"Waterless" 700-Megawatt Solar Power Plant To Be Ready By 2013 in Mesquite Desert
Sempra Energy is the company that won a $359 million conditional loan guarantee last week from the Department of Energy regarding the construction of a 700MW solar power plant in the Mesquite desert in Arizona.
SunPower's Solar Panels Enter The Guinness Book
I didn't know the Guiness Book awards solar cell efficiencies lately. This story I read on Cleantechnica tells how SunPower, "the most popular solar panels company in California," got into the Guinness Book for providing people with "the most efficient commercially available photovoltaic modules on the market."
Airborne Laser Scan Shows New York Rooftops Could Generate 5,847 MW of Solar Power
Special planes equipped with a special laser system called Lidar flew over New York last year and scanned all the potential rooftops out of more than one million on which solar panels could be installed to properly produce power, NYTimes reports.
Over One Million Bangladesh Homes Powered By Solar Energy
According to a recent report made by tue World Bank, over one million homes from Bangladesh are powered by solar energy, being the fastest expansion of solar use in the world.
SolarCity Receives $280 Million Investment From Google For Solar Panel Leasing Program
SolarCity, the company founded by Elon Musk (who also created Tesla Motors, Paypal) has just received $280 million from Google. The investment is one of the largest in solar power worldwide, and aims to help 7,000 to 9,000 homeowners in the 10 states where SolarCity operates install solar panels onto their rooftops.
Piezo-Photovoltaic Device Creates Electricity From Wind/Rain/Sun
A new device that harvests energy from raindrops, winds or sunlight has been invented at the Institute for Materials Research and Innovation at the University of Bolton, UK. Elias Siores led a team who created a special polymer with piezoelectric and photosensitive properties.
GE Expands Worldwide Presence With Hybrid Solar/Wind/Gas Power Plant in Turkey
As we've mentioned in a previous article, General Electric is thinking of expanding its presence worldwide. Their plans now include a 530 megawatt hybrid power plant in Turkey.
China To Double Its Solar Energy Output From 5 to 10 GW by 2015
China is currently an important leader in the solar energy production market, but it plans to double its solar energy output from 5GW to 10GW. According to a report made by Ernst & Young a few days ago, China is the most attractive country in the world for renewable energy investors. This could be the reason why it is preparing to double its solar capacity.
Louis Palmer's New Solar-Powered Car To Be Presented in Dubai
Weighing about 170kg, the vehicle has the ability to reach a top speed of 45 km per hour. "We want to generate excitement about solar cars. This is a zero footprint, zero emissions car that can sustain itself with no battery," said Denis Lefrancois, general manager, Sustainable Media Group, a joint venture of Globe Events and Lootah International.
Europe's First Solar Powered Railway Tunnel Built In Antwerp, Belgium
The city of Antwerp is going to open Europe's first solar-powered railway tunnel built on the line between Paris and Amsterdam. The 2.1 miles-long tunnel will get its clean energy from 50,000 solar panels installed on top of it. The electricity will be used to power the 186 mph trains as they pass underneath, as well as the additional infrastructure.
