Archives: Solar Energy

Let’s face it, solar panel breakthroughs are a dime a dozen. Every day or two some university or company is declaring a more efficient solar panel, usually, though by a small percentage. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers have changed all that. Professor Shawn-Yu Lin and a group of fellow scientists have developed a special solar panel • Read More »

There are some industries that provide a poetic and natural pairing with solar energy. Take for instance wineries. The sun shines down on the vineyard encouraging the grapes to grow into what one day will become fine consumer merlots and cabernets. And, since the price of photovoltaic has dropped recently wineries have taken notice. Take • Read More »

Oh, let the light rain down from the heavens as Pope Benedict XVI has officially unleashed the power of solar energy onto the Vatican. Approximately $1.5 million worth of solar panels have just been unveiled on the Paul VI auditorium on which the Pope gives his weekly address to the pilgrims. The Pope has embraced • Read More »

Say, “solar salt stores sun by the sea shore” 10 times real fast to see if you have command of your S’s. Okay, then don’t. With Wall Street financial firms falling like dominos recently the sun is still shining on one solar energy company, SolarReserve. One of the largest problems with utility scale production of • Read More »

If you’ve ever been looking for a shady parking spot only to come up empty or shady outdoor seating at a restaurant you may appreciate the SkyShades company that builds such devices to keep us cool. But, what you really may like is that SkyShades has teamed up with photovoltaic company Konarka to put thin, • Read More »

A couple of weeks back I talked about how Portland, Oregon was developing a system of plug-in hybrid vehicle recharging stations. Well, now, I’ve learned that Portland is once again the site of a new kind of alternative energy technology, this time solar. Solar-powered Information Access Points (IAP) are being developed by Vibrant City Technology. • Read More »

So, as I’m cruising around the Internet researching alternative energy news stories today, I stumbled across one odd solar-powered device in the headlines after another. Some of these photovoltaic devices are rough prototypes delivered by school kids while others are odd solar powered devices that may be used in developing nations. Summer camp kids at • Read More »

Two days ago I talked about residential solar panels being installed standard in a master-planned community in Colorado. While most homeowners see solar panels as optional equipment for the home, in this 100-percent sustainable community they are part of the standard green lifestyle. Now the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed more breakthrough solar • Read More »

I’ve already talked about how residential solar panels are getting cheaper in California. But, imagine now not only a new home that already has solar panels installed, but the whole neighborhood. This is what is taking place in Colorado between Denver and Boulder with the Geos master-planned eco-community. Residential solar panels on all of the • Read More »

Sopogy, Incorporated has broken ground on the Big Island of Hawaii on the Keahole Solar Power renewable energy farm. This solar farm will be the first of its kind to use Sopogy’s large-scale MicroCSP solar concentrating system. The Sopogy MicroCSP solar collector uses optics and reflectors (sans smoke and mirrors) to create heat that turns • Read More »