Goal For The Green

Guest Post by Georgia Halston

Buying a solar panel system has become common place for those who can afford it. Many have their own motives, but few fall out of the realms of the main two reasons: to save money and to save the environment, and the new ground-breaking discovery is good news on either front.

The University of Texas at Austin, was founded in 1883 and of its alumni, the institute can boast: award winning director Wes Anderson, First Lady Laura Bush, actor and award winning screen writer Owen Wilson and Nobel Prize winner John Maxwell Coetzee. Joining the illustrious ranks of these modern greats will be by chemist and Professor: Xiaoyang Zhu.

Zhu is the lead author on the study that discovered the true potential of solar panels and how tapping into that potential could lead to globally relevant changes in the field. The overall conclusion of the study was that:

Photovoltaic cells produce electricity directly from sunlight (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“The efficiency of conventional solar cells could be significantly increased”.
Professor Zhu goes on to state that:
“It’s possible to double the number of electrons harvested from one photon of sunlight using an organic plastic semiconductor material.

“Plastic semiconductor solar cell production has great advantages, one of which is low cost,”

“Combined with the vast capabilities for molecular design and synthesis, our discovery opens the door to an exciting new approach for solar energy conversion, leading to much higher efficiencies.”

Source:  http://www.utexas.edu/news/2011/12/15/dark_state/

The possibility of the efficiency change of solar cells, according to the report, is a staggering 50%. This means, that if the new research is put into practice and the technology is manufactured based on the new findings, every owner of a solar panel energy system could see twice as much output from the sun’s rays.

As well as the domestic sphere, Zhu’s discovery can also have amazing repercussions in the business world. Commercial solar panels should be more than an afterthought for medium and large businesses looking to cut costs. In times of economic downturn, large corporations need to be a lot less short sighted when it comes to cutting outgoings. At the moment it seems the loss of employees is the go-to option for too many employers, actions such as these, only act as stunting agents to an already crumbling economy.
Keeping staff and using alternative methods of cost cutting such as the use of renewable energy, especially with discoveries such as the one by Xiaoyang Zhu, are the some of the only methods of boosting business as well as the economy!

I love receiving this kind of news about reaching mutual decisions, and a willingness to work together that benefits all involved.  Read on and you will see what I mean.

PRESS RELEASE

SK E&S subsidiary, Pyeongtaek Energy Service, purchases 14 PureCell® systems to generate over six megawatts of clean power for the greater Seoul, Korea area.

UTC Power 400kW fuel cell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp.UTX +1.58% company, today announced that Pyeongtaek Energy Service, a wholly owned subsidiary of SK E&S, has purchased 14 Pure Cell Model 400 fuel cell systems. This project will be completed in two phases and aims to be fully operational by the end of 2013.

The first phase of this project consists of seven Pure Cell systems being installed at the new SK E&S power plant in the city of Pyeongtaek, in Korea’s Gyeonggi Province. Phase I is expected to be completed, with the initial seven Pure Cell systems operational, in the fall of 2012. These Pure Cell systems will help to meet the growing demand for electricity in the greater Seoul area, while also helping to meet Korea’s clean energy vision to deploy fuel cells and other clean and renewable energy technologies. In addition to providing power to help meet South Korea’s Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), the Pure Cell systems will also supply thermal energy to Godeok International City, a center for business, technology and global exchange. Phase II of this project, the installation of an additional seven Pure Cell systems at the new power plant campus in Pyeongtaek, is slated to start mid-summer 2013.

This news builds on another recent announcement by UTC Power involving six Pure Cell systems to be installed at two separate CBS studios in Studio City, California by the end of this year:
These fuel cells will produce a total of 2.4 MW of power and will prevent the release of more than 2,370 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – the equivalent of planting nearly 550 acres of trees.
The reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions, when compared to a conventional power plant, are equal to the environmental benefits of removing more than 357 cars from the road.
These Pure Cell systems, which operate in water balance, will also enable CBS to save more than 2.8 million gallons of water annually, enough to fill  4 1/2 Olympic swimming pools.

“This is a very exciting project for UTC Power. Our Pure Cell systems will be putting power into the grid to provide clean energy to the growing Seoul, Korea metropolitan area,” said Joe Triompo, Vice President and General Manager of UTC Power. “The environmental benefits offered by these highly efficient Pure Cell systems are a great match for South Korea’s progressive environmental standards. We’re pleased to be a part of their green solution.”

The Pure Cell system is proving to be a game-changing technology for utility companies and energy efficient buildings alike. Compared to typical central generation and other fuel cell offerings, the Pure Cell system offers customers lower energy costs, reduced emissions, an industry-leading 10-year cell stack durability and up to 90 percent system efficiency. This range of benefits is unique to the Pure Cell system and is unmatched in the fuel cell industry.

All 14 fuel cells will be supported locally by UTC Power’s South Korean subsidiary, UTC Power International Services – Korea, a Seoul-based company made up of highly trained Pure Cell aftermarket service technicians.

“This first RPS project is an important milestone for the Pure Cell system, and is a testament to its proven performance and reliability for multi-megawatt class installations,” said Eric Strayer, General Manager of International Sales at UTC Power. “We are proud to be playing a role in Korea’s clean energy future and developing local capabilities for service and installation with our customer.”

SK E&SSK E&S, is the leading comprehensive energy service provider of Korea that conducts city gas, power, district energy and LNG business. The company’s City Gas business possesses a massive supply system through its city gas distribution subsidiaries in seven major regions throughout Korea. SK E&S has the number 1 market share in Korea’s city gas market, and supplies approximately 22 percent of the nation’s gas demand. The Power business produces and supplies electricity through the operation of Gwangyang LNG Power Plant. The company is currently constructing Pyeongtaek LNG Power Plant with the target to go into commercial operation in 2012. For more information please visit skens.com

UTC Power, is part of United Technologies Corp. which provides energy-efficient products and services to the aerospace and building industries. Based in South Windsor, Conn., UTC Power is the world leader in developing and producing fuel cells that generate energy for buildings and for transportation, space and defense applications. UTC Power has designed, manufactured, and installed more than 300 stationary fuel cells in 19 countries on six continents. For more information, please visit utcpower.com  Together they are working toward many better tomorrows!

Keeping with the topic of going solar, as in my previous posts, Ready to go Solar? and  Facts on Who Goes Solar, here is an new info-graphic from 1Bog(One Block Off the Grid).  Just click the link and you will go to 1Bog. There the graphic examines how we Americans are rating our utility companies, our commitment to renewable/green energy sources, and solar versus grid usage. When at their site, you can also sign up for news from 1Bog, and also see what solar offers are available in your area.

As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts by commenting, to let me know if you agree with the information presented in the info-graphic. Enjoy, as it is quite useful info.