Tag Archives: solar panels

Death Panels: Why Firefighters Are Scared of Solar Rooftops

by Finley Kay Posted on September 11, 2013

Mother Jones

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This story first appeared on the Atlantic Cities website and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

A 300,000 square foot refrigerated warehouse in Delanco, New Jersey, burned down last week, and the local fire chief says solar panels are partly to blame. No, the 700 solar panels on top of the Dietz & Watson warehouse didn’t cause the fire, but their presence did dissuade Delanco Fire Chief Ron Holt from putting his team on the roof. “With all that power and energy up there, I can’t jeopardize a guy’s life for that,” Holt told NBC Philadelphia. The only thing firefighters fear more than fire is solar.

So long as a solar panel is getting sunlight, it’s impossible to turn off. “During daylight, there can be enough voltage and current to injure or even kill a firefighter who comes in contact with the energized conductors,” Matthew Paiss, a fire engineer with the San Jose Fire Department, wrote in a handy guide for firefighters. The Dietz & Watson warehouse fire started when the sun was out. By the time the sun went down, the fire was beyond control. The warehouse burned for 29 hours.

As Paiss explained in his essay on solar panels and firefighting, roof access is crucial for firefighters:

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Originally posted here:

Death Panels: Why Firefighters Are Scared of Solar Rooftops

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Carbon-friendly skies: Flying smaller airlines reduces your footprint

by czwcqtpj Posted on September 11, 2013

Carbon-friendly skies: Flying smaller airlines reduces your footprint

By

Frank Kovalchek

Alaska Air is the most climate-friendly domestic airline.

Air travel is the most carbon-intensive mode of transportation, and the industry has long resisted efforts to improve its efficiency — which is weird, given the high price of aviation fuel (it’s basically the Moët & Chandon of refined oil).

But some airlines are more efficient than others. The nonprofit International Council on Clean Transportation analyzed domestic airlines’ fuel consumption, passenger and flight data from 2010 to produce a fuel-efficiency metric.

The analysis revealed that you can personally reduce your airborne carbon footprint by traveling with smaller carriers. The most egregious global warmers tend to be merger-prone corporate giants. From the findings, published in a new report [PDF]:

Of the carriers with above average fuel efficiency in domestic operations, Alaska Airlines (ranked first), Spirit Airlines (tied for second), and Hawaiian Airlines (tied for second) are relatively small carriers serving geographically limited markets.

Many, although not all, of the carriers with worse fuel efficiency than the industry average were, or subsequently have been, the subject of merger activity, including Delta Air Lines (11th), US Airways (12th), Airtran Airways (13th), and American Airlines (14th). The least efficient airline in this ranking, Allegiant Air, also happened to have the most profitable U.S. domestic operations during the 2009 to 2011 period.

Here are the full results:

ICCTClick to embiggen.


Source
U.S. domestic airline fuel efficiency ranking, International Council on Clean Transportation

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Carbon-friendly skies: Flying smaller airlines reduces your footprint

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We don’t need no stinking permits: California frackers get their way

by qdyedut Posted on September 11, 2013

We don’t need no stinking permits: California frackers get their way

By

Senator Fran Pavley

on Facebook

Calif. Sen. Fran Pavley lost her spine. Will Gov. Jerry Brown protect his state?

Until last week, the days of unbridled fracking in California appeared to be drawing to a close. But then legislation that would require drillers to obtain permits before work could begin was abruptly watered down, potentially handing the oil and gas industry a significant lobbying victory.

Senate Bill 4 passed the state senate last week following its approval by the assembly – but not before its author, a Democrat from Los Angeles, watered down her own legislation. The bill will now head back to the lower house for another vote there.

Environmentalists who had cautiously supported the bill, which many described as flawed, have turned into vociferous opponents. The East Bay Express explains:

Last week, after intense backroom lobbying, the powerful oil and gas industry convinced state Senator Fran Pavley of Los Angeles, the sponsor of SB 4, to further weaken her legislation and include poison-pill amendments. If enacted, it promises to do more harm than good.

Under the eleventh-hour changes, SB 4 would require state regulators to green-light all fracking requests by oil and gas companies in California until at least July 1, 2015, when the state is scheduled to complete an environmental review of fracking in California. You read that right. Before the environmental review is complete, the bill says that state regulators “shall” approve all requests to shoot toxic chemicals and water into the earth to release otherwise trapped fossil fuels.

In exchange, oil and gas companies would have to disclose to state regulators what chemicals they’re using in hydraulic fracturing. And while there currently is no specific requirement for such disclosure in California, the trade-off is not worth it for the state. After all, SB 4, as now written, could block state regulators from trying to halt fracking during the next two years, even after they learn what chemicals are being shot into the ground.

The brouhaha that preceded the changes centered around the effects of the California Environmental Quality Act, which is a rigid and perennially controversial law that was signed in 1970 — by Gov. Ronald Reagan, of all people. If drillers are required to obtain permits before they frack (or before they inject acid into the ground to loosen fossil fuel reserves — as horrified Californian lawmakers recently discovered has become a common practice), then CEQA would require them to complete an environmental impact report. And that would require that they propose measures to offset the environmental damage they would cause.

You can imagine how unpopular that idea has been with the gas and oil industry. After their lobbyists’ intervention, the amended legislation would now provide ample ways for drillers to weasel out of normal CEQA requirements. From a press release issued by the Center for Biological Diversity, CREDO, Food & Water Watch, and Friends of the Earth:

New language added to the bill specifies that “no additional review or mitigation shall be required” if the supervisor of the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources “determines” that the proposed fracking activities have met the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. This provision could be used by DOGGR to bypass CEQA’s bedrock environmental review and mitigation requirements. This language could also prevent air and water boards, local land use jurisdictions and other agencies from carrying out their own CEQA reviews of fracking.

CEQA was defended against ruthless attacks for decades. But then Gov. Jerry Brown (D) came back into power in 2011. Within his first year in office, Brown signed legislation that exempted a football stadium planned in Los Angeles from normal CEQA rules. Last year he said, “I have never seen a CEQA exemption I don’t like.” And this year he led a hitherto failed effort to water down the historic law (although some proposed CEQA reforms are supported by environmentalists).

Brown will presumably have the final say on whether SB 4 becomes law. Time will tell whether he favors the frackers or the environment.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.Find this article interesting? Donate now to support our work.Read more: Climate & Energy

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We don’t need no stinking permits: California frackers get their way

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There’s arsenic in your rice, but don’t worry about it, says FDA

by d2wk58 Posted on September 10, 2013

There’s arsenic in your rice, but don’t worry about it, says FDA

By

Shutterstock

Rice grows in water, which is often contaminated with arsenic.

Whenever you eat rice, a prevalent but poisonous element is all over your meal like, well, white on rice.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration tested 1,300 samples of rice and rice-based products and found that they all contained very low levels of arsenic [PDF].

Grains of rice tested had average levels of inorganic arsenic ranging from 2.6 to 7.2 micrograms per serve. Tragically, instant rice contained the least amount of arsenic and brown rice had the most. Products containing rice ingredients also contained arsenic.

That isn’t much arsenic — a microgram is one-millionth of a gram, and there are 28 grams in an ounce. But is it dangerous?

In the short term, the FDA says no. “These amounts of detectable arsenic are not high enough to cause any immediate or short-term adverse health effects,” the agency wrote on its website. In the long run? Nobody’s really sure. “The FDA intends to conduct a risk assessment considering how much arsenic is consumed from rice and rice products, and whether there are variations in health effects for certain segments of the population.”

Can you get your rice without arsenic? Apparently not. From The Christian Science Monitor:

FDA toxicologist Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick said that because arsenic is naturally occurring it is going to be in food, and because rice is grown in water it will always have higher levels.

“It’s not something that we can just pull off the market,” she said.

The rice industry said Friday that it is working with the FDA and is encouraged by the results of the study. The industry has been conducting several of its own studies to try to figure out how to reduce arsenic levels, including investigating different ways to manage the water in which rice is grown and looking at processing and rinsing methods to see if there are ways to reduce arsenic levels.

Meanwhile, the FDA suggests that you balance a mix of grains and other foods in your diet to help water down any risks.

Read more about arsenic in rice — and how it got there. 

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.Find this article interesting? Donate now to support our work.Read more: Food

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There’s arsenic in your rice, but don’t worry about it, says FDA

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New Orleans has a radical new plan for managing floods

by Olesiacei Posted on September 10, 2013

New Orleans has a radical new plan for managing floods

By

Derek Bridges

New Orleans won’t let a little rain kill its buzz.

The Big Easy has a multibillion-dollar new philosophy for dealing with flooding: Let it happen. (At least in some spots.)

New Orleans is a low-lying city built on swampland, and its leaders are finally coming to terms with that hydrological reality. No longer will officials try to drain and pump out every drop of water that falls or flows their way.

Instead, under the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan, floodwaters would be corralled into areas that serve as parks during drier times. Rain gardens and bioswales would help the earth suck up more of the rain that falls on it. And water would be funneled into year-round canals and ponds that support wildlife, improve soil quality, and generally pretty up the place.

The plan, which was developed in consultation with Dutch engineers, wouldn’t shelter the city from catastrophic floods if its levees fail — as happened after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But it would help turn the region’s heavy rainfall from a hazard into an asset. That’s becoming especially important, with Louisiana enduring America’s fastest rates of sea-level rise and experiencing increasingly intense downpours as the globe warms up.

“We know how to do this. We just forgot,” Deputy Mayor Cedric Grant said at a ceremony as the plan was unveiled on Friday. “We had to be reminded by our friends from the Netherlands.”

The $6.2 billion plan aims to solve two pressing problems. It would help reduce flood damage in a naturally soggy city during a period of climate upheaval. And it would help recharge desiccated soils with moisture, preventing the ground from sinking ever further beneath sea level. From the vision outlined in the plan:

Greater New Orleans has always contended with flooding from rainfall, and now faces new challenges, including changing climate, rising seas, and human-induced sinking of the land.

Last century’s infrastructure enabled widespread urbanization in a wet delta environment, but the principles underlying that infrastructure are no longer adequate to sustain the region.

A new approach to water — the region’s most abundant asset — is the foundation for building a safe, prosperous and beautiful future on the Mississippi River Delta.

Of course, overhauling century-old city infrastructure won’t be easy, and it’s not clear how the needed billions of dollars would be raised. From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The sheer ambition of the plan lays bare the difficulty of any swift implementation. For that reason, its chief architect, architect and planner David Waggonner, said it looks long-term, to 2050, for a completion date.

While the numbers are hard to prove, … supporters said they believed the new plan could provide an $11.3 billion economic benefit to the region in terms of rising property values and reduced risk of flooding.

Regardless of how long this takes, it’s sure nice to see N’awlins becoming friends again with the bountiful water that once defined it.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.Find this article interesting? Donate now to support our work.Read more: Cities

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Low-Cost Solar Panel – Try Searching For Made Use Of Solar Panels Or On The Net

by Gabrielle Hartzog Posted on September 4, 2013

Home owners looking for can be performed in a number of techniques. Try looking for employed solar panels or on internet web sites consisting of Auction internet sites. Broken solar panels, that you can bring back, might be obtained free of cost and a lower price from firms that have them set up.

Generating your personal solar power systems has actually been yet another method of getting. Self-made solar technology turbines are enabling homeowners to be able to minimize their cost upon electricity.

Solar panel systems establish free of cost lasting energy in the sun by simply transforming natural sunshine straight into electrical power.

Several individual plastic cells are normally connected with each various other to develop a solar power. Photons make a power existing while striking the surface of the solar panel.

Silicon cells is normally collected, by soldering inside series to create a voltage. The Seventeen volt end outcome can be made by hooking up Thirty 6 solar cells together with string.

If you use Build it yourself instructions which can be bought on the World Wide Internet, making your own could be prepared for below 2 hundred dollars.

Poly crystalline cellular product is more affordable and much less successful compared to mono-crystalline cells.

Mono-crystalline tissues cost a lot, however you are the very best. The cost by yourself affordable display endeavor will increase somewhat if you make use of mono-crystalline cells, however the cost is worth it.

An additional kind of mobile could be the amorphous mobile. The actual amorphous cellular is not crystalline. Amorphous cellular product tends to be a bit special due to the fact that fundamental compound related to a cup in addition to product will be painted with a skinny level involving plastic cells. Amorphous cells are less expensive and less beneficial compared to the some other a pair of cellular material; nonetheless it can be achieved into long bed linens employed in roof programs.

The toughest a part of your present inexpensive cell task is really finding inexpensive solar panels to finish any job. You might make your economical solar panels making use of Thirty five solar panels. For use in your home, Thirty five tissues per panel are the average dimensions.

Assembling could be a satisfying undertaking about school aged kids and will make a superb science honest task. Smaller sized areas could be produced for innovation truthful projects running tiny stuff like double a wall charger, shower radios, mobile phone recharges or even some otherwise item.

Many of the elements required to develop a cheap cell may well currently be laying about your home or even are available cheaply from the community hardware store or attained absolutely free of buddies in addition to comparative.

Against the law rubbish eliminate sites and household trash remaining with curbside on rubbish pick-up days can be an excellent reference to get no cost building parts. Recycling where possible and clearing the environmental environments are 2 handy favorable aspects as a result of someone acquiring construct your dropped components in this way. Waste internet sites might generate no cost developing resources, for example line, lumber, screws, goblet panels, along with various other things.

Developing your specific cheap solar panels is not as tough a procedure since you might believe it is. Constructing your individual homemade is a easy procedure.

Company solar energy systems expense generally coming from 5-0 for a 70 to be able to Eighty 5 w panels.

Do not let all this ample solar power go to waste, make your very own low cost solar power and hang efficiency.

cheap photovoltaic panel provides a wide range of residential solar power systems, commercial solar power systems and other cheap solar panels equipments.

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Do Solar Panels Use More Energy Than They Generate?

by bibw6a Posted on August 29, 2013

Taken from: 

Do Solar Panels Use More Energy Than They Generate?

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Solar Energy And Also A Few Of The A Lot Of Advantages

by Panchito Zirman Posted on August 26, 2013

Everyone wants to lower their utility expenses, and solar power can be one of the simplest means to do this. Makers have actually come up with very creative approaches to capitalize on this cost-free source of energy, and they have made it very simple to carry out. If you are serious about taking areas into your own hands with solar energy, then this short article is for you.

Whether or not you’re prepared to heat your whole house making use of solar energy, there are some simple ways you can begin going solar. If you are on a spending plan, then for about $100 there are no-frills solar gadgets that just require about an hour in the sun to heat up.

Certainly this is a method you can use at very little expense, and you can start saving each month forever. Another exceptional application of solar power is warming your water for around the home. While it can be expensive to warm your whole house with solar energy, a solar water heater is a easier and less pricey way to obtain begun.

A solar water heater can be active or either passive , the latter having circulating controls and pumps . If you desire an even cheaper option, you can buy solar water heater panels to work with your present water pump. The panels are attractive to some individuals as they do not wish to be bothered with installation of brand-new furnace for their water. If you want to get detailed or not is your call, but simply comprehend there are choices readily available.

Solar energy can easily be utilized in greenhouses to help your plants stay healthy and expand better. Exactly what’s more, you can further insulate the walls to help manage and maintain the proper temperature level. That method will make it possible to expand the plants you like despite how low the temps drop.

This is just another slightly imaginative application enabled with solar power. Just explore what can be done with even more insulation if your plants require additional security. If you expand plants or veggies that are edible, you’ll be saving cash on food costs along with energy costs with a solar energy greenhouse.

You can literally alter so much about how you can about doing things in your house with solar energy. If you want to take advantage of this, then start your own procedure of discovery and see where it leads you. There are also various other means of option and renewable resource sources, so do not restrict yourself in any way.

In these days numerous individuals who want to construct up their very own solar panel systems prefer to do it with a step by step manual that offers them every piece of information they need to do it.

Get your own solar power generator here diy solar panels

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The Stress-Free Way To Find An Awesome Solar Panel Contractor

by Jacob Thomas Posted on August 23, 2013

As much as we might like to do it ourselves, some projects are just too grand, and too challenging. But hiring a solar panel installation contractor is an intimidating idea as well. Finding one who will work according to your schedule and your vision might present some challenges. Here are some ideas to guide your search and help you make a wise choice.

Contact the solar panel installation contractor’s references and ask them about their experiences with the contractor and whether they would use the contractor again. Visit the site often to make sure the work is satisfactory and the site is well-maintained. Make sure their vision for the final design matches yours.

The solar panel installation contractor you hire for your project needs to be an expert in all local zoning ordinances and laws, or you could be in for a lot of problems. You can bring your plans and drawings to your local government and ask them to evaluate them for compliance if you’re concerned about your contractor’s level of expertise (or lack thereof. )

Ask the solar panel installation contractor who will be performing your work. Often main contractors will employ solar panel experts to complete jobs or parts of jobs. Inquire as to how long or how often this solar panel expert is used and if the solar panel experts work is guaranteed by the main solar panel company. It may also be a good idea to ask for references from the solar panel expert to check out.

When a solar panel installation contractor explains his reputation make sure you double check yourself by asking for references or testimonies. Don’t be fooled by a clever contractor talking his way out of explaining his past. You need to do your research to discover on your own if a contractor will be a good fit for your project.

Ask if your potential solar panel installation contractor has sample books of materials used in past jobs or photos of past completed projects. These examples can give you insight into their quality of work and may assist you in making a decision about an aspect of the job you are unsure of.

A good solar panel installation contractor always listens to your needs and concerns and gives helpful suggestions at all times. If the contractor has been active during interview and estimation and is easy to talk to than he is probably a good choice to do further business with.

Make sure that you ask the solar panel installation contractor if they’re familiar with the certain codes required to tackle your project. All of the areas like improvement, plumbing, and electrical work have specific codes that they have to follow. If your contractor isn’t aware of these codes, you could be in hot water.

Before you start working with a solar panel installation contractor get them to sign a written contract so they will be held responsible for the length of time the project takes as well as the cost of it including labor and materials. Ask how they will improve and expand on your expectations and use a first interview to establish professionalism.

Looking for ways to enhance your knowledge about the helpful tips presented above? Just type in solar energy installation when searching online. You can find some fantastic helpful ideas about green energy options.

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Read These Tips To Understand How To Find A Great Solar Panel Contractor

by Susie Quan Posted on August 23, 2013

There are so many choices when searching for a solar panel installation contractor. So where do you start? Use these tips to guide you in the right direction.

Make sure all warranties as well as contact information for those covering the warranties are provided for any materials that fall into this category. This could include items such as refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, or other large appliances.

It’s not a bad thing to be a little apprehensive while finalizing a solar panel installation contractor. You can even share your doubts with them so that they know your thought process and who knows – many seasoned contractors can allay your fears with subsequent communications.

A solar panel installation contractor must have a contractor license in most states and local municipalities. Before allowing a contractor on your site make sure the contractor and all of this employees are properly licensed for the job you are hiring them to do.

If a solar panel installation contractor offers a bid that is significantly lower than competitors, ask why. Inquire as to what type of materials are used and why the labor is so much cheaper. If the contractor cannot answer, be suspicious.

You can get recommendations for solar panel installation contractors by visiting a contractor’s desk available at many large hardware stores. Many times, the store employees are familiar with local contractors and can give you an experienced recommendation.

You will want to set up a contract outlining all the details about your expectations of the project such as the deadlines and all project requirements with the solar panel installation contractor. Even with a contract in place, you will not want to fully trust that the contractor is performing correctly; show up at the worksite to inspect all work being performed.

In the case that you will have to interview several probable solar panel installation contractors at ago, it is advisable that you do not plan giving each of them a visit but rather opt to give each of them a call and by asking some questions lower that number to a more manageable one. From this remaining number, decide the best way to contact them.

Consider having your solar panel installation contractor collaborate with you when you’re designing your own project plans. They may give you valuable insight to help you in your project. Also, involving them will surely make them feel more invested in the job.

Ask for references from friends and family for a solar panel installation contractor. Many times word of mouth can be important in finding a reputable contractor. Call the numbers on the contractor’s business card to make sure the contact information is legitimate.

Looking for ways to enhance your insight regarding the information discussed above? Just type in go green energy today when searching online. You might find some great helpful suggestions about solar heating options.

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