Category: Solar Power

Impact Lab > Solar Power
Analysis, Business, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News, Solar Power, Wind Power

Shrinking cost of solar energy drives mega-projects around the world

US solar installations jumped 76% in 2012.

There has been a dramatic fall in the cost of solar power generation. Solar is at grid parity in many countries such as Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and in parts of the US such as the Southwest. That means it is as inexpensive to build a solar plant as a gas or coal one. The pace of technological innovation in the solar field has also accelerated, so that costs have started falling precipitously and efficiency is rapidly increasing.

 

Continue reading… “Shrinking cost of solar energy drives mega-projects around the world”

Great Videos, Science & Technology News, Solar Power

SolarCopter – world’s first solar powered helicopter

SolarCopter

A team of masters students from the U.K. have built what they call the world’s first “solar copter.”  It is a quadrotor that flies solely on solar power.  It is only capable of short flights at the moment. But once the team adds a storage system they say it should fly longer. (Video)

 

 

Continue reading… “SolarCopter – world’s first solar powered helicopter”

Breakthrough Thinking, Great New Product, New Discoveries, New Viewpoints, Solar Power

Stylish Sun Shade Is the Easiest Way To Harness Solar Power For Your Home

solar shade 243464

Solar wins again.

If you like the idea of getting free energy from the sun, but don’t want to deal with the complications of installing a solar array on your roof, Umbrosa has created a lovely backyard sun shade that does double-duty—turning those rays into electricity.

As umbrellas go the Eclipse’s design is striking, but it isn’t really an umbrella at all…

Continue reading… “Stylish Sun Shade Is the Easiest Way To Harness Solar Power For Your Home”

Great New Product, New Inventions, Science & Technology News, Solar Power

‘Blackest’ solar cell ever absorbs 99.7% of all light

natcore-black-silicon-solar-cell

Scientists create blackest silicon solar cell.

Scientists at Natcore Technology have created a black silicon solar cell with an average reflectance of 0.3%, making it the “blackest” solar cell ever designed. Natcore’s development offers a tenfold decrease in reflectance over the solar spectrum. The result is an increase in energy efficiency that could help solar power compete even more effectively with traditional fossil fuels.

Continue reading… “‘Blackest’ solar cell ever absorbs 99.7% of all light”

Architecture, Great Videos, Photo Perspectives, Science & Technology News, Solar Power

Dome house rotates to take advantage of sun’s energy

dome house

Rotating dome house

Usually, when someone asks for the remote, it’s because they want to undertake some serious TV channel surfing. But in one unique home located just 90 minutes north of New York City, playing with the remote control will set the entire wooden house spinning on its axis. (Pics and video)

Continue reading… “Dome house rotates to take advantage of sun’s energy”

Great New Product, Nanotechnology, Science & Technology News, Solar Power

Researchers develop paint-on solar cells

solar paint

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles coated with cadmium sulfide produced a yellow paste that, when painted onto a transparent conductive material, generates electricity.

The next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home could generate electricity from light — electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside.

Continue reading… “Researchers develop paint-on solar cells”

Analysis, Big Problems, Business, Corporate Manipulation, Current Events, Economy, Global Warming, Globalism, Latest News, Solar Power

BP drops solar division after 40 years of operations

bp-beyond-petroleum-solar-photo.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart

When the Going Gets Tough, BP Runs…

While it is well-known that the solar industry is highly cyclical, the general trend is definitely in an upward direction, with rapid double-digit yearly growth in production capacity and plenty of money to be made by the smartest players (both Warren Buffett and Google have recently invested in solar power). But apparently, when the going gets tough, BP cuts and runs. After 40 years of existence, now that solar power is more necessary than ever, the giant oil company has decided to drop its solar division. So much for ‘Beyond Petroleum’, a recent BP slogan, eh?

Continue reading… “BP drops solar division after 40 years of operations”

Culture, Ecological Products, Globalism, Green Friendly, Historical Perspectives, Latest News, Solar Power

Solar Power becomes cheaper than diesel generators in India

india-solar-powerrrrrrrrrr

Solar Power is now a viable reality in India.

While the passage of time makes solar cost competitive for many Americans right now, the question of cost competitiveness is not a simple one for solar. It depends on location, installation costs, and what kind of power solar is competing against. In Africa, solar has already become cheaper than kerosene in many locations. And now Renewable Energy News reports that solar is becoming cheaper than diesel generators in India as French-company Solardirect has bid to supply the energy grid with solar power at a rate cheaper than the average for diesel generators…

Continue reading… “Solar Power becomes cheaper than diesel generators in India”

Analysis, Breakthrough Thinking, New Discoveries, Solar Power

Biomimetic Antenna for gathering sunlight could transform solar-powered devices

bacteria solar 111129142017

The photosystem in green bacteria consists of a light-harvesting antenna called a chlorosome and a reaction center. The energy of the light the pigments absorb is transferred to the reaction center (red) through a protein-pigment antenna complex called the baseplate (gold). The antenna (green) is made of rod-shaped aggregates of pigment molecules.

Sometimes when people talk about solar energy, they tacitly assume that we’re stuck with some version of the silicon solar cell and its technical and cost limitations. Not so…

Continue reading… “Biomimetic Antenna for gathering sunlight could transform solar-powered devices”

Nanotechnology, New Inventions, Science & Technology News, Solar Power, Wind Power

Nanoparticle batteries could make technology like solar and wind power more practical

wind power

Large batteries could be used for storing excess power from the electrical grid for future use.

New Stanford University research could point the way to large-scale, long-lasting power grid batteries. These kinds of batteries would be especially useful for making technologies like solar and wind power more practical, allowing vast amounts of storage to be stored for periods of time in which the skies are calm or overcast.

 

Continue reading… “Nanoparticle batteries could make technology like solar and wind power more practical”

Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.