the AC unit’s compressor, to cool the hot refrigerant, slowing melting the ice as it travels through a series of copper coils. A small, highly efficient pump pushes ice-cold refrigerant through a modified Ice Energy LiquidDX® evaporator coil installed in the conventional air conditioning unit.The Ice Cooling cycle lasts for at least 6 hours. Once the ice has fully melted, the Ice Bear transfers the job of cooling back to the building’s AC unit, to provide cooling, as needed, until the next day. During the cool of the night, the Ice Charge mode is activated and the entire cycle begins again.

via Ice Energy :: Ice Bear: How it Works.

Bloom Energy – Fuel Cells

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:30:31 +0000

KR Sridhar and Bloom Energy premiered on 60 minutes tonight. Bloom Energy is developing fuel cells and is currently funded by Venture Capital.

The Bloom energy box is a fuel cell capable of producing electricity for homes, offices etc… The units are “fuel agnostic,” Sridhar said, meaning they can be powered by a variety of inputs, including biomass and natural gas. Looks very promising. They are field testing with Google, Ebay and other companies. According to the interview on 60 minutes. The fact they they are already field testing and resolving real world issues is encouraging that this will be a real world option soon.

Here is an audio interview via freshDialogues

Currently their sites has a countdown clock set for 2 days and 14 hours from now. http://www.bloomenergy.com/ Looks like the stealth mode is officially over.

By doing a quick patent search you find that Bloom Energy has been filing patents since February of 2003.

This video show a ceremonial signing of an agreement with Kaori of Taiwan.

The promise is that you could have one in your basement powering your house. The next step would be converting household appliances to DC to minimize useless conversion loss. Most appliances take the AC and convert it to DC anyway. This conversion produces loss in the form of heat.