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Original: Tesla & SolarCity’s New Solar Shingles

by Solar Ninja October 29, 2016

written by Solar Ninja

Originally published on CleanTechnica.
By Susanna Schick

Last night, on a back lot at Universal Studios, Tesla unveiled the most promising facet of its impending merger with SolarCity — solar shingles as chic and efficient as their cars. These were paired with new Powerwall home batteries that have double the energy density of Tesla’s first Powerwall product. (You can watch the full video of the presentation further down in this article if you didn’t already watch it in Steve’s article, on Tesla.com, or elsewhere.)

The event was primarily for Tesla owners, so it took me longer to get up the hill from the studio gate than it did to ride my Zero from Vernon at rush hour. But I did get to hitch a ride in a swanky Model X, which was a lovely way to start the Tesla world experience.

Riding there, I passed a Tesla Roadster and was overcome with awe at how far the company has come since the Roadster. Most mere mortals would’ve given up many times along the way. But not Elon Musk. He’s kept going, and won’t stop till he reaches his retirement community on Mars.

The Tesla solar roof was the biggest news, but the Powerwall 2 & Powerpack 2 are game-changers as well. Elon Musk stated that, combined with a $5,500 Powerwall 2, the solar shingles will actually be cheaper than buying conventional shingles and electricity from the grid. The shingles will be available by summer 2017. Here’s a nifty cost analysis of various batteries and grid power. It’s from 2015, so the numbers have most likely changed a bit, but it’s still useful for some perspective on cost and especially cost per kWh of storage.

Californians with traditional Spanish-style roofs are usually out of luck when it comes to living off the grid. The delicate terra cotta tiles don’t take well to having holes drilled in them, and conventional solar panels actually look exceptionally horrible in such stark contrast to the terra cotta tiles. So it was very impressive to see the curved tiles included in the presentation.

Note to engineers: Tesla is hard at work to solve the efficiency problem the curves present, but it’s true the curves are still a technical drawback. As shown on the sample roof, the Tuscan-style tiles would seem to have the least efficiency of the styles, as only the darker tiles are collecting solar energy and they are only doing so on the flat parts (not the curves). So they’re not quite capturing the authentic aged Tuscan look or full efficiency. Still, they’re a sweet option compared to no solar at all.

On the other hand, the French slate shingles are works of art. Tesla managed to create tiles just as beautiful as the real thing, only drastically more durable. Elon Musk told the audience that French slate is the hardest to replicate. Through the use of a hydrographic printing technique, each tile is unique, just like natural slate.

All the Tesla shingles utilize micro louvers to make the solar cells invisible from street view. Musk explained that this is the same technology used in privacy screens for laptops. So that roof really is as gorgeous in real life as it is in these photos. A video (below) showed how much stronger the Tesla quartz glass shingles are than traditional roofing materials as well — an impressive accomplishment. As for efficiency, they’re currently measuring a 2% loss over conventional panels, which is amazing for solar shingles. They’re also working to increase efficiency beyond 100% through light reflection within the shingles.

Solar roof glass tile vs. conventional roof tile pic.twitter.com/AnGWJ07jub

— Tesla (@Tesla) October 29, 2016

They’ve Got The Power

Tesla also showcased its new batteries — Powerwall 2 for homes and Powerpack 2 for industrial & utility customers. The new batteries are twice as energy dense as the old ones, thanks to their new 21–70 cells, which we wrote about a bit here.

While the world’s largest banks were somehow fleeced into investing into a pipeline that will only cause more problems than it could ever solve, Tesla has Powerpacks available for any utility company interested in kicking the (natural) gas habit. Southern California Edison has already ordered a 20 MW/80 MWh Powerpack substation to help ease its dependence on its crumbling gas storage reservoirs. In the press conference last night, I asked Tesla how long until all of Southern California can rely on Powerpacks instead of gas buried underground. Musk stated that once the system is up and running in Mira Loma, they will probably want to buy more Powerpacks.

After the Porter Ranch disaster, I contacted LADWP to find out what it was doing to kick the gas habit. Since 22% of its portfolio is natural gas, and 40% is coal, it pains me deeply to know that my EV is powered by one of the biggest environmental disasters in American history. Here is LADWP’s official response to my inquiry, from January of this year:

LADWP purchases natural gas from suppliers from out of state. Natural gas is conveyed into Southern California through SoCalGas’ system and to LADWP’s in-basin generating stations. LADWP does not have its own gas storage, and the management of SoCalGas’ system to get the gas to us in entirely their responsibility.

LADWP has been using natural gas more efficiently than ever since repowering older generating units at Haynes and most recently Scattergood generating stations.

LA’s goal is to be coal-free by 2025, and LADWP continues to aggressively increase the amount of renewable energy (solar, wind and geothermal power) provided to LA residents and businesses. We are on track to provide 33% renewable energy to customers by 2020, and 50% by 2035. However, the most abundant renewable resources, solar and wind, are both variable. They do not produce energy if the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining. Until more storage technology or baseload geothermal power can be developed, natural gas provides an essential “bridge fuel” to ensure continuous, reliable power to our customers 24/7.

Hopefully now that LADWP has completed a 62-mile renewable transmission corridor, it’ll consider purchasing some Powerpacks to store that clean energy as well. Tesla is ready to take LADWP’s order, and help America’s second largest city live a little better.

October 29, 2016 0 comment

Watching Your Solar Generation & Electricity Consumption In Real-Time

by Solar Ninja August 28, 2015

written by Solar Ninja

By Josh Ferguson, solar advocate with an interest in energy management

With so many families becoming all too aware of rising energy costs, many are turning to alternative sources to meet their electrical needs. Solar, in particular, has become the #1 alternative home energy source for several reasons: a) the technology has become much more affordable, b) there are tax incentives that help defray the cost, and c) the technology has improved a great deal in recent years.

While solar power may seem like the miracle everyone is looking for, there are some things to watch out for. For instance, once panels become dirty from dust or pollen, the output is affected, since they can’t catch the sun’s rays as well as a sparkling clean panel. Often, a house with solar will have less-than-stellar savings on the energy bill simply because the owner is unaware of just how much power production is affected by a dirty panel. (Note, however, the this issue ranges by region.) Another costly peril to watch out for is wildlife intrusion. Critters, particularly in wooded areas, sometimes find it convenient to build a nest underneath solar panels. Squirrels, especially, are reported to be the culprit of solar panel wire destruction – seems that they enjoy chewing on the wires (see the image below).

There are all types of monitoring options for PV installations. Most inverters will show production in real-time from a screen located on the inverter; others will have the inverter connect to the Internet and send the information to a server that can be accessed by logging onto their website. Some microinverters have the ability to monitor at individual panel level, which can be invaluable when it comes to maintenance. However, none of these show you how much energy you are actively producing compared to what you are consuming. This can lead to dramatically underestimating how much power is being consumed compared to the production, which can end up being a huge surprise when the electric bill arrives and expected savings are not there.

There are several options for 3rd-party energy monitors, but only the TED Pro Home* can monitor solar/wind generation and accurately compare it to consumption in real-time – and provide real-time net usage. This eliminates the surprise mentioned above. The TED Pro Home is easily set up to be accessed from any mobile device, making it easier than ever to view production and consumption locally and remotely.

The TED Pro Home stores detailed data internally for up to 10 years. However, if you have an Internet connection, you can have TED Pro Home automatically post the data to a very attractive interface which they call “TED Commander.” You also have the option to have the data post to any other 3rd-party site, such as pvoutput.org. All of this provides a quick and easy way to stay on top of your energy consumption and PV production. Combine this with a little routine maintenance on your PV array, and just sit in the sun and soak up the savings.

*Full Disclosure: This article was kindly sponsored by TED.

August 28, 2015 0 comment

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Tetris Founder To Help Make Hawaii Energy Independent

by Solar Ninja July 30, 2015

written by Solar Ninja

In 2006, Henk Rodgers had a near-death experience. With a second chance and a fresh outlook on life, he decided to make the most of it. He then committed to making his home state of Hawaii, the state with some of the highest energy costs in the nation, energy independent. It was all a matter of putting the pieces together.

Rodgers started with his own home. And then his ranch. Needless to say, he is one of the wealthier residents of the Big Island. You may have heard of the video game called Tetris? Me neither, but apparently he and programmer Alexey Pajitnov partnered up some time ago and made quite a lot of money.

His Honolulu estate is completely solar powered and he hopes other residents decide to use the same technology. Partially because it’s his newest business venture.

July 30, 2015 0 comment

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20% of Australian Houses Use Solar Energy

by Solar Ninja December 19, 2014

written by Solar Ninja

By Jane Wells

The prices of photovoltaic (PV) panels keep dropping, while the technology to harness the power of the sun keeps improving. In an article by CleanTechnica, it was discussed that the cost of solar power last year is 60% lower than what it was in 2011. In addition, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) discovered a new way to improve the conversion rate of the sun’s rays to electricity several days ago. Solar PV panels in the past are only able to convert about 20% of the sun’s wavelength to electricity. However, with the breakthrough of UNSW scientists, the conversion rate is now up above 40%.

With these facts in mind, Australian households seem convinced that the future of renewable energy lies in the power of the Sun. In a report by RenewEconomy, one in every five households in Australia has installed solar energy for their electricity and/or solar heating systems for their hot water. Three years ago, Australian households’ dependency on solar power was only at a mere 5%.

Queensland is among the top states in Australia that use solar panels on the roof, with 20% of families getting their share of electricity from the sun. New South Whales and the Australian Capital Territory were also on the list, with each having 10% of homes using solar energy. South Australia scored the highest on record, with 24% of families in the region using solar energy to power up their homes.

Here’s a graph that shows the proportion of homes that use solar electricity in Australia:

The worldwide demand for renewable power is constantly on the rise, while traditional sources of power are becoming sparser. Engineering company Sulzer Ltd.* believes that thermal solar power has amazing potential as a clean source of electricity. The company’s recent partnership with Unaoil may be to supply oil and gas companies in the Middle East with rotating equipment. However, Sulzer supplies pumps for solar facilities, so both companies’ partnership may expand to clean energy in the future. If such expansion in their partnership happens, both companies will serve as examples to the world on how a traditional oil and gas company could benefit from renewable energy.

Solar power is a great source of energy, since the sun will always come out in the morning to provide heat. If only more families would install solar panels in their homes, ending the energy crisis would be within arm’s reach.

About the Author: Jane Wells is a writer and mother and wife. She’s been writing since the age of 11, and her other interests are baking, quilting, and outdoor sports.

*Disclosure: This article was sponsored by Sulzer Ltd.

December 19, 2014 1 comment

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The Benefits Of Solar Heating

by Solar Ninja October 15, 2014

written by Solar Ninja

Many people are out to not only save money but save the planet as well. One of the ways that a person can accomplish both saving money and helping to save the Earth is through solar heating. In this article, you will learn what solar heating is and how it will help you to save money.

The Use Of Solar Power Is On The Rise

The costs of energy usage is increasing on a daily basis and they are expected to continue to climb. For this reason, many people are choosing to go with solar power. But what about solar heating? That’s a different matter.

What Is Solar Heating?

When people are speaking of solar heating and their homes, they may be referring to active or passive solar heating. Passive solar heating is the absorption of light for the use of the heat that comes with it. You can bring that heat into your home with big windows, dark colors, or other methods.

The other type of solar is called active solar. This type works with the same principles as passive solar but nothing else is the same between the two. What makes this kind of energy different is that there needs to be an active element that will move the heat from the collector and absorber to the thermal mass or even directly into the home. This is often referred to as a solar thermal system.

How It Works

Most homes today have a forced air heating and cooling system that is controlled by a thermostat. There are a couple of different ways that you can convert this to a solar-powered heating system. Using a solar water heating system can do this, or you can convert it by using a system that uses an energy collector (such as a solar PV panel) and uses that energy to heat or even cool your home.

An important first step, however, is to be sure that your HVAC unit is not a suspect for energy loss. One important way you can do this by insulating your pipes. Of course, there are also more ways to check for HVAC energy loss*. You can research this to learn more.

Energy Saving Costs

Research was completed in 2009 showed that most homeowners were spending about $2000 per year on energy costs for their homes, and (of course) since then, costs have continued to rise. However, you could find yourself saving money on energy costs if you switched to solar power and/or solar heating.

Tax Credits

Many say that the government is only out to take your money. The fact of the matter is that the government is also concerned with saving the planet, and with sending money back to you in various ways. For this first reason, it is currently offering monetary incentives that will help inspire a greater portion of the population (of the United States) be motivated into using solar energy. These incentives come in the form of tax credits and are offered from both the federal government as well as many state governments.

Home Values

You will also find that, by adding solar energy or solar heating, you can increase the value of your home. Of course, you can’t know exactly how much solar energy will add to the value of your home until you go to sell it, but you will definitely be able to show the possible homebuyer how much you have saved on energy costs since the installation of the solar power, and studies have found that the extra home value is typically greater than the cost of the solar system.

Conclusion

There are many different ways to save money as a homeowner. One of the ways that is often overlooked but growing in popularity is that of solar power, but solar heating is also an option to consider. To learn more about solar energy and how to have it installed into your home, search around this site and ask plenty of questions.

This article has been courteously sponsored by Quality Mechanical.

Image Credit: 10 10 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license)

October 15, 2014 5 comments

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New Solar Panels Slash Cost Of Installation

by Solar Ninja October 15, 2014

written by Solar Ninja

By Steve Hanley

Image Credit: Lloyd Alter (CC BY 2.0)

The Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit applied research and development laboratory whose mission is to foster economic development through the commercialization of clean energy technologies. It is part of the massive German organization Fraunhofer.

Recently, the center announced a breakthrough in solar panel design and installation that will reportedly slash the cost of residential solar PV systems. Christian Hoepfner, the director of the center, says right now that adding solar panels to an existing roof takes many hours of work by an electrician and a roofer. Typically, the final cost ends up being around $4.90 per watt.

But the new system devised by Fraunhofer gets that cost down to just $1.50 per watt — less than a third of the normal expense. To do so, they get rid of the rigid frame that supports most solar panels. Instead, they build their panels on a flexible substrate that is backed with an industrial adhesive. This allows the panels to be affixed directly to the existing shingles. Since the panels weigh no more than an extra layer of shingles, no structural reinforcements of the roof are required. Eliminating the frame also reduces the amount of packaging needed to get the panels from the factory to the job site.

Image Credit: Lloyd Alter (CC BY 2.0)

The Fraunhofer PV units can be installed directly by the homeowner, lowering the cost of a PV system even further. They are connected using a “plug and play” system that feeds a DC to AC inverter. When the installation is complete, an electrician removes the electric meter and installs a standard car charging adapter in the meter base. The output from the inverter gets connected directly to the adapter; no rewiring inside the house is required. Except for removing the meter and installing the adapter, home owners can do the whole job themselves.

It takes a lot of creative thinking to combine new ideas with existing building code requirements. Reducing the cost and complexity of residential solar panels is a big step forward for home owners who want to add energy from the sun to their personal space at an affordable price.

However, that’s not to say this approach is without its limitations and weaknesses. “I have some reservations. I don’t think homeowners should be climbing over their roofs without safety harnesses, and hope that they will still recommend professional installations,” Lloyd Alter of TreeHugger writes. “I am not crazy about the idea of gluing things to shingles; are there going to be moisture and maintenance issues? What about freeze-thaw issues? I would have preferred that it actually was inserted under the tab of a row of shingles at the top so that it actually acts as a giant shingle. And what about velcro instead of glue? And there is more to American housing than low-slope roofs on suburban bungalows, what is the cheap and cheerful solution for them?”

October 15, 2014 7 comments

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The Sun Is Shining On The UK Solar Energy Sector

by Solar Ninja May 20, 2014

written by Solar Ninja

The UK DECC’s (Department of Energy and Climate Change) Consultation on Changes to Financial Support for Solar PV makes interesting reading, especially for those who are considering investing in the solar industry in the UK. Part B of the Consultation is aimed at “promoting the deployment of midscale building-mounted solar PV”.

With energy prices in the UK increasing at eight times the rate of earnings (up 37% since October 2010), solar energy is looking more attractive than ever for both domestic and commercial customers. The provision of sustainable energy on a fixed price, long term contract via solar panels on the roof of a building offers householders and business owners in the UK an inflation beating sustainable energy solution for the future.

CBD Energy is a global energy company that delivers cost-effective and socially responsible clean, green energy solutions to consumers worldwide. CBD Energy has merged with Westinghouse Solar, a UK subsidiary of US based Westinghouse Electric, a company with a rich heritage and a long-standing reputation for reliability, efficiency and professionalism.

Westinghouse Solar Director, James Carpenter has welcomed the DECC’s Consultation, saying:

“It’s great to see DECC acknowledging the benefits of the increased deployment of medium & large scale roof mounted solar in the UK. It’s also positive they’ve recognized that the current structure of financial support isn’t working.”

The UK Solar PV Strategy Part 1, dubbed a “Roadmap to a Brighter Future” describes Solar PV as one of the eight key renewable energy technologies that will help to provide the UK with a balanced energy mix that represents clean, green energy for the 21st Century.

Solar PV is both versatile and scalable with the advantage that deployment is viable in a wide range of locations, including domestic and commercial/industrial buildings. Solar projects have the advantage of quick and easy installation with low maintenance costs and predictable output. The fuel, solar radiation, is free, making this one of the most popular renewable energy technologies here in the UK, with a public approval rating of 85%.

The UK Government is determined to ensure that its policies support solar installation deployment in a sustainable and cost-effective manner by providing certainty to investors and solar developers, as well as households, businesses and communities using solar PV. The government’s strategy for PV has four guiding principles:

• Support for solar PV should enable cost-effective projects to proceed and make a cost-effective contribution to UK carbon emission objectives.

• Support for solar PV should deliver genuine reductions in carbon emissions in order to help meet the UK’s target of 15% renewable energy by 2020. Century.

• Support for solar PV should ensure that installations are sited appropriately with environmental considerations (landscape, visual impact, heritage and local amenity) and should provide the opportunity for local communities to influence decisions.

• Support for solar PV should assess and respond to the impacts of deployment on grid connectivity, grid systems balancing and financial objectives.

According to James Carpenter, this means that “Government policy will finally be aligned to the need; stimulating the distribution of 50kWp + building integrated solar PV installations, so that clean, green electricity can be generated where it’s consumed, on- site.”

Westinghouse, in conjunction with CBD Energy, is committed to enable businesses and schools across the UK to save money on energy bills by installing rooftop solar panels free of charge. The funding for these solar installations is provided via CBD Energy’s Energy Bonds offering, an innovative scheme that offers investors a significant return of 6.5% over three years. Not only will this help to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, it will provide cheap energy for businesses and schools in Britain.

These Energy Bonds are secured against the solar projects themselves, offering investors an increased level of security because if the issuing company does go bust, the installation may be sold to an alternative organization. Once an initial installation has been completed, output is predictable and maintenance costs are relatively low. Income will be generated from the Feed in Tariff (FiT) which was introduced by the government in 2010 in a bid to support businesses, communities and individuals to generate clean, green energy.

While the DECC proposal offers no additional funding under the FiT scheme, it proposes to split the current FiT degression band for Over 50kW installations into two separate bands – one for stand alone and one for other than stand alone. This is aimed at ensuring that small scale renewables can deploy in a cost-effective manner.

Westinghouse Solar’s James Carpenter adds that “It’s a shame DECC fall short of suggesting an increase in the FIT for projects in this range, but Westinghouse Solar remain committed to rolling out free installations to businesses, organizations and schools across the UK, helping to significantly reduce energy bills and cut carbon as we go.”

The increase in solar installations in the UK is an exciting prospect for both investors and users. The government is committed to lowering carbon emissions by at least 34% by 2022 in keeping with the Climate Change Agreement. Moreover, Energy Bonds represent a viable opportunity for socially responsible investment in a time of economic uncertainty.

This article was sponsored by CBD Energy.

Image Credit: Michal Bacia

May 20, 2014 1 comment

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Solar Panels For The Home – What You Need To Consider

by Solar Ninja April 14, 2014

written by Solar Ninja

Solar power is a clean, green energy solution for the 21st Century. Despite the fact that the weather in the UK is so unpredictable, solar energy is a viable option, especially when you consider the fact that the UK’s largest solar farm generated 15% more power than expected during the winter months! With the UK government determined to achieve a 26%–32% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, the use of alternative energy such as solar is being encouraged with a Feed-in Tariff which can lead to homeowners being paid by energy suppliers for surplus energy.

There are many new companies in the UK nowadays who will provide and install solar panels free of charge to homeowners in return for the income generated by the Feed-in Tariff (FiT), which is a great way of going solar without the upfront costs involved. Moreover, solar panels are fairly low in cost, have a reasonably predictable output capacity and need very little in the way of maintenance – this really makes solar power an attractive option. Home furnishings giant IKEA is set to boost solar power in the UK by offering a reasonably priced home system in all of its UK outlets this coming spring. Unlike the company’s flat pack furniture, you won’t need to struggle to install the solar system yourself; IKEA has done a deal with a company who will do the work for you.

If you’re thinking of taking advantage of the sunshine and installing solar panels, whether you’re buying your own or taking advantage of one of the companies offering the panels and installation in return for the income generated by FiT, then here are some of the issues you should consider when looking at solar panels or a company that provides them.

Make sure that the company installing your solar panels is certified by checking on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). MCS is a mark of quality that demonstrates compliance with industry standards.
South-facing homes benefit the most from solar panel installation. However, west- and east-facing roofs are also suitable for installation.
The gradient of your roof will affect the productivity of panels, as will surrounding trees which could block sunlight at certain times of the day.
If your solar panels and installation are being provided free of charge by a company, check the small print of your contract. You may be tied into the energy contract for up to 25 years – check if there is a buy-out option available should you come into some cash that you want to use to do this.
If the solar panel firm fitting your free panels goes bust in the future, then the right to collect your FiT may be transferred to the company’s creditors and could in turn be sold to another company.
Check who would be responsible for roof repairs in the future. If the roof gets damaged by the installation company, then they should bear the cost of repairs. However, if your roof needs repair work that’s not connected to the solar panels, then you may need to cover the company’s feed-in payments while repairs are undertaken.

Solar energy is becoming more popular around the world and especially here in the UK. The industry is in its infancy at present, but with more solar uptake predicted, then the UK government is sure to legislate to ensure that customers are getting a good deal from providers.

Written in partnership with Energy Bonds, a brand of CBD Energy Limited. If you are interested in investing in solar energy, visit Energybonds.co.uk to discover how you can earn money from the sun.

Image: largest rooftop solar array in the UK via DECCgovuk / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

April 14, 2014 0 comment