Duke Energy Builds 3 Solar Projects in North Carolina

         Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, has begun construction of three utility-scale solar power projects totaling 30 megawatt solar energy in Eastern North Carolina. The 20 megawatt Dogwood Solar Power Project is located in Halifax County, near Scotland Neck. The company is also building two 5 megawatt projects, one in Bertie County near Windsor, named Windsor Copper Hill Solar; the other, Bethel Price Solar, is in Pitt County, near Bethel.
          "We are pleased to be expanding our presence in Eastern North Carolina and bringing significant community development benefits to these counties," said Duke Energy Renewables President Greg Wolf. "The projects generate valuable tax revenue, provide supplemental income for landowners and bring clean, renewable energy to the state." Power from these projects will be sold through long-term fixed price contracts. SunEnergy1, a solar design, engineering and construction company based in Mooresville, North Carolina, is building the photovoltaic projects, which are expected to be complete by the end of 2013.
           "When the sun is shining and the plants are operating, the 30 megawatt of solar energy generated by the three projects will supply enough electricity to power about 6,000 homes," said Kenny Habul, CEO of SunEnergy1. "We are proud to be partnered with Duke Energy and applaud their continued commitment to bring economic growth and renewable solar power to these counties that can repeat tangible benefits from the projects."

Duke Energy Renewables' 14 megawatt Blue Wing Solar Project in San Antonio, Texas, one of 20 solar farms the company owns across the U.S.

U.S. Air Force will Install New Solar Power Storage System

          In yet another demonstration of the U.S. military's transition to renewable energy, the Air Force Research Laboratory is eyeballing a computer center in Hawaii to demonstrate an advanced system for collecting, storing and using solar power. The aim is to show that solar power can contribute to a seamless energy management system for a sensitive, high-demand facility. If the pilot project is successful, it could be implemented at other Department of Defense facilities worldwide and make its way into the civilian sector as well.

Proposed AESM system

           Of all the 50 states, however, Hawaii is the most vulnerable when it comes to fossil fuel dependency and it is also the site of key Department of Defense facilities, notably Pearl Harbor, so the state's transition to locally harvested fuels is a vital national defense issue as well as a boost for consumers and businesses beset by high fossil fuel costs. In that context, it's little wonder that Hawaii was chosen as the shakedown site for the new Advanced Energy Storage and Management (AESM) system.
           AESM also dovetails with another solar project the computer center is pursuing, the Maui Solar Initiative. This will consist of a proposed 1.5-megawatt, 13-acre solar farm located nearby. Aside from reducing fossil fuel dependency in Hawaii, the project is expected to save big bucks for the Air Force, which according to hpcwire.com, currently foots the center's annual electricity bill of more than $3 million.

Solar Power Helps Pump Oil

      Built by GlassPoint Solar, a Fremont company that uses renewable power to squeeze oil from the ground, a new solar steam plant has been developed in the Middle East, specifically the Omani desert. GlassPoint Solar, raising approximately $32 million in venue capital, has a small pilot plant in Kern County that has been generating steam for two years. Known as the Oman plant, it is 27 times bigger than the relatively small pilot plant, producing a average of 50 tons of steam per day.
       "Oman doesn't have the massive oil reserves of some of its neighbors, and its production started declining more than 10 years ago," said John O'Donnell, GlassPoint's Vice President of Business Development. "Steam-flooding an old field can help boost production. Plus, Oman has heavy oil deposits that are hard to develop without steam." O'Donnell added, "most steam-flooding operations burn natural gas to generate the steam, but Oman doesn't have large gas reserves of its own. And the price of importing it is high, more than three times its current cost in the United States."
         GlassPoint's technology is a low-cost twist on the conventional display of solar power plants in the past. GlassPoint's mirrors are made from thin, lightweight and inexpensive aluminium sheets. A decent breeze could knock the mirrors out of alignment so GlassPoint has them inside of glass greenhouses. Most of the materials can be bought from shelves from many suppliers. "Solar will be, by far, the cheapest way of complying with the standard," O'Donnell said. "As that develops, obviously we'll be keenly interested. We're a California company."

GlassPoint Solar

First U.S. Restaurant's Roof Made Entirely of Solar Panels

      Down in St. Louis, Missouri, there is a restaurant made entirely from solar panels. It's not composed of solar shingles or other roofing materials that help harvest power from the sun; rather, the roof is only made from solar panels. The marvelous restaurant that features this brilliant idea is known as "The New Moon Room," a new bar and dining space at the Moonrise Hotel on the University City Loop.
      This canopy roof over the space doesn't only collect energy from the sunlight, but it also helps bring the light in. Contractor Microgrid Solar had used "translucent, frameless solar panels," which were originally manufactured by Colorado-based company Lumos, that helps allow the light "to peek through," according to CEO Rick Hunter. "

        This rooftop also harvests a useful amount of energy, in which this 25.6 kilowatt array has the capacity to produce approximately 33,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year. According to Microgrid President and Principal Engineer Marc Lopata, this doesn't only help power the New Moon Room itself, but it also aids in powering the hotel's top two floors. The New Moon Room will be opening to the public next week so enjoy and revel in the creativity of solar power manufacturers and contractors.

Largest Solar Plant in Africa

    Recently, it has been announced that the largest solar plant in Africa has been ceremoniously brought online in Mauritania. The 15-megawatt plant will be expected to meet a full one-tenth of the nation's electricity demand and keep lights on in some 10,000 homes. Mauritania is currently crippled by its severe energy shortages and thus, its frail power grid is upheld by an unstable network of diesel generators. Therefore, with the help of the Sheikh Zayed Solar Power Plant, this brings good news to Mauritanians everywhere: the country's power demand is quickly growing and with the help of this fresh blast of solar power, it gives power to those in need during peak hours.
     If the name of the solar power plant is a bit unusual, it would possibly be because the construction was done by Masdar, Abu Dhabi's national clean energy company. If the name Masdar brings any recollection, it may because there is such a city as Masdar City, a futuristic town on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi which eventually is to be the world's first 100% carbon neutral city. However, Masdar is currently in the clean energy business worldwide and such as the solar power plant's creator, the Mauritania project is also.

   
    The solar power plant consists of some 30,000 thin-film micrograph panels which are stacked into the ground instead of cemented into a concrete foundation in an installation process that helps decrease the costs and necessary materials needed. "Energy access is a pathway to economic and social opportunity," Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said. "Electrification, through sustainable sources of energy, is critical in ensuring our people have access to basic services and is a step toward improving our infrastructure and long-term economic development."

France Works on a Solar-Powered Stadium

      France has recently been claimed to embark upon a landmark renewable energy project concerning the construction officially commencing on a solar-powered stadium in the southwestern city of Bordeaux. The Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, situated on the banks of the Garonne River in the Bordeaux Lac region, is a large-scale sports facility with a designated audience capacity of up to 42,000 spectators.
      While large-scale football stadiums do not have any spectacular image to them, the Bordeaux project is predicted to break new ground in Europe by deriving much of its power from solar photovoltaic installations. The stadium's car park is said to feature an extensive solar photovoltaic panel structure, which fulfills the dual function of shielding vehicles from the elements (such as sunlight, precipitation, wind, etc.) and to supply electricity to the entire stadium. In addition to such innovative renewable energy capabilities, the stadium is also set to be a landmark architectural work, which will help make a pivotal contribution to the aesthetic character of the city.
      The Swiss firm enlisted to work on this project, Herzog & de Meuron, is also responsible for a variety of architectural projects, including Beijing's "bird's nest" National Stadium, which was one of the defining emblems of the 2008 Olympics. However, the Bordeaux, France stadium is expected to be completed in 2015 and will serve as a host for one of the 2016 European Football Championship matches held by the Union of European Football Association.

Solar-Powered Sports Stadium in Bordeaux, France

Apple Inc. owns Largest Private Solar System in U.S.

       Apple Inc. had announced on Friday that fully 75% of its corporate facilities as well as their data centers are powered by renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power. This is because Apple has built the nation's largest privately owned solar array for its Maiden, N.C., data center.
       "In 2012, we completed construction on the nation's largest end user-owned, onsite photovoltaic array on land surrounding the data center," the company had disclosed on Friday, announcing plans to shoot for 100% renewable power sources. "The 100-acre 20-megawatt facility is able to produce 42 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy sources," Apple said. "And we're currently building a second 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility on nearby land that should be operational in late 2013."
        Apple has also operated a 10-megawatt fuel cell installation at Maiden, which uses biogas to create 83 million kilowatt hours of energy. "It's the largest such facility not operated by a power company in the country," the company had claimed.
        Greenpeace International senior IT analyst Gary Cook had applauded Apple Inc. for how far it has come, while also noting the challenges ahead. "Apple's announcement shows that it has made real progress in its commitment to lead the way to a clean energy future," Cook said. "Apple still has major roadblocks to meeting its 100% clean energy commitment in North Carolina, where renewable energy policies are under siege and electric utility Duke Energy is intent on blocking wind and solar energy from entering the grid," he added.
        Apple proclaimed, "Its goal was not for just North Carolina but for facilities across the country and around the world. We won't stop working until we achieve 100% throughout Apple."

Apple has built the nation's largest privately owned solar array for its Maiden, N.C., data center

150 MW California Solar Power Plant is Bought!

      The 150-megawatt Solar Generation 2 photovoltaic power plant, located in Imperial County (California), was recently bought by First Solar, Inc. The construction of this solar power plant is planned to start this year and is set to be completed next year. Once completed, the new photovoltaic solar power plant is to produce enough electricity to power more than 60,0000 homes while displacing more than 115,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. This solar power plant will estimably save around 93,000 metric tons of water per year.
      The San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E) has agreed to purchase the electrical output under a 25-year power purchase agreement. Once this agreement is started, the photovoltaic solar plant is expected to provide over 800 construction jobs within Imperial County, which has been overcome with high unemployment.
       "We are very pleased to help SDG&E meet its clean energy goals and provide clean, reliable, renewable power to their customers," said Dana Diller, First Solar Vice President of U.S. Business Development. "We are also proud to once again bring the economic benefits of utility-scale solar development to Imperial County, where both county officials and the Imperial Irrigation District, with which this plant will interconnect, have been extremely supportive."
        The financial details of the new purchase is still unknown but it does include 40 megawatts of solar modules that the project had previously purchased from another supplier. First Solar, Inc., is actually planning to integrate those modules into construction and make up the difference with their own modules in order to complete the construction of the power plant. In addition, First Solar will be providing project development, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and grid integration services.