Response #15 to An Overview of DIY (Do It Yourself) Solar Panels"

As stated in my notes, solar power is easily the most available energy resource available. This is important, but the positive effects are diminished by the fact that solar panels are very expensive, or at least professionals charge a lot for the installation of them. DIY, which stands for do it yourself, is a term applied to many things, and one of those is home built solar panels. There are a number of online guides which show you how to make your own for hundreds of dollars less. They might not look pretty, and they don't produce enough energy to provide power for a big house like a mansion, but then again they are designed for accessibility by the middle. Right now price is the single reason why solar power is not much more widespread, and the DIY attitude is what is needed to significantly deter global warming.

Notes on "An Overview of DIY (Do It Yourself) Solar Panels"

Solar power is the most available energy resource in the world.

The cost of solar panels is what turns many people away from purchasing them.

A cheap, affordable solar panel built by professionals is not on the market yet.

DIY (do it yourself) feels it has the answer. 7 reasons (states the article) why you should go DIY:

"1. You save hundreds of dollars every time you get your electricity bill.

2. This is great for our environment.

3. You will be able to spend your savings on more important things

4. Knowing that you are doing your part to conserve our planet feels great.

5. When you install your renewable energy system in your premises you will increase the value of your premises by thousands.

6. Knowing how to create solar energy panels will give you the freedom to go fully off grid. On the other hand you can stay connected and get paid by the electric company when your meter runs backwards.

7. Installation costs will continue to fall as the number of experienced installers and successful installations increases."

Comments from relative:

Sal Azzaretti
"Alternative Energy"
blog shared with Kate Pennington (mother)
blog shared on Feb. 22
Comments from Kate: Sal very clearly explained to me the format of the blog (notes, articles, color coding, and responses). I have read other blogs on line, and this one compared favorably. It was nice to have the option to read the notes summarizing key points of each article rather than having to read through the whole thing myself. Knowing the main points helped me understand Sal's responses.

Response #14 to "Conference gets Wind of Green Energy Job Trend in Maine,"

Green energy is an expanding market most everywhere in America as of now, and in Maine this is especially evident in the job trends. The demand for these jobs come in part from the richness in Maine's potential for alternative energy. Maine's coast has a potential to produce 149 gigawatt of clean wind power from projects involving the offshore farming of wind energy. Initial investment is needed however, to get this project off the ground. Some of the advantages of offshore wind power are the fact that it is offshore means that the turbines aren't unsightly, and don't bring up the tried arguments of NIMBY. Another advantage is that the wind is constantly blowing over the sea. So this project would create jobs, produce a ton of clean energy, and have little if any negative impact on the environment.

Notes on "Conference gets Wind of Green Energy job Trend in Maine"

At the STEM conference,which stands for science, technology,engineering and mathematics, both Maine's Gov. John Baldacci and researchers stressed the potential of offshore wind facilities in Maine.

It is estimated that Maine has offshore potential like that of roughly 149 nuclear power plants.

Maine has high rates of oil imports.

Investing in offshore development for wind technology could potentially create 15,000 jobs.

Baldacci stated that education that is salient to science is essential to securing Maine's economic future.

He will meet with President Obama sometime next week (article was written about one week ago, so the meeting has already occurred.)

If investment is made into offshore wind projects,it will demand that jobs be created. The jobs themselves will vary greatly, from construction to engineering and architecture, and also computer based jobs.

Baldacci stated "If you give a Mainer a level playing field, these people can compete with anyone.

Response #13 to "Solar Energy in Oklahoma Could Have Hot Future"

Oklahoma is a state that is particularly well adapted to solar panel use. This is in part because of its geographical location, and also partly because it is very well off economically. Solar panels are expensive, and a large scale use of them would require support from the government. In the comments section below the article there were some comments that had a great idea. It was to mount solar panels on buildings, on the top of them and such. One of the comments also said that large scale solar farms create negative side effects for the wildlife, and that is true, something I had not thought about before. However, if the solar panels were built on the flat tops of buildings in a city, or on the roofs of houses, you could cover an immense amount of ground without ever building on the ground. The costs might be steep, but as this technology gets used more and the demand grows, both the affordability and efficiency will rise.

State energy rivalry

Sal - Enjoyable reading - I think you are right about state rivalries - and your articles on PA and OH give two examples of what states are doing energy-wise. What about Maine? The offshore wind farms and the grant that UMO just received should boost our alternative energy leadership. And we are developing more land-based wind farms; Mars Hill was just the beginning. How about tidal energy? Interesting, too, that with the summit failure, the US does need to set an example. Is state rivalry something that can be used to accelerate the rate at which we move ahead to lead the world?

Notes on "Solar Energy in Oklahoma Could Have Hot Future"

Oklahoma is one of the states in America with the highest potential to produce solar energy, along with wind power.
Engineer Albert Janco sees alternative energy sources as a way to attain energy independence.
The technology used to derive electricity from the suns rays is very expensive, but the sun's rays itself is free.
Companies in Oklahoma have expressed a desire to build large scale solar farms in the state.
The Commerce Secretary Natalie Shirley feels solar energy is an important part of Oklahoma's future.
A report from the Oklahoma wind power initiative states "Storage devices such as large fuel cells or batteries are not very efficient or cheap."
At this point it takes about 20 years to offset the cost of installing a solar panel.