Solar power means more than solar panels. These days it can also mean collectors, towers, dyes, oh my! Here’s a guide to (most of) the different kinds of solar technologies that are out there today. First, the basics: Anything that uses solar energy as a source of power is solar-powered. … [continued]
Earlier today, I had the opportunity to visit Intersolar US, the United States’ premier exhibition for solar technology. I learned about a variety of products that are revolutionizing the solar industry, and one of the most interesting was Paradigma’s AquaSystem. The Aqua solar heating system, first introduced in 2004, works … [continued]
Last Friday Tim Hurst wrote an article entitled ‘Soaring Fuel Prices Spur Aviation Industry to Explore Alternatives’, wherein he focused our attention on Rolls-Royce and British Airways attempts to search for alternative fuels. Though probably not entirely humanitarian in nature, it is nice to see another industry getting in to … [continued]
MIT has perfected a dye technology that could change the solar world as we know it. The most efficient form of solar technology today is (arguably) extreme concentrated photovoltaics, essentially solar panels placed under a magnifying glass. But the problem with these systems is heat. Concentrated sunlight can … [continued]
When you are a company who makes cars, unless you have the Toyota Prius underneath your brand name, life can sometimes get a little complex. Not surprisingly, many car manufacturers are making big steps to ensure that their products make as little impact upon the environment as possible. But … [continued]
Last week I reported on a story that saw a new bill passed in Hawaii making it mandatory for every new home to have their hot water powered by solar panels. Signed in to law by Governor Linda Lingle, the bill will require all single-family homes built starting 2010 to … [continued]
When you think of the future of solar power, you normally envision flat panels out in some massive field, blinding the sheep for miles around, or even the small panel up on your roof. What you’re unlikely to imagine is a bloody great big tower in the middle of nowhere. … [continued]
The American Southwest has some of the best solar resources on the globe. Nevada, with abundant land and sunshine is becoming a hot bed for the solar industry. The result is green jobs and billions of investment dollars. Solar Panel Manufacturing The opening of Ausra’s solar thermal power factory earlier … [continued]
A location often dreamt of in my household, for its summer weather and prime surfing, Hawaii now goes up another notch in my estimation with the passing of a bill which makes it mandatory for water heaters to be powered by solar energy. Signed in to law by Governor Linda … [continued]
[social_buttons] Solar energy currently generates .1% of the electricity used in the U.S. According to a study released today, this will change rapidly as the cost of electricity increases and the cost of solar energy drops. The Utility Solar Assessment Study produced by Clean Edge and Co-op America finds that … [continued]
