Solar Power

SoloPower Sets Record for Flexible CIGS Solar Panel Efficiency SoloPower Flexible Panel Measured at 13.4% Aperture Efficiency by National Renewable Energy Laboratory SoloPower, a San Jose, California-based manufacturer of flexible thin film solar cells and modules, announced today that its next generation panel has achieved an aperture area efficiency of 13.4%, a record for flexible copper, indium, gallium and (di)selenide …

Bosch Solar Energy, Spotlight Solar and Southern Energy Management Collaborate on High Visibility Installation Solar Trees on Discovery Place Science Museum Capture the Sun and the Imagination Down the road from the offices of Bosch Solar Energy, Spotlight Solar and Southern Energy Management, people are stopping to look at a remark-able new solar installation on the parking lot of Discovery …

SolarCity Raises $81 Million in Growth Capital from Group Led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners Investor consortium also includes Elon Musk, Nicholas J. Pritzker and Shea Ventures SolarCity® today announced that it has raised $81 million in equity financing. The round was co-led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners, and included investments from Nicholas J. …

Solar power fueled homes used to be a thing of fantasy or only something the extreme eco home owners would try to accomplish. But the times have changed drastically. Prices of solar technology have come way down. The efficiency of solar cells has gone up and continues to improve each year. And green homes have become a thing of desire …

$30,000 Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prizes Awarded to Inventive Students at Three Leading Universities CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (March 7, 2012) – Miles C. Barr today received the prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for his innovative solar technologies and creativity. Barr received his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2012 and a Master of …

March 7, 2012—Aide Solar and Q-Cells reported negative news following the subsidy cut in Germany, which put a damper on the global solar market outlook and caused the spot prices to drop. According to EnergyTrend’s survey, normal grade and high efficiency products were affected by the price downturn, and other products’ prices stayed flat. Source: EnergyTrend According to EnergyTrend, last …

For most consumers, the art of purchasing solar panels to use at home is strictly for producing energy and reducing electricity costs. Though this is the number one selling point for any consumer, the use of solar panels and their benefits go well beyond just a cheaper electricity bill. Sustainable, Renewable Energy A lot of consumers interested in solar panels …

Solar panels, also referred to as photovoltaic panels, transform light into electrical energy. When the Sun’s radiation reaches the panel, electrons get energized and commence to move. Vibrating electrons develop an electrical current and that’s what we call electrical energy. Certainly one of probably the most crucial variables of capturing the maximum amount of light besides the top quality of …

Part 3 of our discussion with Michael Gorton, CEO of Principal Solar. Part two is here, part one here We continue our discussion about mass market solar energy development with Michael Gorton. Today we are talking about the impact that wide spread solar development can have on jobs and growth of our economy. Kevin: If you could, before we close …

Despite difficult times economically over the last few years in the US, the solar market has been taking off, dramatically increasing the percentage of energy coming from clean, renewable sources. This growth has largely been thanks to a combination of factors. Consumer demand has dramatically increased due to mounting awareness of solar panels as an easy-to-install home improvement – they …

Solar Market Variables Result in Spot Market Uncertainty, High-Efficiency Products a New Trend at PV Expo Japan EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, indicates, the buzz on the solar market this week was not just surrounding the German government’s slashing of solar subsidies and advancement of the policy cuts to March 9; PV Expo Japan began on February 29, and …

SolarCity and Shea Homes® Introduce the “No Electric Bill” Home Project, expected to be among the largest of its kind, will make solar-powered, net-zero homes available in five states SolarCity®, a national leader in clean energy services, and Shea Homes, one of the country’s largest privately-held home builders, have partnered to make a “no electric bill” home available to homebuyers …

Interesting new study out of MIT that examines the development of solar technology and whether it will make solar cost competitive with coal for energy production. A study identifies early-stage technologies that could be combined to cut the cost of solar panels in half. By the end of the decade, manufacturers in the United States could make solar panels that …

Part 2 of our discussion with Michael Gorton, CEO of Principal Solar. Part one is here We continue our discussion about mass market solar energy development with Michael Gorton. Today we are talking about pricing of solar panels and how it will affect the growth of wide spread commercial power development with solar. Kevin: It would appear with some of …

Let’s face it in earthly terms as well as in business terms the solar energy industry is in its infancy as a maturing market for supplying and allaying the need for other energy such as oil. It is barely walking yet. There are many who would like to belittle its growth and even discount the eventual contribution of solar energy …

Solar power can be used in agriculture to save money, reduce carbon emissions and increase self-reliance As governments, large corporations and homeowners alike seek to lessen their impact on the environment they live and work in, farmers too are looking to cut their emissions and work with the land instead of against it. Eco-friendly farming has been going on for …

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 …