Tesla plans to cut the price of its solar panels by as much as 41%
One of the main problems with solar rooftop installations is they can be quite heavy on the pocket, at least in the short run. The average cost of a residential rooftop solar system today is about $2.98 per watt, $1.00 out of which goes to so-called soft costs – things like design, sales Read More...
New power system from Mitsubishi lets your car share power with your home
There are ample benefits that come with owning an electric car, but the ability to power your home with it has yet to be one. That’s set to change later this year as Mitsubishi has announced it will sell a system that lets you share power between your home and electric car. The systems feature Read More...
A hospital in Jamaica is now using solar panels to pull water out of thin air
We tend to take for granted that when we turn the tap, clean water comes out that is safe to drink. In parts of the world such as Jamaica, that’s a luxury that can’t always be enjoyed. And that’s a problem for both people and the environment as it creates an over-reliance on bottled water, Read More...
Solar farms could help reverse the alarming decline in pollinators
Researchers see potential in planting more wildflowers on solar farms to help reverse the worrying declines in bees, butterflies and other key pollinating insects observed in recent years. Solar panel sites are expected to take up six million acres of land before 2050. Scientists see this as an Read More...
How farms can benefit from the presence of solar panels
After observing solar farms for the past couple of decades, researchers have found that solar farms have an incredible ability to alter the microclimate under them. In fact, scientists in Oregon found that 90 percent more biomass flourished in areas partly or fully covered by solar panels. This was Read More...
Buildings could soon be constructed using concrete solar panels
One ton of CO2 is generated by making one ton of cement, which is made from limestone and a few other things heated to an extremely high temperature. But what if concrete could generate its own energy? It seems we’re getting very close to that reality after the world’s largest cement maker Read More...
New solar panels are cheaper, more environmentally sustainable
Scientists from Northwestern University have created a new type of solar panel that is less expensive to produce, better for the environment, and could eventually be more efficient at capturing the suns rays and turning them into energy. Perovskite solar panels, solar cells with a crystal structure Read More...
The second coming of solar power
More than just an environmental breakthrough, a new generation of photovoltaics can improve life in remote communities. Craig Cox| September 2007 issue For 40 years, scientists and environmental activists alike have been eagerly awaiting the dawn of the solar age, a time when humans could finally Read More...