We've Moved!

You heard right—we've moved off of blogger and are hosting the blog ourselves now. You can now find us at http://blog.solararcadia.com. So come on by and don't forget to update your bookmarks! See you there.

7 Recycled Architecture Public Places

Check out pictures and stories about 7 recycled architecture public places. Including an indoor water park and museums.

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Great to reuse buildings for other attractions.

Prepare home for Summer in a Green Way

This article by Avital Binshtock shows you ways to prepare your house for the summer in ways that do not harm the planet.

Click HERE to go to the article...


Always great to learn more about doing everyday things in an environmentally friendly way.

Solar Car Disguised as Shrub

There is a contraption that is a cross between a solar powered car and an explorer robot from NASA. It is disguised as a shrub. There are video cameras in the front that project images onto screens inside the vehicle, so there is no need for a windshield and increases the deceptiveness of the disguise.

SEE MORE HERE...


It's a neat solar contraption that can be used for many different purposes.

Residents' ‘Green House’ attracting many visitors

Albert and Enid Harum-Alvarez have a "Green House" that has become an environmental “first” in its Continental Park neighborhood, attracting hundreds of visitors who want to learn more about “green” building and savings on their power bills.

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Great example of someone taking the intiative to start a green project that will allow others to learn and do the same.

Real People: Solar power, team of students will take bike across the U.S.

A team of four college students will travel using a recumbent tandem bike that relies on electric energy generated by the sun, as well as a battery and human power. They will travel from travel from Elizabeth City, N.C. to San Francisco and are testing out a new form of transportation and raising money for children in Sri Lanka.

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Great to see new Green transportation that also helps a good cause.

IKAROS spacecraft to unfurl solar sail, head to Venus

Japan will launch a spacecraft that will use a solar sail to attempt a trip to Venus and beyond.

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Excited to see if the spacecraft will reach its destination.

CSU reaches for sky with solar project

Colorado State University which is already holds the rank of third largest university solar facility, plans to build what could become the largest solar-power farm of any American university.

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Hopefully more universities will want to compete and follow in CSU's footsteps.

Solar Suitcases Travel To The World's Powerless

A California couple's handmade solar power kits are helping physicians in disaster zones.

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Great to see someone's solar idea be so helpful to those in need.

Biggest U.S. Solar Power Plant

West Sacramento and its port will soon become home to the largest solar power plant in the country.

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Excited to know that the biggest solar power plant is so close to the bay area.

New solar satellite now live, online

The Solar Dynamics Observatory is a brand new satellite that will monitor energy output from the sun.

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See how much energy the sun is producing now.

Energy Return Program returns to Colorado

Those living in Colorado and looking to get serious about energy efficiency will have there chance this Spring.

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Good time for those who want to start being more green to do so while there are rebates to help subsidize the cost.

Danish eco-hotel offers pedalpower free meal

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen is offering a free meal for guests electricity for the hotel. Guest have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity - roughly 15 minutes of cycling.

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If you stay at this hotel make sure to reduce your carbon footprint and get a free meal .

Go green this Earth Day

Earth Day is on April 22 so check out the different ways to go green for it.

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Go green in many different ways.

Student creates solar syrup heater

A University of Michigan-Dearborn student has developed a way to use the sun’s power to help turn raw sap into maple syrup.

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There is an unlimited amount of ways to use solar power.

Solar Airplane Completes Maiden Voyage

Solar Impulse, a prototype of an airplane designed to fly around the world using only solar power, made its first real flight today. It flew for 87 minutes to an altitude of nearly 4,000 feet.

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Can't wait until we can all fly by solar panels

Returning Power to the People in the Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation has issued a comprehensive study examining the potential for solar Feed-in Tariff (FiT) programs in Los Angeles County. This will allow businesses and residents to install solar panels on their roofs and parking lots and sell the power generated back to the local utility.

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More incentive for people to install solar panels.

New Solar Power Plant

The construction of a new manufacturing plant that will build solar panels will be opened in Senatobia, Mississippi.

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Not only will this provide more solar panels but 500+ jobs will be created.

Solar-powered partnership

Arizona State University has established a partnership with the University of Tokyo, Japan, aimed at strengthening research and educational endeavors at both institutions to advance solar energy technology.

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This partnership will help produce more efficient and less costly ways to produce renewable energy.

FAQ About Shipping

We recently finished shipping out a large order of black and white Surges due to the recent press release that went viral. People are always excited to get their purchases in the mail and we understand the anxiousness. To help ease your mind we'll give you a quick summary of our shipping methods and estimated transit times.



Please note that these answers are based on orders that are currently in stock. At this time we only have standard color (white and black) Surges in stock. Nonstandard colors will be available soon.

How do you ship your products?
First of all, we use UPS Ground for our domestic orders. For orders from Canada we use UPS Canada and for non-US shipping we use USPS International. Orders shipping within Europe are handled by our European division. Please visit SolarArcadia.eu to place your order.

How soon will my order ship?
Orders for in-stock items placed on a weekday are typically processed within 24-48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. However, an order for an in-stock item may take as long as 7-10 business days to process.

When will my order arrive?
We use UPS's order tracking system, so as soon as your order has shipped you will receive a confirmation email with a tracking number. Should you have any questions about your order, please contact us. To give you an idea of the total shipping time based on your location, take a look at this USP shipping transit map.


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Our goal is to make sure you are satisfied with you purchase and that we get it to you as soon as possible. If you have any questions about your order there are several ways you can contact us through our online store or using any of our social networks.

Yves Behar takes on transportation with a "People's Car"

From the designer of the One Laptop Per Child (also a cute and innovative green and white gadget), comes a new concept for global transportation.

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Nice new solar concepts that are cute and flexible

World Expo in Shanghai to showcase world power China's green ambitions

When Shanghai's World Expo opens May 1. What you will find: A giant octopus, an alpine meadow and an apple-shaped "green city," among dozens of pavilions in all shapes, colours and sizes featuring a kaleidoscope of visions for the Expo's theme: "Better City, Better Life."

In Pudong, on the east side of the river, where the national pavilions and most big facilities are located, giant white funnels will provide shade, channel sunlight to underground walkways and collect rainwater for recycling.

Solar panels installed in various Expo buildings will create a five-megawatt solar power system - China's largest. Zero-emission electric vehicles will be used within the Expo grounds.

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Great to see events not just focused on new electronics but offer ideas on sustainable urban living in an eco-friendly way.

In recession’s shadow, solar power shines

The green, festively painted trucks roll out of SolarCity’s Santa Ana warehouse one behind another every weekday morning, carrying racks of solar panels, installation gear and solar workers — many of them new hires, a wonder in a region reeling from recession.

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Great to see more jobs offered in the green industry.

Dallas Will Host Solar Power International 2011

The Board of Managers of Solar Energy Trade Shows, LLC (SETS), have announced that the Solar Power International (SPI) 2011 conference and trade show will take place in Dallas, Texas, at the Dallas Convention Center on October 17-21. SPI is the largest business-to-business conference and trade show in North America for the solar energy industry.





Can't wait until more solar energy products are introduced.

Port of West Sacramento Now Operating on Solar Power

The Port of West Sacramento today unveiled a newly installed solar power system that will provide all of its electricity needs over the next 25 years. It will reduces its energy cost by more than $20,000 annually.

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Thats what we call saving a lot of money.

Saint Patrick's Day Special at Solar Arcadia

The luck of the Irish has just hit the Solar Arcadia store! From March 9th through the 17th our online store, solararcadia.com, is offering free shipping on all orders. To take advantage of this special just select the UPS Ground option during checkout and you can save yourself some green, and we're not talking about shamrocks.

But wait there's more! As a special treat, we are also offering $17 off the Surge for iPod touch in addition to the free shipping. So not only can you get your new Surge for iPod touch for only $52.95 you can also get it shipped to you for free! Click here for details.

You've got until the 17th to take advantage of this great offer, and you don't even have to chase a leprechaun. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for more updates on great deals and specials.

Incredible Boat Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles Unveiled in San Francisco

The Plastiki, a seaworthy boat made our of recycled plastic bottles will sail 11,000 miles from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia to raise awareness about plastics as a pollutant and its value as a recycled product. It is not just made out of recycled plastic bottles but it is also primarily powered by renewable energy. That includes solar power panels, wind turbines, trailing propeller turbines and bicycle generators.

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Finally something GREAT has come from plastic bottles.

Montclair group holding green homes fair Saturday

A new Montclair group is working to help Oakland residents save energy and water — one home at a time. On Saturday, it will host an informational event at the Montclair Women's Cultural Arts Club.

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Attend this informative meeting if you are in the neighborhood.

Solar Power Pays off for Valley Company

Check out this video.




Feel good about traveling or doing with with this company.

Xcel Energy offers one-time incentive for solar power

Xcel Energy announced today that it is now offering incentives to Minnesota electricity customers to install solar panels on top of their homes and businesses. They will pay $2.25 per installed watt of generating capacity. For an average size residential installation of 3.5 kilowatts or 3,500 watts, the incentive payment would be $7,875, or about 30 percent of the installation costs. This does not include any other offers offered by the federal, state and local governments.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=843073




Those in Minnesota have even more incentive to install solar panels now.

Stanford students show off solar-powered car

A solar-powered vehicle that was designed from scratch and constructed from the ground up by a team of Stanford University students gets 1,400 miles per gallon of gas and is capable of speeds of more than 70 mph. It's also highway approved.

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This shows what solar, green, and electrical-vehicle technology can do when you take it to the cutting edge.

Constellation Energy offers up-front help with solar power for businesses

Constellation Energy will offer $90 million to help businesses and government entities install solar power systems. With a focus on projects in Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania

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Businesses that were looking at or considering to go green and install solar power systems, now have another incentive to do so.

U.S. Offers Solar Project a Crucial Loan Guarantee

The United States Department of Energy offered a $1.37 billion loan guarantee on Monday to a California company planning to build a large-scale solar power plant in the Southern California desert.

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Great to see that the United States is committed to becoming one of the global leader's in the clean energy economy.

Bill gives solar-power credits to more users

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he'll sign "net metering" legislation. “Net metering” — the idea that customers get credit for excess power they put onto the grid.


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This is a key incentive to install solar panels.

Shipment Update for the Surge

Recently we've gotten several requests to clarify the shipment status on the Surge for iPhone. Our first priority is to our customers' satisfaction in both our products and our service. Below you will find a summary of the status on our Surge for iPhone and iPod.

The products will be referred to as follows:
- NT01 is Surge for iPhone
- NT02 is Surge for iPod touch

Status of NT01 Pre-Orders

• Shipments of all NT01 pre-orders made before February 10th (white & black models only) will be completed this week. Most shipments have already been sent out.
• Shipments of all NT01 pre-orders made after February 10th (white & black models only) will be sent out by the middle of March.
• Pre-orders of all color NT01 (blue, green, silver, & copper) will be shipped out around the middle of March.
• We expect to be fully stocked on all NT01 models by the end of March, including color models.

Status of NT02 of Orders

• We are fully stocked and ready to ship all orders for the NT02.
• At this time we are only offering the NT02 in black.

The NT01 and NT02 is a very popular product and we are manufacturing units are fast as we can. For fastest availability we recommend placing your order with our online store, Solar Arcadia.

If you have questions about your order, please refer to our contact page on our website.

NASA launches satellite to watch for solar storms

NASA launched a science satellite on Thursday to keep a close watch on the sun and help improve forecasts of the solar storms that can disrupt navigational signals, satellites and power grids.

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The information will improve predictions of solar flares and geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt GPS navigational signals, disable satellites and knock out power grids.

Solar Energy to power New TRANSPO facility

TIn South Bend, the new TRANSPO building being constructed in the Studebaker Corridor will be the first green transit facility in the U.S. It will also be the largest rooftop solar electricity installation in Indiana.

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Solar power is no longer an idea of the future.

Group urges Texas to promote more solar power use

With a surplus of both land and sunshine, Texas could easily be the nation's leader in solar power generation but needs more help from state leaders

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Texas is already home to many companies in solar business so more of it's energy should come from the sun.

Earth, wind and wire: Going beyond solar panels

Not long ago, people who wanted to generate their own green energy at home had to content themselves with rooftop solar panels. But new technologies -- and hefty government subsidies -- are now allowing homeowners to tap the wind, the Earth and other renewable sources in their own backyards.

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People can go green in more than one ways.

Solar Tech in Africa

Mali, is the West African nation famous for its extreme poverty and brutally hot Saharan plains near Timbuktu. But a small group of volunteer geeks made it famous for something else: green radio.
Based in the capital city of Bamako, IESC Geekcorps, a sort of Peace Corps for techies, is building 11 solar-powered radio stations in northern Mali.

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Once again, solar power is a great energy source for rural nations in need of power.

Solar as alternative in remote villages

More than 200 villagers of Kampung Sumambu are enjoying power supply following the installation of a solar power system.

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Solar power is a great energy source for all third world countries and remote locations.

Silicon Valley makes big push into solar and smart-grid technologies

The Bay Area is believed to have the nation's largest concentration of cleantech jobs, and much of that job growth has been in solar and smart grid, technologies that leverage the valley's formidable strengths. Next 10, a nonpartisan think tank, estimates that the Bay Area now has about 7,000 jobs in renewable energy alone.

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It is great that Silicon Valley is not just a global center of technology but a global center of clean technology.

Workshop to cover benefits of solar power

With few mature trees in its newer subdivisions, American Canyon is an ideal place to install solar energy systems. There will be a free workshop that'll inform residents about the benefits of installing solar panels. The workshop will be at the American Canyon Recreation Center, 2185 Elliott Drive at 1:00 p.m. Feb. 6.

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If you live close to American Canyon, you should go to this workshop and learn more about the benefits of installing solar panels.

San Francisco Affordable Housing Sites Power On Solar Energy

Sunwheel Energy Partners, which provides turnkey solar energy systems for urban and community partners, celebrated the commissioning of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at three affordable housing community sites in San Francisco’s Western Addition and Hayes Valley neighborhoods.

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This is bringing solar power, green jobs and financial relief to residents and owners.

Intel to install rooftop solar panels

Intel Corp. will be installing rooftop solar panels at its Ocotillo and Chandler Boulevard complexes in Chandler as part of a companywide solar power initiative.

The company plans to install a total of 2.5 megawatts of solar generating capacity at eight locations in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Oregon during the next seven months.

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Great to see that Intel is committed to renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint.

North America’s Concentrated Solar Power Industry to Convene in San Francisco this June

Over 650 Concentrated Solar Power industry leaders are set to meet in San Francisco this June 24-25 for the 4th Annual Concentrated Solar Power Summit. The largest industry event of it’s kind in North America.

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This will lead to more knowledge about solar power and its uses..

Solar Power Stars in Haiti Relief Efforts

When the power grid fails, the cheapest and most reliable backup is often solar power. So it's no surprise that solar is playing a starring role in Haiti earthquake relief efforts. It's great that many companies are donating solar power products from solar-powered audio bibles to solar-powered phones.

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Solar power is also a reliable backup.