Solar Power

Solar panels are a collection of solar or photovoltaic cells. These photovoltaic cells harvest sunlight and convert the solar energy into electrical energy. Solar cells are positioned into grid-like pattern on the face of solar panel. Photovoltaic cells collect sunlight during day and this light energy can be stored and used as electrical energy. Photovoltaics are made up of semiconductors which have the property to transform sunlight into electricity. Many materials have semiconductor property but the most widely used material is silicon. Though silicon in itself resists electric current but this property can be altered by combining small amounts of other materials that make it receptive to positive or negative electrical charge. No Comments

American scientist Peter Glaser proposed the idea of using space solar power in 1968. The fast depleting conventional energy resources renewed the interest for trapping the solar power via satellites. Right now the usual alternative energy methods have their own shortcomings. Hydro power plants disrupt ecosystems and human habitats. Minimum rain threatens hydro power. Clouds block the sun and sunlight. Wind can choose not to blow at the desirable speed. Alternative energy plants provide intermittent power supply, thus forcing us to store energy. All these factors increase the complexities of using alternative fuels. 4 Comments

Here's another flashy concept that uses solar energy for transportation: the solar speedboat! Unlike the solar sailor we talked about earlier, the Dutch MK1 prototype is designed to travel at speeds up to 30 knots! In 2006 the Delft Technical University Solarboat Team raced the speedboat to first place in the Nuon Frisian Solar Challenge. The 10 meter long lightweight boat has a carbon fibre body and an 80 kilowatt motor powered by 14 square meters of solar panels. The boat is obviously not designed for utilitarian purposes, but it is a positive step toward further development of solar technologies. Watch the video to see it in action! 1 Comment

Mother Earth News recently featured an extensive article covering instructions on building your own small-scale solar heating system for as low as $30. The 9 page tutorial includes step by step instructions from Don R. and George Waterman of Springfield, Missouri, and is based on their experience installing the system on their 30x40 insulated workshop. According to Don, the system successfully supplies enough power to keep the building's interior comfortable in near-zero degree weather. 5 Comments

Remember the Solar Lily Pads? Well, Swiss inventor Thomas Hinderling has taken that idea to the next level with his solar islands concept (check out the video). The 5km wide, 20m height island concept would be mobile and would adjust according to the sun's movement across the sky. Each island would generate hundreds of kilowatts of electricity that would be almost five times cheaper than current electricity rates. A company called CSEM is financing construction of a prototype this year in the United Arab Emirates, and they are hopeful that full production of these islands could begin as soon as 2011. 6 Comments

Researchers from Florida University recently began testing a new field hospital design in the Honduran jungle. U.s. Military and emergency response teams are hopeful that the project will be a success, as each unit would be able to desalinate up to 400 gallons of water per day, and produce enough electricity to power an average American household. The portable hospitals will use thin-film solar technology, but can also be powered using wind and micro-hydro, or even biofuels. The military plans to adopt the system for worldwide use if the tests are a success. No Comments

Scotland based firm ZM Architecture was recently awarded a prize by the International Design Awards for its promising solar technology concept known as the solar lily pad. What makes the most sense about this concept is that it can be implemented with very little environmental impact while saving precious land resources for other uses. Project manager Peter Richardson hopes to implement the technology on the River Clyde in an effort to supplement Glascow's electricity needs while creating a unique waterfront experience. Glascow City Council has already approved a small test site for construction of a pilot project. 7 Comments

Eugene Tsui has designed a concept city called The Ultima Tower that would help solve the global population crisis. Acting as a human termite nest, and costing $150 billion, these two mile high green towers would house over one million people in a one mile wide area. Instead of floors, the building's interior would consist of a multi-dimensional ecosystem complete with neighborhood districts and 30-50 meter high skies. Lakes, streams, rivers, hills and ravines comprise the soil landscape on which residential, office, commercial, retail and entertainment buildings can be built. 11 Comments

Recently we posted an article announcing the production of a portable solar charger for airplane avionics. At the end of that article we asked if you thought airplanes could one day be powered by solar. Since then we discovered a whole slew of existing solar airplane concepts and projects that we thought we'd share with you. Click through the following links to visit the related websites. At the bottom of this article you'll find another opportunity to vote your opinion and leave your comments about the feasibility of solar powered flight. 2 Comments

Pacific Gas and Electric has announced plans to work with BrightSource Energy to three four or more huge solar thermal electric generators in the Mojave desert. The first plant will be operational by 2011 and will produce almost 250 megawatt hours of renewable electricity per year. Brightsource Energy’s president John Woolard claims it is “the biggest commitment ever in the history of solar”. PG&E is motivated by a California law which requires them to produce 20% of its power via renewable sources by 2010. 3 Comments

Thanks for participating in our recent energy poll, where we asked you to choose your favorite renewable energy sources. Voting is still open, but so far it looks like solar power is the most popular choice, with wind power in second place. We recently came across another interesting NWA news article that examines the differences between solar and wind and concludes that wind energy is more actually more efficient than solar energy. Among other factors, they quote UCEI director Severin Borenstein as stating "wind power still remains much cheaper to produce than solar." What do you think? 28 Comments

Powerenz, a manfacturer and retailer of portable solar power systems in Georgia, has designed a system to help pilots power up their light airplane avionics without having to start the engine. It can power up the aircraft avionics silently, without smoke, and without wasting aircraft fuel. The unit can be used for approximately 90 minutes before the portable battery required recharging. The entire system can be housed in either a heavy-duty tool-carrying case, a military tanker’s tool bag, or in a hard case. 1 Comment

The amount of energy the sun sends towards our planet is 35,000 times more than what we currently produce and consume. Some part of this energy -- better known as solar radiation -- is reflected back into space but a lot of it is absorbed by the atmosphere and other elements surrounding the inner atmosphere. This energy can be easily harnessed for practical purposes such as heating homes, lighting bulbs and running automobiles and even airplanes. The uses can be as varied as the uses of energy itself. And the great thing is that we are never going to run out of this massive energy resource even for thousands and thousands of years. 7 Comments

An environmental engineer/developer has plans to construct a unique lifestyle “Green” condo development on the banks of the main channel of the Mississippi River in the historic River city of McGregor in northeast Iowa. The site is within a 4 hr drive of Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee & Madison, WI. While close to several urban areas, it is tucked away in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge; 240,000 acres and 260 river miles of protected wooded islands, marshes and backwaters. The developer notes that there is a human desire to recreate and to be in contact with nature however this has placed unsustainable pressure on the very places we seek out to enjoy. No Comments

The first solar-powered development in Costa Rica is breaking ground in the remote beach town of Malpais. Designed primarily for Americans and Europeans who either plan to move to Costa Rica, or as vacation homes, they will be constructed with a variety of green building techniques. The company's website includes a section which details the eco-friendly ideas to be built into the houses, and even lists their suppliers. 3 Comments

Do not think that you have to install an entire home solar power system to enjoy the benefits of solar power. In truth, one of the most cost-effective uses of solar power is a solar heater, and one of the most useful applications of solar energy is for RVs. And, perhaps, one of the most common and easiest applications of the sun for power is a battery charger. So, how do these different applications of solar energy work? It's likely not as technical as you think! 3 Comments

LORENTZ delivers 750 tracking systems for an 8-hectar solar park in Oberruesselsbach close to Nuremberg in Southern Germany. The plant renders 1.7MW and hereby is one of the largest tracked solar power plants in the region of Northern Bavaria. This delivery is part of the PV Package of Krinner, partner of LORENTZ. The PV Package includes the delivery and installation of Krinner's screw foundations, the LORENTZ tracking systems and the installation of the tracking systems and solar modules. No Comments

Retired Aircraft Engineer Gary Reysa has published plans on how to build your own solar heating system. Complete plans and instructions are available online including detailed information about how the systems operates, how it performs and what costs are involved. The plans are complete with a list of necessary materials and some helpful construction tips on how to build and modify the project according to your home heating needs. The instructions detail how to assess your home's needs in order to determine what size solar panels your home will require. 2 Comments

Google Inc. plans to build a massive solar-electricity system to help power parts of its Mountain View, Calif., campus that it says will benefit both the environment and its bottom line. The system, to be built by EI Solutions, a unit of Energy Innovations Inc., of Pasadena, Calif., will use 9,212 solar panels and have a total capacity of 1.6 megawatts, or enough electricity to supply 1,000 average California homes. That will satisfy 30% of the campus' peak electricity needs. The installation at Google's headquarters, known as the Googleplex, will begin next month and will be completed in the spring. It will be the largest solar-power system ever constructed at a U.S. corporate campus and one of the largest on any corporate site in the world, EI Solutions said. 2 Comments

Homeowners who purchase and install home solar power systems in the province of Ontario will now earn some extra income to help pay for their systems, thanks to the Ontario Power Authority. Ontario is learning by example from the success of similar European programs. This new program is encouraging a flurry of solar industry construction activity aimed at taking advantage of the new electricity buy-back program. Paul Gipe, a wind power expert, from California calls the result revolutionary: "the most progressive renewable energy program in 20 years in North America." 5 Comments