Solar trees in Singapore.

Solar trees in Singapore.
A different way to produce solar power. The photos are post processed but gives the idea.
Via Dominique Ristori

#solarenergy


Originally shared by Alex P

solar trees in Singapore have increased bird life and produce clean energy, allowing lots of plants to grow on their sides. :)  For more solar tree pics, see http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/singapore-gardens-by-the-bay.  


:)

1.3 million Earths fit into the Sun.  The Sun is huge.   The solar energy reaching the Earth is 5000 times the energy we use globally.  

Solar ☼☼ energy can power the whole planet many times over thru solar windows, walls, roofs, roads, car paint, solar-electric cars-planes-ships-trains and battery storage.  This would eliminate arsenic, mercury, sulfur and other forms of pollution and increase life expectancy by many years. Here are some recent exciting solar power-electric car news:

1.  Cost Of Solar Has Dropped An Amazing 99% Since 1977, Bringing Solar Power To Grid Parity.  More than half the present global solar PV capacity was installed in the last 3 years. A third of new US electrical capacity came from solar in 2013 :) ► http://gigaom.com/2014/03/05/almost-a-third-of-new-u-s-electricity-came-from-solar-last-year.  First Solar says solar module costs will halve over the next few years ► http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/solar-costs-to-halve-as-gas-prices-surge-27907.  The age of renewables has begun, according to Citigroup ►  http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/citigroup-says-the-age-of-renewables-has-begun-69852.  Morgan Stanley says the we are nearing the tipping point for going off-grid with solar/wind/green power, battery storage and electric cars ► http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/say-investors-wake-solar-pro-sumers-24413

2. Solar power sells now at 5c/kwh - cheaper than 7c for natural gas and 10 cents for coal in many places as shown by this latest SunEdison contract for 150MW ► http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/cheapest-solar-sunedison-sells-solar-pv-output-at-5ckwh-25296.

3.  January 2014 Nissan Leaf electric car sales went up 118% compared to 2013 in the US ►  http://evobsession.com/us-nissan-leaf-sales-increase-118-takes-1-spot-us-electric-car-sales.  In Norway Leaf sales doubled too.  The Nissan LEAF almost set a new monthly sales record in March  2014 in the US, at 2,507, making it the clear leader, well ahead of the Tesla.

4.  Japan launched $0.1 billion program to support battery storage for solar panels ► http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/japan-launches-battery-storage-subsidy-homes-business-51085

5.  Nissan LEAF Was Best Selling Car In Norway Again In January ► http://insideevs.com/nissan-leaf-is-best-selling-car-in-norway-again-in-january. The fleet of electric vehicles in Norway is the largest per capita in the world, with Oslo recognized as the EV capital of the world.  In 2013 the market penetration of the EV segment reached 4 plug-in electric vehicles per 1,000 people, nine times higher than the United States, the US being the country where half of world's electric cars are.

6.  California installed more solar power in 2013 than in all previous 30 years combined ► http://goo.gl/04sUxv. China plans to install 14 GW (more than the US total capacity now) of solar in 2014 ► http://goo.gl/XoKPoK.  India almost doubled its solar capacity in 2013 ► http://goo.gl/EPK5xL. :) China already installed in 2013 about 12 GW, more than the US installed before 2013 and in 2013 combined ► http://goo.gl/E9lxaI.  Japanese solar capacity increased 350% in 2013 versus 2012 ► http://goo.gl/4pI89e, and 20 GW of utility solar is approved ► http://goo.gl/6CbBjL.

7.  US is in the process of installing 43 GW of solar - enough to power 6 million homes ► http://goo.gl/Qbkunh.   In October 2013, 99% of new electric power capacity in US came from renewable sources ► http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2013/oct-energy-infrastructure.pdf.  In November, 100% of new electric capacity in US came from renewables ► http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2013/nov-energy-infrastructure.pdf.  50% electricity from wind in Iowa will be real soon due to $1 billion turbine December order ►http://goo.gl/uJ4bdY. 

8.  Due to price drops you can invest 7k now and get 50k over 40 years. solar is the best one time investment you can make.  www.freecleansolar.com is probably one of the cheapest ways anyone in USA can install solar panels. $2/watt plus install and $500 in permits etc. They are where little guys buy their panels at wholesale. They connect you with local installers who do it all if you don't like installs. It costs now only 13k to buy and install a 5kw system. Plus you get 30% back as tax credit. It costs 10k if you choose a local electrician, as they charge 2000 not 5000 as the professional dolar installers for installing it. 10k means 7k after tax credit. That means for 7k you can eliminate 50000 in electricity costs over next 40 years. To me this is a perfect deal. Utilities limit your system to 5kw or so depending on how much you use. If you go to solarcity or others you end up paying 50-80% more. Panels on the roof make your house easier to sell. You can google "cheapest solar installers in your country" and take a step towards saving money and the environment.

9.  In Scotland 100% renewable energy by 2025 is the goal ► 
http://ecolocalizer.com/2010/09/29/scotland-aiming-for-100-clean-energy-by-2025/.  Tasmania has set a 100% renewable energy in 2020 goal ► http://goo.gl/3VfHOV.  The Philippines also has a 100% renewable energy in 10 years target ►  http://goo.gl/bZoeh.

10.  On October 3rd, Germany produced 60% of energy from solar and wind ► http://goo.gl/AS2zuj.  In December, Denmark produced over 50% electricity from wind ► http://goo.gl/6252tT.   

11.  In October 2013 France has made its natural gas fracking ban absolute, in a victory for supporters of solar ► http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/10/11/2773071/france-frack-ban/.  Fracking causes small earthquakes, poisons ground water and air and makes millions of people sick ► Fracking Loophole Linked To Pollution Of Drinking Water.  On December 19, France approved taxing fossil fuels to speed up solar deployment ► http://goo.gl/6J3eXC.

12.  Sao Paulo, with a metropolitan area of 20 million people, has set 70% electricity from renewables by 2020 goal ► http://goo.gl/JhmSlG.   China plans to reach 35 GW solar capacity by 2015 ► http://goo.gl/18zxzS.  53% of China's new power capacity in the first 10 months of 2013 came from renewables http://goo.gl/UIUptq.

13.  Turkey's Feed in Tariff Program for solar greater than 1 MW led to applications totaling 9 GW ► http://goo.gl/b8tJ2.   Coal India, world's largest coal company, believes the future is renewables and started installing solar panels at their facilities ► http://goo.gl/NXEOv.

14.  California town of Lancaster requires all new homes to come with installed solar panels ► http://goo.gl/t22RF.  20% of new homes in California will come with solar panels and most new electricity installed in California will be solar next 6 months.  

For the benefits of installing solar power on your roof, see *http://costofsolar.com*.  For more solar statistics and good news, you can read below: 

Figure 6 at ► http://goo.gl/bcCGh shows a graph of Shell Oil predicting solar energy will be main source of energy in 2070.  If even Oil companies admit to it, it means it will happen so much sooner.   Solar could reach 90% in 2025 if the world gets serious about eliminating pollution from smog by ending billions of Big Oil-Gas-Coal taxpayer subsidies and supporting solar instead. The Italian solar capacity increased 150 times from 2007 to 2011 ► http://goo.gl/YZGkE.  The German solar capacity increased 16000 times from 1991 to 2012 ► http://goo.gl/qulHp.  Pollution causes 40% of deaths ► http://goo.gl/2sXL3, it is therefore a matter of public health to switch to solar energy. We can use solar car paint, walls, roads ► Focus Forward Series: Solar Roadways, roofs, shingles ► solar shingle, windows ► Solar windows see power savings with no transmission lines that add EMF pollution & take space.

In April 2013, Spain generated 54% electricity from renewables ► http://goo.gl/8xbJ9. Germany subsidizes solar storage ► http://goo.gl/xuZ5g. On 05-26-12 Germany produced 50% electricity from solar ► http://goo.gl/Lu80c. 

Distributed ► http://goo.gl/uz7o0 rooftop solar eliminates a lot of EMF pollution coming from transmission lines and gives more power to the people instead of Big Utilities.  Solar can hit grid parity in many nations fast, all US in 2018 ► http://goo.gl/J0Z83. In March 2013 100% of new US capacity was solar ► http://goo.gl/Amj4G.   In 2013 Portugal reached 70% electricity from renewables ► http://goo.gl/aQUJx and India solar achieved grid parity ► http://goo.gl/1Itzd. :)  

Solar power is now cheaper than oil burning in Saudi Arabia ► http://goo.gl/1fG55, cheaper than grid power in Brazil ► http://goo.gl/jJHPE and in part of US ► http://goo.gl/B5Gtk , cheaper than kerosene for 1.3 billion people (in Africa and many developing nations) ► http://goo.gl/49Nej.  Fossil fuels are on the way out in EU ► http://goo.gl/x7Uxt.  

Future Fusion can be safe, it's how the sun generates energy. But present nuclear energy is too dangerous, Thorium included ► http://phys.org/news/2012-12-thorium-proliferation-nuclear-wonder-fuel.html.   Some say Fukushima is worse than Chernobyl ► Has the Fukushima "China Syndrome" begun?, hence Japan is now ramping up solar power a lot.   Chernobyl Decay and Deformed shows the effects of current nuclear tech gone bad. 

Coal can be replaced with solar immediately:) as a public health priority ► The Cost of Coal: Overview.  In China's worst areas, smog makes people live only 4 decades ►  BBC News - China's Grime Belt Air Pollution Extreme.   Coal-fired plants lead to birth defects in China, see the 2 min video ► China Sees Rise in Birth Defects.  In all nations, including USA, people near coal-fired plants often die of cancer at 45 or so, see the 10 min video ► EXPOSED: Koch Industries and Cancer Risk.  Coal pollution leads to cancer, asthma, autism (mercury), etc. Clean coal doesn't exist ► Robert Kennedy Jr.: No clean coal.

Ark Hotel Construction time lapse building 15 storeys in 2 days (48 hrs) shows how tall buildings are built in 2 days.  The surface area of these buildings' exterior is far bigger than that of a solar farm on the building site, sometimes 50 times bigger.   http://landartgenerator.org/blagi/archives/127 shows it takes a small area to power the planet given the cheap 15% efficiency panels. The total urban areas represent about 2% of the global land surface. 60% of urban areas is roofs and pavements that could have solar panels embedded in them.  When we add the exterior of the buildings, we get 20 times more energy than we use today if we use the cheapest 15% efficiency panels.  We already have 40% efficiency panels and can reach 60% with IR.   There are panels that produce 20 times more energy per square foot, so that means 20 times less area needed ► http://goo.gl/vA3Oz.  More info at http://v3solar.com.  MIT also invented a solar array that can produce up to 20 times more power per surface area ► http://goo.gl/aacAs. 

The 3 min video Solar Nanoantennas shows how in the future we will be able to convert solar IR rays into electricity at night and during very cloudy days.  :)  With good battery storage, we can save the day time solar power for use at night and during eclipses.

Solar power + electric cars = no smog.  http://solarimpulse.com shows a solar plane.  Here are some more electric car news:

In September-October 2013 the top selling car in Norway has been an electric model too like in January 2014, in September the Tesla Model S, in October the Nissan Leaf ► http://goo.gl/GqjLMY.  Kia EV will have 120 miles range ► http://goo.gl/Tqz3U8.  For a few months, South Korea has already used roads to charge electric cars ► http://goo.gl/12IgSG.  US electric car sales increased 360% in 2013 compared to 2012 ► http://goo.gl/uLc5yV.  Bhutan - with an income per capita lower than China or Russia and 7 times lower than United States - plans as of November 2013 to shift all cars of its capital to electric Nissan Leafs and other models ► http://goo.gl/Iql06c  Countries richer than Bhutan could aim to switch most big cities to electric cars.  China decided in November that 40% of new cars in Beijing will be hybrids or electric by 2017 ► http://goo.gl/U7cjEe.  After rebates, one can buy a Leaf for 18K or lease it for $139/month at some dealers. In Europe they are testing a bus that can charge in 15 seconds ► http://goo.gl/9OT75. In November, 12% of new cars sold were electric in Norway ► http://goo.gl/3gZQtK.


some reasons for buying your next car electric:

1.  help humanity since you no longer generate carcinogenic exhaust, otherwise known as smog, which kills millions of people each year ► http://goo.gl/jDj0hI and leads to lower IQ ► http://goo.gl/alNQIk and autism ► http://goo.gl/66nqwr.  

2.  save lives since you reduce heart attacks caused by traffic noise ►  http://goo.gl/Fuhvn.   Electric cars are much quieter.

3.   save humanity from oil wars that destroy the environment and kill countless civilians.  Iraq war trillions could have powered all US with solar/wind ► http://goo.gl/ZqN47.  

4.  you no longer have to change oil or spark plugs; no more smog check either; electric cars have 60% less parts, so you will go for repairs much less.  Combustion engines are noisy and only 15% efficient;  electric motors are 90% efficient. 

5.  bring the end of gas stations that poison the water wells with MTBE or other compounds leading to billions of dollars wasted in cleaning up the well water (example:  $0.4 billion settlement ► http://goo.gl/eKasZD)

6.  save money as you spend 4 times less money on fuel, since electricity is 4 times cheaper than gasoline as a fuel.  If you have enough solar panels,  you get free CLEAN fuel for life, since you charge at home and utilities pay you for energy you put on the grid.  Likewise, Tesla Motors offers free solar ☼ charging for life ► Tesla Motors Supercharger Event?  

7.  save money for noble purposes because electric cars are cheaper than many oil cars after the federal and state rebates:  in Colorado, you can buy a Nissan Leaf for only 15, 000, while in most other states for 18-21, 000.  A Smart EV costs only $12, 000 in Colorado, see http://smartusa.com.  Mitsubishi i-MieV is only $13, 000 in California and $10, 000 in Colorado ► http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?rssid=31881. 

8.  electric car batteries and solar panels are far greener than alternatives.  Battery recycling for today's oil car lead batteries is happening at a 97% rate globally. It will be even better for the far safer lithium car batteries.   Lithium Ion batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste.  Lithium ion batteries are made from nontoxic lithium carbonate (used in ovenware), nontoxic cobalt oxide (in pottery glaze), nontoxic graphite (in pencils), and a polymer (plastic) membrane. The most toxic components are the electrolyte and lithium cobalt oxide, neither of which are persistent in the environment and both of which are increasingly being replaced by safer compounds.  Wang Chuan-Fu, CEO of BYD, demonstrated the safety of the electrolyte in their lithium ion batteries by drinking it. Zero Motorcycles founder Neal Saiki said that the Lithium Ion batteries they use are safe to eat. 

Solar is way better than coal, oil or natural gas which spew 100-1000 times more carcinogens in the environment per unit of energy produced, besides far more CO2.  How long does a solar panel system have to operate to recover the energy used for making the panel? Energy payback for rooftop panels is 1-4 years depending on type.   Assuming a life of 30 years for a panel, that means that most energy produced will be free from pollution of any sort ► http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35489.pdf.   


            #solar               #cleanair             #health                 #longevity