Links to Information about Solar Energy

Pacific Energycompany:  Supplying San Luis Obispo County with clean burning stoves, fireplaces and solar energy equipment.
Pacific Solar Screens Las Vegas:  Product shades window blinds from sun fading and conserves energy.
Parabolic-Trough Technology :  Roadmap document recently published by SunLab (PDF format)
Passive Solar Housing:  How to build homes that use less than half the energy of conventional homes yet will fit into a typical suburban neighborhood.
Peak Energy:  Energy management consultancy, including wind and solar. Profile, services and tariff.
Philadelphia Million Solar Roofscommunity Partnership:  Find out about this collaboration of local organizations and small businesses committed to helping the five county region of Southeastern Pennsylvania contribute over 500 new solar energy installations by 2010.
Photo Voltaic Energy Servicecompanies:  Project of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) which attempts to demonstrate a framework through which solar electricity services can be provided in rural areas of Zambia in a sustainable manner.
Photovoltaic (Solar Cell) Systems:  Producing electricity directly from sunlight.
Photovoltaic Cells:  Photovoltaic (PV) cells are devices that convert sunlight to electricity, bypassing thermodynamic cycles and mechanical generators. PV stands for photo (light) and voltaic (electricity), whereby sunlight photons free electrons from common silicon. The phenomenon was first discovered in the 18th century. The photovoltaic cells were developed at Bell Labs in 1950 primarily initially for space applications. The Hubbell telescope utilizes solar panels for its energy requirements. 
Photovoltaicscom:  buy and sell used, broken and new solar cells and panels. 
Pioneer Systems Alternative Energy Power Sources:  Wind power turbines and generators, solar electric, battery powered AC for remote sites, remote telecommunications
Policies To Support A Distributed Energy System:  by Thomas J. Starrs and Howard J. Wenger
Powersat Corporation:  Describes and promotes a concept of placing large solar cells in orbit and wirelessly transferring the energy to a receiving station on earth. 
Princeton University Physics Department:  Borexino Group. Experiment being performed in Italy designed to detect low-energy solar neutrinos.
Public Education And Professional Training:  by Larry Shirley, Shawn Fitzpatrick, and Chris Larsen
PV Web:  Information about photovoltaic power and solar electricity from the British Photovoltaic Association, which supports development of these technologies in the UK. 
PVACCEPT | Photovoltaics Research Project:  PVACCEPT is a European Union funded German-Italian research and demonstration project. It aims at designing and developing marketable solar modules for electricity generation. 
PVTEC:  Photovoltaic Power Generation Technology Research Association
Pyramid Powercompany:  Transportable remote area power system. Based on solar energy, Pyramid Power is a total package , including Solar modules Photovoltaic), Batteries, Inverter, Regulator
Pyronsolar:  designers of a photovoltaic power plant concept using optical tracking to maximize energy conversion. 
QIS Solarwise Solar Energy Pool Heating And Insulation:  QIS is in the energy conservation industry. Specialises in Solarwise Pool heating, Ventilation, and Insulation products for domestic, commercial and industrial markets.
Ra Energy Foundation :   
Ready Made Resources:  Offers books, foods, medical supplies, weapons of mass destruction protection, non-electric appliances, solar and wind energy equipment, and videos.
Renewable Energy Association Of Central Texas :   
Renewable Northwest Projet:  Solar Energy Technology 
Renwable Energy Access :  Get the latest Renewable Energy News – conveniently delivered to your email in-box, every business day!
Residential Energy Efficiency Database:  Savings guide; construction; site, solar, and house plans; attics, insulation and vapor barriers.
Retractable Solar Screens:  Offering solar screens, retractable patio awnings and energy saving products.
RE-Wrenches:  Messages forum for solar installers and interested bystanders.
RF Energy Via Ionospheric Reflection:  Presents a concept and experiment data for extracting RF energy from the Solar excitation of the ionosphere layers and a simple reflecting antenna system.
Rural Electrification With Solar Energy As A Climate Protection Strategy (January 2000):  As the world struggles to control energy-related greenhouse gases, electricity-starved rural families in the developing world toil to build decent lives. Photovoltaic systems provide a unified solution, bringing power to these that need it, while making a moderate but important contribution to climate protection. [html format]
RV Solar Electric Inc :  Solar consulting, information, education and products in the field of alternative energy for recreational vehicles. Good RV information.
RV Solar Power:  RV solar power system. Personal home page describing the installation of a complete RV photovoltaic system in a 5th wheel. Pictures and diagrams. 

Links to Information about Solar Energy

Illinois Solar Energy Association:  Seeks to provide education and resources through monthly meetings, sponsored events, expositions, and competitions. Site features educational articles, newsletter, rebate program information and links.
Independent Step-By-Step Guide To Purchasing A Solar Energy System – Solarbuzz:   
Indirect Forms Of Solar Energy:   
Industry Development Strategy For The PV Sector:  by Eric Ingersoll, Daniel C. Gallagher, and Romana A. Vysatova
Insolation (Solar Radiation) Data Base 30 Year:  Database of actual measured solar radiation for hundreds of US cities over a 30-year period. This is the standard database for figuring nearly all-solar electric systems.
Inspira:  Custom design, prototyping, manufacturing and testing of equipment for the solar energy industry.
Institut For Solar Technology SPF:  A research and testing institute for thermal solar energy. Main specialties: collectors, systems, materials and software to calculate and optimize collector system properties. [German, English, French, Spanish, Italian]
Institute For Sustainable Power:  nonprofit corporation, organized to provide a quality framework for the accreditation of training programs.
Inti Tech:  Solar energy system consultant specialists in AC/DC photovoltaic hydroelectric power generation. Offers alternative energy solutions for electricity production, water delivery, communications and remote living applications.
ISECO Solar Energy Co  Ltd :  Providing solar water heating systems for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Includes a list of completed projects.
ISES 2005 Solar World Congress:  Links to call for papers, preliminary schedule for 5 day International Solar Energy Society event in Orlando, Florida (USA).
ISES Italia Sezione Dellinternational Solar Energy Society:  Associazione per la formazione e l’informazione nel campo delle fonti di energia rinnovabile e gli usi razionali dell’energia.
JC Solar House Plans And Solar Collectors:  Contains a lot of information about solar energy panels, solar hot water, and solar collectors.
Jerry Halsteads:  EV conversion of 1985 Mazda with full web based chronicle. Excellent site! 
Kangaroo Building Services:  Residential and commercial window cleaning/power washing, as well as sales and installation of energy efficient solar screens. Includes company history and references.
Kiraly Josef:  Photographs of completed solar panel home projects. Includes energy requirements. Based in Austria.
L5 Development Group:  A privately funded, for profit, space exploration and development program whose initial business plan is to build space colonies at L5 and manufacture solar power satellites to meet the Earth’s energy needs
LC Solar:  Wholesale suppliers of photovoltaic solar panels worldwide. An article on solar energy can be found along with product details, information on their use, care and warranty.
LENS:  Low Energy Neutrino Spectroscopy aims to measure the solar neutrino spectrum at low energy in real time.
LH2com Hydrogen And Liqud Hydrogen Energy Resources:  Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) or Hydrogen Energy website. Chat with like minds on our bulletin board. Search manufacturers, inventors, investors, fuel cells, energy, wind, solar, cars, international news.
Lino Apontes:  site to informs Puerto Rico locals about solar energy.
NEW  Living on Solar Energy: We have created this site to show how we are living on solar. We have made and will be making solar videos that can be watched through this site showing the various ways that we use the sun to provide for our energy needs.
Low Temperature And Solar Stirling Engines:  Stirling engines that demonstrate the conversion of unconcentrated sunlight or low temperature heat into mechanical energy. These engines are suitable as demonstration models in schools and universities.
Manytracks:  Information about homesteading, organic gardening, self-sufficiency, seed saving, solar energy and recumbent bicycles.
Metcalfs Solar Power And Light:  Details about a home solar photovoltaic system in Glendale, California. 
Methods Of Producing Energy Out Of Solar Heat :  from the Polytechnical College of Esslingen, Germany.
Mexico Solar:  Offers design, installation, and maintenance of solar energy home heating and water heating devices.
Michael Bott:  BP Solar 1.7Kwh system installed and commissioned on 6 Jan 2005. I have been monitoring the systems output daily and placing system output data on the site. 
Michael Klemen:  my renewable energy experiences including lots of real life wind turbine/PV data and service histories for 9 different turbines are here.
Michael Macfaden:  A residential grid-tied PV system install with a live 24-hour production report.
Microsolar:  manufacturer and exporter of multi-valve solar water heating systems and solar panels for residential and industrial applications. 
Million Solar Roofs Solar Technologies: Solar Hot Water :  This site provides information on the US Department of Energy’s sponsored Million Solar Roofs Initiative. This initiative will enable businesses and communities to install solar systems on one million rooftops across the United States by 2010.
Mobile Solar:  Specializing in wireless energy such as solar cells/chargers, flashing antennae and phone accessories.
Moscow We Have A Problem:  An interview with NASA officials about a serious accident aboard the Mir station caused when the Mir cosmonauts lost control of a resupply ship, crashing it into the space station. The collision caused a depressurization and damaged the station’s solar panels. [PBS]
MSK Corporation :   
Mystery Of Nazca Lines:  Alla Belokon suggests that the lines represent our Solar system planets as crystal structure nodes, and was built by a flow of directed energy of unknown nature from the air.
NASA Langley Distributed Active Archive (DAAC) :  Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy Data Set 
NASA SOHO:   
National Center For Photovoltaics (NCPV):  U.S. Department of Energy. Research and development, and information source on photovoltaics. Website includes a virtual library of online reference materials and photographs on photovoltaic technology, educational materials, links to commercial suppliers and other web resources. 
National Park Service Renewable Energy Applications:   
National Photovoltaic Environmental Health And Safety Assistance Center:  Information and analysis on environmental aspects of photovoltaic (solar electric) technology, including concerns about heavy metals in solder. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Natural Energy Solar Pool Heating Systems:  Solar pool heating systems, installations in California and Nevada. Ordering information, product descriptions and specifications.
Natural Energy Source:  Offers a variety of natural energy products and turnkey wind and solar power arrangements.
Nemo Solar DC Submersible Well Pumps:  Sells energy-efficient 12 and 24 VDC submersible well pumps, to be powered by battery, inverter, or directly by solar modules.
Nevada PV Pilot With Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) (Nevada PV Bill):  Pilot programs have been approved to accelerate the market development for distributed PV installations in schools, public buildings, and individual residential and small business establishments.
New Jersey Zero Energy Remodeling Project Points The Way To Gains In Residential Energy Efficiency:   
Next Edge:  Provider of energy solutions, energy efficient lighting, HVAC retrofitting, cogeneration, back-up power, and solar energy.
Noaas Solar And Thermal Atmospheric Radiation (STAR)  :   
Noaas SURFRAD Network:   
North Sun 2001 Conference:  A conference focusing on all aspects of solar energy.
Norwegian Solar Energy Society (ISES Norway):  Features contact information and links. (Most of the site is in Norwegian.)
Novasol Inc: Solar And Wind Energy:  Sales, installations, system designs.
NREL: Photovoltaics For Buildings:  includes information on photovoltaics (PV) or solar electricity for homes and commercial buildings and PV research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 
Number One Source Ltd :  Offers solar energy, passive cooling and wind energy systems including system design, procurement and construction. Includes news on current projects. Located on the West Bank.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Engineering Science And Technology Division
:  R&D organization specializing in industrial and buildings energy efficiency; energy utilization technologies; transportation analysis; solar technology; and related areas.
Optical Energy Technologies Inc :  Manufacture non-tracking concentrating solar collectors, and install and service solar energy systems. Includes product overviews and photographs.
Overview Of Solar Thermal Technologies:  an overview of the technologies for generating electricity from the concentration of solar thermal energy, this site is maintained by EREN.

Links to Information about Solar Energy

Eagle 1 Manufacturing:  manufacturer of solar powered lighting and water distribution systems as well as agricultural/pest control sprayers. 
Earthright Solar Products:  Energy efficient appliances, solar, wind and waterpower, efficient lighting products, water filtration, composting toilets, and solar powered short-wave radios. Order by phone or mail order.
Edwards Energy Systems Pty Ltd:  Manufacturers and markets domestic and commercial hot water heating systems, gas, oil, electric and solar.
Enercontrol Technologies Inc :  Sales and manufacture of energy saving products for homes, industries and offices, featuring In’Flector solar comfort panels.
Energy Ministère Des Ressources Naturelles:  Information on how the Québec government and its partners develop, distribute and manage natural resources, in particular hydro-electricity and new forms of energy such as solar and wind energy.
Energy Savers Solar Screens:  Sells and installs window screens.
Energy Science News:   
Energy Source:  Designs and installs radiant heat systems, boilers, solar heating, and central air conditioning. Lists products, services, FAQs, and related links.
Enolar Systems Marketing Pvt  Ltd :  Mfrs. of Solar Energy Devices such as Solar Water Heaters, Solar Cookers, Solar Lighting, Solar Dryers, etc.
EPA Solar Site:  This site focuses on EPA’s solar-related activities.)
Ericson Solar:  providing custom design and installation of photovoltaic systems in Northern California and sales of components. 
Ersol Solar Energy AG:  Produktion von polykristallinen Solarzellen und Solarmodulen zum Einsatz in Photovoltaik-Anlagen. Vorstellung der Produkte und Anwendungsbereiche, und Messetermine.
Expanding Markets For Photovoltaics: What To Do Next (December 1998):  Notwithstanding economic progress, markets for photovoltaics (PV) remain small and scattered. Based on extensive research and professional review, we endorse the product path to expand PV markets, as described in a ten-point package of recommendations.
Expert Solar Systems:  Installs and services solar energy products, pool heating and domestic hot water systems, hybrid electric supplies and related products.
Farrimond Contracting:  Remodeling, cabinetwork, tile, paint, electrical, solar energy and other projects. Includes experience, services, and contacts.
Financing Large-Scale Increases In PV Production Capacity Through Innovative Risk-Management Structures And Contracts:  by Eric Ingersoll, Robert DiMatteo, and Romana A. Vysatova
Financing Solar Energy In The U.S. (July 1999):  This scoping paper establishes a framework for a potential future project on the "financeability" of solar energy. It considers solar energy from the point of view of potential lenders, who assess the likelihood of repayment, first from the borrower’s cash flow and good character; second from the solar system’s collateral value; and finally from third-party guarantees.
Finley Shapiro:  Solar Energy consultant. Philadelphia PA
First S RAMP Conference 2000:  Conference held October 2-6, 2000 to review a five-year effort to optimize the analysis of data obtained during STEP (Solar-Terrestrial Energy Program, 1990-1997). Reports and abstracts available online.
Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) :  Meteorological Station  
Florida Solar Energy Research & Education Foundation :  This Florida solar energy research and education organization provides the latest information regarding a number of active solar programs in Florida including homebuilder and utility initiatives. Also included is information on the various solar technologies, a photo library, and links to numerous other solar energy sites.
Focus Solar Water Heater:  Manufacturer and exporter of solar energy heating systems including solar water heater and evacuated heat pipe solar collector.
Forrest Cooks :  electronic circuits page contains a wide variety of free electronic circuits including a section on solar power circuitry. 
Future Of Solar Energy:  The success of solar power will depend on the answer to the following question: ‘What do you do when the sun goes down?’ The simple answer is to build an auxiliary system that will store energy when the sun is out.. However, the problem is that such storage systems are unavailable today. Simple systems, like water pipes surrounded by vacuum, do exist. It is based on the concept that provided the pipes are insulated, the water will store thermal energy. 
G Tek:  develops photovoltaics projects and solar energy systems ( zero emission ) for civil and industrial power applications. 
Gallium Neutrino Observatory:  An solar neutrino detector at Gran Sasso, Italy, measuring low energy solar neutrino flux. The successor experiment to GALLEX.
George Matthews:  articles on renewable energy and the reasons for it (geotherapy) and some practical projects: biogas & water hyacinth in Africa.
GEWEX Continental Scale International Project (GCIP) Surface Radiation Budget (SRB) Data  Http://Wwwmetoumdedu/~Srb) :   Surface Radiation Budget (SRB) Data  
Google says, ‘Here comes the sun’:  Google Inc. is converting its renowned headquarters to run partly on solar power, hoping to set an example for corporate America.  The undertaking will be the largest solar project by a U.S. company. Google believes the sun eventually can deliver as much as 30 percent of the power at its 1-million-square-foot campus in Mountain View — a suburb about 35 miles south of San Francisco….
Great Lakes Energy:  Alternative energy systems. Solar (photovoltaic) power systems; Trace inverters, chargers and controllers; storage batteries and installations.
Green Ideals:  Eco-friendly products include recycled office supplies, organic clothing, solar gadgets, alternative energy products, personal care, pet supplies, house wares, toys, garden supplies, and biodegradable cleaners.
Green Store:  Offers organic clothing, natural bedding, solar and wind home energy systems and alternative health remedies.
Greenfield Hydroponics Systems Inc :  Manufacturers of solar, 110/220 volt powered portable greenhouse to grow sprouts, herbs, leafy vegetables, medicinal plants, mushroom, seedlings for commercial crops and reforestation. 
Greenstreet Construction And Consulting:  Construction firm specializing in high-performance green building for both new construction and renovation. Also provide LEED consulting and solar, wind, and geothermal energy system design and installation.
Group Makes Plastic Solar Energy Cells:  [CNN]
Guanming Lighting Manufacturer:  Exporter of outdoors lighting, street lighting, garden lighting, and wall recessed lighting, solar energy lamp.
Guy Marsdens:  web log about the design and installation of his workshop heating system (see his article in HP#89 p.34-43)
Halo Energy :   
Harmony Solar:  providing design, installation, and maintenance for passive solar and solar electric arrays. 
Harter Industries Inc :  Harter Industries, Inc. produces technologically advanced solar pool heaters for any swimming pool or spa. Solar pool heating utilizes energy from the sun. Harter Industries, Inc. manufactures Hi-Tec, Hi-Temp and EZ Heat Solar Pool Heaters.
Hat Creek Electronic Publishing:  "Understanding and Installing Your Own Solar Electric System"
Hazards Of Solar Energy  Solar Circuit Designs:   
HEASARC:  High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center. Provides an archive of data on and software for analyzing gamma ray, X-ray, and extreme ultraviolet observations of cosmic non-solar sources.
Heavens Solar Technology :   
Helioakmi Ltd :  manufactures and exports Megasun solar water heaters and forced circulation systems for home and professional use. 
HESSI At Berkeley:  This site provides information on the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, a NASA spacecraft able to make high-resolution images and spectra of the soft x-ray and gamma-ray emission of the Sun.
HESSI Home Page:  HESSI, High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
High-Flux Solar Furnaces:  from the Polytechnical College of Esslingen, Germany.
Hotwire Enterprises:  High output wind generators, solar panels (Siemens and Canrom), low-amp port fans, and related products available for folks who need to be energy-independent.
How Do Different Solar Technologies Effect The Environment?:
How Much Does Solar Power Cost?:   
How Solar Works:  "Photo" means light and "voltaic" means electricity, so photovoltaic (PV) systems create electricity from light. PV provides a powerful solution for today’s energy needs. PV is clean, economical, reliable and versatile, harnessing the infinite power of the sun. Oil supplies and energy prices fluctuate, but the sun always shines. In fact, every hour, the Earth receives more solar energy than it uses from burning fossil fuels for an entire year!
Hydro Energy:  Das Unternehmen bietet Beratung, Planung, Forschung und Entwicklung in den Bereichen Erdwärme und Solarenergie für intelligente und zukunftssichere Systeme aller Art in Haushalt, Gewerbe und Industrie.

Links to Information about Solar Energy

Solar Panels for Homes
Provides the resources you need when considering a residential solar photovoltaic system. We provide information on how to perform a site evaluation, compare the different solar technologies available, and keep you informed of the latest trends in the industry.

The Kosmer Solar House ProjectThe Passive Solar Home
John Kosmer  built a new traditional style 4000 sq. ft. passive solar home for $125.00 a sq. ft. that heats for $2.50 a day ($900-1200 a year in the cold Upstate, NY region).  The website explains how the home was built and how it functions. This home, heated by the sun, cost about the same a comparable size new ENERGY STAR qualified home but uses less than 70% of the energy of that comparable new home. 80% is possible if this home was not in the Snow Belt in and had regular height ceilings.
 

A Consumer’s Guide, Get Your Energy From The Sun :  Free publication from the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Division 
A Review Of Solar Food Drying:   
A Solar Ammonia Absorption Ice Maker:   
ABRASO SL:  Thermic Solar-Integrated System 150 Liters
AGL Solar Solutions: With AGL, you can capture the energy of the sun to reduce your electricity costs and help the environment. That’s real power. And it’s available to homes and businesses now.
Absorption Of Solar Energy By Different Colors:  A simple experiment testing the effect color has on the absorption and reflection of solar energy.
Accelerating PV Markets In Developing Countries:  by Michael Philips and Brooks H. Browne
Allen & Pats Earthship:  Information about Earthship construction, alternative housing, rammed earth, old worn out tires, aluminum cans, solar energy, renewables, recycling, sustainability, and clean living.
An Introduction To Solar Power:  A paper that provides a general overview of solar power, including the latest solar technologies, cost, and commercial players.
Anderson Energy Group L C :  Commercial thermal solar energy, storage, and self-tracking system.
Apex Distribution:  Specializing in the importing and distribution of products that include ozone air purifiers, massage, solar energy and beauty products.
Are There Different Types Of Technologies Associated With Solar Power?:   
ATD Solar & Security:  Installer of 3M Sun Control Window Film for homeowners and commercial facilities. Includes company information, FAQ, and energy tips.
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program :   
Aurora Vehicle Association Inc:  Aurora Energy is the region’s premier solar supplier. As a design-build contractor, we specialize in custom turnkey solutions to your solar energy needs. Our staff has installed hundreds of solar energy systems with over 30 years combined experience in both the residential and commercial sectors. We are fully licensed, insured, and certified.
Australian Academy Of Science:   Intro to Solar Energy
Australian Solar And Air:  Energy efficient solar water heating equipment, including household and swimming pools in conjunction with solar electric.
Backwards To The Future Solar Energy Systems:  supplier and contractor installer of vacuum tube heat pipe technology. 
Beijing Enpower Solar Energy Industry Co Ltd:  Develops and manufactures heat collecting pipe for use in solar energy water heater series products. Includes pictures of products and specifications. Located in Daxing.
Birds Of The Six Waters:  International environmental consultancy offering services in developing sustainable projects. Describes expertise and services in areas including soil conservation, fish propagation for aquaculture, recycling, energy re-use, solar power, and eco-friendly irrigation system design.
Blending Wind And Solar Into The Diesel Generator Market (Winter 2001) :  Diesel generators are a significant source of air pollution in the United States. This is the first and most comprehensive look at diesel’s environmental impacts and recommended renewable energy solutions.
Borealis Photon Chips :   
BP Solarex :  Details of British Petroleum’s photovoltaic module manufacturing activities, now owned like Solarex below by BP/Amoco.
Bredondale Solar:  Supplies and installs solar energy products which significantly reduce both pollution of the environment and the expenditure on conventional fuels.
Bright Future For Hawaiis Energy Pioneers:  News Article about hydrogen, wind and solar companies in Hawaii.
Build It Solar:   helps people with DIY skills who have no solar experience to build successful solar projects. 
California PTC Ratings:  Power output ratings for hundreds of different PV modules for the California solar rebate program.
Can Renewables Sustain Affluent Society?:  Considers a few renewable energy sources, then addresses ‘the storage problem’. Considers batteries, crushed rock, solar ponds, pumped hydro, hydrogen and thermochemical.
Canadian Outdoor Technologies:  The company sells marine equipment and boat care products and provides solar energy solutions.
Carleton Place High School Solar Team:  Dedicated to the design, construction, and teamwork behind the winning model solar car from CPHS. 
Cenergia Energy Consultants:  Cenergia performs analysis and design of solar low-energy buildings incorporating ecological measures, optimising ventilation system, etc. (Danish and English)
Center For Astrophysics & Space Sciences:  An interdisciplinary research unit for research and graduate study in astronomy, astrophysics, and space sciences. Areas of specialization include high-energy astrophysics, optical and ultraviolet astronomy, infrared astronomy, radio astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, cosmology, solar physics, space plasma physics, interferometry, and astronomical instrumentation.
Central American Solar Energy Project:  promotes the construction and use of solar cookers by supporting community projects in Central America. 
Central Solar Systems:  Sales, installation and service of energy efficient products, including solar and heat pump hot water heaters. Also providing heating solutions for swimming pools and spas.
Centre For Sustainable Energy Systems:  The Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSES) at the Australian National University (ANU) is a leader in photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal energy. The Centre has 40 staff and research students. Its work covers the spectrum from basic R&D through to commercial contract research.
China Diesel:  Specializing in diesel generators, and other alternative energy sources including solar, wind and waterpower, inverters and battery backup.
Citipower:  Online services such as connections, billing and payment, energy efficiency, and education. Also offers renewable energy, including solar, wind, hydro and biomass. Australian company.
Codes & Standards:  Most by John Wiles. Articles and information on the NEC Code as it applies to solar electric systems. Many of the articles have appeared in Home Power Magazine.
Collector Systems:   
Concentrating Solar Power Program:  this is the home page of this new Program from the US Department of Energy.
Concentrating Solar Systems:  Using the sun’s heat to produce electricity.
Connect Energy:  Manufactures photovoltaic charge controllers, and accessories. PWM regulation power centers for solar, wind, hydro, alternative energy. Also sold under the Pulse Energy name.  Located in Grass Valley, California
Conserv A Store:  Energy and resource-saving products, including electrical, solar, plumbing, and a large number of other eco-friendly items.
Cooperativecommunity Energy :   
Creative Energies A Renewable Energycompany:  new link — Wyoming’s full-service renewable energy company featuring solar, wind, and water solutions for business and residential customers.
Deep Underground Science And Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL):  Lead, SD. Specific basic research topics include solar, atmospheric, long-baseline, supernova and high-energy astrophysical neutrinos; double beta decay; and precision assay of radionucleides.
Deluge Inc:  offers thermal hydraulic engines to replace electric motors, steam turbines, and other engines in any application.
Dennis Davey AIA:  On-line design services. Custom design house plans, specializing in solar energy, energy conservation and affordable housing.
DOE Photovoltaic Energy:  Online documents pertaining to photovoltaic energy, solar power, solar cells, and other related subjects.

Solar Cell Circuits

What is Solar Energy?
Solar Energy Basics  –  Passive Solar – Photovoltaic
Solar Cooking –  Solar Sails – Solar Radiation – Solar Thermal – Geothermal

Videos:  Geothermal – Photovoltaic – Solar Energy – Solar Thermal 

 

Solar Cell Circuits

Solar Monitor Circuits

Quick Facts about Solar Energy

  • “Solar” is the Latin word for “sun.”
  • The sun provides energy in two forms – light and heat. The sun can be used to heat water in our homes and businesses. It can also produce electricity. Energy produced by the sun is called solar power.
  • Since the beginning of mankind we have used the energy of the sun to dry clothes and food, but it wasn’t until 1954 that scientists in the United States worked out a way to use the sun to create electricity.
  • Sunlight that shines on the Earth in just one hour could meet world energy demand for an entire year!
  • Various types of solar thermal devices are now available in the country these includes solar water heaters, solar cookers, solar stills, solar dryers etc. apart from these devices, solar energy is also being used particularly in the colder areas of the country for space heating by including solar passive features in the buildings; and for agriculture by utilizing solar greenhouses.
  • In the 1830s, explorer John Herschel used a solar collector to cook food during an adventure in Africa.

FAQ’s for Solar Energy

Links for teachers and parents:

Industry Associations

American Solar Energy Society (ASES)

Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)

Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)

Data Sources & References

EERE State Incentives & Partnerships

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE)

Learn more about Net-Metering

Renewable Energy Resource Data Center – Get Solar Maps and GIS Data

Solar power:  Solar power, but what is solar power? and how will you make the best use of it? well, the answer to this is very….

The Solar Guide:  This website that makes solar energy accessible and understandable to you. The Solar Guide aims to give consumers the practical information they want, about buying solar and renewable energy systems.

Solar Panels for Homes
Provides the resources you need when considering a residential solar photovoltaic system. We provide information on how to perform a site evaluationcompare the different solar technologies available, and keep you informed of the latest trends in the industry.

U.S. Government Programs & Resources

U.S. Department of Energy

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

DOE’s Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

Million Solar Roofs Initiative

U.S. Products and/or Services

Creative Energies A Renewable Energy Company:  Wyoming’s full-service renewable energy company featuring solar, wind, and water solutions for business and residential customers.

Bright Green Energy: Source for Solar and Photovoltaic Panels, Wind Turbines, Rutland wind chargers, Aerogen wind generators, Batteries, Inverters and other solar powered products.

US Solar Signs:  Manufacturer of solar powered signs for real estate, business and commercial applications. Patented design. No electrical wiring or maintenance is required. Battery-operated signs are recharged daily with solar energy. Signs can be customized to meet your application.

NEW  Powerenz:  Portable Solar Power Units- Ultra-Lightweight Portable Solar Power Units that can be custom made for any application.

More General Solar Links

 

Solar Thermal

Solar Thermal Electricity

The intense energy of the sun has long been used to heat liquids. Among the first mechanical uses of the sun was a 20-square-meter, parabolic concentrating reflector that boiled water and produced steam. This steam was used in a steam-driven printing press at the 1878 World’s Fair in Paris.

In the late 1800s, relying upon the sun to heat water was common practice in the southwestern United States. Photos can be found showing pioneer families proudly showing off new homes equipped with solar water heaters. At one point, almost a quarter of the residents of Los Angeles relied upon the sun to heat their water with rooftop solar thermal systems.

The sun’s heat can be used in two ways with homes and businesses. The sun is used to heat water for domestic hot water systems, or the sun’s light can be concentrated and water temperatures increased to make steam and electricity.

Please suggest additional links       

 

Solar Thermal Links

How Solar Thermal and Photovoltaics Work:  Have you ever felt warm water trickle out of a garden hose that’s been sitting in the sun? If so, then you’ve witnessed solar water heating in action.
Solar Collector and Greenhouse:  Manual covers everything from exact material lists to avoiding common problems. 
Solar Lightguide:  Description of a cost-effective solar concentrating collector. [PDF] 
Solar Thermal Water Heater: Solar Panel and Exterior Pipe Installation:   
Solar Water Heater:  Build this one yourself as it is a bolt together design that can be built in the average home workshop with a limited amount of engineering skills and equipment 
Solarwall Article:  Environmental Building News reports on solar walls, preheating incoming air that doesn’t require glazing or any other high-maintenance parts. 
Sterling Solar:  Producing power from thermal sources, including geothermal, waste steam, solar, and biofuels. 
Temperature Logger:  Contains a full description of how to build a temperature logger and solar heated water controller.

Please suggest additional links

Solar Cooking

A History of Solar Cooking:
A Parabolic Cooker for Unattended Cooking:   
A Simple Solar (Sunflower) Autoclave Design:   
A Story Illustrating the Application of Solar Cooker Design Principles in a Field Project:   
An Alignment Template for Unattended Solar Cooking
Balancing the Scales — Reducing Inequities with Solar Box Cookers:   
Big Adventure of a Little Solar Cooker:   
Bob Culbertsons Heat Booster:   
Canning Fruits with a Solar Box Cooker:   
Comparison of Lids for Greenhouse Pots for Solar Panel Cookers:   
complete text of book Expanding World of Solar Box Cooking:
Converting a Box Cooker to Have Round Inner Walls
Cooking smoke: a pervasive killer in developing countries
Cooking Ugali in a Solar Box Cooker:   
Developing an Intuitive Feel for the Dynamics of Solar Cooking:   
Do High Efficiency Woodstoves Create More Greenhouse Gasses?
Easy Lid Cooker:  Although designs for cardboard cookers have gotten simpler, fitting a lid can still be difficult and time consuming. In this version, a lid is formed automatically from the outer box.
Ecological Cookers: An essential Element in Bettering Household Health:   
Energy Crisis on a Global Scale — Solar Cookers offer a practical solution:   
Estimate Your Cost Savings from Solar Cooking:   
Food Safety and Solar Cooking:   
Fuelwood as Percentage of Energy Consumption in Developing Countries:   
Horace de Saussure and his Hot Boxes of the 1700s
Importance of Eye Safety in Solar Cooking:   
Information on the solar absorbtivity and emmitance of various materials :   
International Standards for Testing Solar Cookers
Interview with S Narayanaswami on solar cooking in India
Introduction to Solar Cooking:   
Kerr-Cole Large Solar Panel/Propane Hybrid Stoves:
Making and using a solar cooker :  new link — It was during those days that I saw my first solar cooker and began the hobby that led to the cooker described in this article. I started out building the most efficient styles I could come up with. Later, while keeping this efficiency, I strove to simplify the building process, the materials needed, and the actual use of the cooker. The cooker is now basically cardboard, aluminum foil, and glass. Yet, because of the design, it is remarkably efficient and durable. 
Minimum Solar Box Cooker :  A great solar oven you can build quickly from two cardboard boxes
Mipango ya jiko la jua:   
Pot with Integrated Greenhouse for Solar Panel Cooker: 
Principles of Solar Box Cooker Design:  The purpose of this paper is to summarize the basic principles that are used in the design of solar box cookers.
Rating Solar Cookers:   
Recipe for Solar Seed Bars:   
Recipes for Wheat Paste:   
Report from the 1992 World Conference on Solar Cooking in Stockton California :   
Robustness of a Reflective Solar Cooker:   
Side-By-Side Comparison of the Various Panel Cookers
Solar box cookers:  Half the inhabitants of Earth cook over wood fires. Nearly half the world’s wood supply is used as fuel. But there’s not enough of it to go round — more than 2 billion people now face shortages of fuelwood. Forests in the developing countries are shrinking by more than 15 million hectares a year. The critical forest-to-people ratio has never been lower — worldwide, it is now less than half what it was in 1960.
Solar Box Cookers for Schools:   
Solar Cookers a Hit at Rio Conference:   
Solar Cookers Support All of the United Nations MDG Goals
Solar Cooking on the Roof:   
Solar cooking recipes:   
Solar Crêperie:   
Solar Dryer Systems and the Internet: important resources to improve food preparation:   
Solar Oven Society:  Restoration of water pumping windmills. Water system design and consultation
Solar Oven Trackers:   
Solar Ovens for Developing Countries:   
SunPan:  new link — The "SunPan" was specifically designed to be built in any country with local materials and hand tools, a hometown solar cooker.  This solar cooker can be mass-produced. 
Sustainable Kitchen:   
Testing and Reporting Solar Cooker Performance from ASEA
The Big Adventure of a Little Solar Cooker:   
The complete text of the book The Expanding World of Solar Box Cooking:   
The Easy Lid Cooker:  Although designs for cardboard cookers have gotten simpler, fitting a lid can still be difficult and time consuming. In this version, a lid is formed automatically from the outer box.
The Energy Crisis on a Global Scale — Solar Cookers offer a practical solution:   
The Importance of Eye Safety in Solar Cooking
The Kerr-Cole Large Solar Panel/Propane Hybrid Stoves
The Minimum Solar Box Cooker :  new link — A great solar oven you can build quickly from two cardboard boxes
The Solar Crêperie:   
The Sustainable Kitchen:   
The Untapped Market for Solar Cookers:   
The WHO Golden Rules for Safe Food Preparation:
Theories behind a Chinese Reflective Solar Cooker
Through-the-Wall Ovens:   
Tips on Construction and Cooking:   
UN Report: Indoor Air Pollution in Developing Countries (pdf)
Untapped Market for Solar Cookers:   
Using a Solar Oven as a Radiant Refrigerator at Night
WHO Golden Rules for Safe Food Preparation:   

Please suggest additional links      

Solar Cooking

  • Solar cooking is the simplest, safest, most convenient way to cook food without consuming fuels or heating up the kitchen.
  • The first solar cooker we know of was invented by Horace de Saussure, a Swiss naturalist experimenting as early as 1767
  • Box Cookers – This type of cooker has been the advantage of slow, even cooking of large quantities of food. Variations include slanting the face toward the sun and the number of reflectors.
  • With box cookers, the food will cook more quickly if it is divided into several smaller pots instead of having it all in one large pot.
  • Solar cooking is not only fun but it’s a great educational tool. Solar Box Cookers, constructed using cardboard, newspaper, aluminum foil, and a piece of glass will typically cook at temperatures between 225 – 275 F.
  • Panel Cookers – In this design, various flat panels concentrate the sun’s rays onto a pot inside a plastic bag or under a glass bowl. The advantage of this design is that they can be built in an hour or so for next to nothing.
  • Panel Cookers require only one box, aluminum foil, a jar and an oven bag, and can be constructed in less than an hour.
  • Parabolic Cookers – These are usually concave disks that focus the light onto the bottom of a pot. The advantage is that foods cook about as fast as on a conventional stove. The disadvantage is that they are complicated to make, they must be focused often to follow the sun, and they can cause burns and eye injury if not used correctly.
  • A good first food to try is a small quantity of rice, since it is fairly easy to cook and looks very different cooked than it does raw. Chicken or fish is also very easy to cook.
  • There’s no need to rotate the oven to follow the sun, though it will improve cooking times
  • A solar cooker is like a hot box, in which we can cook our food without any cooking gas or kerosene, electricity, coal or wood.

Solar Sail Links

How Stuff Works: How Solar Sails Work:  looks at how solar sails work, takes an in-depth look at the Cosmos-1 mission, and finds out what solar-sails mean for future space travel. 
Institute of Planetary Exploration – Solar Sail Home Page:   
Interstellar Probe: Exploring the Interstellar Medium and the Boundaries of the Heliosphere:  project of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which would use a solar sail spacecraft. 

What are Solar Sails?

How does a solar sail work? 
A solar sail is a spacecraft with a large, lightweight mirror attached to it that moves by being pushed by light reflecting off of the mirror instead of rockets.

When the light from the Sun reflects off the surface of the solar sail, the energy and momentum of light particles known as "photons" is transferred to the sail. This gives the sail a "push" that accelerates it through space. Although the acceleration is very slight, it is also continuous, enabling the sail to reach very high speeds in a relatively short time. The direction of the push is controlled by the angle of the sail with respect to the Sun, adding to or subtracting from the orbital velocity.

How does light push a solar sail?
Photons, which are "particles" of light, bounce off the reflective material of the sail. (Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.) The reaction here causes a change in momentum, pushing the sail and accelerating the spacecraft. A photon reflecting off the mirror-like surface of a solar sail gives the sail a double kick — a push equal to twice the photon’s momentum (one push from the sail stopping the photon and one from it reflecting the photon and accelerating it away).

Does a solar sail fly on the solar wind?
No! The solar wind is made up of ionized particles ejected by the Sun. These particles move much slower than light. A solar sail does not stop or reflect them, although they also may impart some of their momentum to the solar sail. However, the force from the solar wind is less than one percent of that from light pressure.

How fast does a solar sail go?
The speed of an interplanetary solar sail spacecraft will depend on how long it has been propelled by the pressure of sunlight. The acceleration from sunlight is very small — approximately five ten-thousandths of a meter per second per second, depending on the size and weight of the sail and the spacecraft. Over one day, that is a velocity increase of 45 meters per second or about 100 miles per hour.

But the real advantage of solar sailing is that, unlike a chemical rocket that applies a lot of thrust but only for an instant, sunlight hitting the sail applies thrust continuously. In 100 days a sail could reach 16,000 kilometers per hour (10,000 miles per hour); in one year it could reach 58,000 kilometers per hour (36,000 miles per hour). In just three years, a solar sail could reach a speed of over 160,000 kilometers per hour (100,000 miles per hour). At that speed you could reach Pluto in less than five years. In comparison, the New Horizons misson to Pluto, using chemical propulsion and a gravity-assist from Jupiter, is planned to take nine years to reach its target.

Still, 160,000 kilometers per hour (100,000 miles per hour) is still only 0.00015 the speed of light. It would take about 1,000 years for a solar sail to reach one-tenth the speed of light, even with light shining on it continuously. This emphasizes just how hard interstellar flight is. It will take advanced sails much thinner than today’s technology, plus a laser power source in space that can operate over interstellar distances to reach one-tenth the speed of light in less than 100 years. Some researchers of beamed-power sailing think that use of high-temperature materials may make such speeds possible in a few decades.

What can a solar sail be used for?
Solar sails can be used to boost or decrease the orbits of spacecraft, travel between the planets within our solar system, and someday may take us to worlds around other stars.
However, once you get much beyond the orbit of Jupiter, energy from sunlight is too weak. When far from the Sun, lasers can be directed at the sails. Lasers stay in a tight beam so that most of their energy can be imparted to the sail and not diffused into space. Very large lasers in Earth orbit or in the inner solar system could be used to help us travel to other stars. In the future, people may travel to distant stars using laser powered solar sails.

What is the advantage of using a solar sail?
The great advantage of a solar sail is that it requires no fuel. Today, we use chemical rockets to give our spacecraft a quick boost into Earth orbit, and then out of Earth orbit. The spacecraft then coasts most of the way to its destination, with some small blasts from thrusters to adjust its trajectory. This requires a lot of fuel. Solar sails give a very low thrust, but they can work continuously, pushing spacecraft faster and faster. A solar sail can, in time, move the spacecraft even faster than a chemical rocket. For a round trip solar sails have great advantage since no fuel is needed for the return.

Can a solar sail only provide thrust away from the Sun?
No, thrust can be generated inward or outward with respect to the sun. By turning the sail at different angles, we can add or subtract velocity to the spacecraft. When we add velocity, the sail flies away from the Sun. When we subtract velocity, its orbit spirals inward.

Why hasn’t anyone flown a solar sail before?
No one had been able to organize a simple flight using the very low cost launch vehicles in Russia. The Planetary Society has unique international team building capability, a willingness to take risk, and accepts the very limited objective of a first solar sail flight.