Author Archives: Mathias


About Mathias

Mathias studies Energy and Environmental Engineering. In his spare time he writes about solar panels and other renewable energy technologies at Energy Informative. Connect with Mathias on Google+ or send him an email.

Will Robot Trackers Reduce the Costs of Solar?

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qbotix

  Sunflowers, and many other plants, have evolved their own natural tracking systems enabling them to follow the sun’s trajectory throughout the day in order to maximize their absorption of sunlight… and thus, survive and proliferate. Applying this concept to photovoltaics with mechanical solar trackers is not by any means something new. By using solar trackers, a solar panel can receive a performance boost of as much as 40%. According to Wikipedia, at least 85% … Read More

Norwegian Scatec Solar to Build 350 MW of Solar Power in Africa

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scatec solar

  Scatec Solar has just stated that they it develop photovoltaic solar systems in West and Central Africa. Scatec Solar is backed by IFC InfraVentures, a member of the World Bank Group, with sufficient investment capacity and expertise in local knowledge and networks. “Joining forces with IFC InfraVentures allows us to combine Scatec Solar’s know-how in photovoltaic development, installation and operations with IFC’s expertise in financing and working with governments in a region where limited … Read More

GE Halts Construction of Its Colorado Solar Factory

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us solar price drops

  Due to the falling prices of solar panels around the world, General Electric has put its 400 MW cadmium-telluride solar factory in Aurora, Colorado, on hold. This project has been in development for over a year, and was already announced when GE purchased PrimeStar Solar in April 2011. Even though the crystalline cells are superior in terms of efficiency rates, cadmium-telluride held a lot of promise on larger scales, as they are significantly cheaper, … Read More

How the Middle-East Revolutions Push Renewable Energy Forward

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The Arab Spring spikes oil prices

  Since December last year, a wave of demonstrations has been taking place in many parts of the Middle East. Rulers have been forced from power and regimes have been brought down. The revolutions have also caused drastic changes in the economy, not only in this region, but all over the globe. How does the Arab Spring in the Middle East drive forward the development of renewable energy? Rising Oil Prices Several of the countries … Read More

World’s Largest Solar PV Power Plant Added to India’s Grid

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600 MW solar farm in Gujarat, India

  Just 14 months ago, the Indian state of Gujarat announced that it was building a $2.3-billion solar park — the largest photovoltaic power station the world has seen so far. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, revealed this Thursday via Twitter that the solar park had been switched on: “Gujarat dedicates 600 MW of solar power to the nation today. We are celebrating the launch of Agni V & dedication of 600 MW solar power park … Read More

New Initiatives to Increase Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Military

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U.S. DoD installing solar panel

  The Obama administration confirmed this Wednesday the formation of a new army laboratory that would focus on improving energy efficiency in combat vehicles. The focus of this laboratory will mainly be on fuel cells. Officials stated that the environmental benefits will not compromise the vehicles’ fighting capabilities, but rather improve on them. This is likely only a small part of a series of initiatives to make the U.S. military more energy-efficient over the coming … Read More

Evolutionary Clue in Butterflies Could Enhance Absorption of Sunlight

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Butterfly wings may boost sunlight absorption

  Tongxiang Fan, Ph.D., and his team at the Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China have for a long time studied the wings of butterflies from the species Troides aeacus and Papilo helenus, trying to figure out why these creatures are phenomenal at generating heat from sunlight. Their results were presented in American Chemical Society’s (ACS’) 243rd National Meeting and Exposition. Not the Blackness, but the Underlying Architecture Black generates heat energy from light more … Read More

NYC to Build Wind and Solar Farm on Old Dump Site

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Fresh Kills Landfill

  Who would know that an old garbage dump at Staten Island in New York City would house 20 MW of renewable power? If they succeed with their plans, “Fresh Kills landfill” will be transformed into a combined solar and wind farm that could generate enough electricity to power 6,000 average American households! The old landfill has serviced the city for 53 years, and taken care of a whopping two billion tons of thrash, before … Read More

New Solar Cell Company Promises Solar Power for $0.50/Watt (Not Twin Creeks)

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"Ampulse's pilot production line is nearly complete at NREL's PDIL. If the line can make highly efficient solar cells at low cost, the next step will be a full-sized production plant." Credit: Dennis Schroeder

  Last week you might’ve read about Twin Creeks Technologies and its super-thin solar cells. This company aims to cut the cost of solar cells in half. Ampulse Corporation, another upcoming company in the solar industry, has taken a similar (but still a bit different) approach. By making radical changes to the production process of solar cells, it also claims it can push the prices of solar power to less than $0.50 per watt. … Read More