Arizona Solar Center

New Discovery Could Improve Organic Solar Cell Performance

While there is a growing market for organic solar cells – they contain materials that are cheaper, more abundant, and more environmentally friendly than those used in typical solar panels – they also tend to be less efficient in converting sunlight to electricity than conventional solar cells. Now, scientists who are members of the Center for Computational Study of Excited-State Phenomena in… Read More

Know Your Rights

Arizona law protects individual homeowners’ private property rights to solar access by dissolving any local covenant, restriction or condition attached to a property deed that restricts the use of solar energy. This law sustained a legal challenge in 2000. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of homeowners in a lawsuit filed by their homeowners association seeking to… Read More

Home Battery Systems

Rooftop solar panels are common in Arizona thanks to abundant sunshine, but to get even more use from the technology, homeowners are beginning to pair them with large home batteries. Batteries allow homeowners to store their surplus electricity, rather than send it to the grid in exchange for credit from their electric company. Read More

Solar Hot Water

There are two types of solar water heating systems: active, which have circulating pumps and controls, and passive, which don't. The typical solar water heater is comprised of solar collectors and a well-insulated storage tank. The solar collector is a network of pipes that gathers the sun's energy, transforms its radiation into heat, and then transfers that heat to either… Read More

Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit

(Information provided by DSIRE - Last reviewed 02/19/2009) Incentive Type: Personal Tax Credit State: Federal Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: Solar Water Heat, Photovoltaics, Wind, Fuel Cells, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Other Solar Electric Technologies Applicable Sectors: Residential Amount: 30% Maximum Incentive: Solar-electric systems placed in service before 2009: $2,000Solar-electric systems placed in service after 2008: no maximumSolar water heaters placed in service before… Read More

Solar Building Design in Arizona

The idea of using the sun to meet the energy needs in our buildings has been with us since the time of the Greeks, with some of the design manifestations even evident in the prehistoric structures of Arizona and the Southwest. There is a great historic tradition for Arizona buildings that utilize our most abundant resource, and the current increases… Read More

How Not to- Battery Connections

Photo shows the situation after a battery discharge test at 300 amps was terminated on a 1530 AH IBE battery string when one post melted. During the discharge test all cell voltages are logged. The sum of the cell voltages was 2.73 volts lower than the 48-volt string voltage. This is an average of 118 mv per inter-cell connection, 5-10… Read More

Board of Directors

AzSC Officers
President:	Daniel Aiello
Treasurer:	William Kaszeta
Secretary:	Michael Neary

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AzSC Board Members
Daniel Aiello Principal Janus2 Architects	Through 2017
William Kaszeta Principal Photovoltaic Resources International	Through 2018
Michael Neary Principal Desert Sun Solar	Through 2017
Lane Garrett Solar Technology Instructor East Valley Institute of Technology	Through 2017
Lucy Mason Executive Director Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association	Through 2018
Geoff Sutton COO Helios Focus	Through 2018

Welcome to the Arizona Solar Center

This is your source for solar and renewable energy information in Arizona. Explore various technologies, including photovoltaics, solar water heating, solar architecture, solar cooking and wind power. Keep up to date on the latest industry news. Follow relevant lectures, expositions and tours. Whether you are a homeowner looking to become more energy efficient, a student learning the science behind the technologies or an industry professional, you will find valuable information here.

About

Arizona Solar Center Mission

The mission of the Arizona Solar Center is to enhance the utilization of renewable energy, educate Arizona's residents on solar technology developments, support commerce and industry in the development of solar and other sustainable technologies and coordinate these efforts throughout the state of Arizona.

About the Arizona Solar Center

The Arizona Solar Center (AzSC) provides a broad-based understanding of solar energy, especially as it pertains to Arizona. Registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, the Center is administered by a Board of Directors made up of individuals with wide experience and training in solar energy and other renewable energy resources. It is the goal of the Center to provide you with core information about solar energy in Arizona, to keep you up to date on what is happening in the Arizona solar energy community, steer you to published resources and equipment, and also to link you to solar energy sources outside the state as well. The AzSC is not intended to provide specific technical or financial analysis; for that, we encourage you to contact a licensed professional. Overall, the mission of the AzSC is to enhance the utilization of solar and other renewable energy, educate Arizona's residents on solar technology developments, support commerce and industry in the development of solar and other sustainable technologies and coordinate these efforts throughout the State.

About the Arizona Solar Center Website

Our site contains introductory information, topic specific analysis, maps, reference material, professional links, news, events and more - there is a substantial amount of information about solar energy here! If you cannot find what you are looking for, please feel free to contact us with any questions. Your message will be forwarded to one of the members of the Board of the Arizona Solar Center for response. Use the main navigation menu, the site map or the search function to explore the site.