The implementation of a solar energy system can be a complicated task. Seeing as though this is still a relatively new concept, there is a shortage of experienced and trustworthy contractors. Imagine a contractor trying to sell you ball lock pins or something claiming it was an energy saving device. That is why I was interested to see that Wal-Mart has begun opening solar kiosks in some of their California Sam’s Club locations in a bid to simplify and streamline the solar implementation process. 

Whether or not “Sam’s Choice Solar” will be a reality, this is definitely a provocative step toward the future from a world leader in “an” industry. It will be interesting to see how far this concept will go and whether or not consumers will find implementation of a solar energy system easier than in the past.

Source: ecogeek 

Carriers subsidize consumers purchase of cell phones by getting their customers to agree to 1 or 2 year agreements.

Used to be 1 year but these days 2 year agreements are the norm.

Solar energy equipment sales companies could sell their products to energy companies that could then subsidize the cost of the equipment.  It would be akin to a decentralize energy company.  Instead of having a powerplant, they would have a network of homes holding solar power panels collecting energy (or other forms of energy generating systems such as wind or generators or something).

The company could then keep some of the energy generated by the home owner that is sold back to the grid and the homeowner would benefit from having to buy less actual electricity from the grid themselves.  The entire arrangement could further benefit home owners if the company provided technicians to install and monitor the equipment in an optimal method, possibly even making seasonal adjustments to panels.

I came across one company that is already planning to test a system similar to this model called Santee Cooper in South Carolina.  They require the following for a trial program they are running with a limited number of homes:

Be a Santee Cooper residential customer

Agree to receive power though the Green Energy Buy Backs Program, also known as net billing program, for a minimum of five years

Sign a five-year Solar Homes Initiative agreement

Have owned and occupied the chosen free-standing property for a minimum of one year

Use the property as a primary, single family residence

Complete installation of the solar equipment by December 31, 2008

Santee Cooper program offers financial help installing solar panels

Its not a total solution but a partial solution.  Santee Cooper is essentially helping people get a subsidy of about $17,000 on their equipment.  That kind of support is like finding super bustiers as opposed to just getting a bit of a lift.  That may be a bad analogy, but $17k in essentially what boils down to a subsidy tied to a long term contract could go a long way to making solar energy a reality for many home owners.

I think the slide show gives a good example of the cosmetic end result that a home owner might expect from a solar panel installation along with the ability to envision the work that might be required to achieve the installation result.

YouTube - Solar Energy Installations

Me I get a little picky when it comes to my house, so I’d probably have to leave town for a week or two and take a carnival cruises or something so that I wouldn’t sweat the outcome and could just enjoy the result once I came back.

The Power is in the Windows

New technologies offer up the ability to apply thin plastic solar power gathering material on high rises.  Other nanotech solar products might even be sprayed on some day.  But for the technology to take off it needs to be purchased.

Vegas corporations have the money to invest in the technology, they have the real estate in terms of high rises and in terms of windows,

These new technologies offer a number of benefits in terms of results and in terms of cost savings (as compared to buying more traditional solar power photovoltaic solutions).

Upside

• Uses less polysilicon (Silicon like all natural resources, is in short supply.)
• The Film is cheaper to produce
• more durable
• more aesthetic
• The sheets can serve as insulation, facades, even a shade for the inside of the building against the heat of the sun in the summer.

Almost half the cost of production from traditional solar energy products comes from the materials required to produce them and this innovation and technology not only make it cheaper to produce, but it can be deployed on existing real estate with minimal costs of installation.

Downside

Currently they Generate less power per centimeter than traditional technologies.

Who will Field this Technology and Benefit First?

Vegas hotels are in the right spot at the right time with the right resources to benefit from this technology and from this investment.  They are also in the right place to broadcast and advertise the message to the world.

They could even run advertisements on the film and charge money for that, and I can guarantee you that Vegas rarely backs away from an opportunity to earn money from advertising.

Source - Thin-film solar sheets seek time in the sun

A spray on solar technology would be even easier, especially for smaller buildings or buildings that are not as flat as a skyscraper full of windows.

Now from a green perspective, I would have some concerns about the particles that might be released into the air, but the likely reality is that these particles could be released in a factory in Germany just as easy as on a building. Granted a factory can be a more controlled location with air filters and other precautions. A house or a large building of irregular shape is going to be a more complex target and not quite the same as mass producing rolls of solar panels on a mass production line. That said its not impossible either. We learned how to mass produce pens, and we also learned how to mass produce custom pens so figuring out a safe way to apply Solar Panels with a spray can be possible. Its probably more a question about asking the right safety questions and building up a new body of knowledge over time. Continuous improvement in solar technolgy in invention as well as in the installation and application should be the goal.

A spray on solar technology would be even easier, especially for smaller buildings or buildings that are not as flat as a skyscraper full of windows.