Solar+Energy

Solar Energy Usage In the Triangle **

Skyward solar is a North Carolinian business that produces the solar products in North Carolina, to sell across the southeastern United States. Their products include solar electricity, solar heaters, solar pool heaters and sustainable, green technology. Solar and Photovoltaic cells are used in for Skyward’s solar electricity generators, which is then converted by an inverter from a direct current to an alternating current. The AC is then used throughout the household. Energy not used is transferred to the family’s electric company, a tax reduction is the result of the extra power given to the electric company. This process is called net metering, a program that you set up with your electricity provider. Their three types of solar use are the same in their basic concept, but different in their design and use. Electricity production uses photovoltaic (PV) technology, and is the most common of all solar uses. These panels are set at certain angles towards the sun to capture its full energy, which is then converted into electricity. Mostly these solar panels are created out of a silicon base, but thin film has been an idea that is being put into the panels also. Water heaters or solar thermal systems are used to heat a household’s water. These heaters are put in the category of active and passive. “Active” systems mean that they use a closed loop system that sends a heat transfer fluid to the panels, then from heat to the water by use of a heat exchanger. “Passive” systems gather the hot water then it circulates to the top of the solar panel naturally, while the cooler water goes into the panel to be re-heated. Solar pool heating is the simplest system, which involves an open loop active system, which means the water is heated by the heat transfer fluid, and then pumped to make warm water. These ways are very solar efficient and emit no carbon into the atmosphere, slowing the effects of global warming. **
 * Many companies have emerged to take on the solar power and sustainability industry;it is something that is needed in the world right now. Carbon is constantly being released because of the poor efficiency of our cars, buildings electronics, and coal use. In North Carolina we have made a big effort to reverse the effects of greenhouse gasses, through solar energy use.

** Skyward Solar **

Address: 3109 Hillsborough Rd Durham, NC 27705 Phone:(919) 294-9944 E-Maill: info@skywardsolarpower.com

North Carolina State University has also taken a part in letting go of dependence on oil in the Triangle area. States organization called NC State Sustain ability has been in production since 1998 from an executive order by the governor to overall create environmental sustainability. This order was given to a lot of state agencies, but in the triangle NCSU made the push to get to this environmental sustainability goal. In 06-07 North Carolina Sate University used a great amount of utilities, a result of the growing population on campus. The College spent more than 20 million on Utilities, mostly being heating, cooling and lighting, as well as natural gas. NCSU has the second most energy consuming buildings (After UNC-Chapel Hill) Now, multiple plans for reducing utility costs have gone in effect for NCSU, the North Carolina State University Energy and Water Plan Update has become a main part in figuring out how to reduce the use of utilities at NCSU. 08 was designated to be the Year of Energy for NC State. State also was singed into the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which was a strive to achieve a good, neutral climate. Since 08 this program and others have successfully been in progress, and now, in 09, the programs first sustainability program coordinator was placed. **North Carolina State University**

NC State University, Sustainability Office Administrative Services 3, Suite 108 2701 Sullivan Drive Raleigh, NC 27695-7536 Phone:(919) 513-1100 E-Mail: sustainability@ncsu.edu

For a couple of years now America has been pursuing the problem of reducing our carbon output, we only use about 5% of non-carbon dioxide emitting fuels in a society of about 300,000,000 million people, America also consumes 20 million barrels of oil a day, 55 % of this is imported. These two facts in contrast, is not the road America wants to go down. Our strive to be non-dependent on fossil fuels is becoming increasingly serious, when placing the factor of global heating. At duke University a solar/energy efficient house finished construction in 2008. This Smart house was part of the Duke Smart Home Program, sponsored by the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke, is a research-based idea for efficient living. Projects between the students taking residence in the house were created, ranging in different subjects: The Bus-tracker was created to reduce the waiting time for buses, so that time cant be wasted. This project was supported by the Duke Parking and Transportation Department, RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) Tracking was a project made to follow the locations of both people and objects in the smart house, a Transportable Advertising Projector Unit was yet another invention, made through miming the Nintendo Wiimote technology in order to make a screen like, touch-screen advertisement that can be advertised anywhere. Similar to the touch screen advertisement another group came up with the idea of a multi-touch surface, designed to give a good idea on how to showcase projects in the smart home. This multi-touch will be manually constructed by the team, following the similar uses of a Microsoft surface, minus the Microsoft design. One very interesting design, the Stirling Engine, is a engine that will run on renewable and clean energy. Enough for the smart home to need no grid power, only renewable power. This project has hopes to build this Stirling Engine as a 10HP, producing 5KW (Kilo watts) of electrical power for the smart home. Perkinsense is a live map that would be able to pinpoint what study rooms are empty in the Perkins and Bostock Buildings of Duke university. This in hopes will enable people to make better work habits. Passive infrared sensors or (PIRs) were used for sense movement in the room, to be uploaded by a WiFi network. The smart floor idea, made by another team of the smart house is an idea to use a dance floor as energy generator. People dancing on the floor would produce energy, converted to power both the lights and the sound system. Other add-ons would be lights, as well as pressure sensors on the dance floor, and all of this would be easily put together and broken down. The last idea, a Smart Home Theater PC ideally for entertainment purposes. This is an overall tune up and upgrade of the smart house's existing media systems. In this project includes attempting to create a 3D tv, whole-house media streaming, and others. **

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**Duke Smart Home Program**

Jim Gaston, Director 412 Teer Building Duke University Durham NC, 27708 (919) 399-5501 E-Mail: Jim.Gaston@duke.edu

**Clean energy Durham, originally partnered with the Durham County Cooperative Extension Service is a organization towards giving America cleaner and safer energy by helping the communities help each other to save energy. Initially established in 2002 for use as an advisory committee working for Cooperative Extension and the Million Solar Roofs initiative, also previously a task-force. In 2005 the name was changed into Clean Energy Durham, and they also became a independent company away from the Durham County Cooperative Extension Service. In 2007 Clean Energy Durham became a non-profit foundation in North Carolina. Clean Energy Durham tries to educate the community by sending out thier volunteers to thier neighbors to show them how to save energy through making groups and organizations focusing on the basics of energy saving uses and techniques.**

 331 West Main Street #204 Durham, NC 27701 (919) 323-3244  E-mail: Info@Cleanenergydurham.org

The University of North Carolina's Sustainability office has been in business since 1999, starting with their effort for institutionalizing sustainability. UNC's Sustainability Coalition was created from both the Executive order 156 from Governor Jim Hunt stating that all state agencies look into sustainable practices. the second factor leading to this Coalition was the students of UNC asked that the University became more aware of environmental issues. This took about two years full of volunteer efforts for UNC to hire a full-time Sustainability coordinator. Their coordinator was hired in 2001. In 2003 the Department included an Energy Conservation Manager, as well as an administrative assistant. As of now the Sustainability Office is engaged in many sustainability initiatives, including pursuits to get the campus community well educated about the health of thier own environment. UNC's Sustainability Office's main idea is to spread good practices of environmental usage in the University's community, they also try to keep their environmental abilities in top shape.



**University of North Carolina**

Sustainability Office CB 1800 103 Airport Drive Giles Horney Building UNC Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599 E-Mail: Sustainability@facilities.unc.edu