17. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Magenn Power Inc.

Email: info@magenn.com
Canadian Head Office:
Magenn Power Inc.
105 Schneider Road
(Wind Mill Center)
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
K2K 1Y3

Corporate Mailing Address:
Magenn Power Inc.
18 Monet Court
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1T 4B6

Phone: (613) 482-6558
Fax: (613) 733-3260

About

Magenn Power is an Ottawa, Ontario Canada based company.

Magenn Power draws on over 30 years of research and development in advance materials and structure. It all began with designing the Magnus Spherical Airship starting in 1978. Fred Ferguson (founder of Magenn Power) patented the Magnus Airship in the 1980s. This unique airship utilized the Magnus effect for the first time in lighter-than-air craft. This Magnus Airship was a large spherical envelope filled with helium to achieve static, buoyant lift. As the sphere rotated during forward motion, Magnus lift was generated proportional to the airspeed flowing over the sphere; the faster the vehicle, the higher the Magnus lift.

Technology

The Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) is an innovative lighter-than-air tethered device that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, efficiently generating clean renewable electrical energy at a lower cost than all competing systems. This electrical energy is transferred down the tether to a transformer at a ground station and then transferred to the electricity power grid. Helium (an inert non-reactive lighter than air gas) sustains the Air Rotor which ascends to an altitude for best winds and its rotation also causes the Magnus effect. This provides additional lift, keeps the device stabilized, keeps it positioned within a very controlled and restricted location, and causes it to pull up overhead rather than drift downwind on its tether.

All competing wind generators use bladed two-dimensional disk-like structures and rigid towers. The Magenn Power Air Rotor system is a closed three-dimensional structure (cylinder). It offers high torque, low starting speeds, and superior overall efficiency thanks to its ability to deploy higher. The closed structure allows Magenn Power to produce wind rotors from very small to very large sizes at a fraction of the cost of current wind generators.

The distinct advantages of the Magenn Air Rotor System design are as follows:

• Magenn Air Rotor System is less expensive per unit of actual electrical energy output than competing wind power systems.
• Magenn Power Air Rotor System will deliver time-averaged output much closer to its rated capacity than the capacity factor typical with conventional designs. Magenn efficiency will be 40 to 50 percent. This is hugely important, since doubling capacity factor cuts the cost of each delivered watt by half.
• Wind farms can be placed closer to demand centers, reducing transmission line costs and transmission line loses.
• Conventional wind generators are only operable in wind speeds between 3 meters/sec and 28 meters/sec. Magenn Air Rotors are operable between 1 meter/sec and in excess of 28 meters/sec.
• Magenn Air Rotors can be raised to higher altitudes, thus capitalizing on higher winds aloft. Altitudes from 400-ft to 1,000-ft above ground level are possible, without having to build an expensive tower, or use a crane to perform maintenance.
• Magenn Air Rotors are mobile and can be easily moved to different locations to correspond to changing wind patterns. Mobility is also useful in emergency deployment and disaster relief situations.

These points are mutually inclusive. The advantages above combine to make Magenn the most cost-effective wind electrical generation system.

Pictures below show older conceptual drawings of the Magenn Air Rotor System

Products

Magenn Power Inc. plans to start manufacturing its Magenn Air Rotor System (MARS) in 2009/10 with a 10 kW to 25 kW MARS unit being the first one shipping. (No plans for a 4 kW MARS system at this time)

The reason for the delay is that it is took longer than anticipated raising the funds necessary to finish prototypes and get the product ready for market.

The price for the 10 - 25 kW MARS unit is yet to be determined but it is Magenn’s design goal to deliver product at a cost between the $5 USD to $10 USD dollar per watt range.

The Magenn Air Rotor System (MARS) is a new generation of wind turbines with cost and performance advantages over existing systems.

MARS is a lighter-than-air tethered wind turbine that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, generating electrical energy. This electrical energy is transferred down the tether for consumption, or to a set of batteries or the power grid. Helium sustains the Magenn Air Rotor System, which ascends to an altitude as selected by the operator for the best winds. Its rotation also generates the “Magnus” effect. This aerodynamic phenomenon provides additional lift, keeps the MARS device stabilized, positions MARS within a very controlled and restricted location, and finally, causes MARS to pull up overhead to maximize altitude rather than drift downwind on its tether.

The Advantages of MARS over Conventional Wind Turbines are:

1. low cost electricity - under 15 cents per kWh
2. bird and bat friendly
3. lower noise
4. wide range of wind speeds - 2 to more than 28 meters/second
5. higher altitudes - from 200 to 1,000 feet above ground level are possible without expensive towers or cranes
6. fewer limits on placement location - coast line placement is not necessary
7. ability to install closer to the power grid
8. mobile
9. ideal for off grid applications or where power is not reliable.

Initial MARS Target Markets include:

1. developing and island nations where infrastructure is limited or non existent
2. rapid deployment (to include airdrop) to disaster areas for power to emergency and medical equipment, water pumps, and relief efforts (ex. Katrina, Tsunami)
3. off grid for cottages and remote uses such as cell towers and exploration equipment)
4. and military applications.

Posted in Canada, Wind Techs | No Comments »

17. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Evergreen Solar, Inc.

Worldwide Headquarters

Evergreen Solar Inc.
138 Bartlett Street
Marlboro, MA 01752 USA
T: +1 508.357.2221
F: +1 508.229.0747
info@evergreensolar.com

European Headquarters

Evergreen Solar GmbH
Joachimstaler Straße 15
10719 Berlin, Germany
T: +49 30.886.145.20
F: +49 30.883.96.33
infoeurope@evergreensolar.com

About

Evergreen Solar has rapidly become a global technology leader and innovator in the solar industry. And although technology is what Evergreen thrives on, bringing it to practical, commercial scale solutions is what drives each and every one of them. They have been in business for more than 13 years which makes them well established experts in the industry. They are a public company that’s experiencing rapid growth, and can be found under ESLR on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

Technology

With innovations like String Ribbon manufacturing, it’s no wonder Evergreen Solar is recognized as the brightest star in the solar industry. But String Ribbon is just the beginning. They have more innovations in the works, including a revolutionary method of producing thinner wafers, and unique ways to boost their manufacturing and product efficiencies even further. Add the fact that they manufacture everything — wafers, cells and panels — all under one roof for ultimate quality control, and it’s clear that Evergreen Solar is committed to being the best in the industry.

Products

Spruce Line™ Photovoltaic Solar Panels

Our Spruce Line™ features high power, state-of-the-art solar panels up to 195W designed specifically for residential or commercial applications. These solar panels offer the end-user superior performance and complete peace of mind while providing the utmost in installation flexibility. Key benefits of our Spruce Line solar panels include:

• Best-in-class performance ratings proven by field installations
• 98% of rated power guaranteed for 180, 190W product; 100% guaranteed for 195W product
• 5 year workmanship and 25 year power warranty
• Smallest carbon foot-print leading the fight against global warming
• Quickest energy payback time for maximum energy conservation

Posted in Germany, Massachusetts, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

17. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Sunrgi
6430 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 500
Hollywood, CA 90028
Telephone: (323) 469-3210
Fax: (323) 957-0842
www.sunrgi.com

SUNRGI is in the business of designing and developing solar energy systems. It was formed by five, experienced, entrepreneurial, inventive individuals with the goal of creating a renewable energy source that would be available at fossil fuel prices. Its work has led to the development of an entirely new solar energy category: Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics™ or XCPV™. SUNRGI maintains offices in Reno, Silicon Valley and Los Angeles.

Technology

On and Off-Grid Distribution Other solar technologies, solar thermal in particular, need to be implemented as part of large power stations. SUNRGI’s system however, can be deployed in small configurations allowing lower and more variable entry points into the solar market. SUNRGI can provide discreet, off-grid “power plants” that can be sited in any sun-suitable location.

Modularity SUNRGI’s modular design enables a power station to be distributed over a number of sites. A large power station can be divided into a number of sub-stations which makes for easier access to suitable land.

Upgradeability Unlike traditional PV technology, SUNRGI’s design is upgradeable, allowing it to take advantage of future advances in PV technology.

Concentrated Energy Since the sunlight is concentrated, fewer PV cells are needed thereby reducing the cost-per-watt of generated electricity. Also, it is a more efficient format from which to extract heat.

Longevity With SUNRGI’s proprietary heat removal technology the PV cells have a longer useful life.

Economy SUNRGI’s system costs significantly less per installed Watt than traditional PV technology. Expected advances in technology, maturity and volume production will further increase this cost advantage.

SUNRGI has created a new solar energy system that will soon make it possible to produce electricity at a wholesale cost of 5-cents per kWh (kilowatt hour), a price that is competitive with the wholesale cost of producing electricity using fossil fuels and a fraction of the current cost of solar energy. The system is called Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics™ or XCPV™.

TRUTH IN SOLAR POWER
Virtually everyone has used a magnifying glass to focus sunlight down to a small, very bright, hot spot of light. SUNRGI uses this same principle in its Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics™ (XCPV™) system (patents pending). SUNRGI efficiently concentrates sunlight so that it is more than 1,600 times brighter than the sun. This concentrated sunlight is focused onto photovoltaic (PV) solar cells that convert more than 37% of the sunlight directly into electricity.

Posted in California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

17. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

coolearth

4659 Las Positas Road, Suite C
Livermore, CA 94551
Phone: (925) 454-8506

About

coolearth develops and owns solar power plants utilizing their own proprietary concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology. coolearth has engineered a cost efficient power plant that competes economically with conventional fuels.

coolearth is pursuing the rapid deployment of their technology which radically reduces the material and weight of CPV. Their technology consists of an inflated concentrator and a tensegrity truss rigging structure. This material minimization approach allows them to scale to meet the world’s growing energy demand. Since the sun offers us an abundance of energy each day to more than meet the entire earth’s energy needs, and the sun’s energy is clean and renewable, it provides our best option to avoid burning fossil fuels.
coolearth solar concentrators dramatically increase solar collection efficiency with a minimum of materials. The coolearth team is qualified to meet the challenge and construct the next generation of power plants that are clean, competitively priced, and scalable.

Technology

coolearth technology is disruptive and available today! coolearth technolog is cost competitive with fossil fuel power plants and they are pursuing the rapid deployment of their technology.

coolearth solar energy plants consist of inflated mirror concentrators which gather sunlight and focus it onto photovoltaic cells. These concentrators increase the energy impacting the solar cells many times over and cost orders of magnitude less per collected area than conventional mirrors. Their strong structure can withstand 100 mph winds and protects the mirrored surface and receiver from rain, insects, dirt, and the elements.

coolearth concentrators are suspended in series on support and control cables stretched between poles. By suspending the concentrators, vast areas of land can be easily converted for solar energy production, with limited environmental impact. The ground beneath the concentrators remains free for other uses, such as farming or ranching.

Posted in California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

17. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Nanosolar, Inc.

United States
Nanosolar, Inc.
5521 Hellyer Avenue
San Jose, CA 95138
Fax: 408.365.5965
Email: info@nanosolar.com

Europe
Nanosolar GmbH
Frankenfelder Chaussee 2
14943 Luckenwalde
Germany
Fax: +49.3371.68986 x100
Email: info@nanosolar.de

About

Nanosolar is a global leader in solar power innovation. They are setting the standard for affordable green power with solar cell technology of distinctly superior cost efficiency, versatility, and availability.

Their mission is very simple: Delivering cost-efficient solar electricity.

Leveraging recent science in nanostructured materials, we have developed a critical mass of engineering advances that profoundly change the cost efficiency and production scalability of solar electricity cells and panels.

Their first product, the Nanosolar Utility Panel™ enables unprecedented system economics at utility scale.

Founded in 2002, they are building the world’s largest solar cell factory in California and the world’s largest panel-assembly factory in Germany.

Products

The following two products are now availabe to wholesale volume customers:

• Nanosolar Utility Panel™. Specifically designed for utility-scale power plants, Nanosolar Utility Panel™ is the industry-best solution for MW-sized PV systems.

  A high-power, high-current panel, the Nanosolar Utility Panel™ features proprietary cell and panel design innovations that enable our panel product to have an entire factor more power and to carry 5-10 times more current than typical thin-film panels.

  Available wholesale to select system integrators and electric utilities.

• Nanosolar SolarPly™.Light-weight solar-electric cell foil which can be cut to any size. Non-fragile. No soldering required for electrical contact.

  Available wholesale to strategic partners.

Posted in Germany, California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

17. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

d.light

d.light Headquarters
International Sales (all world except India & North America), Product Design
dlight-hq@dlightdesign.com     d.light design
Clifton House, 75 Fort Street
PO Box 1350
Grand Cayman
KY1-1108 Cayman Islands

India Sales & Marketing
dlight-india@dlightdesign.com     Jadoo Lighting Private Limited
A-56, Sector 64, Second Floor,
Noida, U.P. 201301 India
Tel.: +91 120 4637344/46
Fax.: +91 120 4637338

About

d.light design is dedicated to bringing modern lighting and power to over 1.6 billion people globally currently living without electricity. We aim to be the #1 player in off-grid lighting and power solutions worldwide. We are a high volume manufacturer customized design house.

High Volume Capabilities
d.light is a high growth company financed by prestigious venture capital firms including Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Garage Technology Ventures, Mahindra and Mahindra, and Nexus India Capital. They also have investment from leading social enterprise funds, including the Acumen Fund and Gray Matters Capital. Their engineering team includes full-time product designers, mechanical and electrical engineers and a high volume manufacturing / quality control team, managing every aspect of the supply process from concept through high volume production. This allows us to scale quickly with distributors ready to meet specific market needs.

Customization
At our heart, d.light is a product design company. They are looking to partner with distributors who can provide customer and market feedback which we can integrate into new product designs. Their product design team can rapidly integrate design changes into future product iterations, and we are continually expanding our product line to provide comprehensive lighting and power solutions.

Vision

By 2017, they will replace every kerosene lantern in the world with safer, brighter, and more affordable lighting. Like the eradication of small pox and soon polio, we can provide everyone with access to a basic human need: safe and bright light.

Products

d.light design offers a revolutionary product line of affordable and energy-efficient power and light solutions. Using cutting-edge technology from Silicon Valley the d.light product line provides economical, safe and high quality replacements for kerosene lanterns, candles, and emergency lanterns.

Nova The Nova, available in both solar and AC chargeable versions, provides up to 40 hours of bright light on a full charge at efficiencies 30-50% greater than fluorescent lights. The Nova is several times brighter than a kerosene lantern and offers a variety of features including brightness level settings and a battery life indicator. Vega The Vega is the perfect solution for households with irregular access to electricity. Using our proprietary fast charge technology, the Vega provides about one hour of high quality light for every hour of charge. Comet The Comet, available in both solar chargeable and AC chargeable versions, will provide light several times brighter than a kerosene lantern at a very affordable price.

Posted in Lighting Techs, India, Solar Techs | No Comments »

17. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

SELCO Solar Light Ltd.

#742, 15th Cross, 6th Phase, J P Nagar
Bangalore – 560078, India
Tel: +91-80-266-545-09
Tel: +91-80-266-545-10
Email: selco@selco-india.com

About

SELCO INDIA, a social enterprise, provides sustainable energy services to under-served households and businesses in India. Through its 25 energy service centers in India, SELCO has brought reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable electricity to more than 75,000 homes and businesses since 1995. From solar lighting and electricity, to clean cooking and wireless communications, SELCO aims to empower its customers by providing complete packages of product, service and consumer financing, in a very holistic manner.

There are over two billion people who currently lack reliable access to electricity. Many more lack access to clean cooking, water, telecommunications and productivity enhancing technologies. At the same time tremendous changes in the photovoltaics, telecommunications, cooking and water technologies have made provision of these services economically possible in an distributed fashion — one household and business at a time.

SELCO believes that poverty alleviation and climate change are very interrelated. It firmly believes that using its refined and proven business model, solutions exists for poverty and better environment. SELCO provides channels for income generation via sustainable energy by piggy-backing on traditional finance and micro-finance.

SELCO’s employees envision a world in which no family needs to burn oil lamps for light, no indoor pollution because of unhealthy cooking methods, where wireless digital communications are available to everyone, and where young people can see a brighter future via clean energies. SELCO is uniquely positioned to serve the needs of the under-served and SELCO will make it happen in a very sustainable way.

Mission

Their mission is to empower the lives of under-served populations throughout the world by selling, servicing and financing services that improves their quality of life in a holistic manner.

History

SELCO INDIA was formed in 1995 to sell and service solar electric home lighting systems in areas of India lacking access to reliable electricity. Headquartered in Bangalore, India, SELCO presently has 165 employees in its operating subsidiaries. Since 1995, we have sold, serviced and financed over 75,000 solar electric units to our customers.

Products

SELCO provides packaged electricity systems and related appliances. Our systems utilize solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to provide electricity for lighting, water pumping, communications, computing, entertainment, and small business appliances. These products can be purchased by individual homes and businesses and do not require connection to a larger network. We also design larger commercial/industrial systems to meet specialized applications.

• Solar Home Lighting System (SHS):
  Our primary product is a solar home lighting system (SHS). The SHS is a branded solar electric lighting system designed for households and small businesses lacking reliable and safe electricity options. SELCO System includes:
  • Roof-mounted solar photovoltaic module
  • Deep-cycle Storage battery
  • Charge regulating circuit
  • All interior wiring and switches
  • Electric lighting fixtures
  • Connection for 12 V appliances

  A typical system schematic is shown at right.

• Related Appliances:
  Over the years the management has realized that for SELCO to reach the millions of underserved, in a sustainable way, there has to be a link between technology and income generation.Recently, we have begun to offer additional appliances that work with our solar electricity systems, including technologies that enable income generation and communications.

  

• Commercial / Industrial:
  SELCO also serves commercial and industrial customers with custom design and installation. We have a designated central headquarters team to design and sell larger power systems for commercial and industrial users. We have installed grid-connected, and stand-alone systems of up to 20KW.

  

Posted in Lighting Techs, India, Solar Techs | No Comments »