Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Solar Industry First

NJATC ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY’S FIRST PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS TEXTBOOKVisit http://www.ibew.org for further information.Photovoltaic Systems – the first comprehensive guide to the installation of commercial and residential solar energy systems. BETHESDA, MD (July 9, 2007) – The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry (NJATC) announced the publication of a groundbreaking work, Photovoltaic Systems – the first comprehensive guide to the installation of commercial and residential solar energy systems.
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Says Todd Stafford, senior director of instrumentation, alternative energy and International Training Center operations for NJATC, “Renewable resources such as solar power have become increasingly important, but no authoritative reference to the design, installation and evaluation of photovoltaic (PV) systems existed within the industry. This work is not just the first but the only textbook currently available in the field.” Authored by Jim Dunlop, leading renewable energy expert and curriculum specialist for NJATC, with Stafford as technical editor, the textbook covers the principles of photovoltaics – the direct conversion of solar energy into electricity -- and how to effectively incorporate it into stand-alone or utility-connected electrical systems. Detailed illustrations clarify the concepts behind PV-system operation, while photographs of actual installations show how components are integrated to form complete PV systems. What’s more, an accompanying CD-ROM provides interactive worksheets, quizzes, calculators, video clips and animated graphics depicting PV principles and operation and links to additional resources. The work is published and available through American Technical Publications. Explains Stafford, NJATC – a joint program of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) – has been training journeymen in the design and installation of solar energy systems for more than a decade. “The new textbook is the culmination of years of experience, and now stands at the center of our training, together with other specially developed course materials” says Stafford, “Our journeymen come to the course with thousands of hours of experience in wiring and general construction. Our course marries those skill sets to the creation of stateof- the-art solar energy systems. It’s the only course of its kind in the industry, and it’s producing the highly skilled workers creating today’s efficient and cost-effective PV systems.” ABOUT IBEW, NECA and NJATC Through their joint marketing organization – the National Labor-Management Cooperation Committee (NLMCC) of the organized electrical construction industry – NECA and IBEW together work to: • Reach customers with accurate information about the industry; and • Achieve better internal communication between labor and management. With 750,000 members who work in a wide variety of fields – including construction, utilities, telecommunications and manufacturing – the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is among the largest member unions in the AFL-CIO. The IBEW was founded in 1891. For more information, visit www.ibew.org. Voice of the $100 billion industry responsible for bringing lighting, power and communications to buildings and communities across the United States, the National Electrical Contractors Association was founded in 1901. NECA’s national office and 119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research and standards development. For more information, visit www.necanet.org. The mission of the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) is to develop and standardize training to educate the members of the IBEW and NECA, ensuring and providing the electrical construction industry with the most highly trained and highly skilled workforce possible. For more information, visit www.njatc.org.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Fox News Reports on New Solar Shingles

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,285652,00.html

It seems that solar is in the air, and everybody is paying attention. This article on Fox news popped up the other day and features commentary from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and their evaluation of new photovoltaic technology.

The article covers some of the basics on PV technology and is furthering the visibility of Solar as a great source of alternative energy. Personally, I can't wait until they commercialize thin film to the point that I can use it economically to paint my house.

TAGS: solar, photovoltaic, fox news, PV technology, NIST, testing solar, thin film solar

Friday, June 1, 2007

Really Big Solar

Thanks to the Floating Ark blog this afternoon; which is authored by Japhet Els, and his pointing me to an article about the largest PV solar installation in the world. Here are the record holders


Solar Pope?


Looks like God may be on the side of PV technology. The Vatican has decided to make a large photovoltaic installation to lighten their carbon footprint. Here is the article in the Catholic News. Kudos to the pope.

“The Vatican's Paul VI Centre is to get a green makeover with the installation of a giant rooftop garden of solar panels that will power all of the building's heating, cooling and lighting needs year-round.

Even though Vatican City State is not a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, a binding international environmental pact to cut greenhouse gases, its inaugural solar project marks a major move in trying to reduce its own so-called carbon footprint, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide released through burning fossil fuels.The carbon dioxide-slashing solar panels will be installed sometime in 2008 after prototypes, environmental impact reports and other studies have been completed, Cuscianna said.”


Thursday, May 31, 2007

Solar Videos