The wave of interest in solar power across Europe has now touched Greece, and in a big way. The Mediterranean country of over ten million inhabitants plans to construct Earth’s biggest solar farm. Estimated to cost €600 million ($822 million), the project will cover 1,285 acres of depleted coal mines in the northern city of …
Greece Plans To Construct World’s Largest Solar Farm (200 Megawatts) Read More »
Solar power is increasingly becoming a feasible choice for powering electric boats. In the last decade, we’ve seen improvement in the efficiency of electric boat motors, lithium-ion batteries, and the efficiency of solar panels. In 2010, the Tûranor PlanetSolar, a huge catamaran yacht powered by 470 square meters of solar panels, was unveiled by New …
The largest industrial investment in the history of South Carolina will soon become the home of the largest single rooftop solar array in the United States. Boeing Co., the Seattle-based manufacturer of jetliners, will install approximately ten acres of solar panels on the roof of their $750 million facility in North Charleston, SC. The solar …
Massive rooftop solar arrays seem to be popping up at an accelerating rate, thanks in part to cheaper, more efficient solar panel technologies and financial incentives in the form of rebates and stabilized energy costs. Renault’s solar energy system at its French production facilities will dwarf most of the competition when it goes online next …
Renault’s Solar Roofs Will Power The Equivalent of 15,000 Homes Read More »
Architecture students at MIT, led by Professor Sheila Kennedy, recently unveiled their latest design for the Massachusetts’ based school’s 150th anniversary Festival of Art+Science+Technology (FAST). These solar powered SOFT rockers allow you to plug in and recharge your USB device while relaxing outdoors. With a soft wood construction, the rocker makes use of the balance …
MIT Says Relax & Recharge On A Solar Powered Rocker Read More »
The newest hybrid model isn’t a car, but the world’s first hybrid solar energy plant that went on the grid last week in Martin County Florida. The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) latest innovation to launch Florida as the clean energy state. Working in conjunction with an existing …
World’s First Hybrid Solar Energy Plant Powers Florida Homes Read More »
Princeton University will soon be home to the largest solar field on a U.S. college campus. Scheduled for completion by summer 2012, the 5.3 megawatt system will be comprised of 16,500 photovoltaic solar panels, estimated to generate 5.5 % of electrical power to reduce campus energy costs by 8 %. The solar field will cover …
Princeton’s Ivy Halls To Be Powered By Solar Energy Read More »
What could make bike riding even more efficient? How about a bike path embedded with solar panels to produce clean energy while encouraging people to get on their bikes? The town of Krommenie in the Netherlands, just north of Amsterdam, will be receiving the SolaRoad bike path, scheduled to open in 2012.
Efficiency abounds in China as the world’s largest building integrated photovoltaic project prepares to power the railway station where some of the world’s fastest high speed trains pass through. China Sunergy, a solar cell and module manufacturer based in Nanjing, China, has recently signed a deal with CEEG (Nanjing) Solar Energy Research Institute to supply …
World’s Largest Solar Roof To Power High Speed Rail Station in China Read More »
Since LEDs are an efficient light source and draw far less power than traditional bulbs, they are perfect for off-the-grid applications where solar cells charge a battery that powers the lamp. Large-scale applications of this concept include LED road lane markers, but smaller-scale projects like lighting your lawn or garden are perfect uses for them …
This unusual solar tower was designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan for AORA Solar. It is set to launch on June 24 in South Israel. The tower has 30 tracking mirrors (heliostats) that reflect sunlight towards the top of a 30-meter high solar tower. The top of the tower has a special solar receiver and …
A couple of years ago, we wrote about a 1.3 megawatt solar-powered stadium in Switzerland. A new solar powered stadium has been built in Taiwan for the 2009 World Games in July. Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the stadium incorporates 8,844 solar panels on the roof. The roof will generate enough energy to power …
An Irish company, Surface Power, has launched what could be the most efficient solar hot water panel ever produced. The company says it plans to distribute its product internationally. The new solar panel was independently certified by TUV Rhineland. Their tests verified that when compared to other solar panels, Surface Power’s solar panel was in …
Irish Firm Claims World’s Most Efficient Solar Heater Read More »
Solar cells really shine at charging your batteries at remote location or on a boat. They are also useful for maintaining a charge on a 12V battery, such as a car battery. The best (and most expensive) solar battery chargers are flexible, thin-film solar cells. These cells can be folded and packed away easily. Sunforce …
“Prius,” in Latin, means roughly “to go before.” Since its first appearance in 1997, Toyota’s iconic hybrid has lived up to its name, with more than 1.5 million sold world wide. Revamped in 2003 with Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive, the Prius is now entering its third generation with the 2010 model to be available later …
Looks good! It’s a large-scale installation of Solar LED bricks. I couldn’t identify the location, but the bricks are Meteor Solar LED pavers. Solar bricks are self-contained — during they day they charge via the sun, and turn on automatically at night.
Sharp is introducing a new range of solar-powered LED streetlights. These self-contained lights charge during the day, and switch on automatically when darkness falls. They can operate for 10 years straight without maintenance. They make use of new, high-intensity LED spotlights, which are ideal for public parks. The LEDs illuminate with a directed light and …
Sharp Introduces Earthquake-Detecting Solar LED Streetlights Read More »
A company called GreenCore Air has released an air conditioner than can be powered by a single 170 watt solar panel. The GreenCore air conditioning unit can heat and cool a 600 square foot room. It runs on DC power, so there is no need to put an AC inverter between the solar panel and …
MIT researchers have announced that they have created “organic solar concentrators” that could make windows become powerful solar panels in as little as three years. The concentrator is mixture of two or more dyes painted onto a pane of glass or plastic. The dyes absorb light across a range of wavelengths, re-emit it at a …
I recently noted that Hawaii has enacted a law that requires all new homes to install solar water heaters. Eventually, Hawaii may have as many water heaters as Israel, where 90% of homes have solar water heaters installed. When viewed from above, the Jerusalem often glitters with the shine of the thousands of solar heaters …
