Simple Solar Cooker From Pizza Box

Here's a quick and easy way to make a simple solar cooker out of a common pizza box. Good for warming things up:

Jobs In Solar: Energy Sales, Entry-Mid Level ($20-60K) (Orange County C)

cvvfs-3594920581@job.craigslist.org

We are a readily expanding 100% sales-focused solar company. Kleiner Perkins, the same company that funded powerhouses like Google and Amazon when they first started, invested in us because of our laser-targeted mission: "More Power for Less". We currently have a small team in Orange County. We have a lot of fun and are looking for 1-2 additional Account Managers.

Account Manager
AMs are the core of our company. As an Account Manager, your primary focus is to sit down with homeowners and help educate and sell them on the benefit of on-site energy.

Regular Activities include:
• Driving activity in the field
• 5-6 hours per day out in the field qualifying customers
• Working with team of lead generators
• Performing 4-8 in-home consultations per week
• Frequent individual metrics analysis
• Sourcing referrals

Qualifications:
• Polished people and communication skills
• Persuasive reasoning
• 1-3 years related experience preferred
• Degree preferred

Growth
We are dedicated to the growth and development of our team. Advancement opportunities are inevitable for Top Performers. These people help influence direction of the company and pilot special projects.

• Location: Orange County
• Compensation: $20-$60K Base Bonus Benefits Commissions

 

DIY: Cleaning Your Solar Panels

There are different techniques used in cleaning solar panels and here's Nate Gulbransen to show his pro method of cleaning. Clear panels improve efficiency.

Using the Spectrum to Improve Solar Efficiency

MIT's Technology Review has an article on a new solar project that uses technology that sorts sunlight into 8 to 10 different colors and then directs those colors to matching solar cells. The project is being funded to the tune of $2.4 million by the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy.

Caltech's professor of applied physics and materials science Harry Atwater is behind the idea of sorting sunlight into colors and directing them to matching solar cells. He hopes to eventually get the solar efficiency conversion rate up to over 50 per cent using this method.

His idea is to take flat solar material and use one of it's layers to split the light into colors then deliver it to a second layer that contains solar cells that are matched to each sorted color. The spectrum is absorbed more efficiently with matching cells but the technology is in it's infancy so tools and materials are expensive.

Atwater mentions current flat screen TV technology as a model for his solar spectrum sorting methods. The first of these types of TVs were expensive and the technology less efficient and as time progressed and demand evolved the cost of mass production lowered to become cost effective. That's Atwater's hope for his technology, that producing more efficient solar energy will lead to cheaper production of the technology which will lead to cheaper products for homeowners and industry.

More at MIT's Technology Review.

Fun Educational Solar Transformer Toy

The 3-in-one Transforming Solar Robot is a fun way to teach kids about solar power. The little panel placed in the front allows the robot-transformer to turn into a robot to scorpion to a tank. Powers up under the sun or halogen lighting.

More at Dulaney Solar.

Peel-and-Stick Thin Film Solar Cells

Scientific Reports featured a story about researchers from Stanford University, NRE Laboratory in Denver CO and Seoul Korea developing thin film solar cell material that allows for peeling and sticking the cells on almost any surface.

It's been a challenge for scientists to come up with the right formula that would allow solar cells to adhere to rough and uneven surfaces till now. They fabrication process included a wafer of silicon, silicon dioxide, sandwiched metal and a film of nickel on which the thin-film solar cells are placed. A thin layer of polymer is place on top for protection.

After applying thermal release tape on top, the entire structure was immersed in a water bath at room temperature. After the tape corner was lifted to let the cells be saturated with water the nickel layer holding the thin-film solar cells separated from the silicon wafer. The cells were heated and dried for 30 seconds to release them from the thermal release tape.

The target surface was coated with adhesives and the thin-film solar cells were attached to the sticky surface and the thermal release tape was removed.

The peel and stick process for creating and utilizing thin-film solar cells will allow these cells to be places on curved and rough surfaces. Substrates such as plastic, paper, cell phones, business cards, windows and buildings will eventually be able to use the commercial form of this product for generating solar energy.

More interesting details at Nature.com.

Jobs In Solar: Branch Manager A1 Solar (Santa Barbara CA )

Date: 2012-12-21, 4:57PM PST
john.c@a1solarpower.net
Installation Team Manager

A1 A1 solar is one of the fastest growing company's in the solar industry.We are looking for a branch manager to run our soon to bo opening branch office. They will report directly to the VP of sales.they will be responsible for hirning, training, and coavhing. Also will work cross functionally with oother departments and priortizing team work load.
 
Requirements

• Must have solar background
• 2-4 years construction related experience; 2 + years of PV solar sales.
• Previous experience as a branch manager
• In-depth Knowledge of residential PV instakkations.
• Basic knowledge of residential electrical system.
• Ability to managr budgets and schedules.
• Hiring Sales consultants that will be mentored and coached to exceed sales goal.
• Produce weekly sales reports to follow up sales consultants productivity.
• Manage and prioritize daily work load.
• Conduct weekly work load.
• Prepare a daily report that will be sent to the VP of sales.
• Manage the administrative process of the sales team.

We provide:

• A career with a rapidly growing company with a growing market

Compensation:

• Competitive compensation with high income opportunity
• Hourly to start with opportunities for growth

To apply: Qualified candidates can reply to john.c@a1solarpower.net with your cover letter and resume.


Location: Santa Barbara, CA 
Compensation: Hourly

DIY: Home Studio Runs on Solar Heat and Electricity

Here's a former executive-type located in the Seattle WA who decided to live a simpler life. He installed a few solar panels on the roof of his studio and constructed a solar heater out of soda cans.

The soda can solar heater sucks the cold air out of the room, heats it up inside the glass frame and then blows the warm air back into the room. This air circulation plan works better on sunny days naturally but he claims he thinks his room is a little warmer even on cloudy days. Even the fan is solar powered. The rooftop solar panels provide electricity for his laptop and lamp.