Morocco Planning to Harvest 2 GW of Solar Power by 2020
More and more governments show high interest in investing in clean energy sources. With 3,000 hours of sun per year, Morocco is now planning to invest in the harvesting of solar power.
Huge Swiss Airplane Powered Only by Solar Cells Takes Off For 36h Flight
A huge plane powered by solar energy is being tested in Switzerland. In December, the airplane made its first successful test flight, rising at a height of just one meter above the ground.
Solar Powered Cellphone Towers Can Dramatically Reduce Own Carbon Footprint
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Indian government will present a mandate that would require telecom operators to use solar panels to power their cellphone towers. This will dramatically reduce their carbon footprint and will make a huge difference in long term.
Wide-Band Solar Cell Harvests Ultraviolet, Visible and Infrared Light
A group of Japanese researchers led by Saki Sonoda, associate professor at the Kyoto Institute of Technology, have built a prototype of a solar cell that can harvest ultraviolet, visible and infrared light as well. This wide-band solar cell could offer tremendous increases in efficiency.
NREL Building PDIL: Six Automated Robots Helping Solar Industry's R&D
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has built a robot that will help the R&D of thin film solar cells, analyzing possible defects faster and more accurate than any other existing system. It is called the PDIL (Process Development and Integration Laboratory).
New Quaternary Semiconductor Alloy Could Gear Up Development of Solar Cells
Cun-Zeng Ning and Alian Pan, from Arizona State University, have discovered and fabricated the first quaternary semiconductor nanowire materials, by alloying two binary semiconductors (ZnS + CdSe) - Zinc Sulfide and Cadmium Selenide, and obtained ZnCdSSe.
First Solar Signs Agreements With Major Energy Utilities to Provide Solar Power
First Solar Inc. has recently announced that it will start working on a huge photovoltaic project called Desert Sunlight in Southern California. The facility will produce 550 MW from solar power, of which 300 MW will be sold to California's Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and 250 MW to Southern California Edison (SCE).
Stolen Electrons from Green Alga Demonstrate New Kind of Organic Solar Cells
WonHyoung Ryu at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, working with overseas colleagues from Stanford, found an interesting way of hybridization between a green alga, Chlamydomonas, and gold nanowires, to directly collect the electrons produced through photosynthesis by the plant.
Solarmer's Organic Solar Cells Getting Real Hopes to Enter Mainstream Market
A CA-based company, Solarmer Energy, is now collaborating with professor Luping Yu, from the University of Chicago, to build the best cheapest flexible polymer solar cell ever, one that will be able to reach 10 percent efficiency.
Electric Bicycles Powered by Sanyo's Solar Parking Lot
Sanyo, a giant Japan-based company has opened two solar parking lots in Tokyo. These solar-powered panels can charge about 100 electric hybrid bicycles. Using lithium-ion batteries, the system has enough power left over to also illuminate the parking lot with LED lights at night.
