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Solar
Burj Al-Taqa: self-sufficient skyscraper design
03:22 June 5, 2008 PDT
This concept eco-skyscraper from German-based architects Gerber Architekten combines traditional building ventilation techniques with the ability to generate 100% of its energy needs using wind and solar power. And the likely location for the "Burj Al-Taqa" or "Energy Tower” - you guessed it - Dubai. Read More
245MW solar power deal for California
By Emily Clark
00:55 June 4, 2008 PDT
Following on from an announcement to create a 65 million square foot solar panel installation in California, Southern California Edison (SCE) has announced plans to purchase 245MW of solar power from eSolar through a series of pre-fab solar plants. Read More
"Avalanche effect" research promises greater solar cell efficiency
By Emily Clark
23:43 May 27, 2008 PDT
Research continues to improve efficiency in solar cells, whilst simultaneously finding ways to lower the costs of module production. The latest research from TU Delft and the FOM Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter surrounds the use of semiconducting nanocrystals (crystals with dimensions in the nanometer size range) to demonstrate a phenomenon called the “avalanche effect” which has the potential to significantly boost solar cell efficiency. Read More
Thin film solar manufacturing breakthrough
By Emily Clark
21:12 May 25, 2008 PDT
Germany is again making news in the solar field with the announcement of the industry’s first ever Gen 8.5 (5.7 meter square) silicon thin film solar PV module at Signet Solar’s new factory near Dresden. The accomplishment at the company's 200,000 square foot production facility and is another step towards lowering the cost of renewable solar energy through thin film technology. Read More
The world's first solar speedboat: 30-knot, 80kw Czeers Mk1
By Loz Blain
00:30 May 23, 2008 PDT
Electricity and water: we usually do everything we can to keep the two apart, but it seems the electric engine revolution is moving through the boating world as well. And when you're out on the water enjoying a speedboat, what more appropriate power source is there than the sun? The Czeers MK1 prototype solar speedboat is a 30-knot photovoltaic dream in delicious shades of carbon fiber and lush orange leather with 14 square meters of solar panels and a silently operating 80kw electric motor. Solar boats for environmental warriors eh? Next thing you'll be telling us they're making wind-powered ones. Read More
Outdoor solar workstation
By Emily Clark
23:09 May 18, 2008 PDT
If you are having trouble getting out of the office, maybe it's time to get the office out. This eco-friendly workspace by Mathias Schnyder is designed as a calming haven where office dwellers or uni students can escape to the great outdoors. Read More
Thin film solar cell production breakthrough
By Emily Clark
20:59 May 14, 2008 PDT
May 15, 2008 Advancing a viable market for photovoltaic solar energy involves a balancing act between creating efficient solar cells and at the same time reducing the cost of the manufacturing process. Solar efficiency has been demonstrated to levels as high as 22% (a record set by SANYO last year), and although HelioVolt Corporation's latest announcements concern technology that is only delivering 12.2% conversion, the company has made great strides on the other side of the equation. Its proprietary FASST reactive transfer printing process has produced solar cells in a record setting six minutes, according to HelioVolt that's 10 to 100 times faster than current production of thin-film photovoltaics and could lead to manufacturing costs of less than $1 per watt. Read More
Giant solar lily pads
By Darren Quick
00:04 May 13, 2008 PDT
May 13, 2008 Peter Richardson from Scottish architecture firm ZM Architecture has proposed using Solar Lily Pads on Glasgow’s River Clyde to harness the sun’s rays and send electricity to the city's grid. The concept has taken first place in the International Design Awards, (IDA), ‘Land and Sea’ competition. The lilypads are designed to be moved and dismantled easily as they are simply tethered to the river bed, with integrated motors used to rotate the discs for maximum exposure to sunlight throughout the day. Read More
Massive zero energy digital media art wall to open in Beijing
By Emily Clark
22:45 May 6, 2008 PDT
Simone Giostra & Partners Architects have designed the GreenPix Zero Energy Media Wall that applies sustainable and digital media technology to the curtain wall of Xicui Entertainment Complex in Beijing, near the site of the 2008 Olympics. Read More
Sustainable holidays: renewable energy and solar-powered houseboats on the Mississippi
By Loz Blain
07:03 April 24, 2008 PDT
April 24, 2008 Ecologically responsible tourism is becoming big business around the world, particularly with young backpackers who wish to see the glory of nature without contributing to its destruction. The same concept is now starting to trickle through to resort and leisure tourism - such as this block of condos on the Mississippi in Iowa. Using recycled materials, renewable energy and a small fleet of solar-powered houseboats that contribute solar and wind turbine energy back into the grid when they're moored, the Holiday Shores Condo-Tel development will provide 64 suites for the environmentally conscious. Read More
Californian housing estate gets solar as standard
By Emily Clark
17:05 April 23, 2008 PDT
A new housing estate, with solar power to be included as a standard feature in all homes, has been officially opened in San Bernardino County, California. Opened on Earth Day, ‘Harmony’ is a planned residential development and a collaboration between CenterStone Communities and Petersen-Dean Roofing Systems that will lower residents’ utility costs by up to 50%. Read More
eSolar announces funding boost for scaleable, pre-fabricated solar plants
By Emily Clark
00:02 April 22, 2008 PDT
April 22, 2008 eSolar has raised $130 million in funding for the deployment of its solar thermal power plants. The scaleable, pre-fabricated power plants are designed to cut construction costs and deliver renewable energy solutions tailored to the needs of particular communities. Read More
DARPA advances plans for five year non-stop flying machine
19:07 April 21, 2008 PDT
April 22, 2008 The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing and Lockheed Martin as the contractors for the first phase of its Vulture program - a project which aims to design and develop a new breed of solar-powered unmanned aircraft that can remain airborne without interruption for an incredible five years. Read More
Sunny Day: fold-up solar-electric bicycle concept
By Emily Clark
20:12 April 16, 2008 PDT
April 17, 2008 Featuring an adjustable streamlined solar panel on the front stem, the Sunny Day compact solar electric bicycle design by Larry Chen recently took out the Grand Prize in the 12th annual International Bicycle Design Competition. Read More
Electric solar sail moves closer to reality
23:22 April 15, 2008 PDT
April 16, 2008 It's a striking image made popular in sci-fi classics like the recent Star Wars films - a spacecraft hurtles through the galaxy propelled by gigantic reflective sails that use of solar radiation in place of on-board fuel . Space organizations around the world including NASA are pursuing this technology, but a rapidly evolving project from the Finnish Meteorological Institute has taken a radically different approach by using long metallic tethers and a solar-powered electron gun to create an "electric sail" that looks very different from the depictions of pressure sails with which we have become familiar. Read More
Solar cells created with inkjet technology
By Emily Clark
17:24 April 2, 2008 PDT
April 3, 2008 Using FUJIFILM’s cartridge-based Dimatix Materials Printer (DMP), Konarka Technologies has demonstrated the world's-first fabrication of highly efficient solar cells using of inkjet printing technology. Read More
BigBelly solar-powered garbage compactor
By Emily Clark
20:02 March 31, 2008 PDT
Able to compact gallons of rubbish with a single gulp, the BigBelly solar trash compactor cuts public garbage collection emissions by up to 80 percent and operates for an entire day on the equivalent energy it takes to make a piece of toast. The compactor is the only on-site solar-powered trash compactor currently available. Read More
Could paint be the next solar breakthrough?
By Emily Clark
21:18 March 30, 2008 PDT
March 31, 2008 Researchers at Swansea University are developing a new way to integrate solar energy into building construction by applying a type of flexible solar-cell paint onto steel cladding. Read More
Solar charging PMP charges other portable devices
By Darren Quick
02:02 March 29, 2008 PDT
March 29, 2008 InventorSpot have reviewed eMotion’s new portable media player which is charged by solar panels built into the back of the device. The EM-SOL1GIG not only charges itself from the Sun, but with the use of a charger adapter the EM-SOL1GIG can be used to charge other portable devices such as mobile phones, MP3/MP4 players, laptops, digital cameras and other portable Lithium battery devices. The device supports a maximum SD card size of 2GB and files can be transferred on and off using the built-in SD card reader. The EM-SOL1GIG also comes with a long list of media capabilities including the ability to play music and video, display photos and books and play games – albeit on a 320x240 screen. Read More
Record 65 million square foot solar panel installation for California
By Emily Clark
20:44 March 27, 2008 PDT
March 28, 2008 California’s biggest electricity utility, Southern California Edison (SCE), has launched a project which will account for the largest solar cell installation in the United States. A massive 250 megawatts of advanced photovoltaic generating technology will be placed over 65 million square feet of roofs of Southern California commercial buildings – enough power to serve around 162,000 homes. Read More
Solar gadgets for the great outdoors
By Emily Clark
19:19 March 26, 2008 PDT
A couple of nifty solar gadgets for the outdoors: the Solar Mosquito Guard and Solar-Powered Fan are a steal at just US$10. And the best bit, 10% of all proceeds help send inner-city kids to Earth Day for Kids at the nonprofit Solar Living Institute. Read More
Octillion announces NanoPower solar window production breakthrough
By Kyle Sherer
19:59 March 25, 2008 PDT
Octillion Corp’s NanoPower Window technology can convert existing glass windows into solar power generators; an unobtrusive, easily installable and updateable solution for residential and commercial buildings. Octillion has recently announced a plan to improve the deposition of silicon nanoparticles on to glass – a key step in making the technology mass-producible. Read More
New Toronto waterfront development will have a “future proof” energy centre
By Jude Garvey
18:43 March 17, 2008 PDT
March 18, 2008 Waterfront Toronto, a 2,000 acre area of largely publicly owned land, is one of the largest urban developments currently underway in North America. As part of the project, a 3500 square meter District Energy Centre is under development which will consist of an interconnected network of underground pipes which that be extended to every area in each of the waterfront precincts. The plant will initially be powered by natural gas but the design will incorporate the necessary features for easy conversion to more sustainable, alternative fuel sources when they are approved for urban use. This "future-proof" system will make the new waterfront neighborhood a more efficient and sustainable user of energy in years to come. Read More
Report points to large-scale potential of solar thermal power
By Emily Clark
17:37 March 10, 2008 PDT
March 11, 2008 A new study published by solar technology developer Ausra argues that over 90 percent of the electric grid and car fleet in the US could be powered by solar thermal power, reducing overall US global warming pollution by 40 percent in the process. Read More
Husqvarna reveals solar electric hybrid robot lawn mower
16:33 March 7, 2008 PST
It's a green solution for a green problem. Husqvarna has unveiled a new version of its Automower™ that not only allows you to maintain a neatly trimmed lawn without lifting a finger, but achieves it using combination of solar power and electricity. Like its fully-electric predecessor, the Automower Solar Hybrid works by cutting the grass with small blades in an irregular pattern within an area defined by a pre-laid boundary cable that ensures the mower wont turn your flowering garden beds into mulch. According to Husqvarna the new Automower only uses the energy of a standard light bulb, and to ensure it remains green even at the end of its life-span, it is constructed from 90% recyclable material. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
