solar energy
The US solar power industry is at a crossroads and has two choices: Go big. Or go home. That according to Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Speaking at the Solar Power International (SPI) 2009 conference this week, Resch told attendees that, despite the
solar energy
A solar-powered house that generated surplus power even after three days of rain — Team Germany’s “Cube House” — won top honours in this year’s Solar Decathlon. The biennial competition, held by the US Department of Energy, invites university-led teams from across the US and internationally to compete in 10
solar energy
Wouldn’t going solar be so much easier if you could simply slap a few photovoltaic tiles or shingles onto your roof instead of having to install an assembly of solar panels? That’s what Dow Chemical Company thought, too. The company has now unveiled a line of DOW™ POWERHOUSE™
solar energy
The uses to which solar power can be put are limited only by the imagination, as these designs (most of them conceptual only) by some highly imaginative people clearly demonstrate: The solar-powered lounge Designed by Architecture and Vision, the MercuryHouseOne is “a mobile lounge designed for a modern experience of
solar energy
Researchers in Luxembourg have created a new and highly efficient solar cell that could lead to much cheaper next-generation solar energy. Made from compound semiconductors, the thin-film photovoltaics developed at the University of Luxembourg convert sunlight into electricity at an efficient rate of 12 per cent. Thin-film solar cells promise
solar energy
Ericsson and Telecom Italia are testing an innovative solar power system designed for developed areas with minimal space for photovoltaic installations. The first of its kind in Europe, the “Eco-Smart” solar-powered base station site in Italy “wraps” around a radio antenna, meaning it requires no more space than a non-solar
solar energy
Cambridge University has unveiled a solar-powered car that’s touted as Britain’s brightest hope for a 3,000-kilometre race across the Australian Outback this autumn. Previously codenamed “Bethany,” but launched under its official name — “Endeavour” — the solar racing car reaches speeds of 60 mph using the same power as
solar energy
Enerqos Plc, an Italy-based designer and installer of photovoltaic plants, has just commissioned a new solar installation at the Viterbo BMW dealership near Rome. The building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) installation, which covers the entire roof canopy of the showroom, has a maximum output power of 121 kilowatts. “Choosing to install solar
solar energy
England-based QuantaSol Ltd. says it’s developed what it likely the most efficient single-junction solar cell ever manufactured. QuantaSol, established in June 2007 as a spin-out of Imperial College London, is an independent designer and manufacturer of strain-balanced quantum-well solar cells. Developed in just two years, QuantaSol’s new single-junction
solar energy
Artificial leaves and nano-forests that can efficiently harvest the sun’s light energy might sound like a pipe dream, but an international team of researchers say they’ve achieved the first step toward that goal. The team modified chlorophyll from an alga to resemble the extremely efficient light antennae of
solar energy
Electricity from solar panels could soon become a “significant and competitive” source of energy for the European market, according to a new study from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and management consultancy A.T. Kearney. The SET For 2020 study explores several different deployment scenarios. Under business-as-usual conditions, photovoltaic
solar energy
Germany-based TÜV Rheinland has opened what it says is the world’s “most state-of-the-art” test centre for solar modules in Cologne. The firm has invested around €4 million not only in the new facility but also in advanced technical equipment for checking the safety, quality and energy efficiency of photovoltaic