First Solar has set a new world record for converting the energy from sunlight into electricity. One of its latest cadmium-telluride photovoltaic cells, which are used in its thin film solar PV panels, achieved a 17.3% conversion efficiency in testing at the NREL in Colorado, blowing away the previous record of 16.7%, which was set back in 2001.
GE just made a number of huge solar power announcements….
The epic flooding in Australia is the latest in a string of disasters requiring massive relief efforts, and it puts a sharp focus on the increasing need for portable, sustainable energy that can sub in for conventional diesel generators. A collaboration between FTL Solar and Ascent Solar provides one ingenious … [continued]
This is a special guest post from Kriss Bergethon, owner/founder of Solar Sphere. Solar power as we know it has been around for almost a century. Many people believe that its still the same basic technology that helped power early spacecraft and the White House in the 1970’s. But advancements … [continued]
Imagine the Starship Enterprise powered by safe, reliable solar energy and – well, okay so it’s a lot less dramatic than the dilithium crystal thing, but that’s the point: you get the speed without the risk because essentially, there’s no fuel. According to a gathering of scientists at the Second … [continued]
A team of German researchers has nudged aside a U.S. record for thin film solar efficiency, previously held by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at 19.9%. The new German solar conversion efficiency record of 20.1% is for CIGS thin film solar technology, which is based on a compound of copper, … [continued]
“Sunglasses” for windows could be the key to cutting energy consumption in homes, offices, and any other type of building. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been working on energy efficient windows that work like self-adjusting sunglasses, and they could shave about 1/8 off the total energy used by … [continued]
