“The training was successful for students of all backgrounds.  We had people entirely new to the industry, and highly experienced installers and developers find it to be extremely useful.  The in depth knowledge that you gain at a training like this is a perfect supplement to any conference.”  Said Edlin Kim, Business Development Director of NST

“The kind of conference training we started with Solar and You! really is the perfect way to get people into new green jobs and grow the green economy.  It’s the perfect mix of training based on real world situations and the networking professionals need to really get things done.” Said Kate Hotchkiss, the Director of the National Solar Conference at the American Solar Energy Society.

“There was a tremendous turn out for this training, especially given the limited amount of time when it was possible to sign up.  All sorts of people found this training to be extremely useful.  And we learned as much as the students, and are looking forward to making future conference trainings even better.”  Said Lars Rudstam, Marketing Director of National Solar Trainers.

Solar and You 2012 will be held in Denver Colorado during the National Solar Conference. 

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY: 

Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and grassroots advocates. Supported by more than 12,000 members, ASES advances research, education, and policy. ASES publishes the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, presents the National Solar Conference, rallies citizens to build a Solar Nation, and leads the National Solar Tour – the world’s largest grassroots solar event.  www.ases.org.     

ABOUT NATIONAL SOLAR TRAINERS:

National Solar Trainers LLC (NST) is the only exclusively business to business training provider in the solar industry.  It provides trainers, curriculums, and consulting services for dozens of training programs, including manufacturers, contractors, solar academies, non-profits, and colleges, which in turn train thousands of students.  Its trainers have over 40 years of solar experience and have trained countless students around the globe.  NST seeks to be a mark of quality by ensuring the highest standards of professional solar training are being delivered across the industry. Learn more about NST trainings at www.nationalsolartrainers.com

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Huge numbers of households are confused about energy tariffs, a new survey has revealed.

While 85 per cent of adults know the average cost of a litre of petrol, 80 per cent do not know the cost of a kWh of energy.

This could suggest that it is down to better advertising and greater transparency from energy companies to help consumers manage their energy use.

The survey by the County Homesearch Company questioned 1,100 people and found that nearly a third of respondents overestimated the cost of heating a three-bedroom home by £300.

“Energy companies should be making their rates crystal clear for the sake of customers’ pockets, and for the environment,” said Jonathan Haward, chairman of the company.

“We are trying to become a more eco-friendly country but energy saving technologies such as solar panels will only become popular and have an impact if people understand how much money and energy they allow them to save.”

New rules by Ofgem now require utility firms to give 30 days notice before making any price increases or changes.

Posted by Mark Stephens

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For more information please see: Ofgem’s retail market review

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As someone deeply concerned about this issue, I find it particularly vexing to hear the same myths used again and again to argue for the inevitability of this approach to solar development. These myths deserve to be looked at more closely.

“We can’t meet RPS without Big Solar.” One rationale for Big Solar frequently cited is that the states’ renewable energy portfolio standards (RPS) cannot be met without building “some” industrial-scale solar projects. National environmental groups, for example, frequently state that it is proper and necessary for public lands to play a role in providing room for Big Solar.

Yet studies show that California’s RPS, for example, could be met just with decentralized PV. To meet California’s target of 33 percent renewables by 2020, about 2,000-2,500 megawatts of PV would have to be installed each year. Even with its small size and low solar insolation, Germany installed about 3,000 MW of mostly decentralized PV in 2009 alone—and in 2010, about 6,500 MW of distributed PV.   Studies of distributed PV potential in California have found more than enough capacity on rooftops to meet the RPS, and have also identified 27,000 MW in ground-mounted capacity near rural transmission stations.

Colorado’s biggest investor-owned utility, Xcel, amended its 2007 resource plan to develop about 30 percent less concentrating solar power than originally planned and is seeking to reduce it further, citing cost as the primary reason – i.e. remote solar thermal is not cost competitive and transmission is proving a major obstacle.  

“We have to put some of it on undeveloped public land.” The claim that utility-scale solar projects must proceed on some undeveloped public land is undermined by the fact that millions of acres of contaminated and degraded land inventoried by the Environmental Protection Agency have been identified as potentially suitable for renewable energy development. In California alone, EPA has identified 1.7 million acres –with 90 of the 215 sites in parcels larger than 200 acres–potentially suitable for such use. All told, EPA has identified 15 million acres of such land nationwide.

“Industrial-scale solar is far more cost-effective than DG.” The residential rooftop solar consolidator 1 Block Off the Grid (1BOG) demonstrates that distributed PV is cost-competitive, even before factoring in the costs of transmission. For example, compare 4 kW residential PV systems sold in the San Antonio area at $6.00/Wac to the capital cost estimated for a 200 MW dry-cooled CSP plant of approximately $5.50/W.

A Los Angeles cooperative called Open Neighborhoods announced a residential PV cooperative solar buy for $4.78 per Watt, almost identical to the price for industrial scale installations.

In addition, solar PV prices are projected to drop at a much faster rate than CSP prices over time. Both the California Energy Commission and the Department of Energy project that solar PV prices will drop by half between 2010 and 2020, while CSP prices are projected to decline much more gradually.

“We are in a race against climate change, and Big Solar will win it.” Another oft-cited claim is that the remote plants are our best chance to get renewables going “big and fast” to address climate change goals. But right now, California has commitments to complete about 6,000 MW of distributed solar PV by 2016, while the big plants lag behind in time and capacity. The 6 “fast-track” remote solar projects in California that have been approved so far will provide about 3,000 MW. 

In addition, due to the real and potential legal challenges to these projects based on environmental impacts, poor analysis, and possible violations of endangered species “takings” permits, their progress will be slow and uncertain.

Moreover, whether these projects can bring a net reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs) is called into question when considering the GHG emissions associated with the manufacture and shipping of materials for the sites, as well as the release of sequestered carbon on desert sites—which one seven-year study found at least comparable to, if not greater than, sequestration in some grassland and forest ecosystems. Transmission associated with the remote sites will also include the use of sulfur hexafluoride(SF6), an electrical insulator used in high-voltage transmission that is the most potent of the six greenhouse gases regulated by the EPA, with a global warming potential 23,900 times that of CO2.

“We can do both” big, remote, concentrating solar power and distributed generation.  John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance recently stated: “[F]inancial resources are limited, the system of regulations and incentives are skewed toward centralized solutions, and choosing …long-distance transmission of centralized generation… reduces the money available and future prospects for expanded distributed generation.” And even if we could, why be “even-handed” to accommodate both the right approach and the wrong one?

It is not too late to pivot away from the current trajectory that would make industrial zones of public land. A useful first step would be for those who support the policy to own up to the mythical nature of their rationalizations. Alternatively, they can lag behind while the public becomes more aware of the choices before them and the possibility of doing this right.

We can confront the climate crisis in a cost-effective, timely manner —with far less harm to the environment we hope to save. To do so, we must pursue distributed PV in the built environment and on degraded lands with the alacrity with which we are now pursuing Big Solar on public lands.

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This value refers to the line connecting the satellite and the observed area, which is tilted about 41º from the vertical. The estimated value of 1.69 m is a deformation value relative to the observed area: the absolute deformation (i.e., calculated over an area not affected by the earthquake) is surely larger and cannot be estimated with this technique.

The minimum distance from the epicentre to the study area is 100 km approximately. At these distances the vast majority of earthquakes do not cause co-seismic deformation. However, in this case, there has been considerable deformation due to the exceptional magnitude of this earthquake.

The deformation can be seen in the map shown above, where the displacements are represented in a colour scale from black (no relative motion) to red (area of maximum deformation, which is the closest to the epicentre). There is relative deformation of 1.69 m from the area that appears black to the maximum area in red.

This study conducted by the Institute of Geomatics, and led by Dr. Michele Crosetto, head of the Remote Sensing Unit, is based on a well-known satellite-based microwave remote sensing technique called differential interferometry SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar).

What does the observed deformation entail?

As mentioned above, the estimated 1.69 m deformation refers to the line connecting the satellite and the observed area. We know from other sources, such as measures of GPS (Global Positioning System), that the horizontal displacement has been of approximately 3 m eastwards, 0.5 m northwards and the vertical displacement varies between 0.5 and 1 m. The most important of these three components is probably the subsidence as it affects land elevation above sea level. Coastal areas are likely to be the most affected: in the worst case scenario, subsidence might lead to land loss. This is a phenomenon similar to what might result from climate change, although in this case, land would be lost as a result of sea-level rise.

How were the results derived?

SAR interferometry is a remote sensing technique used to monitor surface deformations. This technique, based on the analysis of SAR satellite data, has been used in various applications such as studying the dynamics of glaciers, earthquakes, volcanoes, mining, civil works, landslides and deformations due to exploitation of aquifers.

The results of this study were obtained using SAR data from the sensor ASAR mounted on the satellite Envisat of the European Space Agency. Specifically, in this case, two SAR images acquired before (19/02/2011) and after the seismic event (03/21/2011) have been used.

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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A group of children in South Kirkby, West Yorkshire, have been learning about saving energy in their homes after seeing one low carbon house first-hand.

Pupils from Stockingate Mill School who took part in a competition to name a new eco housing development (now called Howell Mews and Western Court), were taken around the 19 properties and taught how to be more energy efficient.

They got the chance to examine the low flow taps, energy saving lightbulbs and even learn about renewable energy as the properties have solar panels on the roofs.

“I really like the homes because they are eco-friendly,” said nine-year-old Arnold Tabor.

“They are different from normal houses because they have solar panels on the roof and there is a monitor to show how much energy you are using.”

Encouraging children to save energy is seen as a crucial part of securing the UK’s low carbon future and many school pupils took part in Climate Week in March to learn about the importance of energy efficiency.

More than 3,000 events were staged, raising awareness of climate change.

Posted by Emily Thomas

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For more information please see: Climate Week

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama will give a speech to the nation Monday explaining his decision–making on the Libyan war.

The timing comes as some lawmakers of both major parties have complained that Obama has not sought their input about the U.S. role in the war or explained with enough clarity about the U.S. goals and exit strategy.

U.S.–led forces began launching missile strikes March 19 against embattled Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi’s defenses to prevent him from attacking his own people.

Obama is expected to emphasize a greater NATO role and a shrinking direct U.S. military involvement.

NATO has announced control over enforcing a no–fly zone over Libya; the White House says NATO is working out military details on taking over the broader military mission.

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Pistons owner Karen Davidson says she’s cautiously optimistic the sale of the team will be completed soon.

Davidson spoke with The Associated Press (News – Alert) at halftime Wednesday night of the Indiana Pacers–Pistons game.

The NBA team and California billionaire Tom Gores have been negotiating exclusively with each other.

Davidson, widow of longtime owner Bill Davidson, has been considering a sale of the team by itself or as part of a package with Palace Sports and Entertainment, which includes The Palace of Auburn Hills, DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Festival.

Gores is from Michigan, graduated from Michigan State and lives in California.

Forbes recently valued the Pistons at $360 million.

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Applying a method previously only used to examine the possible effects of climate change on plants, scientists from the University of Cambridge can now determine the climatic tolerances of individual insects. Their research was published Feb. 16 in the scientific journal Biology Letters.

Because insects are at constant risk of desiccation, they have a waterproof exoskeleton which protects them from dehydration. Therefore, measuring hydration levels in an insect gives little if no indication of the type of habitat they live in (for example, whether it is humid or dry). Moreover, most insects live in the undergrowth, or in the soil; in tropical rainforests the insects live many hundreds of feet up in the canopy, which makes it very difficult to observe them directly. Using the atmospheric imprint, it will now be possible to decipher the habitat preferences of individual insects no matter where they live.

By taking advantage of a unique property of the oxygen isotopes in water; namely that the isotopes behave differently during evaporation and condensation, the researchers were able to determine how much water an insect loses when it ‘breathes’ through holes in its outer skeleton called spiracles, providing important insight into the type of atmosphere (for example, humid like the rain forest) it could survive.

Water (H20) is made up of two types of oxygen — 18O and 16O. Because 16O is lighter, when water evaporates it leaves behind more 18O. Using cockroaches, the scientists measured the levels of the two different oxygens in the insects’ circulatory fluid — called haemolymph — as well as in their outer skeleton. From this information they were able to determine how much water had evaporated and therefore identify the atmospheric conditions necessary for the insect to survive.

Insects living in a dry atmosphere have a higher concentration of 18O as a result of a greater water loss. Insects living in very humid conditions tend to lose less water and therefore have a nearly equal ratio of 16O to 18O. With this new method, researchers will be able to predict where species are most likely to survive (e.g. in Sahara-desert dry and rainforest humid), and will be able to pinpoint with great accuracy which species share the most similar niches.

“There is an urgent need for a better understanding of how global environmental change will affect threatened plants and animals,” said Dr Farnon Ellwood, lead author of the paper. “If we can determine the habitat preferences of individual insects, we can use this information to predict how climate change will impact on a group representing three-quarters of the Earth’s animal species.”

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Cambridge.

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