Apr 20
Want to help take an entire city block in San Francisco off the grid and into solar power? We need a logo for our site www.1bog.org. Submit your logo idea and enter a chance to win a 32GB Apple iPod Touch. Deadline is May 15th, noon PDT. See details on my blog at www.1bog.org
Good luck!
Apr 18
AFS Trinity has developed a powertrain for a plug-in hybrid that just sounds too good to be true. The technology, called Fast Energy (TM), doesn’t rely on rows and rows of batteries, but instead on capacitors. The describe it this way:
At the heart of this new Fast Energy™ technology are patent pending control electronics to cache power for short periods in ultra-capacitors and provide this power in bursts for all-electric acceleration that is better, in many cases, than the internal combustion engine of the host vehicle. Until the Extreme Hybrid, hybrids have resorted to gasoline to satisfy acceleration demands.
The results are truly impressive:
The fact that it’s a plug-in is especially interesting for solar residences. For about $1 worth of electricity, you can charge this SUV overnight and get 40 miles of range. For most commutes you’d never have to use a drop of gas. If you power this off your solar panels, you’d have a zero emission, zero consumption SUV!
AFS Trinity, if you’re listening, do you need a beta tester in San Francisco? 
Apr 17
Yesterday’s Board of Supervisor’s hearing on Mayor Newsom’s solar rebate plan for San Francisco ended with no result. The room was filled with supporters of the program that would provide $3,000 - $10,000 rebates for solar installations in San Francisco. Despite the support shown in the hearing, several Supervisors are concerned whether this is the best use of funds. The Supervisors do not plan to vote on the measure for at least three more weeks.
The most immediate impact of this is to stall any residents who might be considering solar, or are ‘on the fence’. The rebate would undoubtedly be very successful at driving wider solar adoption in SF, and accelerate the city towards its goal of 10,000 solar homes by 2010 (we’re currently at less than 1,000…). Without such ambitious measures it’s hard to see how we’ll come close to that goal.
Jan 09
San Francisco’s Public Utility Commission approved today Mayor Newsom’s aggressive and generous residential and commercial solar electricity incentives. The rebates would provide between $3,000 and $5,000 for residential solar installations and up to $10,000 for business solar.
This is big news for San Franciscans and really puts solar electricity within reach, especially considering the these incentives are in addition to the $2,000 Federal tax credit and the California Solar Initiative rebates that often run $6,000 or more. Take together these rebates and credits can cover more than 50% of the cost of solar and offers much shorter payback periods.
Jan 06
Scientific American has published a report on how to achieve energy independence from foreign fossil fuels, develop a solar-based energy system for the U.S. and dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. To accomplish this would require major commitment and investment, but SciAm provides a roadmap of how to get there:
* A massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power plants to solar power plants could supply 69 percent of the U.S.’s electricity and 35 percent of its total energy by 2050.
* A vast area of photovoltaic cells would have to be erected in the Southwest. Excess daytime energy would be stored as compressed air in underground caverns to be tapped during nighttime hours.
* Large solar concentrator power plants would be built as well.
* A new direct-current power transmission backbone would deliver solar electricity across the country.
* But $420 billion in subsidies from 2011 to 2050 would be required to fund the infrastructure and make it cost-competitive.
Scientific American estimates that we can develop a solar-based energy system for the country for a total cost of $420 billion. Compare that with the $611 billion we’ve spent/committed to the war in Iraq.
Read the Scientific American report: “A Solar Grand Plan”.
