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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Has Fossil Fuel Finally Met Its Match?


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  The Beginning of a Massive Shift:


When the world changes, I'm interested. I come from a large family in a small Massachusetts town. Growing up I always loved finding better ways to do things. Whether that came in the form of devising new ways to shovel out our driveway or re-organizing how my college organization manages mail to save a few bucks. I love the ability to act and find positive results. Like any true New Englander, I know when the season is about to change and when to trade in my snow boots for summer. It's clear to me that now is the time to act, and I plan on convincing you that you should too.

There was recently a leap in technology. Unfortunately, the story did not get the amount of press that it was due. As of this month, both Toyota and Tesla are releasing a new form of energy storage that has the capacity to decimate energy costs.



The 2015Toyota Miuri: Image Source



The most crucial aspect of the new release is Toyota's new battery, it has the ability to change the entire way pay for energy. Toyota recently released their new Miuri, which means "future" in Japanese. This car is revolutionary in many ways. One of the major ways that's not being reported on heavily is its technological application in terms of generating power for houses. The battery that supplies this car with energy can be reconfigured easily to generate energy for a house. When tested this provided enough power for an average Japanese house to last a whole week. That amount of energy storage, up until recently, was impractical and too expensive to justify. This release is nothing short of groundbreaking.


Tesla, another leading renewable energy car company answered this challenge by Toyota by releasing its new battery that has the ability to end your reliance on fossil fuels for good. This battery, which allows for you to effectively store and use enough power to care for yourself is unbelievable its its perspective applications. The battery is designed and proven, all that's left is the mass production.

Elon Musk, Image Source
 Musk is no stranger to innovation but this new development is earth shattering.

So What Can We Get Out of This?

The short answer, potentially free energy for life.

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The issue of energy storage has plagued Solar Energy systems from their creation. The inherent nature of the technology provides the most amount of power during the time of day when the average consumer uses the least. So the maximum benefits of this technology hasn't been reached, until now.

Roughly 90.5% of all energy consumed in the United States in 2013 came from non-renewable, relatively expensive sources. As highlighted in a previous article of mine, solar energy could easily replace the need for fossil fuels, and do so relatively cheaply.

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I mean saving money is saving money but there's no point leaving any of it on the table. Dollar and cents wise, this makes the switch to solar the investment of a lifetime. Currently its possible to switch to solar for little or no money out of pocket if you invest in a solar energy system from SolarCity.
The future for lack of a better phrase has never been brighter for these energy companies who already have unbelievable growth.

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What makes Musk's unveiling so powerful is that it solves the single largest hurdle in stopping Solar Energy from booming and taking over the energy market. The new ability to store energy obtained throughout the day will allow for the continued use overnight and a 100% efficiency that has escaped these companies so far.

Why you should switch:


In the meanwhile if you don't switch to Solar soon, the exodus of educated consumers to solar energy will mean an increase in the average cost per watt if you stick to the old, non-renewable sources. A simple supply and demand concept proves that as these outdated energy companies lose customers they will have to increase rates on their goods in order to continue being profitable. This means more cost per consumer and less feasibility in terms of return for your dollar.

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With a zero-sum gain type of situation as represented in the United States energy market, every watt supplied by solar energy is a watt taken away from those of destructive and non-renewable sources like coal and oil. The battle is likely to become a messy one, its important to see the forest for the trees and invest in solar before wasting more money sustaining the current energy model.



Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Five Reasons Why Solar Energy Matters


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I know what you're thinking, sounds boring. 

At its heart, solar energy is just like any other science. Its a mass of scientific data and findings that seems like it has no application in your every day life. Up until recently I didn't pay attention to it either.

How Solar Energy Works

  • Solar Panels collect energy from sunlight
  • A control device changes the energy into a form that you can use to power your devices
  • The Energy then flows into a breaker Box into the Outlets of the building

1. Solar Energy is Coming Whether you are Ready or Not.


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Solar Energy is clearly the way of the future. The realities on the ground are that every hour, enough energy from the sun reaches Earth to meet the world's energy usage for an entire year. Let that figure land for a second.

To put this in perspective, if you were to put solar panels in the Libyan desert, which is less than 1/18th of the Sahara Desert, you could power All of Europe and North Africa. Can you imagine a world where energy wasn't something to fight and kill over, but considered a basic human right. Think of everything that could be done if the cost of energy in the world was to be drastically reduced or even eliminated?

2. Governments are Gearing up for the Shift to Solar.

 

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Governments across the globe are already preparing for the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The International Renewable Energy Association or IRENA is tasked with doing just that. IRENA currently has 139 current state members and 32 states that are seeking membership. To put that in perspective, The United Nations currently has 193 Member States after 70 years. The growth of this association as well as the recent immense gains in Solar Energy Technology put solar energy at the forefront of replacing fossil fuels.


3. It's the Future of our Economy.

 


US Solar Energy grew 418% from 2010 to 2014. Its becoming a huge part of our economy and has the ability to solve our energy crisis.Companies like SolarCity have unprecedented growth and work on a mutual gain platform for both the consumer and the company.

 US solar capacity 2010-2014 chart via US Energy Information Administration

The growth in this sector is staggering, and its not predicted to slow anytime soon.


 4. Its The Place to Find Jobs.

 

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On top of all of this, business Rock-Stars are investing heavily in Solar Energy. 
  • Larry Page, of Google is investing heavily in Solar energy. In 2007, Google outfitted their Mountain View Campus with a 1.7 MW Solar Energy system.   and invested $350 million into SolarCity's SolarFund. 
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All this adds up to a new field of emerging jobs in almost all sectors of the economy.



5. Its incredibly affordable.

 

  • Lower Utility Costs
    •  Lower your energy bill substantially with little or no money down
  • Fixed Rate of Energy
    • A 20 year fixed rate of energy costs from SolarCity regardless of energy trends

SolarCity currently exists in sixteen different states: 
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It's Possible to get Solar Energy configured onto your house with no money down. 
  •  To find out more visit here
Companies like Google and JP Morgan have invested into this fund that allows for you to receive the benefits of solar with no money down.

I recently talked to John Esposito, who is a Customer Care Specialist at SolarCity and went through the process of obtaining solar panels on your home. 

The Steps are as Followed:

  1. Visit the website here or Call (888)765-2489.
  2. Schedule a consultation with a SolarCity Representative
  3. If your Home is determined to be feasible for solar panels you have two main options
    1. Invest your own money into the panels
      • 20 year fixed rate lease
        • Same amount for energy regardless of market trends
      • purchase of entire system
    2.  Solar Fund
      • Companies like Microsoft and JP Morgan invest for you
      • 20 year contract in which 6 years of energy gains go towards the SolarFund
      4. Reap the benefits of Solar Energy



The Process by which they determine whether you are eligible for the program is free and accessible.
 If you live in a state that has SolarCity representatives (highlighted above in green)you just need to visit their website here or call (888) 765-2489.