Connecticut program helps homeowners go solar August 18, 2008
Posted by bruce mcgranahan in energy.Tags: Alternative energy, Connecticut, energy, Renewable Energy, Solar, solar power
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Image via Wikipedia From a post at ecogeek:
Under a new program, Connecticut will be providing low interest loans to anyone of “moderate or low” income. Residential solar systems will be installed for free, and then the residents will pay a flat low rate, presumably in exchange for the power the panels generate. While the upfront costs of solar panels (often more than $30,000) are out of reach for most homeowners, they actually promise to save money over the life of the panels. So the state is absorbing the up-front costs of the panels for anyone who makes less than 150% of the median income of their area.
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A community that heats together, stays … June 28, 2008
Posted by bruce mcgranahan in energy.Tags: energy, Renewable, Solar, Solar energy
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“Combined together, the 52 home community is able to collect and store enough energy from the sun during the summer that the ground storage temperatures reach 80 degrees C (176 F). This heat is sufficiently insulated beneath the ground that it can be drawn from throughout the winter to provide heat and hot water.”
Community Solar Power posted at Green Building Elements
A community in Canada has an unusual form of solar power that can provide over 90% of the annual heating and hot water needs for the homes, despite being situated in a cold Alberta location where winter temperatures can reach -33 degrees C (-27 F).
The Drake Landing Solar Community collects solar energy in a heat storage fluid through an array of solar panels on the roof of each home and covering all of the garages at the back of each home. The heated fluid is transferred to a neighborhood energy center, and then into the ground beneath an insulated layer, where the heat is stored in the earth. <MORE>
