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Solar Decathlon

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Energy Department Announces $60 Million to Drive Affordable, Efficient Solar Power

Building on President Obama’s broad-based plan to cut carbon pollution and support clean energy innovation across the country, Energy Secretary Moniz announced today about $60 million to support innovative solar energy research and development. As part of the Department’s SunShot Initiative, these awards will help lower the cost of solar electricity, advance seamless grid integration and support a growing U.S. solar workforce.“The tremendous growth in the U.S. solar industry over the past few years is helping to pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future that protects our air and water and provides affordable clean energy to more and more Americans,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “Responsible development of all of America’s rich energy resources is an important part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and will help ensure America’s continued leadership in clean energy innovation.”Lowering the Cost of Solar Through Hardware and Soft Cost InnovationsOver the last three years, the cost of a solar energy system has dropped by more than 70 percent – helping to give more and more American families and businesses access to affordable, clean energy. Today, Secretary Moniz announced a series of awards to further reduce costs – including soft costs like permitting, installation and interconnection– and to improve hardware performance and efficiency.Since 2007, more than 50 American start-ups have participated in the SunShot Incubator Program – attracting more than $1.7 billion in private sector backing, or nearly $18 for every $1 of government support. As part of today’s announcement, the Energy Department is investing more than $12 million across 17 companies to help commercialize a wide range of technologies and services – from online tools that can map a rooftop’s solar potential in seconds to automated installation systems for utility scale photovoltaic plants.The Energy Department is awarding approximately $16 million to four projects that will helpdevelop solar devices that near the theoretical efficiency limits of single junction solar cells, or about 30 percent efficiency. The Department is also awarding about $7 million to developstronger, more reliable solar components as well as dependable performance tests for microinverters and microconverters. They provide easier installation and more effective capture of energy for both photovoltaic and concentrating solar power systems.Together, these awards are helping to accelerate breakthroughs in solar energy conversion efficiency and performance – driving further cost reductions.Seamless Grid IntegrationDuring President Obama’s first term, the United States more than doubled generation of electricity from wind, solar and geothermal sources. To ensure America’s continued leadership position in clean energy, the President has set a goal to double renewable electricity generation once again by 2020. As the cost of solar continues to fall and deployment expands, seamless and efficient grid integration will help make variable clean energy resources even more affordable, while giving Americans more control over how they use energy in their homes and businesses.The Energy Department is investing about $8 million to help utilities forecast and integrate high levels of renewable energy generation into the grid, while ensuring reliable and affordable power. For example, AWS Truepower will help California utilities feed cost-competitive distributed solar directly into the power grid, while the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association will help 150 U.S. counties deploy new solar capacity and model streamlined financing and installation processes for electric cooperatives nationwide.Supporting America’s Growing Solar WorkforceThe U.S. solar industry employs about 119,000 workers at more than 5,600 companies across every state. Since 2010, the solar industry has created nearly 20,000 new American jobs. To support this growing workforce and a new generation of clean energy leaders, the Energy Department is providing training for engineers and utility workers as well as student research opportunities.As part of today’s announcement, the Department is awarding about $15 million to developpower engineering curriculum and launch four regional training consortiums. Led by U.S. universities, utilities, and industry, these consortiums will train the next generation of energy engineers, system operators and utility professionals.The Energy Department is also awarding about $1 million to Delaware State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio to provide solar energy research and education opportunities to minority students.The Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative is a collaborative national effort that aggressively drives innovation to make solar energy fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade.  For more information, visit www.energy.gov/sunshot.

$500 Tax credit for installing Radiant Barriers

The wait is over and we have good news; the popular  tax credit for radiant barrier products is back!! At the first of this year, Congress passed the American Taxpayer Release Act of 2012 and President Barack Obama signed it into law on January 2nd.Title IV Section 401 of this law extends past tax credits outlined in IRS Section 25C(g) through December 31, 2013 for energy efficient tax credits pertaining to radiant barrier & reflective bubble insulation products for purchases/installations made in 2012 through December 31, 2013.Summary of the tax credit:The tax credit covers products purchased and installed after January 1, 2012 and before December 31, 2013.The tax credit is for 10% up to a maximum of $500 for the combined year periods (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013) for all improvements combined (for example, if you have already claimed a 25c tax credit of $500 or more, you would not be eligible to make a tax credit claim for 2012).

Reliable information abaout Radiant Barriers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzB8_P9puvs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Learn about Radiant Barrier Foil

There are several important things commercial and residential building owners can do to reduce energy costs of a building or structure. When insulating a home or adding commercial insulation, it is critical to be sure to install the recommended amount of insulation. In many parts of the U.S., installing reflective insulation or radiant barriers can add significant resistance to the effects of radiant heat coming from the sun.

When radiant heat strikes the surface of a building the temperature of that surface increases as the radiant heat is absorbed. Mass insulation merely slows down the transfer of this heat to the interior of the building, whereas reflective insulation and radiant barriers can block 97 percent of radiant heat. Our wide variety of reflective insulation products can be used in addition to, or instead of, mass insulation to significantly reduce energy consumption in virtually any building — helping to save money while conserving our natural resources and environment.

How do radiation barriers save energy?

On a sunny summer day, solar energy is absorbed by the roof, heating the roof sheathing and causing the underside of the sheathing and the roof framing to become hot. These surfaces then radiate heat downward toward the attic floor. Radiant barriers reduce that energy flow. Since the amount of heat radiation striking the top of the insulation is less than it would have been, the insulation surface temperature is lower and the heat flow through the insulation is reduced. By reducing the energy reaching the attic floor, radiant barriers also reduce the attic air temperature.
The amount of energy exchanged between the roof deck and the attic floor depends on two factors.
• The temperatures of each surface
• The properties of the attic surface materials, called the "emittance" and “reflectivity.”
Energy exchange is greatest when the temperature difference is high, when the emittance is high, and when the reflectivity is low. The underside of a roof deck made of wood will typically have a high emittance. When a radiant barrier with a much lower emittance covers that wooden surface, the thermal radiation is reduced. When a radiant barrier with a high reflectivity is placed on top of the attic floor insulation, much of the heat radiated from the hot roof is reflected back toward the roof.
In the winter, radiant barriers can reduce indoor heat losses through the ceiling, especially during winter nights when the roof surface is coldest. However, they also reduce beneficial daytime heat gains due to solar heating of the roof. Depending on your climate, level of attic insulation, and other factors, the net winter effect can be positive or negative.