Rocky Grove Sun Company

Music Powered by the Sun

Flint — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:15:08 +0000

The Block Street Block Party was a day of sun and fun in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was also a day of music, on multiple sound stages including this one, where the Fayetteville Roots Festival held sway.

This one was special, as you can see, because the amps were powered by solar energy, courtesy of Rocky Grove Sun Company.

It was a great day to get out and see people, and we hope it was a good reminder that solar power is… well, powerful.

Solar energy has been used for millennia to bake bread, heat water, and grow food. Now we have the technology to harvest this energy and use it as electricity to power anything which uses electricity.

This may seem very obvious to regular users of renewable energy, but we saw some amazed expressions on the faces of people who realized we were using solar energy to amplify music.

That’s why we spend so much time in education.

Check Out Our Sunny New Interactive Map

Flint — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 01:13:53 +0000

Did you notice the snazzy new interactive map on our homepage? This shows some of the installations we’ve done recently.

The interactive part is that you can move the map around to see more locations, and click on the sun icons to see photos of the solar arrays.

Note the shadow being cast by the bright sunshine at www.RockyGroveSunCompany.com!

What’s Now 100 Times Cheaper than in 1977? Solar Power

Flint — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:37:34 +0000

Yep, solar power cost over $76.00 a watt to produce in 1977, but it’s now just about 74 cents a watt, as shown in this chart from ClimateProgress via Robert Gonzales.

Beaver Lake

Flint — Sun, 26 May 2013 00:59:56 +0000

A beautiful solar array in a beautiful setting overlooking Beaver Lake. Some people hesitate to consider solar energy for their homes or businesses for fear that the aesthetic value of their building will be lessened. In fact, a solar array … Continue reading →

John Brown University Gets Solar Power

Flint — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:39:09 +0000

First of three new solar arrays at John Brown University nears completion. Custom fabricated steel and aluminum racking system attaches modules to existing windscreen. Micro inverters are installed behind each module and produce 208VAC to match the three phase utility service.

What’s more efficient: photosynthesis or photovoltaic cells?

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:39:37 +0000

You might be surprised to learn that PV cells beat plants in their efficiency at turning sunlight into energy.

Scientific American reported that photosynthesis turns about 3% of the sunlight a plant receives into energy, while a solar panel harvests about 10% of the energy it receives.

Let this tech triumph help keep your home comfortable and your cooling and heating bills low.

What’s a solar pathfinder?

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 21:15:41 +0000

Here it is, the solar pathfinder.

To get the best return on your solar energy investment, you have to have the right size of array, in the right place, with the right orientation. To calculate these things accurately, you need accurate data about the sun and shade patterns at your site.

We use the solar pathfinder, a highly accurate piece of equipment that measures this information precisely. We can use the data with confidence to design your solar power system.

Together with information on your energy usage and the nature of your building and site, the data from the solar pathfinder lets Rocky Grove plan a system for you that will lower your monthly power bills without giving large donations to the power company, see you through inclement weather, and otherwise meet your goals.

Why choose a solar company that says, “Most folks use…” when you can have exactly what you need, based on accurate information?