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Timothy Sands (left) director of Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology
Center in Discovery Park, Ind., and graduate student Mark Oliver,
operate a "reactor" that aims to perfect light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Inside the reactor, a material called gallium nitride is deposited on
silicon at temperatures of about 1,000 degrees Celsius, or 1,800
degrees Fahrenheit.
The light-emitting ingredient in LEDs is a material called gallium
nitride, which is used in the sapphire-based blue and green LEDs,
including those in traffic signals. The material also is used in lasers
in high-definition DVD players. The sapphire-based technology, however,
is currently too expensive for widespread domestic-lighting use, costing
at least 20 times more than conventional incandescent and compact
fluorescent light bulbs. In the new silicon-based LED research, the
Purdue engineers "metallized" the silicon substrate used in LEDs with a
built-in reflective layer of zirconium nitride.
"When the cost of a white LED lamp comes down to about $5, LEDs will be
in widespread use for general illumination," Sands said. "LEDs are still
improving in efficiency, so they will surpass fluorescents. Everything
looks favorable for LEDs, except for that initial cost, a problem that
is likely to be solved soon."
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First Solar Inc., Tempe, Ariz., will build a 2 megawatt photvoltaic
power plant on the roof of a commercial building in Fontana, Calif., for
Southern California Edison (SCE). This is the first installation in
SCE's plan to install 250 megawatts of solar generating capacity on
large commercial rooftops throughout Southern California over the next
five years. SCE began installation of this initial project on July 14,
and expects to connect the PV power plant to the grid in September 2008.
In March, SCE and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced
the five-year solar PV installation project, which is the largest
rooftop solar program ever proposed by a U.S. utility.
In addition, on July 10, the California Public Utilities Commission
approved project terms of a 20-year power purchase agreement between
First Solar and SCE for the sale of electricity generated by a PV power
plant. First Solar plans to build the new plant in Blythe, Calif. The PV
power plant will be a minimum of 7.5 megawatts, with an option by First
Solar to increase the size to 21 megawatts, and when completed will be
the largest ground-based PV power plant in California. First Solar will
serve as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor
for the PV power plant, and maintain the PV power plant over its
lifetime. First Solar expects to begin construction of the PV power
plant in 2009.
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An article
in www.digitimes.com says Cree
Lighting, Durham, N.C., expects the production costs of LED lighting to
drop fast, coming close to the levels of fluorescent lamps by 2012 in
terms of cost per lumen.
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Small businesses in Pennsylvania can apply for rebates to pay for
20 percent of the cost of a lighting upgrade from the Sustainable Energy
Fund (SEF), Allentown, Pa. The SEF is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the use of renewable energy, clean energy technologies,
energy conservation and education that was founded in 1999 by the
Pennsylvania Utilities Commission (PUC).
The rebate is available to businesses with less than 100 employees. The
lighting upgrades must cost at least $5,000. The maximum rebate is
$2,000. For more information about the program, click here.
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Energy Conversion Devices Inc., Rochester Hills, Mich., said its
thin-film flexible solar laminates will power the world's largest
rooftop solar power system. The 12-megawatt system is being installed on
GM's assembly plant in Figueruelas, Zaragoza, Spain and will become
operational in the fall of 2008. Energy Conservation Devices Inc. will
supply the solar laminates through its wholly owned subsidiary, United
Solar Ovonic, LLC.
When fully operational, the photovoltaic system will have a peak
capacity of 12 megawatts, producing as much as 15 million kilowatt hours
of "green" energy annually, enough to power approximately 4,500 homes.
UNI-SOLAR thin-film flexible solar laminates also power GM parts
warehouses in Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana, Calif., two of the largest
rooftop solar power installations in the United States.
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Designed for new construction and retrofit applications, the Vizia+
collection offers a sleek, new look and more programming options to
simplify lighting control: The horizontally oriented DIM/BRIGHT Bar and
LED Brightness Display is exceptionally intuitive to use with easy push
on/off neutral activation. A row of horizontal LEDs shows brightness
intensity levels incrementally from left to right. The enlarged push pad
makes on/off control easier by extending the push-pad area for the best
possible tactile response.
Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc.
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In this metering system, wireless mesh technology allows
installation of metering devices without expensive communication
cabling. E-Mon’s wireless family of products include single- and
three-phase meters with built-in wireless transceivers, external modules
for interfacing previously installed E-Mon D-Mon meters to a wireless
AMR system and an assortment of wireless interface modules for bringing
water, gas or other electric socket-type meters into the metering
system.
E-Mon
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Oct. 13-16
Solar Power Conference & Expo 2008
San Diego Convention Center, San Diego; Solar Electric Power Association
(SEPA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA); Info;
Future events: Solar Power 2009, Oct. 19 – 22, San Jose, Calif.; Solar
Power 2010, Oct. 12-14, Los Angeles
Oct. 21-23
Green East Expo
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York.; Green Media Enterprises,
310-984-6919; 310-984-6919; info@GreenEastExpo.com; www.GreenEastExpo.com
Nov. 19-21
GreenBuild International Conference and Expo
Boston Convention Center, Boston; U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC);
Washington, D.C.; 800-795-1747; info@greenbuildexpo.org; www.greenbuildexpo.org;
Future events: Phoenix, Nov. 11-13, 2009
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G-Biz is a twice-monthly newsletter published by Electrical Wholesaling and Electrical Construction &
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Twice each month, G-Biz will cover topics such as:
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