Solar Panels

5 cents per kWh is claimed by a new company that combines extreme solar concentrators with hardy solar panels. To market next year!

With the rising cost of power, and the greater awareness of the human impact on the environment, home solar power has long since moved beyond deep green people and would be militia and out into the broader society. Sungevity seems to have hit the mark on how to sell solar to the masses - give it a human face. Literally.

For the last few years, the costs of photovoltaic panels have been overwhelmingly controlled by the price of silicon. More than half of the world's constructed silicon crystals are converted into solar panels, and since solar power's recent resurgence, demand for silicon has far outpaced supply.

What if solar leases were available with electricity savings greater than the monthly charge?

A video showing the reality behind the Sunrise Powerlink. Crank up The Who's "We Don't Get Fooled Again" as you watch. Get the truth at www.sdsmartenergy.org, or any of the other websites listed at the end.

A site for discussion and headlines about solar energy, using the Squidoo.com lens format, with a guestbook for comments and feedback.

One of the most common arguments against large-scale use of renewable energy is t hat it cannot produce a steady, reliable stream of energy, day and night. Ausra Inc. does not agree. They believe that solar thermal technology can supply over 90% of grid power, while reducing carbon emissions.

A review of advances in solar panel technology and traditional polycrystalline silicon technology, with comments about advantages and disadvantages of these approaches. Problems with the Chinese silicon production industry are mentioned, as are successes in Germany and Spain. Links and references are provided.

Ever get the feeling that if you went outdoors and looked at your electric meter, the numbers would be spinning right before your eyes? Electric rates may not be rising as fast as oil or gas rates, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could heat our homes and run our appliances for free? That’s asking a little too much, of course, but there are alternate sources of energy: wind, water, geothermal, and solar, to name just a few. So what will it cost you to change your house over to solar?

Governor of Pennsylvania Edward G. Rendell has broken ground for USA’s fourth largest solar power facility. The facility likely to be completed by September or October this year will meet energy requirement of approximately 400 homes in the Bucks County of Pennsylvania.

A slightly different version of my article that appeared on blogcritics magazine. This discusses pollution revealed by a Washington Post article, caused by cheap manufaturing of polycrystalline silicon for solar panels. This pollution that is affecting rural Chinese in serious ways. The background to this story is discussed with references to technical details, though the article itself it written for nonscientists. I also add information from my recent interview of Chinese author Qiu Xiaolong.

A discussion of the new revelations from the Washington Post about toxic waste in China from the industries that supply ingredients for solar panels, with personal anecdotes, additional references and key background information.

An article comparing price, efficiency and the environmental impact of different solar panels.

Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory, along with partners at Microcontinuum Inc. (Cambridge, MA) and Patrick Pinhero of the University of Missouri, are developing a novel way to collect energy from the sun with a technology that could potentially cost pennies a yard, be imprinted on flexible materials and still draw energy after the sun has set.

So here I am again talking about an energy company going green. Theres so many issues and ethics to consider here it makes you want to be sick. An energy company going green? I know....I know, but todays post is a little different. Here we have an energy company going green, and they are largely based in California. With that being said, it may be possible to consider them actually going green due to strict regulations in California and well just being in the "green" state of California. The company is PG&E, and their amazing slogan is "We Can Do This"!