5690 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60646 tel. 847.220.8786
Help Grow Solar with the Kankakee Power Pack!
Eco Solar is proud to announce that we are a Kankakee Power Pack Installer for 2013; the Power Pack is an innovative financing and solar market development program first implemented in Milwaukee, WI and now extending to Kankakee, McHenry, Lee and McLean counties in Illinois.
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is launching the Power Pack in Illinois in partnership with the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN), Kankakee Community College, Sauk Valley Community College, Heartland Community College and McHenry County College. Through this program, the MREA will educate consumers ab...
Eco Solar Powers The Bellwether Market and Renegade Craft Fair
Bellwether Market took place on June 8-9 near The Hideout at 1354 W. Wabansia in Chicago and combined food, farm, vintage, collectors, crafters and artists into a fantastic local festival. The PowerCube – our silent, renewable generator – provided power for the primary music stage. Just as we’ve seen with other events, both the artists that used the stage and vendors around us loved the concept of using solar power at the festival. Many of them would like to see us at more events and will ask for clean power in the future now that they know it is a possibility.
A related and upcoming ...
Teaching children about solar power is exciting when you have a big trailer with wheels and solar panels attached to it. In May 2013, the Eco Solar team brought the PowerCube, a solar-powered generator, to the Academy of Global Citizenship (AGC), a charter school in Chicago. The school’s mission is, “to empower all students to positively impact the community and world beyond.” AGC has an innovative and holistic approach towards education where the children learn about environmental sustainability, wellness education and global engagement.
The team went there to teach students about so...
Kinda, sorta, maybe. That's about the best we can hope for in the solar industry right now in terms of state grant funding. The news broke last week that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will offer a hefty grant to solar PV, solar thermal and wind projects in the form of 25% of out-of-pocket project expenses for businesses and 40% for non-profits, municipalities and universities. The minimum project is $100,000 and the max award is $250,000, making this the largest Illinois grant for renewables to date. This isn't a grant for residential projects, which haven...
So what’s the deal with brunch, why isn’t there a linner?
This post is actually about Solar Thermal, I just happened to be watching Seinfeld at the time. But seriously, what's the deal with solar thermal? It seems like a renewable technology that never really got off the ground. Solar thermal panels look a lot like PV panels, but involve a direct heat transfer with fluid for uses like domestic hot water. Many economists agree that the market for solar PV is set to explode over the next 5 years, but hardly anyone is willing to place a bet on solar thermal. Will the technology become obsolete like the Laserdisc, or is there still room for solar thermal...
