The U.S. has made great strides in promoting and installing solar energy systems.
In the U.S., Solar energy is on the rise. In President Obama’s State of the Union address in January, he recognized this shift, saying that, “We’re becoming a leader in solar … every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can’t be outsourced.”
Continue reading… “10 American cities that are leading the way in the solar energy revolution”
Solar-powered benches, called Soofas.
The Internet of Things is growing larger. Benches can now be added to the list of things like watches, cars, phones, and everything else that comes in a “smart” variety.
Continue reading… “Solar powered ‘smart benches’ are popping up in Boston parks”
SolarCity hope to create competitive made-in-the-USA panels.
In addition to Elon Musk’s revolutionary SpaceX and Tesla Motors businesses, he’s trying to revolutionize solar energy, too. Now Musk’s solar company SolarCity wants to build a gigantic solar panel manufacturing plant in New York intended to build enough plans to meet what he hopes will be rapidly rising demand.
Continue reading… “Elon Musk plans to build gigantic solar power super-factory in New York”
Sharp’s technology could be twice as efficient at converting sunlight to electricity.
Right now the best solar cells we have convert less than a third of the energy on sunlight into electricity, even though for decades researchers have calculated that exotic physics could allow solar cells to convert far more energy than they do now.
Continue reading… “New technology from Sharp demonstrates ultra-high efficiency solar cells”
Solar panels
The world’s most highly-efficient solar cells are twice as efficient as the ones people put on their roofs, but hardly anyone uses them because the semiconductor materials they’re made of are so expensive. That could be about to change.
Continue reading… “World’s most efficient solar cells may soon get cheaper”
Solar Forest
We aren’t out of the woods yet when it comes to providing a steady supply of clean energy for electric vehicles. So, designer Neville Mars has conceived of an incredible EV charging station that takes the form of an evergreen glade of solar trees. His photovoltaic grove serves a dual function, acting as a go-to source for clean renewable energy while providing a shady spot for cars to park as they charge.
Continue reading… “Solar Forest provides a charging station for electric cars”
An Enphase Micro-Inverter
Google’s Little Box Challenge, Google will be offering a $1 million prize for inventing much smaller solar power inverters. The challenge will be launched this summer, so currently few details have been released to the public.
Continue reading… “Google offers $1 million prize for better solar power inverters”
An offshore wind turbine near Rostock. Germany.
Germany’s impressive streak of renewable energy milestones continues, with renewable energy generation surging to a record portion — nearly 75 percent — of the country’s overall electricity demand by midday last Sunday. With wind and solar in particular filling such a huge portion of the country’s power demand, electricity prices actually dipped into the negative for much of the afternoon, according to Renewables International.
Continue reading… “Germany generates 74% of power needs from renewable energy”
High Concentration Photo Voltaic Thermal (HCPVT)
IBM, the American multinational technology and consulting corporation are renowned the world over for being technology leaders and innovators with an aim to ‘shape the future of society and make the world work better and build a smarter planet.’ Their latest creation is being considered as one of their best projects yet.
Continue reading… “IBM creates a solar magnifying glass that could power the Earth”
A nanophotonic solar thermophotovoltaic device.
Traditional photovoltaic solar cells have an inherent limit on the efficiency at which they can convert sunlight into energy. This limit—based on the bandgap of the material used and known as the Shockley-Queisser limit—is about 33.7 percent for standard solar cells. It is essentially due to any material’s inability to respond to all wavelengths of sunlight; so what if there was a way to change the wavelengths that actually reach the cell to those it converts best? MIT researchers have unveiled the best-yet version of that idea, known as solar thermophotovoltaics.
Space-based solar
Some newer clean energy sources are becoming mainstream industries with low prices and established financing models like solar panels and wind turbines. But even in this era of emerging predictable clean energy, there are some pretty weird, experimental and ambitious energy projects under development. And they’re trying to move out of the lab and off of research papers, and into actual production.
Solar Roadway panels
Sandpoint, Idaho could be the first city in the nation with solar roadways thanks to an Idaho inventor. However, the inventor behind the revolutionary idea needs help from the public. (Video)
Continue reading… “Solar Roadways offer an asphalt alternative”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.