Solar Power

Energy costs are rising. That’s a indisputable. With decreasing access of natural energy resources like oil, coal and natural gas, the price of the electric power continuously ticks up. For lots of us the skyrocketing price of electric power is placing an intolerable strain on our pocketbooks. Solar panels provide an excellent alternative option to traditional energy sources. Additionally, getting …

February 15, 2012—According to EnergyTrend, the green energy division of TrendForce, benefitting from the rush orders in Q1, first-tier manufacturers managed to keep their capacity utility rate above 80% while second-tier manufacturers above 50%. Although manufacturers take optimistic attitude toward 1Q12, there are some factors affecting the solar industry development. First, system manufacturers’ installation progress has been delayed as snowy …

Homeowners Use the Sun and Incentives to Save on Winter Heating Costs Fluctuating energy costs can make it difficult for homeowners to budget their heating bills during the cold winter months. That is why many are looking into alternative sources of energy for water heating. One source that is gaining popularity is solar thermal energy, a system that uses energy …

In the effort to convert sunlight into electricity, photovoltaic solar cells that use conductive organic polymers for light absorption and conversion have shown great potential. Organic polymers can be produced in high volumes at low cost, resulting in photovoltaic devices that are cheap, lightweight and flexible. In the last few years, much work has been done to improve the efficiency …

Mushrooms do not normally need much help from the sun, but nearly 5,000 solar panels have popped up alongside buildings that house white button mushrooms near West Grove, Pennsylvania. Marlboro Mushrooms, the oldest family mushroom farm in the country, has added a 1.13 Megawatt solar array to help offset energy costs. North Carolina-based Southern Energy Management (SEM) installed the SunPower …

SolarReserve Reaches Major Construction Milestone in Completing Tower for World’s Largest Molten Salt Solar Tower Plant Nevada project represents leading solar thermal technology worldwide – integrated energy storage provides predictable and zero-emissions electricity day or night to meet peak demands SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of large-scale solar power projects, today announced completion of the 540-foot solar power tower for its …

Over the past few years, the state of Florida has asserted itself as one of the states in the forefront of sustainability. When it comes to alternative energy and homes however, the developers in Florida have been somewhat lacking. Early this year, developer KB Homes moved forward with what is expected to be the first set of new houses in …

Mushrooms do not normally need much help from the sun, but nearly 5,000 solar panels have popped up alongside buildings that house white button mushrooms near West Grove, Pennsylvania. Marlboro Mushrooms, the oldest family mushroom farm in the country, has added a 1.13 Megawatt solar array to help offset energy costs. North Carolina-based Southern Energy Management (SEM) installed the SunPower …

With the focus on environment and saving energy worldwide, it is not surprising that solar panels are considered the biggest energy generating potential. Solar panels not only save money and the environment but have all the requisite benefits of natural gas and electricity. Industrial community believes that solar panels will be the energy source for the future and as such, …

ALTA DEVICES SOLAR PANEL RECEIVES NREL VERIFICATION OF 23.5% EFFICIENCY Technology Moves Closer to Solar Power without Subsidies Alta Devices’ most recent solar panel has been verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at 23.5% efficiency. This is the highest solar panel efficiency yet achieved and demonstrates Alta’s progress toward its objective of developing solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions that …

With the ever rising prices of electricity bills, dwindling supplies of fossil fuel resources and the urgent need for solutions to climate change, solar power is rapidly becoming known as a viable solution for environmentally and budget conscious homeowners. Solar panels comprise of photovoltaic cells, fitting on the roof of a house to convert sunlight into energy which can power …

Collecting rain water is a common sense solution, particularly when you want to use the recycled water for gardening, washing cars or getting some cleaning done in the yard. It is easy to collect a barrel full of rain water but you need to find a way of putting this water to efficient use. It is expensive to invest in …

Washington, D.C. – February 1 – The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit working to eliminate energy poverty through the use of solar power, today announced that it is launching “Energy is a Human Right,” a campaign to provide a voice to the nearly 1.5 billion people around the world living without access to electricity and other …

Use of solar energy is becoming much more well-known everyday. The value of electrical energy is rising and also the very best alternative that we’ve currently is making use of solar energy. All of us realize that global warming is on an everyday rise currently. The main reason for this being burning of fossil fuels like coal, which in turn …

Pepco Buys UMD’s Solar Decathlon-Winner for Public Education COLLEGE PARK, Md. – WaterShed, the international-prize-winning solar house built by University of Maryland students, faculty and professional partners, has found a buyer and a permanent site: Electric service provider Pepco is purchasing the high-tech building, and plans to locate it at one of its facilities in Montgomery County, Maryland. The purchase …

The solar power industry sustained an impressive growth in installed capacity with new capacity of 27.7 Gigawatts (GW) coming on line in 2011, on top of over 17 GW in 2010. This takes the total installed capacity worldwide to 67.44 GW. The capital cost of solar photovoltaic power plants have declined to around $2430 / kilowatt, which makes it possible …

Grand Ridge, Illinois, population 550, is a small village in the Corn Belt flatlands stretching south and west of Chicago. The weather in Grand Ridge swings just outside the American average. Winters are windy and mostly overcast, while the summer months tend to be calmer and sunnier. Sunny side up: High-efficiency thin film solar panels were developed at GE’s Global …

Thanks to recent advances in solar technology, solar energy is rapidly gaining acceptance across the world. Today’s solar power is cheaper and easier than ever to install, and more efficient at converting the sun’s power into electricity. A careful analysis of both the pros and cons of solar energy shows just how far this technology has come. Solar’s biggest advantage …

Solar Cell Makers Benefited from Rush Orders; Polysilicon Contract Price Likely to Surge January 5, 2012—Benefiting from the rush orders from clients in Europe and the United States, Taiwanese solar cell makers’ utilization rates increased evidently, which will affect the future development of contract and spot prices. According to TrendForce, EnergyTrend’s survey, the contract price of polysilicon is still in …

Catching a nasty virus certainly isn’t on anyone’s holiday wish list, but for solar power it might be just what the doctor ordered. With the help of a genetically modified virus, materials researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a way to boost the efficiency of one type of thin-film photovoltaic cell by 30 percent. For years, engineers …