The average cost of turnkey solar power plants in Switzerland decreased by a whopping 40% between 2011 and 2012, a new report indicate. 94 installers and 402 photovoltaic solar power plant operators were interviewed for this report. Feed-in tariffs were actually reduced by 8% early this year in Switzerland. Last year, … [continued]
Reposted from Lenz Blog: Craig Morris posted about small Plug & Play solar panels in Germany, under the title of “The danger of solar after grid parity“. Since I don’t think that solar energy is dangerous, I was not happy about that headline. One of the “dangers” discussed in the … [continued]
A solar panel so small, light, thin, and flexible that you can stick it onto just about anything has been developed by engineers at Stanford University. The new peel and stick solar panels actually work more like those temporary tattoos that you apply with water, and there’s a bit of heating … [continued]
Some call them “Balcony Power Plants.” They represent the first generation of what may be the future of micro/small residential solar systems. They are off-the-shelf DIY solar systems that require little to no technical skills nor any permits for their installation. “It’s as simple as putting together IKEA furniture,” … [continued]
Other than our own stories (and have a few more of those coming shortly), here’s some top cleantech and climate news from the past day or so: Solar Power Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems Selected to Lead U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Project: “The Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable … [continued]
Extreme customization usually goes hand in glove with award-winning architecture, but in the case of Daniel Yudchitz’s low-budget Essential House, a modest set of ready-built, plug-n-play solar panels is making all the waves. The solar-powered house has just been named a recipient of an American Institute of Architecture Honor Award, and … [continued]
A new 3-kW solar power emergency kit has been created by Mage Solar. It’s designed to function as an entirely standalone solution to the power outages experienced during disasters. It is aimed primarily at the residential and small business market, and should work quite well for those purposes. It … [continued]
A sure-fire way to increase investments in solar panel rooftops? Make ’em easier to put together and cheaper to install. Many shy away from solar power because of costly labor and complicated installation, but two new products claim to put those complaints to rest. Prefab Paneling Solar company Solon has … [continued]
Solar energy as cheap as grid-supplied electricity could be just a few years away, at least for large commercial facilities with flat rooftops or some acreage to spare. Six years ago the Department of Energy awarded a $42 million grant to a company called Nanosolar for the development of … [continued]
The latest announcement from the US Department of Energy (DOE) is that it’s giving a $5 million boost to the development of “plug-and-play” solar power systems — “photovoltaic (PV) systems that can be purchased, installed and operational in one day.” The $5 million will go to two projects. The DOE … [continued]
