solar panels Archives – The Green Optimistic

Zero Mass Water’s Solar Panels Pull Clean Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

Matias Prieto — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 17:31:35 +0000

Around the world, approximately 2.1 billion people do not have immediate access to clean drinking water. A startup called Zero Mass Water aims to make clean water easily accessible to more people around the world. In 2015, it launched its first product, Source — a solar panel array that harvests and filters water from vapour in the air. The […]

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Solar Panel That You Can Make at Home For $30

Arsenij Percov — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 20:02:36 +0000

Solar panel and solar power are among the hottest topics in social media right now. However, the majority of people think that they are very expensive. Instructables’ user BrotherJames8765 doesn’t think so, he built a solar panel for less than $30. It doesn’t include all the downstream gizmos of the panel’s output such as regulators, […]

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New Compound Could Make Thin Film Solar Panels More Efficient

Arsenij Percov — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 19:49:14 +0000

The market is now dominated by silicon solar panels. They are great, but they are not cheap. Therefore, to use solar panels widely, we need some alternative that will cost less. The alternative is using thin film photovoltaics. They use thin layers of specific p-type and n-type materials sandwiched together and utilize the photovoltaic effect. […]

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Nissan to Sell Solar Panels and Battery Storage Cheaper Than Tesla

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 19:41:09 +0000

The residents of the United Kingdom that have solar products installed in their households could save as much as 66 percent of their electric bills. This is according to Nissan’s recent press release. To make the technology more available to homeowners, Nissan has recently launched its Nissan Energy Solar, described by the automaker as an […]

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Tesla Gigafactory’s Solar Roof Will Be the Largest of Its Kind

Nicholas Say — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 20:45:38 +0000

It is often said in Asian philosophy that at the center of darkness, there is light. Elon Musk very well may be that light. It is hard to imagine a culture that is more wasteful than the consumer culture in the United States. Somehow from within that culture, Mr. Musk emerged a very successful innovator. […]

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Solar Roadways to Pave Route 66 in Missouri With Solar Panels

Courtney Lepping — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 19:22:49 +0000

In a section of Route 66 located in Missouri, MoDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, and Solar Roadways plans to install solar panels to serve as public roads by the year’s end. The specially-designed roadways will feature LED lights to cover the expression of “lines and signage” as well as surface heating abilities. Not only will […]

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Google’s Project Sunroof Expands to Nine States

Samantha Joe — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 21:13:29 +0000

The mission of Google is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” While the first instinct is to think about the search engine and its continuous efforts to catalog and rank websites in search, the company also has physical world projects like Google Maps and Google Flights. Project Sunroof is […]

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Solar Panel Installations Growing in America, Report Says

Samantha Joe — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 15:47:56 +0000

According to a new report, U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, Q3 2015, it appears that this year will turn out to be an excellent year for solar panel installations in America. The country has seen eight straight quarters where over one gigawatt of photovoltaic (PV) capacity was installed. Last year, over six gigawatts of capacity total […]

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Japan’s Largest Floating Solar Plant Being Built

Michelle Lutz — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 17:06:17 +0000

West Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of West Holdings Corp. has great plans for creating a large floating solar plant in Japan. The Shin-Ike reservoir lies within the city of Kawanaihara, Kagawa-Chou, Takamatsu City in Japan. This body of water is large enough that the company will place a floating solar plant upon it. The company […]

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Greenbuild Expo 2015 Reveals 8 New Innovations

Michelle Lutz — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 07:44:56 +0000

There is stiff competition for the best new item that will protect the earth, with the younger generation busy finding new and exciting ways to create clean green technology. Greenbuild’s expo has taken place every year since 2006 and stands strong with a desire to bring sustainable innovations to attendees. Onyx Solar Panels – These solar […]

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A Solar Power Farm is Reviving Rwanda

Annika Tostengard — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 07:43:49 +0000

The Rwandan government is desperately searching for more energy – in 2013, they only had 1110 megawatts, according to Twaha Twagirimana, the supervisor at the new solar plant built just last year. At 8.5 megawatts, it resembles the shape of the African continent from above. In fact, the contract for the new solar field was signed […]

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Solar Panels will Raise the Price of Your Home, Says Study

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 05:49:25 +0000

If your house has rooftop solar panels installed, it is now officially worth more money, according to research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. They estimate that these homes are worth 3-6% depending on location, which ranges anywhere from $10,000 to $22,000. The Berkeley Lab collected data about the values of homes in certain regions over a […]

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Most Efficient Rooftop Solar Power Panels Revealed by SolarCity

Annika Tostengard — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 02:23:39 +0000

The newest solar panel made by SolarCity is the most efficient rooftop solar panel ever made, according to the company. During third-party testing, the panel was able to produce solar power with 22.04% efficiency. The new models are even the same size as those currently available today, but can generate 30-40% more electricity. Right now, […]

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How Solar Power Benefits Low-Income Communities

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 06:52:30 +0000

The obvious environmental benefits of solar power may soon improve community health as well. California will allocate $100 million dollars every year to install rooftop solar panels on low-income communities if the governor approves new legislation. Residential photovoltaics (PV) are still expensive to install, despite down-the-road savings on utility bills, but the new program will save money for […]

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Solar Refrigerators Use Salt to Store Energy During Off Hours

Annika Tostengard — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 04:47:56 +0000

Solar-powered refrigerators will go completely off the grid if a certain team of Australian researchers has anything to do with it. They have recently won the Australian Museum’s Eureka Prizes for their breakthrough with a salt-based material that can store energy. Glaciem Cooling Technologies is working on commercializing the idea, so the system may be available […]

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Solar Panel Windows Available in 4 Years

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 05:21:48 +0000

Solar power will soon be more convenient that ever. SolarWindow Technologies has developed solar panels that can generate 50 times more energy than the current panels being used today. Greater electricity generation will help residential and commercial enthusiasts get a return on investment much more quickly. Unlike many technological advances, which promise exciting innovations decades down […]

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Solar Power Plants Replace Abandoned Japanese Golf Courses

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 06:13:38 +0000

Japan has come up with an innovative way to use several abandoned golf courses. The courses were initially built during the ’80s when golf was extremely popular in the country. In 2015, the sport is losing fans, so much so that 40% less golf is being played in Japan than in the 1990’s. Kyocera has instead […]

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DIY: How to Make a Flower Pot that Harvests Solar Energy

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 20:48:43 +0000

Some people find solar panels to be less than pleasing to the eye. Some people just like to tinker. If you belong to one of these groups, consider this cute flower pot that secretly generates solar energy. Check out how to make one below: 1. What You’ll Need 7805 Voltage Regulator Heat sink for […]

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5 Reasons the Price of Utility Solar is Higher than Reported

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 11:20:02 +0000

Last week, a report concluded that utility solar was more cost-effective than residential solar. It implied that everyone would be better off letting utility companies produce or buy solar, with residential solar falling to the wayside. John Farrell, of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, published an article refuting the report’s findings. Here are five reasons […]

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Solar Energy Production Made Easier with New Chip

Annika Tostengard — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 11:03:25 +0000

A step forward for solar energy production was announced today when researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced that they have developed a new converter chip that can collect even tiny amounts of solar energy with 80% efficiency. This new green technology will be useful in environments where solar is not always practical […]

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Solar Impulse 2 Finally Reaches Hawaii

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 19:16:36 +0000

The world’s first solar energy plane landed in Kalaeloa Airport around six AM this morning after flying all the way from Japan across the Pacific. Andre Borschberg, the pilot, reportedly made the landing very gently. He has gotten almost no sleep this week, but he has just broken the record for the longest manned, solar-powered flight. Borschberg spent […]

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Solar Panels Cover Bike Lane in South Korea

Mila Luleva — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 20:46:26 +0000

It is only natural for a bicycle lovers to get excited when the news features new and improved bike lanes. How about a bike lane covered in solar panels, smack in the middle of a six-lane motorway? South Korea is definitely out there among the biggest and greatest when it comes to technological developments. The […]

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Use of ‘Conflict Materials’ Casts a Shadow on Solar Manufacturers

Mila Luleva — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 08:54:05 +0000

If you are one of these people sitting there thinking that by installing solar panels you are doing a good thing for the environment, you might actually be wrong. According to a US-based non-profit group, a great number of panels are produced using toxic materials and under unacceptable worker safety conditions. The data were collected by […]

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Solar Panels to Generate Clean Energy from Rooftops of Public Schools in NYC

Mila Luleva — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:05:53 +0000

Major cities around the world keep impressing us with incredible initiatives and long term commitments to sustainability and renewable energy. The latest comes from New York City, where the Mayor’s office has committed to installing rooftop solar panels on 24 public schools, no later than 2016. New York City is only one of the many metropolitans […]

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Dogs Rescue Birds from Being Burnt by Ivanpah’s Solar Panels

Mila Luleva — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:03:06 +0000

It is a bit of a shame that the world’s biggest solar power plant, Ivanpah, has been facing a lot of criticism since it began operation. First the looks were not right, then pilots got blinded, now biologists say that hundreds of birds are dying because they land on the hot panels. But not to […]

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Argonne’s Solar Concentrators Still as Cool as They Were 40 Years Ago

Mila Luleva — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:38:48 +0000

With all the excitement around the latest improvements and discoveries in the field of solar, it is often difficult to imagine what must have been back in the 1970s, when solar power generation first appeared on the map. Well, solar panels definitely looked different, especially when they were a part of a massive solar concentrator […]

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SolarCity Acquires Silevo, Plans One of Largest Solar Panel Factories in the World

Benji Jerew — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 16:28:04 +0000

In the words of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, “SolarCity was founded to accelerate mass adoption of sustainable energy,” which company is working hard to increase the efficiency and availability of solar power systems. In an announcement yesterday, Elon Musk revealed that SolarCity had signed an agreement, acquiring Silevo, a solar panel manufacturer. This may seem […]

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U.S. to Impose Huge Taxes on Chinese Solar Panels

Mila Luleva — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 17:40:18 +0000

Earlier this week, the US Commerce Department announced that companies importing solar panels from China will have to pay enormous duties. This decision puts an end to what has felt like an ever-lasting dispute led by US solar panel manufacturers, who claim that the Chinese solar industry has been receiving unfair governmental subsidies. The new tariffs […]

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White House Has Solar Panels – Finally!

Benji Jerew — Sat, 10 May 2014 03:07:36 +0000

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. What better way to use all that acreage, aside from patrolling security teams? Unfortunately, President Ronald Reagan had the solar panels removed, for which environmental groups have been campaigning for their reinstallation. In October, 2010, President Barack Obama promised […]

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Solar Panels and Biofuel-Producing Agave Plants Could Live Together

Mila Luleva — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 09:25:48 +0000

Boosting the efficiency of renewable energy production does not necessarily need to involve high-tech, super new, breakthrough discoveries. On the contrary, it could actually be quite simple. Scientists from Stanford demonstrate this in a new study, where they describe a model, which shows that growing biofuel pants, such as agave, next to photovoltaic panels, is […]

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Cool: Double-Sided Solar Panels More Efficient in Snow

Mila Luleva — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 19:00:03 +0000

The world of solar is full of success stories. It is amazing to see how people can adjust to any environmental condition, only to be able to acquire the energy they need in the most effective and sustainable way. One such story comes from Japan, or the area of Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, to be exact. […]

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Most Solar Panels Facing the Wrong Way, Experts Say

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 12:12:43 +0000

According to a new study by the Pecan Street Research Institute, solar panels should point west instead of south, as previously believed. It’s long been thought that pointing solar panels south (for locations in the Northern Hemisphere) will lead to best performance and energy output, but it turns out that pointing them west is more […]

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Quantum Dots or Nanowires Hold the Future of Solar Panels, Study Finds

Mila Luleva — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 18:02:02 +0000

Recent improvement in solar panel technology and solar cell efficiency have made solar power one of the most promising renewable energy sources of the future. Prices are continuously dropping, technological advances are continuously emerging, and science is continuously discovering new ways to bring innovation in this developing field. A team of researchers from North Dakota […]

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White House Solar Panels Being Installed, Finally! Again?

Benji Jerew — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:42:37 +0000

Bureaucracy could be the reason that it’s taken some three years for the White House to finally get its solar panel upgrades, or is it thirty-something years and could it be something else? In 2010, a couple of years after the Obama campaign had mentioned its commitment to renewable energy, Obama pledged to install new […]

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Nature Inspires Engineers to Develop Energy-Efficient Windows

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 02:49:57 +0000

Nature may provide clues about how to reduce energy leaks from windows, according to engineering experts at the University of Toronto and Harvard University. University engineering professor Ben Hatton and his colleagues describe a new process to reduce heat loss during the winter and to keep buildings cool in the summer time in their article […]

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Washing Solar Panels Not Worth the Time, Money, and Effort

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 02:38:08 +0000

A team of engineers at the University of California at San Diego have discovered that it’s not worth the time, money, and effort to wash solar panels. Researchers in California discovered that solar panels that had not been rained on or cleaned for 145 days lost only 7.4% of their efficiency. For a typical consumer […]

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How Solar Panels Cool Building Roofs While Generating Green Electricity

Mila Luleva — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:46:36 +0000

Solar panels, when mounted on a building roof, not only generate electricity, but they also create a cooling effect, according to researchers from University of California, San Diego. Quite a number of materials and methods have been explored to keep buildings cooler during the summer months. Energy efficient strategies include planting of trees, which cast […]

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Perú Bringing Solar Power to the Masses

Benji Jerew — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 13:48:09 +0000

According to some detractors, renewable energy and efficiency programs cost jobs and would be bad for the economy. This is exactly the kind of bureaucratic head-in-the-ground thinking that keeps solar power programs, and others, on hold here in the US. Other countries are embracing the change to clean energy. Perú, for example, has an abundance […]

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10 Ways Solar Power Can Benefit Your Farm and Garden

Mila Luleva — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:20:42 +0000

We all love to read how green technology can be used in our day-to-day activities and help us preserve the environment and save all that important money at the same time. Threehugger published a great piece by Derek Markham showing useful ways to use solar-powered devices on your farm or in your garden, and we could […]

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Renewable Energy Production on the Downswing in Europe

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 03:17:13 +0000

European energy policy is in dire straits. The fact that Spain is in the process of cutting subsidies for renewable energy production points to the slow decline of green initiatives in Europe. The European solar industry grew too big too quickly thanks to a plethora of start-up grants and subsidies during the 2000s. EU energy […]

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Defective Solar Panels “Made in China”

Benji Jerew — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:01:12 +0000

For many, the words “Made in China” don’t bode well. Solar panels with this marking could soon become as scorned as many other cheap Chinese products. Masters of copycat products in just about every market, Chinese manufacturing giants are now flooding the market with solar panels, and more of these are proving to be defective […]

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EU to Tax Chinese Solar Panel Imports Starting June

Mila Luleva — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:39:28 +0000

The European Commission (EC) announced last week that they will impose import duties and hefty penalties on half of the solar panels from China in June. In response, Chinese officials stated that these could have serious implications on China-Europe trade relations. Following up on the recently reported issue regarding low cost imports of solar panels […]

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International Solar Manufacturers Against EU’s Tariffs For Chinese Imports

Mila Luleva — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:28:47 +0000

Over 1000 international solar manufacturing companies have submitted a joint complaint to the European Commission urging them not to continue with their plan to impose tariffs on solar panels imported from China. It is hugely speculated that after launching an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation against unfair subsidies for Chinese solar makers, EU will now follow […]

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Roads Covered by Solar Panels Could Boost Energy Production in India

Mila Luleva — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:12:35 +0000

An initiative to cover main roads and highways with solar power module platforms was proposed by scientists at the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) in India. The technology will not only generate large amounts of electricity, but will also help governmental officials save money on buying expensive land for solar farms. The team of […]

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2012 Best Year for US Solar Power, Linked to Inexpensive Panels

Benji Jerew — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:07:11 +0000

Last year was an all-time high for US solar power, placing highest globally for the first time. In the last few years, the US market for photovoltaic panels has been around 5% to 7%, but 2012 saw an increase of 76% over 2011, bumping the US solar power market share over 10% globally. Solar Energy […]

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Huge Solar Parking Structure Planned in North Carolina

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:32:29 +0000

Envision Solar plans to use some of the 160 billion square feet of paved land in the world used as parking lots for cars to accommodate a solar parking structure the company calls “solar tree.” In addition to their usefulness, the solar panels act as shade for the cars in the parking lot. This allows […]

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Residential Solar Installations Getting Cheaper

Benji Jerew — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:17:32 +0000

Thousands of homes in the US have already benefited from localized solar installations, and with the help of tax incentives, perhaps millions more could do the same. But, some may balk, even with incentives, solar installations are expensive up front. However, according to a report released by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, “Tracking the Sun,” […]

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Is the Downfall of SolFocus a Harbinger of Doom for CPV Modules?

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 07:30:59 +0000

San Jose-based SolFocus may serve as a harbinger of things to come for the solar panel industry. Admitting financial difficulty, SolFocus has announced that the latest rounds of venture capital investment have fallen through, and in order to survive, the company needs a buyout. SolFocus manufactures concentrating photovoltaic modules (CPV) which uses lenses or mirrors […]

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Novartis New Jersey Now Has Transparent Solar Roof

Mila Luleva — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:05:08 +0000

The new headquarters of the pharmaceutical company Novartis in New Jersey is reaching new heights by installing the largest transparent solar roof in the US. The transparent solar cells that will cover the roof will be provided by the German company Sunways, who specialize in building-integrated photovoltaic applications. This is going to be the biggest […]

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UK Entrepreneur Retrofits His Home to Save Electricity and Become Greener

Guest Contributor — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:41:34 +0000

59 year-old visionary Nick Sandy has ambitiously developed his 1960s house into a stylish environmentally-friendly home fit for a superstar like James Bond. It took Sandy at least 18 months to bring about the transformation of his pad into a £1 million property of what many would label an environmentalist’s fantasy. But this is not […]

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SolarCity Receives $280 Million Investment From Google For Solar Panel Leasing Program

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:20:35 +0000

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.

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Three-Dimensional Solar Cells to Be Mass Manufactured by Solar3d

Mike Sandru — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:19:23 +0000

Solar energy as we know it today has a great potential, but could need some help with the efficiency part. Apparently, solar cells are not very economical: almost one third of the light is reflected from the surface and the panel's materials only reabsorb some of the energy.

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Toothpaste-Inspired Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Gets Born at Oxford

Mike Sandru — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:52:59 +0000

According to the researchers, the glass can be produced in a range of different transparent colors for use in cladding buildings and windows. "It opens up a lot of versatility and a lot of possibilities for building design," said Dr Snaith.

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World's First Fully Solar Powered Motorway To Be Open In Italy, Between Catania and Siracusa

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:00:17 +0000

Italy, the country with the world's first highway ever built (in 1926), is now preparing the addition of another motorway segment between Catania and Siracusa (the A18). But this is not just another motorway: it is the first fully solar-powered in the world, with 20 hectares-worth of solar panels.

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Thailand To Be Supplied With 9.43MW Worth Of Solar Panels From Suntech

Mike Sandru — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:26:30 +0000

Thailand will be supplied with some more solar panels for a new power plant, as a result of the signed agreement between the authorities and Suntech Power Holding Co. The latter will provide approximately 9.43MW worth of panels to the installation.

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Oerlikon Solar to Produce Silicon Thin Film Modules at $0.70 Cents Per Watt

Mike Sandru — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:30:28 +0000

According to Oerlikon Solar, the new equipment will help in mass-producing low cost thin film silicon solar modules. This will be possible because of the thinner silicon layer requirements, reducing material costs.

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Barack Obama Refuses New Solar Panels On The White House

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:49:58 +0000

U.S. president Barack Obama has recently refused a proposal to reinstall solar panels on the White House rooftops. The proposal came from Bill McKibben, the founder of a group of environmental activists, who went to Obama in a biodiesel-powered van. Ex-president Jimmy Carter had installed the proposed solar panels on the White House back in 1979. They used to provide heat and were a logo of America's will to free itself from foreign oil.

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World's First Commercial Solar-Powered EV Charging Station Unveiled by SunPods

Mike Sandru — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:28:50 +0000

California-based company SunPods Inc. has recently unveiled at the Cleantech Open event in San Jose this Thursday, world's first factory-built, solar-powered electric-vehicle charging station. Dubbed ÃƒÂ¢€Ã…â€œSP-300 Plug-N-Go,ÃƒÂ¢€ this solar-powered EV charging station is able to charge two cars at the same time. The energy surplus can also be sold back to utility companies.

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Morocco Planning to Harvest 2 GW of Solar Power by 2020

Cristi — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:20:00 +0000

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.

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NREL Building PDIL: Six Automated Robots Helping Solar Industry's R&D

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:50:50 +0000

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).

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First Solar Signs Agreements With Major Energy Utilities to Provide Solar Power

Cristi — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:17:21 +0000

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).

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Hot Electrons Could Increase the Solar Cell's Power Output

Mike Sandru — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 11:36:25 +0000

Researchers at Boston College have developed new solar cells that successfully use hot electrons to increase the cells' power output. According to the scientists, the concept could lead to solar cells that break conventional efficiency limits.

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America's First High School Powered Entirely by Renewable Energy

Mike Sandru — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:20:18 +0000

The greenest high school ever built will conserve energy by using 36 wind turbines and solar panels in conjunction with a green roof and systems that maximize the use of ventilation and natural light.

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EarthSure's Wind & Solar Powered Electric Car: Would It Work?

Mike Sandru — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:59:36 +0000

EarthSure, an innovator in alternative energy sources and renewable energy company is planning to develop a zero-emission electric vehicle powered by solar and wind energy. Called AirRay, the new car will be equipped with four wind turbines and a solar roof. All of these to generate necessary electricity to keep the batteries charged up.

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Mirror-Based Solar Device as Cheap as Coal-Burning Electric Power Plants

Cristi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:32:05 +0000

Steward Observatory Mirror Lab from the University of Arizona has produced a prototype of a solar device that is able to produce energy at a price comparable with the cheapest fossil fuels.

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Charge Your Gadgets With Regen ReNu Solar Charger

Cristi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:23:17 +0000

Regen ReNu is a good alternative solution to power you gadgets free of charge. The ReNu charging device has a solar panel design which could fit very well into a modern environment. The ReNu can be used to charge a variety of electronic gadgets like the iPhone, iPod or other USB devices.

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Protein Nanotubes Could Make Solar Panels Self-Washable

Mike Sandru — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:17:04 +0000

Scientists at the Tel Aviv University (TAU) are sure that their newest research in the nanotechnology field could lead to the development of a new type of solar panels and glass that need no cleaning and apparently put window washers out of work.

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Better Solar Panels With Newly Discovered Nanometric Butterfly Wings

Mike Sandru — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:18:12 +0000

Researchers at the Universidad AutÃƒÆ’³noma de Madrid (UAM) and the State University of Pennsylvania (USA) have created a method to replicate biological structures, such as butterfly wings, on a nanometric scale. The resulting biomaterial could be used to make optically active structures, such as optical diffusers for solar panels.

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Dow Chemical to Develop Energy Efficient Solar Shingles

Mike Sandru — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:57:13 +0000

A company named Dow Chemical revealed a new line of solar roof shingles that convert sunlight into electric energy, being able to generate $5 billion in revenue for the company by 2015.

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30% Efficiency with Gallium-Nitride Silicon Solar Cells

Cristi — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:31:33 +0000

The Phoenix-based company RoseStreet Labs Energy has developed a prototype solar cell that combines gallium-nitride with silicon, a technology that achieves an efficiency of 25 to 30 percent.

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Mitsubishi Electric to Develop High-Output Solar Cells

Mike Sandru — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:57:15 +0000

The company Mitsubishi Electric has developed ten new models of high-output solar cells: five for the European market and the rest for North America and Asia. The new solar panels have the outputs ranging of 210W, 220W, 225W, 230W and 235W.

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Carolina Solar Energy Opens 650kW Solar Park

Mike Sandru — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:59:20 +0000

North Carolina's newest solar energy park was opened Wednesday, developed by Carolina Solar Energy. The farm is able to generate about 650KW of green electrical energy, enough to power about 60 homes in Person County.

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Sony Ericsson Says Solar Powered Cell Phones Not So Green

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:27:08 +0000

Not long ago, I presented some cell phones that, among their many functions, also incorporated a small solar panel, for flexible charging and green purposes. Well, those green purposes prove themselves being not so green, if we take into account recent studies.

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Sainsbury's Using Parking Cars' Kinetic Energy to Power Up

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:50:13 +0000

Sainsbury's, from Gloucester, UK, is the first supermarket to use the kinetic energy coming from the cars entering their parking lot to (partially) power their shop.

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The Sustainer: Solution to Produce Electricity and Fuel in Remote Rural Areas

Mike Sandru — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:07:10 +0000

The Solarix company found a new solution to produce electricity and fuel in remote rural areas.

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European Supergrid Concept of Using Green Energy

Cristi — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:00:44 +0000

Even if it may sound like science fiction, the vision of the European Union is to be able to power the entire Continent with Green Energy: from solar panels to wind and wave turbines, from geothermal to hydroelectric power stations.

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Gain Up to 30% More Solar Power With Automatic Cleaning System

Cristi — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:12:27 +0000

Heliotex has released the first pending patent of automatic cleaning systems for business and home solar panels. Heliotex Automatic Solar Panel Cleaning Systems automatically washes and rinses the solar panels as often as you find necessary. The system helps you to maximize your investment by allowing your solar panels to achieve their full potential (dirty solar panels lose up to 30% efficiency).

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World's Most Efficient Solar Water Heater Made by Surface Power

Cristi — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:45:26 +0000

Surface Power received an independent certification from TUV Rhineland that their solar water heaters are at least 131% more efficient in the morning and evening, and 76% more at midday than other solar heaters.

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Jim Duke`s Free Electric Car Solar Charging Station

Cristi — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:07:45 +0000

A great man on a great mission: Jim Duke, a known environmentalist of the tiny Aspen community El Jebel , Colorado, gives free of charge electricity to electric car owners.

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KTAO – Solar Powered Broadcasting Since 1991! – listen here

Mike Sandru — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:42:15 +0000

KTAO is the United States' first radio station powered by solar energy. It has 140 photovoltaic panels that generate enough energy to transmit radio waves 64 km across and across the world through the Internet.

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Solar Paint soon to be Marketed as The Cheapest Source of Energy

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:28:50 +0000

Some recent partnership between UK university researchers and Corus Colours, also a UK-based firm, brought to the surface a promise of future commercialization of cheap dye-based solar panels.

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Sahara Solar Power will Energize Europe`s Future

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:17:21 +0000

In the desert of Sahara, in North Africa, a solar farm has been built. The area is slightly smaller than Wales but some scientists said yesterday that it could one day generate enough solar power to supply all of Europe with clean electricity.

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Toyota Prius Will Have Solar Panels by Next Year

Mike Sandru — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:58:32 +0000

Toyota Motor Corp. announced that it will introduce an air conditioning system based on solar energy to the new Prius models next year. General Motors (GM), on the other hand, will launch the small environment-friendly Chevrolet Beat.

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Nanosolar’s Flexible Solar Panels – a GigaWatt Promise Kept

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:59:58 +0000

Remember Nanosolar? I wrote on article on them a few months ago, telling that they invented a light sensitive thin layer, that could be imprinted on various flexible surfaces and then used as solar batteries. They kept their word to it.

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Orange County Choppers' Green Ethanol Bike

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:36:34 +0000

The “Iowa Farm Bureau Renewable Energy Chopper” is a good example of how eco-friendly fuel can power great, sexy rides. The green low-rider motorcycle was built by Orange County Choppers to celebrate Iowa’s farming heritage. Its E85 ethanol motor runs with 85% ethanol-blended petrol which is made from the natural goodness of corn. A phenomenal […]

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