ASES 2010 National Solar Home Tour A Success

The verdict is in and this past Saturday's ASES 2010 National Solar Home Tour was a success, with triple the number of tours than in past years.

 This year there were 695 tours that showcased thousands of solar homes and businesses; triple the number of tours conducted last year.

“From Dillingham, Alaska to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, there is one thing on which Americans can agree: today’s solar technology offers something for everyone, be it tax credits, cash rebates, lower energy bills, jobs for local installers, improved property values, cleaner air or more sustainable communities,” said American Solar Energy Society National Solar Tour Manager Richard Burns.

Some highlights of this year’s tour included Solar Decathlon winner “LumenHAUS” fromVirginia Tech (see video below), a home in Alaska (see image above), a community solar garden in Colorado, a solar charging station for electric vehicles in California, a solar chicken farm in Mississippi, and more.

I'll be posting my experience as a volunteer and a participant in the ASES 2010 National Solar Home Tour on my blog Buy Solar Powered Lights in the next day or so.

Thanks for reading,

Jill Olsen

Marines To Use Solar Powered Light Trailers in Afghanistan

Later this year, Company I of the 3^rd Battalion, 5^th Marine Regiment, based at Camp Pendleton, California will deploy to Afghanistan equipped with solar powered systems, LED lights and solar powered light trailers. This move is in an effort to shorten a long and expensive logistic trail and in line with the Pentagon's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in three years.

Besides the solar power systems, the Marines of Company I will also be using LED lights, which are more durable and longer lasting than fluorescent tubes. The company will also deploy solar-powered light trailers designed to illuminate areas such as checkpoints after dark. The timer-operated trailers can run continuously for 12 hours when fully charged by the sun.

The other concern is cutting the military’s logistical needs for forces scattered across Afghanistan’s often inhospitable terrain. Wired notes that according to operational estimates released in 2009, a single soldier in Afghanistan uses 22 gallons of fuel a day, and delivering each gallon to the war zone costs between $300 and $400.

Makes sense to me that the government would be actively utilizing the most abundant renewable energy source available in Afghanistan, THE SUN to prove power and light for our troops. Glad to hear technology is improving with the appropriate gear needed to make this happen.

You can read more at my blog Buy Solar Powered Lights.

Talk soon,

Jill Olsen

Tucson, Southern Arizona Show Signs of A Solar Boom

Following up on the article I posted earlier in the week UA Tucson Installs Solar Lighted Crosswalk. Today I came across this article in the Tucson Sentinel by Gabrielle Giffords, US Rep for the 8th Congressional District talking about the solar boom in Southern Arizona. Now it's not about solar lights specifically but it is about solar technology and projects being implemented so I thought it was interesting enough to pass on.

Several projects mentioned in the article are; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Southern AZ VA Health Care System, homeowners, the University of Arizona and Solana.

Photo credit: kevindooley/Flickr

A parking lot at ASU is covered by an array of solar panels.

Solar is an economic driver in Southern Arizona, with manufacturers, installers, municipalities, universities, utilities and local, state, and federal governments all taking action to develop our solar industry.

In the first six months of 2010, nearly 1,100 homeowners installed residential solar systems with SunShare rebates from TEP. That is more residential solar systems than had been installed in the previous nine years in TEP's service area.

The city of Tucson, designated a Solar America City, has 13 solar projects planned – projects that will generate about 1.3 megawatts of power. Pima County has several solar projects completed and several more in the planning stages – projects that will save taxpayers about $552,000 per year.

The University of Arizona has a diverse range of innovative solar research projects underway – projects designed to make solar even more affordable and more efficient. The Solar Zone at UA's Science and Technology Park will generate 20 megawatts of power and is envisioned as the largest multi-technology site for solar technologies in the United States.

So there you have it. Looks like Tuscon and Southern Arizona are certainly one of the areas in the US that is leading the way with solar technology.

I'll be keeping my eye on Arizona and Tuscon and letting you know of other solar related projects and news.

You can read more about solar powered lights at my blog.

Thanks for reading, feel free to pass this along.

Talk soon,

Jill Olsen

UNL Installs LED Lighting in Environmentally Friendly Parking Garage

From the articles I'm reading and covering it seems like college campuses are stepping up and taking the lead when it comes to environmentally friendly green building and solar lights. Take this article on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that has built a green parking garage with over 1,000 parking spots for students.

There are many green features to this parking structure, I'm only highlighting the LED lighting in this post.

UNL expects to see a nearly 35 percent savings, or $17,500 a year, in energy as a result of the LED lighting alone, Carpenter said.

Sensors that detect activity and light levels further enhance the lighting system. During the day, the sensors turn interior lights on and off depending on the amount of sunshine inside. In the evening, lights dim to 50 percent when motion isn't detected

.The university plans to replace incandescent fixtures in other parking structures with LED lights.

As always it's great to pass along such great news and especially the potential savings for using solar powered lights and LED lighting. I cover other aspects of solar powered lighting on my blog, check it out.

Thanks for reading, feel free to pass this along,

Talk soon,

Jill Olsen

Solar Powered LIghts added to Running Trail Near Beale Air Force Base

Today I'm passing along this article about 272 solar powered lights added to the more than 2 miles of running trail from the Coyote Run Golf Course to the edge of base housing at Beale Air Force Base, CA

Let's see the benefits are, relatively small investment up front, saves money with no electricity costs, increases safety, expands hours trail can be used (earlier/later in the day) thereby hopefully increasing people's overall health. (Yes I realize people have to actually use the trail to get a health benefit from it.) 

Kudos to Beale Air Force Base for installing and embracing solar powered light technology.

Read more on my blog at Buy Solar Powered Lights.

Thanks for reading and talk soon,

Jill Olsen