[No contract, no obligations and no strings attached, yet the biggest possible return] The ‘save the planet’ argument is rather stale, the ’feel good factor’ simply not enough for many people and the economics are far too complicated. But have a look at this little Excel-sheet and you might think again. It is the best ‘no harm done to other people’ investment one can possibly make. A small photovoltaic set-up for self-consumption, connected to the grid with no need for batteries or binding feed-in contracts, does not only give you your money back in just a couple of years, but is also the ultimate money saver without having to compromise on living standards when it comes to the use of energy.   It does not generate money, by pulling it out of other people’s pockets, it simply creates something for free, which you would...

[join the fast lane to ruin our planet] A fashion accessory, Smart, stylish, trendy and cool are all terms to describe a new league of solar products, which claim to be an environmentally friendly back up for your run dry smart phones or out of juice tablets. But ‘Clever’!!! is by far the most appropriate term for all such devices, which come with only one practical use, and this is to pull your money out of your pockets! They are marketing experts and trendy trendsetters, with colours for fun and flirtatious combination concepts, or raunchy old style leather and Humphrey Bogart style. But what they forget to mention, is - that they actually don’t really work. They cannot possibly work even at the best of times, simply due to the laws of physics. 1 square meter of fully powered sunshine, has the potential to generate approximately...

[About the energy everybody really needs, and where to find it]   The most important question when talking about SoLar energy is for many people  “How much solar energy is actually really out there?” or asked in a more specific way “How much solar energy reaches the surface of the earth on every single day?” The precise values depend on a vast number of factors, are different for every location and subject to constant changes. Despite this, it is not too difficult to come up with a rough answer to this question, the result however will be quite baffling for many. The answer, though not precise and not valid for many locations, still reveals the enormous solar potential, just sitting out there - ready for the taking. Today’s best photo voltaic panels are labelled to produce up to 150 Watt of electricity for every square meter of...

[About something, that money* has not yet discovered] A number of self-replicating spider like robots are let loose on a Russian island, equipped with the capacity to improve every new generation, so scientists can study their progressive evolution. The raw materials they need to reproduce are buried all around the island, so they also need some skills to find whatever they need. Soon there are developing fractions, small and nimble ones, that shed all unnecessary loads including their bulky batteries, and the heavy 'all tools on board' survival kings equipped for any arising situation. As the materials run out, the machines start to go after each other and soon an epic fight for survival breaks out. The big fat kings of survival are soon being slaughtered by the much nimbler smallies, but when the night sets in the roles are gruesomely...

The two links below, are from the online edition of Germanys biggest  News Magazine "Der Spiegel" (unfortunately only in German) Amazing to see, how even in this respected and well known paper, slowly the idea of small solar installations, like the ones which SoLenium-technology  is advocating in this blog, is being taken seriously. There is talk of an "attack of the photovoltaic-Guerrillas" and from "Power meters which turn backwards" and most significantly, that "it is against the norm, but not against the law" The only downside is that both articles are almost exclusively based on a single source, which on closer inspection of their website, does not present itself as 'very professional'. For the content of the articles however this is practically...

[why electricity meters can(not) go backwards?] Note: Before reading this, you should watch "tasting the forbidden fruit" on youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDoiZzISc3Q&feature=youtu.be What you will see is an electricity meter going backwards. The setup for this was very simple. A medium size solar panel installation of 2.4kWp connected to the mains network (grid), with the sun shining and no main consumers running.  Since more power is being produced than is needed at this moment, the electricity meter is turning backwards accumulating credit. The moment there is higher consumption again, everything returns back to normal and the meter turns in the ordinary way. However, even if the system is professionally installed and connected, this kind of setup is at present not exactly legal! Is there any technical reason, why this...

[About common sense and the little secrets of the energy debate] When talking about alternative energy, and photovoltaic in particular, the discussion will almost certainly become very complex indeed. This is not so much, because the issue is so tremendously difficult, but rather because it has been so awkwardly regulated. Imagine you have bought a car, but it is bigger than what you yourself need. Happens all the time you might think, but this one came with a very special deal. You are allowed to put the car onto your drive, and you can use it every day for some time... For the rest of the day however, the car will be used by other people. Of course, you get handsomely paid for the inconvenience. - You still have to hire a car every time you can't use your own car, but since this is cheaper than what you get for letting out your own...

[under the spell of the feed-in tariff] When you are interested in photovoltaic energy, no matter where you look, it is all about economy. Any website you find, no matter how eco friendly, any newsletter or blog you read, any suppliers or exhibitions you go to, they are all talking about investments, performance and returns. There are meter long spreadsheets, computer graphs and projections, all about peak performance, system optimization for maximum output and feed-in tariffs. Excel galore, wherever you go! Why is that so? There are no motor- or computer shows, no bathroom furniture shops or life style magazines, no other websites or suppliers of goods, that talk so much about the amortization of your money, - only the stock-exchange. Everything we usually buy is only defined by what it is worth to us and if we can somehow afford it. To...

[a critical look at the German alternative energy market] To put it in a nutshell, 'government subsidies are never fair and often favour highly regulated big industrial solutions with the monetary benefits only available to a few'.  Now, why is that?  Government subsidies are a political instrument, that takes the taxpayers money to help to create or sustain an economic venture which would otherwise not happen or falter, and are often used as a 'stimulus' in order to speed up a government promoted development. Unfortunately however, this seemingly positive idea goes constantly wrong in reality. - Diesel fuel tax exemption, has lead to a majority of drivers in the UK switching to a diesel engine, while diesel fuel today (no longer exempt) is more expensive than ordinary petrol. - Bio-fuel subsidies, introduced in Germany by...

This site will deal with everything that springs to mind when thinking about the use of alternative energy. From the basic principles and material properties, to controversial ideas and laughably simple every day solutions, or crazy concepts and design ideas.  Just walking around every day with one's eyes peeled, can reveal the most unexpected solutions, and a simple change of location can lead to a healthy alteration of focus.  The ideas, concepts and opinions expressed in this space, are my own (until stated otherwise) and might not be universal, meaning that they are an expression of my own level of research, education and thinking, which to all accounts and purposes might not always be entirely correct. It is a work in progress, so my best advice to everybody interested is probably 'to read on'!