Community Teams up for Solar
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
In an effort to save energy and save money, one community in Alberta, Canada has banded together to harness heat from the sun to provide heat for their homes. In chilly Alberta, where temperatures often drop well below zero, residents of The Drake Landing Solar Community have turned their small, 52-member town into a solar thermal plant. The ambitious move provides up to 90% of the town’s heating needs, even in the dead of winter.
Power for the Neighborhood
This groundbreaking, intricately planned project represents compelling evidence as to the power and potential of solar energy, even in harsh climates. Drake Landing’s solar energy is collected via a heat storage fluid, which runs through solar panels attached to each and every roof, and garage, in the community. The fluid is then transferred to a neighborhood energy center before being sent into the ground where the heat is stored beneath an insulated layer (more…)
Did you know that the answers to many of the most common questions about solar power are available at the tip of your fingers … literally? Check out this list of solar calculators that are simple to use and available online. Each calculator is different, helping you determine such things as the tilt your panels should be, the system size you should purchase given how much energy you want to save, the amount of usable sunlight you can expect in your area, and other helpful information. Use the calculators before or in conjunction with talking to a 
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