Electric Company Signs Historic 800 MW Solar Power deal with OptiSolar SunPower

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation, recently announced that it has made an agreement with Topaz Solar Farms LLC, a subsidiary of OptiSolar Inc and High Plains Ranch II, LLC, a subsidiary of SunPower Corporation. This significant contract is a double utility-scale, photovoltaic (PV) solar power deal for 800 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy.
Ultimately, this collaboration is expected to produce 1.65 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year. Such an amount of energy would in fact be able to power 239,000 residential homes annually.
PG&E has linked up with Topaz Solar Farms to produce 550 MW of thin-film PV solar power and will generate the remaining 250 MW of solar energy needed from its tie-up with the High Plains Ranch II.
“These landmark agreements signal the arrival of utility-scale PV solar power that may be cost-competitive with solar thermal and wind energy,” said Jack Keenan, chief operating officer and senior vice president for PG&E.
“We will continue to explore such innovative technologies as we aggressively work to increase the amount of renewable energy we provide our customers,” he added.
The Topaz Solar Farm project aims to use low-cost, thin-film PV panels from OptiSolar to deliver its 550 MW of solar energy annually. This would mean that the company is undertaking to produce, 100,000 megawatt-hours of renewable power per year.
The project is expected to make its first delivery in 2011 and then be in full production two years later.
“We are very happy to be working with PG&E to help meet California’s requirements for clean, renewable energy and are committed to working closely with the local community as this project moves forward,” said Randy Goldstein, chief executive officer of OptiSolar.
“Our solar farms are quiet and emission-free, with solar panels mounted near ground level to minimize visual impact. Implementing cost-competitive solar power on this scale establishes thin-film photovoltaic generation as an important contributor to global sustainability,” Goldstein stated.
SunPower’s California Valley Solar Ranch is to deliver a much lesser load of solar power in comparison to OptiSolar. The 250 MW of solar power will first be delivered in 2010, a whole year ahead of OptiSolar and will produce about 550,000 megawatt-hours of solar electricity per year. SunPower expects to be in full production of the renewable energy requirements by the year 2012. The ranch plans to use crystalline PV solar cells from SunPower which will supply 50 percent more energy than the normal crystalline cells.
“Today, high-efficiency photovoltaic technology is a competitively-priced component of utility-scale peak power generation,” said Tom Werner, chief executive officer of SunPower.
“Our experience constructing more than 350 megawatts of solar systems on three continents allows us to deliver utility-scale systems quickly and at a scale of hundreds of kilowatts to hundreds of megawatts. We design our solar systems to maximize energy harvest while adapting to the natural topography of the site and serving the needs of the community,” he concluded.
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric companies in the United States. The past six years have seen the company take giant strides towards renewable energy and has linked up with several companies to produce more than 3,600 MW of renewable power. Of this, the solar energy contracts provide a total of 2,500 MW of renewable power. For the future, the company has even bigger plans looking towards wind power, biomass and geothermal energy sources. Currently, the company caters to more than 15 million people in northern

Residential Solar Panels

Residential Solar Panels are the most discussed topic among science lovers and scientist across the world. We are all aware of how Global Warming is going to eat into our own personal lives. Oil prices are rising day by day. We are facing a huge shortage of fossil fuels. Pollution is also increasing on a daily basis. The toxic chemicals released by cars, factories and other day to day activities or events would surely lead to the end of the world very soon. If we really want to provide our children with a safe and secured future then we have to switch to residential solar panels. If every household in a society decided to shift to residential solar energy instead of the normal electricity then we both save a lot of money and also provide our mother nature with a sigh of relief.


There are various sorts of residential solar panels available in the market. We need to first understand why and for what purpose do we need a solar panel. Then we need to buy a solar panel whether readymade from a branded shop or by the parts so that we can assemble it. If you love to do it yourself then DIY Solar panels are also there in the market. All you need is access to proper clear sunlight. The rest can be taken care off. Residential solar panels would save almost half your monthly electricity bills. It would also mean no wastage of energy. Now you can be free from regular power cuts. Residential solar panels come in various shapes and sizes. They are also of different category. Everything depends on our requirement and how much we are ready to invest initially. If you produce more energy then you actually need in that particular day then you can easily transfer the electricity to the main grid. Prevent children from playing near the solar panels. They might harm it easily. The panel can be divided into three parts, the frame, the battery and the converter. Residential solar panels are also very flexible and can be moved from one lace to the other. The residential solar panel is to be kept away from dirt and pollution. To maintain it properly all we need to do is clean it and wipe it regularly so that the efficiency of the panel is always at a high.


If you ever think that you do not want to continue with this panel then you can also easily sell it. But he would only be a fool if he actually lands up selling the panel. The residential solar panel would help one save a lot of his hard earned money. It would also help your children enjoy the benefits. By using solar panel you could be a proud member or contributor to this new revolution. Go Green!

You Are Capable To Attain A Suitable And Efficient Project Of Home Solar Energy

Even if you are a newbie with DIY projects, the DIY solar water heater is still a good project for you to perform. There are various levels of difficulty that can be built, depending on what kind of project you are undertaking. Regardless of your level of expertise, you will be able to find a suitable project that is positive for both your requirments and your level of experience. There are dissimilar options for DIY solar water heaters and the easiest among these are batch water heaters. These are designed so that the parts you requrie are obtainable at your neighborhood hardware store. The different options include varying designs that can be adapted to suit your specific needs or personal taste. The batch water heater uses a water tank that is placed where it will heat the power using the sun’s energy. This is then connected to your home’s plumbing system. You want the sun’s heating of the water to be as efficient as possible, and you may need to obtain a little creative to implement this.

The first aspect is to have your water tank painted a black matte color. Since black absorbs lights, this assists the tank to absorb and hold as much heat as possible. Beyond this you will desire to take stock of what is available to you and get creative. A lot of people encase the batch water heater in a basic glass box. This creates an insulated area near the water heater that will also help to hold the heat in. Some individuals get even more creative. Some DIY solar water heaters incorporate movable mirrors situated strategically around the water tank. The suns rays then put on these mirrors and are reflected onto the system, improving the surface area that will be heated. These mirrored systems are the most effective ones as the greatest surface area is used, assisting the tank to make the most use of the sun’s rays.

Making homemade solar energy is not as complicated as you may think and creating them yourself can economize you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over purchasing panels that are already assembled. There are some different options when it comes to making your own, you can build them from scratch using free information off of the internet, and there are also several positive websites that have DIY kits, which we will talk briefly about. There are some fundamental components to homemade solar panels. You require the solar cells themselves, which you can find from various outlets, the cut-priced you are about to find them in the web on various online sources. Then there is the frame work, power inverter and storing batteries. Depending on your individual requirements, you are going to set two to five panels to supply the minimum energy for an average home.

Great Methods Opportunities To Convert The Solar Energy Into Effective Advantage

ow can you obtain advantages from applying solar water heater at the current time? When you have this system at home, this will finish being much more effective compared to a standard model. By using solar, you are able to save as much as eighty percent to provide more for your family on a yearly basis. The old-fashioned techniques could turn out to be extremely dangerous and at the same cause you to waste money. This could surely become one of the best investment solutions you will make in your life, especially if you are planning to sell your house in the future; taking into account that this system is becoming very much popular. Another great benefit is the fact the government is now providing tax credit for homeowners possessors who are switching to these systems. When your system is properly attached, it is possible to get tax credit which equals about thirty percent of the actual cost for installation. In the event that you are on a strict spending finances monthly, this could be beneficial as this will allow you to reduce your great monetary burden. In the event that you decide to change to solar, it is real that you can significantly reduce your heating bill by as much as seventy percent which makes it simpler for you to manage your monthly installments.

The homemade solar panels should be facing the course of the southeast or southwest direction. Sometimes even two panels can be made use, but the fixing costs can be too costly. We can make use of this panel throughout summer and extract as much solar power as possible. These domestic solar panels are really effective as they utilize the dual-coil storage cylinder to heat up the water. A 200 liters storage cylinder is enough. These panels are made from silicon and they convert the solar energy into renewable energy in the form of electricity. There are also no CO2 emissions. There are two types of solar panels accessible one is flat panel arrays and the other is evacuated tubes. Evacuated tubes are more effective in getting the solar energy. These tubes are extremely durable. This tube allows maximum absorption. They can withstand very high temperatures. The evacuation of the gasses forms a vacuum.

The vacuum averts heat loss from the tubes. The outer tube remains cold whereas the temperature inside the tube can be more than 150C. The productivity of the evacuated tubes preponderates the performance of flat panel models because they collect maximum solar energy in making your very own solar panels, then it is beneficial to do research online and obtain as much information as real that can assist you on different web sources. This can save your finances and as well as the ecology by constructing your own domestic solar panels.

Afford The Solar Power Into Your Home Applying Solar Panels

However, if you live in cold climates you may recognize that the batch water heater is perhaps not a good option for you. If you encounter long time spans of below freezing temperatures then you will definitely need to elude the batch system. Cold climates and freezing temperatures can make batch heaters to break. Batch heaters in colder climates must be drained during the winter to protect them. Therefore, if you reside in a colder climate you should look into one of the other a lot of alternatives obtainable for DIY solar water heater. One alternative is a closed loop system. With a closed loop system the water is in invariable movement, never having the chance to freeze and cause harm. Nevertheless, closed loop systems are more technical and require perfect plumbing knowledge so you should solely try it if you get a lot of DIY experience.

The perfect thing about this type of system is that they will reduce your energy cost and reduce your carbon footprint so they are perfect for the environment. Most of DIY solar water heaters can be made for less than $1200, meaning that it will not take long before your investment pays for itself and you will get a fun creating this contemporary, money-saving system. As for the home solar panels you can buy various sizes of cells, but to save time soldering them together, you should try to find 3″x6″ mono-crystalline cells, and you are going to need 36 of these for a standard panel. Each cell is going to be out about half a volt, so you will be putting out around 18 volts per panel. You need to be being extremely attentive when using these cells, because while they are potent, they are friable. You are going to have to solder the cells together in a series, then solder each series to get the desired output. It is a good concept to buy a voltage meter, and when you have them all together, take them out in the sun and test the ends to be certain you did it right.

Then you need to mount the sections into the frame, and cover it with the Plexiglass. Until they are safe in the frame, you really need to be being attentive when handling the cell panels themselves. Then when every thing is implemented and tested, you can decide on where to place the homemade solar panels to afford the power. It is ideal to find somewhere that gets at least 8-10 hours of sunlight, a lot of people put them on their roof. If you want to get actualy fancy you can purchase brackets and electric motors that tilt the panels towards the sun no matter what part of the day it is.

To Get Solar Energy And Its Great Productivity

In some kinds of heater, the solar is more thrifty and environmental amicable too since you use the natural heating system. What is important in here is the sunshine not the temperature. And regarding the price of solar water heater, this changes depending on the size of your tank and solar collection capacity. It has variety of configurations and each changes in designs, cost and level of intricacy where most of the systems have back up water heating such as gas or electricity. The solar water heaters consist of the following: hot water storage tank, solar collector which absorbs energy from the sun, pump and controls, back up energy source. There are several types of solar gatherers: The absorber plate which is mounted in a casing that has a firm covering and insulation to avert the absorber plate from the heat loss. Evacuate tube collectors where in it includes range of tubes that includes heat pipe to absorb energy and transfer it to a liquid medium.

Integral collector and storing system fixing the function of hot water storing and solar energy collection into a one unit. Take note that the majority of the solar collectors are roof mounted to which solar energy heaters are utilized for domestic hot water, space heating requirements and pool heating. Do you want to attain solar in the home? To attain homemade solar energy, you need to factor in the price of solar panels, and other equipment, and this can be implemented through a number of approaches. In this short article, you will soon discover some great data on how to find the best prices, as well as working out the cost. The primary thing to keep in mind, when you are buying solar energy, is that you keep in mind to remember that there are all different prices for different brands and models. Solar energy is scalable, so more needs scaling up from a smaller power. This can be performed first with a choice. That alternative is whether to power your entire home or a portion of your energy requirements.

First, you will need to figure out your requirements. Getting your most recent energy bill, and looking at the electricity used, is a perfect way to work out your energy needs over a time span of a day to three days. Dividing this utilization will give you the information you need for your needs. The next step is to put some time into finding all the equipment. Keep in mind that this is scalable and the results can be massive. With so a lot of options to purchasing this equipment, you will get benefits with different alternatives. The cost of solar panels and other equipment, and then there is the price of a kit, and kits can be a great way to get begin and have everything that works together.

AZUR Solar and Pakistan

Azur Solar GmbH, a well reputed German solar company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Raza Impex Pvt Ltd Pakistan during the visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to Germany. The signing ceremony was attended by the officials of German Ministry of Economics and officials of Pakistan Board of Investment (BOI).

The two companies have agreed to enter into a joint venture for installation of a 50 mega watt solar power plant in Pakistan. Mr. Bernd Sauter, CEO, signed the MOU on behalf of Azur Solar whereas Mr. Zafar Hussain, CEO, and Mr. Khurram Bilal, Managing Finance Partner signed it on behalf of Raza Impex Pakistan. The signing was witnessed by the Board of Investment of Pakistan.

Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman, Mr. Saleem H. Mandviwalla, and Honorary Investment Counsellor of BOI in Germany, Mr. Sikander Mir-Kohler, have played a very active and effective role in bringing the private sectors of the two countries closer together in an unusual way.Furthermore Mr. Mir-Kohler is determined to offer one window facilitation services for an early and solid realisation of the project.

The signing of this MOU will bring German technology and know-how to Pakistan in the area of alternative energy. Presently Pakistan is facing acute shortage of electricity and the Democratic Government of Pakistan encourages renewable energy to bridge the short fall and to provide local people with cheap and affordable energy.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan is in Germany for a two-day state visit and to attend the 50 Years of Bilateral Investment Treaties Conference organized by the German Government. In 1959 Pakistan and Germany signed the first ever Bilateral Treaty of the World.

Germany is a very important investment partner of Pakistan and many German companies are operating in Pakistan. The two countries have replaced their 50-year-old Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with a more dynamic and pragmatic Investment Treaty which was signed in Berlin in the presence of Pakistani Premier and German Chancellor. The new Treaty envisages a dynamic era of investment relations between the two countries. The signing of the MOU between Azur Solar and Raza Impex is a very significant example for stepping again into the pioneer footprints of the relationship of both countries