Hawaii's solar companies could be in for a difficult legislative session as state auditors dig into whether state tax credits are being abused — financial incentives that have propped up the state's fast-growing photovoltaic industry.

Recently, the state Department of Taxation said that it would be auditing homeowners who stretched single solar systems into multiple installations, allowing them to claim multiple refunds. Solar companies have been blamed for perpetuating the unscrupulous practice.

Concerns have also been raised...

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Elektra One performed a demo flight during the EAA AirVenture 2011 show in Oshkosh on Saturday, July 30. Elektra One was designed by Calin Gologan, PC-Aero, Germany. The 1-seat electric aircraft is able to fly with battery-power for up to 4 hours, for a range of 500 km. At 1,400 propeller RPM at cruising altitudes, Elektra One is nearly silent. The plane weighs 440 pounds, including battery, and can carry a payload of 220 pounds, including pilot. Elektra One flies consuming only 6 kW, with zero CO2-emissions. If small electric aircraft can fly, I think scaling up to large aircraft should be easy, technically and economically.

In combination with a Solar Hangar (SunAirport) - sponsored by SolarWorld, one of the biggest solar panel companies in the world - their goal is to combine energy efficiency, low noise and zero emission with low operating costs. See more at http://www.pc-aero.de/

The Elektra One made its maiden flight in March in Augsburg, Germany, where Gologan's vision of marrying the aircraft with a solar-charging hangar was conceptually demonstrated. PC Aero will begin taking orders for the aircraft in Europe and the U.S. in 2012. Gologan intends for a complete system – solar-equipped airplane combined with a hangar – to be priced around $145,000, or 100,000 euro.

SolarWorld's central business activity is selling quality modules into the installation and distribution trades and crystalline wafers to the international solar cell industry. SolarWorld is the largest U.S. manufacturer of solar panels for more than 35 years. SolarWorld and Germany's PC Aero are working together to pioneer the world's first comparatively affordable electric aircraft system complete with solar-equipped aircraft and solar-charging hangar.

Many of us consider the objective of becoming “individually or organizationally energy independent”, to be a worthy and noble one. We can put enough solar PV panels and even some new wind-turbines on our roofs to meet our household and maybe PHEV or EV needs[1,2]. But what about night-time, or several days of rain and no wind? Can batteries or H2-storage with fuel cells, or emergency generators or a combination of them help solve the electricity storage problem?

This paper compares the economics of above storage options for off-grid operation of home communities and businesses. We conclude that the capital cost of batteries is 2-5x lower than the combination of water electrolyzers + fuel cells + H2-storage tanks (WE-FC-H2T), depending on the design-average of battery depth-of-discharge to achieve equal service life to that of a WE-FC-H2T system , even if we conservatively assume that the maintenance costs of battery and WE-FC-H2T systems are equal. Because input solar and wind energy are free, the comparison then boils down to comparing the capital costs. For a nominal 500-kW(peak) & 200-kW(average), clean, off-grid power supply providing 4000 kWh worth of storage (20 hours at 200-kW), we find capital costs of 1.46 to 2.34 M$ for the battery system and 7.0 to 5.4 M$ for the WE-FC-H2T system. The 5.4 M$ lower cost of the latter assumes that it is practical to use the waste heat of the electrolyzer and fuel cell for water heating.

There is one H2-energy storage application, which may well be economically more attractive than even battery electricity storage: It is for a H2-consuming synfuel process, where H2-consuming equipment for steady 24/7 operation is already in place, and the only added cost is to add electrolyzer throughput, i.e. increase total electrolyzer electrode area and power, and add more H2 storage tanks.

There's this newer tendency going along side our obsession with the top wireless gadgets [1], and it's the best way to keep their electric batteries 100 %. With most of the brand-new pads and tablets, mobile handsets, and laptops the only universal problem is the most favorable approach to have them charged. I began browsing for what I would definitely do with many of these different units and now I ponder what I would do with out them. I additionally worry every night if I have each of them on their own proper cables and wires and recharging up for the day ahead.

WindTronics has announced the launch of its much-anticipated Honeywell Wind Turbine, originally announced as a 2-kW(peak) home wind generator, is now available for purchase around the world through WindTronics’ authorized dealer network (authorized dealers, retailers and partners). Best noted for always turning and generating power in as little as 2 mph (up to 45 mph), the Honeywell Wind Turbine’s small size, light weight and negligible noise, ensures everyone with wind has the ability to generate renewable wind energy for their home or business.  Price installed: $9500 according to www.windknowledge.com
This ever-expanding network of distributors, partners and retailers, includes the following companies:

--- WindTronics Full Sales, Service & Warranty Dealers

--- Honeywell Resellers

--- Ace Hardware

--- True Value

--- WESCO Distribution, Inc.