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How small can a solar cell be and still be a powerhouse? How about six hundred microns wide — about the diameter of a dot made by a ballpoint pen? The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently validated greater than 41 percent efficiency at a concentration of 1,000 suns for tiny cells made by Semprius — one of the highest efficiencies recorded at this concentration. The energy conversion efficiency of a solar cell is the percentage of sunlight converted by the cell into electricity.

Semprius’ triple-junction cells are made of gallium arsenide. Low-cost lenses concentrate the sun light onto the tiny cells 1,100 times. Their tiny size means they occupy only one-one thousandth of the entire solar module area, reducing the module cost. In addition, the use of a large number of small cells helps to distribute unwanted heat over the cell’s structure, so there’s no need for expensive thermal management hardware such as heat fins.

Semprius engineers use the company’s patented micro-transfer printing process to allow the micro-cells to be transferred from the growth substrate to a wafer. In a massive parallel process, thousands of cells are transferred simultaneously. This allows the original substrate to be used again and again, dramatically cutting costs. It also provides a way to handle very small cells

WASHINGTON, DC, December 28, 2011–

A big year is in store for the wind power industry in 2012, both in the policy arena and out in the field.

1 - Boom phase of the notorious boom-bust cycle. Anyone who has followed the industry for a period of time is familiar with the up-down nature of the wind industry’s growth pattern, caused by Congress’s short-term extensions of the PTC. While the PTC has been around since the 1990s, Congress has extended it mostly in one-and two-year increments and even has allowed the credit to expire on occasion. The result is a boom and bust pattern that is difficult for businesses to plan around. Congress has yet to act on an extension to the PTC, which is set to expire at the end of 2012. Under-construction numbers are up; 8,400 MW were counted at the end of the third quarter in 2011. Expect them to continue to surge as 2012 gets underway.

2 – Appropriately, WINDPOWER heads to the Southeast. The Wind power industry has been quietly establishing a presence in the Southeast for some time—particularly in the form of manufacturing plants. Today at least 74 manufacturing plants in the region serve the wind power industry. Also, utilities in Alabama and Louisiana recently signed contracts for wind power, and projects are under development in North Carolina and Florida. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that for the first time, the WINDPOWER 2012 Conference & Exhibition, the largest annual wind energy event in the world, will take place in Atlanta, Ga., June 3-6, 2012. The event, considered the industry’s annual town square and marketplace, bustled with activity last year in Anaheim, Calif., drawing 16,000 people.

3 – Cost of fuel holds steady for wind power: zero. In 2012 utilities will continue to embrace the price-locking benefit of wind power by signing long-term power contracts for the affordable energy source. That’s because unlike the volatile prices of fossil fuels, wind power’s fuel cost is fixed: zero. The fuel cost was zero last year, and it’s guaranteed to stay at zero in 2012 as well. And wind power chalks up big zeros in other key areas: zero water use, zero air emissions, and zero water pollution.

-Our final two trends for 2012 are really a choice. Either-

4 – Congress takes action quickly and wind power generates more jobs. Congress ended the year without extending the PTC, but it can still act. If Congress extends it quickly in 2012—and a strong bipartisan contingent of members of Congress and business leaders are pushing for an extension—the industry will continue to add jobs and foster economic activity. A new study released this month finds that with stable tax policy the wind industry can grow to nearly 100,000 American jobs in the next four years. Included in those numbers: the wind manufacturing sector would grow by one third, to 46,000 American manufacturing jobs. Such job additions will keep the wind sector on track toward supporting the 500,000 jobs by 2030 projected in a report by the U.S. Department of Energy during the George W. Bush administration.

-OR-

5 – Congress fails to take action, raises taxes on wind and kills 37,000 jobs. The recently released report from Navigant Consulting also found that if Congress allows the PTC to expire, jobs in the wind industry will be cut in half, meaning a loss of 37,000 American jobs and a one-third cut to American wind manufacturing jobs, while private investment in the industry would drop by nearly two thirds.

1.  Reduce

Just by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving, you can save more than 200 gallons of water per month. Here
are some other effective ways you can help to conserve resources …

• Turn off the lights when leaving a room.
• Use both sides of the paper when printing and
  copying.
• Walk or bike instead of driving.
• Take short showers.
• Drink tap water instead of bottled water.
• Remove unnecessary items from your car to reduce
  weight.
• Regularly replace the filter on your HVAC
  system.
• Install faucet aerators.
• Use cold water to wash clothes.
• Stop junk mail.
• Install a programmable thermostat in your home.

2.  Unplug Unused Electronics

Did you know that a cell phone charger can still consume electricity even when a phone isn’t connected to it? In the average
home, 25% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. To stop these “phantom loads” when devices are not in use, unplug them or connect them to power strips, which can then be turned off.

3.  Recycle

By recycling materials such as aluminum cans, newspapers, and glass jars, you can save energy and landfill space, conserve
natural resources, and also prevent pollution. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, three cubic yards of landfill space, two barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity – enough energy to power the average US home for five months.

4.  Look For The ENERGY STAR Label

If a product has the ENERGY STAR seal, it meets certain energy efficiency standards. Home appliances, electronics, windows, and roofing are just a few of the products that can qualify, so check a product’s box or manual, or speak to a salesperson to see if it is ENERGY STAR compliant. In 2006, ENERGY STAR products helped US consumers save an estimated $14 billion
on their utility bills. In addition to energy savings, there are rebates and federal tax credits available for some ENERGY STAR products.

5.  Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CF-Ls)

Almost all of the electricity used by an incandescent bulb is converted to heat and not light; CF-Ls provide a much more
efficient alternative. ENERGY STAR labeled CF-Ls use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, saving an average of $30 over the lifetime of each bulb. To maximize their effectiveness, check the packaging to make sure that each CFL is the proper type and wattage for your lamps.

 6.  Fix Leaks

A faucet that leaks one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water each year. A leaky toilet can waste up
to 200 gallons of water every day. To determine whether your toilet has a leak, place a drop of food coloring in the tank; if the color appears in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.

7.  Buy Recycled

Look for the words “post-consumer” or “recycled” when shopping. There are over 4,500 recycled-content products available including paper towels, printer paper, note pads, packing boxes, sleeping bags, laundry detergent bottles, glass containers, nails, carpeting, trash cans, and trash bags. The amount of post-consumer content can vary from a small percentage to 100 percent, so look for labels that indicate the highest percentage.

8.  Computer Power Management

Enable low-power sleep modes and turn off computers and monitors at night. General Electric implemented power management features on 75,000 of its computers, annually saving the company $2.5 million dollars and preventing 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

9.  Properly Dispose of Hazardous Waste

Electronics, CF-Ls, certain batteries, and other household hazardous wastes contain toxic materials so they should not be sent
to landfills where they can pollute the surrounding land and water. A single computer monitor may contain 4 pounds of lead as well as other toxic heavy metals. Many companies and municipal governments offer free collection programs, and in some cases you can even get paid to recycle old electronics.

10.  Fresh, Local, and Organic

Food travels an average of 1,200 miles before it reaches your plate, so buy locally produced items to save energy and prevent
emissions from going into the air. Also, choose fresh foods instead of frozen, since frozen foods require 10 times more energy to produce. Finally, organic foods are both good for the environment and good for your health since synthetic hormones, most conventional pesticides, as well as other potentially hazardous practices are not used.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is participating in its first Solar Decathlon 2011 competition, featuring its home, “Living Light.” Named for its very brightly sunlit double facade glass system, the home’s blueprint was inspired by the cantilever barns of Southern Appalachia, which feature giant eves to provide shade and a two-core design.

The floor plan revolves around the two wooden cores at the base, which allows for an open living space in the center. The home includes one bedroom, one bath, a living room and kitchen. More space is available for dining and recreation, along with an outdoor patio area and garden for growing small crops.

The double facade glass system is used for natural lighting and to keep a sealed temperature envelope that allows you to regulate it to your liking, cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The facades are built with an inner insulated glass panel and an outer pane with an air barrier, which also holds the windows’ blinds.

Living Light is engineered for a two-season setup. In the summer, the ventilation system uses the facades to take in cool air from the north and exhaust warm air out the south. In the winter this is reversed so that preheated air is brought in through the south facade and cooler air exhausted out the north. Two mini-ductless heat pumps located in each of the cores and an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) also facilitate this process.

Of course, the real engine of Living Light is in its 10.9 kilowatt solar array atop the roof that also acts as a shading trellis. This array powers all of the electric appliances including an oven, cooktop, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, home entertainment systems (television and sound system), the mini-ductless heat pumps and the ERV, along with the most exciting feature–a home automation system you can run from an iPad. Knoxville expects the home to require just half the electricity generated from the array and suggest using the rest to charge an electric vehicle or even sell back to your utility company.

As mentioned, the home automation system brings a digital flare to energy efficiency with a state of the art iPad application. The interface allows you to manage mechanical systems, lighting, and even the home entertainment systems, all while tracking Living Light’s energy usage using only your finger tips.

Living Light is under 750 square feet, as it’s built for transport. The one piece home will be transported to Washington D.C. for the Solar Decathlon 2011 competition by becoming its own trailer via attached wheels and a gooseneck. Post-competition, Knoxville will use the home for further research on energy efficiency at the university.

October, is the turning of the leaves and the return of the brisk fall winds. For The Federal Energy Management Program the month of October means renewed focus on energy efficiency for federal facilities & Energy Awareness Month.  The theme for 2011 is : Turn Words into Action, Turn Action into Results.  Visit the Federal Energy Management Program Website to learn more about Energy Awareness Month and access educational & promotional resources.