New Solar Installation Record

Approx. 500,000 homes installed solar in the United States in 2012 – (Solar Energy Industries Association). That’s a 76% increase over 2011!

We’re so glad to see wider scale adoption of clean energy, and not just because we’re in the solar biz. We’re in this business for the betterment of our collective ecological situation. So GO GREEN in ’13!

Solar Installation Congratulation

That’s a nice new record, 500,000 homes with new solar installations. What’s more astonishing is the substantial increase in American solar installations from the previous year. This shows a very significant movement. Over 3.3 gigawatts of solar installations occurred across the USA in one year. Congratulations to all of those home owners who got tired of constantly paying high electric bills; tired of being forced to be more energy efficient with each passing year.

complete solar kit, ready to install system

Beat The Solar Installation Record

Our congratulation is for their wise choice to move to away from energy efficiency, to energy independence.

For the rest of you, we want to help you beat that 2012 record!

What if you didn’t have to shop around at retail to try to find panels, inverters, framing/mounting, et cetera?
What if you could get a complete solar package deal, engineered for your location and ready to install, RIGHT NOW?

Solar Kit Package Deal

For a limited time, while supplies last, even though Fonon Solar is a manufacturer that usually deals with b2b, we are offering our 5kW AP3 (American Private Power Plant) direct to home owners.

Get ’em while they last! https://fonon.com/complete-home-solar-kit-offer?li=spost

We make it easy for you to join the movement.

Make your own electricity; be your own power plant.

Get this complete system, a ready to install solar kit.

You can find your own installer, or we’ll do it for you (extra charge).

Private Power Plant

Personal power plant
With our American Private Power Plant (AP3TM) one can produce electricity right where one intends to use it, minimizing line losses and maximizing energy efficiency.  AP3 provides long term energy independence, it is affordable, and it’s seamless to operate. This power generation equipment is a turnkey distributed energy generation system — your private power plant.

In the first quarter of 2012, the installed cost for a commercial PV solar energy system averaged $4.63 per Watt.  Dramatic declines of installed costs have brought solar’s levelized cost of electricity, a metric that considers lifetime costs associated with energy technologies, down to between $0.11/kilowatt hour (kWh) and $0.25/kWh. These system prices are making solar more competitive with electricity generated from conventional sources. This “grid parity” already exists under specific circumstances in some states.

The Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is equal to 30% of the cost of the power plant, with no maximum credit. Eligible solar energy property includes equipment that uses solar energy to generate electricity. Combined with the tax benefit of accelerated depreciation and applicable state, local, and utility incentives up to two-thirds of the cost is covered.

Distributed Energy Generation (DEG), also called on-site generation, produces power at the point of consumption. A revolution in electricity supply, DEG will one day replace the current centralized generation model, where electricity is produced in large centralized facilities with coal, oil, gas and nuclear fired power plants. The benefits of DEG include decreased transmission line losses, lower emissions, and minimal impact on the environment.

AP3 systems feature photovoltaic modules, inverters, electrical components and support structures provided by Fonon Energy Group.

How does a photovoltaic power plant work?

make electricity with your personal power plant

Œ1. Power Generation System

Photovoltaic modules convert sunlight to DC electricity. This power is then combined into “strings” of predetermined wattages. These strings are supported by either ground or roof support structures designed to maximize the sun’s energy and provide compliance with all State and local building codes, including fire and wind loads.

2. DC Energy Collection System

The DC Energy Collection System pulls together all the energy from the module strings. Combiner boxes are located throughout the Power Generation System connecting the strings in parallel forming sub-arrays. The sub-arrays help to reduce cabling and typically include over-voltage protection and string current monitoring.

Ž3. DC to AC Conversion System

Electricity from the DC Energy Collection System is gathered and converted into AC electricity through the DC to AC Inverter System. This system contains solid-state converters that transform the DC power into utility AC power. The system optimizes the power output through advanced electronic algorithms which then connect to the AC Collection System.

4. Energy Storage System

Excess energy not immediately used by the facility is transferred to the Energy Storage System and later introduced back in to the AC to DC Conversion System when the Power Generation System stops producing.

5. AC Collection System

AC electricity from the DC to AC Conversion System is distributed into typical 120/220 or 227/480 volt circuits and prepped for distribution to the building’s standard circuits.

6. Grid Interconnect

The Grid Interconnect ties the system to the existing system. Included at this point is a net meter that allows for energy tracking both in and out of the building’s system. The on-site facility uses the energy it needs and then feeds any excess energy to the electric grid and you receive credit for that power generation.

7. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

The SCADA system monitors and reports on the production and performance of the systems. Output, use and module production are tracked through an integrated monitoring system.

Power Plant Specifications

The AP3 series is developed to be modular and scalable. By combining individual modules, any size system can be created for any application from 25 kW to 1 MW and beyond. Each module comes as a complete turnkey system with all necessary equipment and balance of system components.

Solar Potential video from TedX



Solar Potential — Insane (VIDEO) (via Clean Technica)

  Here’s an interesting solar energy video shared by Clean Technica.

[Read more…]

Energy Independent Communities

energy independent communities

Energy Independent Communities’ 25 x 25 Resolution

The American vision for energy independent communities is to create “green” power areas that generate 25 percent of their electricity and 25 percent of their transportation fuels from renewable resources by 2025.

Nature provides us with all that we need. Some of what is provided will run out, much of it will constantly renew and never expire. While we are not provided with electricity that we use to power so much of our everyday lives, we are given renewable resources that can be harnessed to make our own electricity. We can almost abandon the resources that we use so much to produce power now, (coal, oil, gas), that will run out. Instead, we can utilize the cleaner, renewable resources, along with some technology, so that most of us can equip our houses and businesses to run independently, off the grid so to speak. This lean, clean, green power model is what many governments are now promoting.

Beyond Energy Independent Communities

Living off the grid is a step further than being independent of the power company. Energy independent communities are those that can operate without depending on the grid, but aren’t necessarily completely off the grid. Energy independent communities can still connect to the grid in a way that the power companies will buy electricity from the individual energy efficient little power generators within the community, and use it to supplement the old style of power it supplies to other homes and businesses that have not yet bought into the make your own electricity program.

Not surprisingly, Wisconsin does a great job of promoting energy independent communities by publicly honoring those that assert that they will realize the 25 x 25 resolution.

It’s not surprising because Wisconsin and Iowa do a good job of promoting renewable energy through their Office of Energy Independence Web sites. Many states have such an office, but these two states have active Web sites promoting their belief and participation.

Do you know of a community or neighborhood that commits to the 25 x 25 Resolution? Let us know below.

Office of Energy Independence

Having an Office of Energy Independence signifies a state’s realization that renewable power is not only a trend, but is taken seriously. Which states promote such progress toward the creation of their own renewable power sources with an actual Office of Energy Independence?

Move to energy independence

If you search Yahoo or Google for the words office of energy independence, several links to different American states’ independent power source offices are found:

  • Iowa
  • Wisconsin
  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Indiana

Iowa and Wisconsin have several pages in the top 30 results, so their Web sites must have more content about their own office of energy independence than all others.

Iowa Office of Energy Independence

Iowa’s Web site for their office of energy independence states their purpose: “The office will align state government efforts for achieving energy independence through partnerships with business and industry, community leaders, government and public agencies, and other stakeholders.” They publish on their Web site frequently about renewable power sources, and on other sites about their activities.

Iowa refers to their initiatives as their New Energy Economy. Obviously, more than any other state in the U.S., Iowa’s view on clean and sustainable power sources is different, bigger, more important.

The Office of Energy Independence – Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s office of energy independence states their purpose: “generating electric power and transportation fuels from renewable resources; capturing more of the emerging bioindustry and renewable energy market; and leading the nation in groundbreaking research that will make clean energy more affordable and will create good paying Wisconsin jobs.” Their office of energy independence Web site is full of information about their green activities too, but they represent it as something they’re doing, not that it IS their new economy.

Perhaps no state has as big a stake in clean and sustainable energy development as Iowa and that’s why they refer to it as their economy, and have so many articles and updates on the topic.

What makes the states of Iowa and Wisconsin so conscious of this important topic?
Is it that the other states don’t have offices devoted to the movement toward independent power sources?
Do they have such departments, but no documentation on a Web site about it?

Tell us what you think with a comment below.