New Plastic Sheet From 3M Could Replace Glass in Future Thin Film Solar Cells
A new plastic film from 3M could revolutionize the way solar panels are built and seriously affect their cost-effectiveness and market share. The company says it can replace the classic glass and is more protective to solar cells than glass is, making the solar power investment worthwhile.
MIT's New Water Desalination System Powered by Solar Energy
A group of researchers from MIT's Field and Space Robotics Laboratory (FSRL) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering found a new way to combat the lack of potable water from disaster zones and remote regions.
Suntech's New Power Optimizers Could Solve Solar Panel Efficiency Issues Related To Shades
Solar panels are usually mounted in series, to sum up their voltages, and the resulting power is sent to a large inverter, which transforms the DC voltage into AC. One big issue with this scheme is that if shade falls on one panel, or it gets dirty, the inverter lowers the current of all the other panels, and causing power losses through inefficiency.
A 10,000-Kilometer Ride on Solar Powered Bike From France to Japan
Florian Bailly, a French cyclist, completed a 12 countries and two continents tour on a custom-made solar bike this week. The 10,000-kilometer journey, from France to Tokyo, lasted two-thirds less than it would have taken on a normal bike.
Rohm's 30% Efficient Indoor Organic Solar Cells Exhibited at Ceatec Japan 2010
Ceatec Japan 2010 hosted Rohm's new dye-sensitized solar cells that we were talking about a few months ago. Now, the Japanese company applied their plans to TV remotes, mice and sensors.
Electrowetting Solar Cells Use Liquids to Focus Light Onto Them, Eliminating Expensive Mechanics
Solar panels, throughout their entire existence, have had the same issue over and over again: once the Sun's light began to hit them with an angle, they became inefficient, so fixed solar panels were only great at noon. Soon after people realized that, they began constructing all sorts of contraptions that would modify the panels' position so to face the Sun directly.
Sarnia Solar – Impressive 80 MW Solar Power Project Unveiled In Canada
The facility, dubbed Sarnia Solar, is made up of 1.3 million solar panels that are set on a surface of 950 acres and deliver an annual 120,000 MWh. The Sarnia Solar Project integrates solar panels "designed to create the smallest carbon footprint of any PV technology available."
Newer and More Efficient Solar Cells Simulated by Coppin State University Scientists
Researchers at Coppin State University have announced their latest breakthrough that consists in simulating the most efficient solar cell in the world. The new type of cell is four percent more efficient than those made by Boeing Company's CA-based Spectrolab, known for simulating solar cells in recent years.
Helios IV, The French Solar Powered Race Car at Paris Motor Show 2010
The Paris Motor Show 2010 presented a lot of electric and hybrid vehicles. These are revolutionary, indeed, but within a certain niche, a certain small, entirely solar-powered car was the most interesting idea of all. Helios IV, as it was named, is the brainchild of the HEI University in Lille, France, and has attended the World Solar Challenge (WSC) six times.
Ohio's New Solar Power Plant to Create More Than 600 Green Jobs
A former coal strip mine is going to be transformed into a huge solar power plant in Ohio, creating 600 permanent jobs. The 49.9-megawatt project will be developed by New Harvest Ventures and Agile Energy, and the produced energy for the next 20 years will be bought by American Electric Power.
