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Cheap Solar Panels on the way
A supply glut of polysilicon—the key raw material used in photovoltaic solar panels—promises cheaper solar panels in the years to come. In the short term the price drop has led to many solar panel manufacturers suffering large losses but analysts are hopeful the lower prices will make the technology more competitive with conventionally generated power.
The drop in polysilicon, though hurting earnings now, will be beneficial over the long termas it will make solar a more competitively priced Read more [...]
California’s First “Power Tower”
Fascinating article in Scientific American reports how mirrors are harnessing the sun to generate electricity in California.
In southern California's Antelope Valley, 24,000 silver-bright mirrors have been positioned to reflect light on two 50-meter-tall towers. And at 11:08 A.M. local time Wednesday, this concentrated light heated steam in those towers to turn a turbine— the first "power towers" in the U.S. to convert the sun's heat into electricity for commercial use.
Dubbed Read more [...]
Brunei to build solar power plant
Brunei, one of the world's top oil and gas producers, is venturing into alternative energy with the construction of Southeast Asia's largest solar power plant, officials said yesterday.
The plant will supply 1.2 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, the equivalent of powering about 400 homes, according to Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation which is fully funding the project.
Although Brunei is blessed with abundant natural energy reserves, the government is keen to pursue energy conservation, Read more [...]
India announces ambitious solar power scheme
India currently has virtually no solar power now but that could all change soon.
This week Indiadecided to push ahead with a vastly ambitious plan to tap the power of the sun to generate clean electricity, and after a meeting chaired by the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, it wants rich nations to pay the bill.
The plan envisages the country generating 20GW from sunlight by 2020. Global solar capacity is predicted to be 27GW by then, according to the International Energy Agency, meaning India Read more [...]
Sanyo releases portable solar panel
Sanyo has announced the release of a new portable solar panel that can can charge portable devices through a USB connection.
The system, which is part of Sanyo's Eneloop line, combines a portable solar panel with a Lithium Ion battery pack. It should work with many portable products including cell phones, music players and portable game devices, the company said at a Tokyo news conference on Wednesday.
Two versions will be available, one with a single solar panel and one with two panels. Read more [...]
How to use solar panels to heat a swimming pool
To heat your swimming pool, you can use a combination of solar pool collectors and thermal arrays.
Thermal arrays can be used to heat water tanks,. These panels collect the sun's heat. The heat is then run through a piping system inside that's filled with water or antifreeze.
Thermal pool covers or solar collector are made of special solar rings that can heat the pool's temperature five degrees. Solar collectors pump the pool water through a piping system like that of the thermal array. The Read more [...]
Build your own solar panels
This is a great book that tells you how to build your own solar panels and save thousands on your home energy costs.
Build your own solar panels.
solar panels, DIY, alternative home energy
Read more [...]
Solar power from deserts could power the whole of europe
Concentrating solar power (CSP) involves using arrays of mirrors to focus large amounts of sunlight onto a small area. This creates extremely high levels of heat, which can be converted into electricity using a steam turbine or Stirling engine – or stored in tanks of molten salt to provide power at night or on cloudy days. The mirrors can be parabolic troughs or giant dishes. Alternatively, a large number of sun-tracking flat mirrors can direct sunlight to the top of a so-called "power tower".
According Read more [...]
Home Solar Panels – Save You Money
Great article in the UK's Guardian newspaper proving that even in rainy Britain home solar panels are a great investment.
The Rewards of Solar Panels by Ashley Seager
We live in an old terraced house on a cloudy, rainy island. Yet the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on our roof, put up two years ago, are supplying around 90% of all the electricity used by my family.
The initial cost is high, but don't let that put you off. Two key developments in recent months have made it worth considering Read more [...]