Earlier this year, Metl-Span introduced CFR Insul-Solar, which is a roof-integrated photovoltaic system that combines the company's CFR insulated standing seam roof panel with UNI-Solar thin film solar laminates.
Plumen 001 has been shooting around the internet today (i.e., Good, Morin, Re-Nest). The designer CFL saves 80% on energy bills and lasts eight times longer than a regular incandescent. It’s an 11-watt bulb that outputs 680 lumens with a color temperature of 2700k. But it’s not available in the US until next year, and Plumen 002 is in the works. In any event, Plumen seems perfect for the exposed lighting situation pictured here.
Perhaps you've seen one of a few micro-inverter-type solar products on the market and wondered whether you could install a solar system at home. Unless you're an electrician, that may or may not be a good idea, but these products (some available now and others coming to market) make it a whole lot easier to get started generating solar energy at home. Check these five:
Earlier this summer, GE launched the first product in its Brillion suite of home energy management solutions, the Nucleus. This is a data storage device that collects household electricity cost and use data and gives it to homeowners via computer and smart phones. Nucleus is expected to be available for consumer purchase in early 2011 for the price of $149-199.
Clarian Power, a start up from Seattle, is on a mission to help homeowners everywhere generate energy from renewable energy. The company developed a proprietary power module that plugs into an existing outlet. In other words, their Sunfish solar product, which is slated for retail availability next year, installs without a dedicated electrical panel and does not require contractors, installers, or additional wires.
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