by Dan Carpenter | Feb 25, 2014 | 2014, Blog
With the prices of solar panels falling and the encouragement to take advantage of renewable energy mounting, it’s no surprise that solar power is taking the world by storm. From California to Saudi Arabia, we’ve got some truly impressive examples of solar farms and commercial installations that will leave you breathless.
Solar powered Superbowl
While all eyes were on the Seahawks smashing the Broncos in the Superbowl XLVIII earlier this month, something else caught our attention…all the solar power the MetLife Stadium was harnessing! The stadium teamed up with NRG Solar back in 2012 and had a ring of solar panels installed around its rim!
Source: America Supports Solar
Whole solar communities
Entire suburbs are going solar left, right and centre! Crescent Park in Richmond, California, for example, has the largest solar installation for affordable housing in the USA.
Similarly, this town in Germany has gone completely solar with all homes in the region capitalizing on this great source of energy.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Solar power stations
California has just built the world’s largest solar thermal power station in the Mojave Desert. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is made of up 3 solar towers surrounded by parabolic mirrors, which focus sunlight into heat to produce clean, renewable electricity. Owned by BrightSource Energy, NRG Energy and Google, The station has the capacity to power up to 200,000 Californian homes.
Source: Higher Perspective
Solar parking lot
Saudi Arabia is now home to the world’s largest solar parking lot! The parking area is covered with 120,000 CIS thin-film PV modules and can provide shelter for up to 5000 cars.
Source: Sunny
Conglomerates using solar power
Apple Inc. are building a 137-acre, 20 Megawatt solar farm in Reno, Nevada to power one of their new data centres. This is keeping in line with Apple’s ambitious goal to power every one of their US facilities with 100% renewable energy. They claim to be at around 75% at present. Apple’s largest US data centre in North Carolina is already powered by x2 massive solar farms, completed last year.
At Dan the Sparky Man, we employ only fully licensed, Master Electricians, who are also accredited for solar installations by the Clean Energy Council of Australia, to install and maintain your system. Talk to us today if you are thinking of having a system installed. With more than a decade of experience in the industry, you can count on us.
Dan Carpenter
Come and join our social pages for the latest information, tips and product updates.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DantheSparkyMan
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Dan Carpenter has built his business to be one of the most successful and trusted electrical businesses on the Gold Coast. He completed his apprenticeship in Adelaide at a young age. With a passion for self-driven success, he established his own enterprise on the Gold Coast at 22, quickly becoming a leader in the local building and solar industries. His dedication led him to win the Gold Coast Small Business Award and earn the title of Accredited Master Electrician.
by Dan Carpenter | Feb 11, 2014 | 2014, Blog
At DTSM, we are always monitoring the world of interior design and lighting to make sure we are keeping in-the-know with the latest trends. And for new home owners or renovators, there are definitely some lighting styles to consider if you want the most happening home on the Gold Coast!
There are two components to what makes a modern lighting fixture. The first component is design. In order for a lighting fixture to be on trend, it must have a contemporary aesthetic. The second component is technology. LED is the most current and energy efficient lighting technology available and for a lighting fixture to be in vogue, it should be compatible with this technology.
Pendant lighting has become a dominant focus in modern interiors, with many using stylish and original pendants either as a large single focus or multiple single pendants grouped together. For hanging both single and multiple pendants, the current trend is to go BIG; but you need to make sure the pendant ties in with the existing décor. Big, bold lighting features attract attention in all the right ways and can add interesting levels to a space. In addition, if you want your new pendant lighting to not only be inspiring but also energy efficient, we can fit them with LEDs.
Source: Lights2You
Houzz has also just released their Top 10 Lighting Trends for 2014 which are as follows.
1. Matte is in, glossy out – this is the spinning BH2 Suspension Light in Matte Gray by &Tradition.
2. Gold is the new black – this is the SR2 Mega Bulb Pendant Light in Gold Luster Transparent glass designed by Sofie Refer for &Tradition.
3. Back to classics – this is the BL10 Wall Light in Black designed by Robert Dudley Best for Bestlite.
4. Lights made of bamboo plywood – this is the Hinaki Suspension Light in White designed by David Trubridge.
5. Lights made of concrete with LED technology – this is the Aplomb LED Suspension Light in White designed by Lucidi and Pevere for Foscarini.
6. Lights made of plywood veneer in various colours – this is the Link Suspension Light in Red designed by Ray Power for LZF.
7. Architectural linear lighting – this is the Robinson Pendant Light in Beige designed by Gabriel Teixido for Carpyen.
8. Beech wood grain pendant lights – this is the Cerno Levis pendant.
9. Pearl white fabric lamps – this is the Mercer Table Lamp designed by Javier M. Borras & Joan Gaspar for Marset.
10. White pendant lights – this is the Discoco Suspension Light designed by Christophe Mathieu for Marset.
Lighting trends are continuously evolving and although the current trends are modern and creative, it is important that you do not simply follow a trend for the sake of it when installing a lighting fixture. Instead, choose something that you love and are inspired by because at the end of the day, trends come and go, but your love of a lighting fixture can last a lifetime.
If you want to start planning your own lighting design, Pinterest and Houzz are a great place to start. Having a Pinterest or Houzz profile will allow you to save all of your thoughts in one space. Plus, you can follow our boards for our lighting and interior ideas for the home on Pinterest or Houzz.
Happy lighting planning!
Dan Carpenter
Dan the Sparky Man
Come and join our social pages for the latest information, tips and product updates.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DantheSparkyMan
Twitter page: https://twitter.com/DanTheSparkyMan
Dan Carpenter has built his business to be one of the most successful and trusted electrical businesses on the Gold Coast. He completed his apprenticeship in Adelaide at a young age. With a passion for self-driven success, he established his own enterprise on the Gold Coast at 22, quickly becoming a leader in the local building and solar industries. His dedication led him to win the Gold Coast Small Business Award and earn the title of Accredited Master Electrician.
