Sharp just signaled a bright future for renewable energy as it achieved a new solar cell efficiency record of 43.5%, eclipsing its previous record of 36.9% set in November. Sharp shattered the efficiency record with its concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell, which uses a lens-based system to focus sunlight directly onto the cells in order to generate electricity. This latest breakthrough puts solar power one step closer to grid parity.

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Post tags: "solar energy", concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell, Sharp solar cell, sharp solar record, Solar Cell, solar cell efficiency, solar cell efficiency record, Solar Power

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) – the US Air Force’s top-secret automated space plane – is finally set to return to Earth after a year in space. Although not much is known about the spacecraft, we do know that it powered itself during its time in orbit with a deployable solar panel.

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Post tags: "solar energy", Solar Power, solar power x-37b, solar powered space plane, space plane, usaf solar power, usaf x-37b, x-37 otv, x-37b

Germany fed a whopping 22 gigawatts of solar power per hour into the national grid last weekend, setting a new record by meeting nearly half of the country’s weekend power demand. After the Fukushima disaster, Japan opted to shut down all of its nuclear power stations and Germany followed suit after considerable public pressure. This seems to have paved the way for greater investment in solar energy projects. The Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster announced that Saturday’s solar energy generation met nearly 50 percent of the nation’s midday electricity needs AND was equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity!

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Post tags: "solar energy", 2020 energy goals, alternative energy, clean tech, cleantech, eco design, EU, Fukushima, germany, green design, meltdown, news, nuclear, nuclear disaster, nuclear power, protests, renewable energy, solar panels, sustainable design

Despite recent clashes between the US and Chinese solar industries, it seems that the entire solar power sector is prospering. As stated in a new report from GlobalData, with the ever-increasing number of solar power installations, the cost of energy generation is falling. In fact, it is falling so quickly that the report predicts that by 2017 it’ll be cheaper than generating power from traditional fossil fuels.

Read the rest of Solar Energy Generation Costs to Compete with Fossil Fuels by 2017

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Post tags: "solar energy", globaldata solar power parity, NREL solar panel, optical furnace, renewable energy, SILICON WAFERS, Solar cells, solar energy generation costs, solar grid parity, solar panel construction, Solar Power, solar power energy usage

While solar energy has long been touted as the key to solving the planet’s energy demands, the problem of efficiency has always hampered it. However, a team of engineers from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow believe that the key to solar energy isn’t here on Earth, but out in space.

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Post tags: "solar energy", solar energy beam, solar power space, solar satellite rays, solar satellites, solar satellites space, sun rays, university of Strathclyde

Saudi Arabia has long been a wealthy country because of its enormous oil reserves. But the kingdom also is rich in sunlight, and it now promises to invest over $100 billion to develop 41 gigawatts of solar electricity by 2032. The plan could eventually transform Saudi Arabia from the world’s largest oil exporter to a leading innovator of solar energy and technologies.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "solar energy", carbon emissions, Middle East, oil and gas, renewable energy, saudi arabia, solar, Solar Power, solar thermal

Ombrellone Solare recently unveiled two solar parasols at Fabbrica Del Vapore during this year’s Milan Design Week. Dubbed Eclipse and Kosmos, the designs saw great success, not only because of the shade they provided, but also due to their advanced technology, which harnesses the power from the sun to charge the batteries of resting visitors.

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Post tags: "solar energy", eclipse, extremis, Fabbrica Del Vapore, Konarka, kosmos, milan design week 2012, Ombrellone Solare, Organic Photovoltaic, Salone Del Mobile 2012, Solar Charging, Solar Parasol, Solar Power, Umbrosa

Imagine a solar cell that comes in a jar instead of a big, clunky panel, and that could be painted on a piece of plastic. It might be closer than you think - scientists at the University of Southern California have developed a new type of solar cell made from nanocrystals that are so small that you could fit about 250 billion of them on the head of a pin. Due to their size, the nanocrystals can be made into an ink and painted or printed onto clear surfaces. The breakthrough could open the door to solar cells that can be printed onto plastic instead of glass, and then bent and shaped to fit anywhere.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "solar energy", clean tech, green technology, liquid solar cell, nanocrystals, nanotechnology, renewable energy, science, solar, Solar Cell, Solar Power, University of Southern California, USC

Painters Hall is a 100 percent solar-powered building nestled in the beautiful surroundings of quiet Pringle Creek community, in Salem, Oregon. The 80-year-old Painters Hall recently earned a LEED-Platinum, net-zero energy certification, and it also received an impressive ‘Petal Recognition’ under the Living Building Challenge. The building underwent an extensive renovation in 2010, and it recently became just one of two buildings in the country to receive the net-zero recognition after recent energy audits.

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Post tags: "solar energy", "sustainable architecture", eco design, green renovation, LEED-Platinum net-zero energy certification, Living Building Challenge, net zero building, painters hall, painters hall cafe, painters hall oregon, solar powered cafe

Read the rest of Goodesign by BestUp Creates a Go-To for Sustainable Design and Food at the Milan Furniture Fair

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Post tags: "good design", "green furniture", "solar energy", animal protection, bat castle, Best Up, bestup, goodesign, green design, green living, green mobility, leaf meter, life cycle analysis, Milan Design Week, Milan Furniture Fair, nautinox living, nuup, outdoor furniture, porta romana design, Recycle, rice ask, salone mobile, solar schiscetta, sustainable creative, sustainable food, vipot

Read the rest of RCA Students Look Towards Sustainability to Design a Green ‘Paradise’ at the Milan Furniture Fair

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Post tags: "green furniture", "solar energy", eco design, green design, Milan Furniture Festival, RCA, RCA Paradise, Recycled Materials, Royal College of Art, sustainable design, ventura lambrate

Do you think homeowners should have the right to install solar panels on their own condos? Many homeowner associations (HOAs) in the United States don’t think so. Even as solar energy becomes increasingly cheaper with tax incentives bringing the costs down even more, the vast majority of homeowner associations in the United States ban the practice for aesthetic reasons. Now homeowners are fighting back, taking their cause to state legislatures and the courts.

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Post tags: "solar energy", condo, condominiums, David Dobs, georgia, hoas, homeowner associations, solar, solar panels, Solar Power, virginia

According to a Pew Charitable Trusts survey, the United States has reclaimed the top spot in clean energy investment, toppling China from its number one global ranking. Meanwhile, investment in renewables around the world continues to surge, reaching $237.2 billion in 2011, up almost 8 percent from the previous year. Despite austerity measures, expiring tax credits and the continued global hunt for oil, developed and developing nations alike are striving to add more non-fossil fuels to their energy portfolio.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "solar energy", "wind power", clean energy investment, investment in renewables, Pew Charitable Trusts, renewable energy, renewables, solar, Solar Power, stimulus, tax credits

The French nuclear engineering company Areva was awarded a contract this week by Indian power company Reliance Power Ltd. to build the largest concentrated solar power installation in Asia, which will be located in India’s Rajasthan region. Areva’s installation will consist of two power plants that will use compact linear fresnel reflector (CLFR) technology, and they are estimated to produce about 125 megawatts of power each.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "solar energy", Areva, asia, CLFR technology, Compact linear Fresnel reflector, India, photovoltaic, Rajasthan, Reliance Power, renewable energy, solar array, Solar Power, solar power plant

The US military spends up to $20 billion on oil every year, and as oil prices climb that amount is steadily increasing. But oil doesn’t just cost the Pentagon in the form of tax dollars — it presents enormous logistical hurdles and it has cost the military thousands of troops who have been killed while guarding fuel convoys overseas. So it comes as welcome news that today the Defense Department announced a goal to purchase a total of three gigawatts of wind, solar and geothermal energy to power domestic military bases by 2025.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "solar energy", air force, geothermal, military bases, obama administration, pentagon, renewable energy, Solar Power, us army, us military, wind energy

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Post tags: "solar energy", Design 99, detroit, eco design, energy producing home, Erik Jutten, Fonds BKVB, green design, Partizan Publik, Power House, self sufficent home, sustainable design

Kyocera announced today that it will partner with two other companies to build Japan’s largest solar farm. Located on the southwestern island of Kyushu, the 70-megawatt solar power plant is the start of an effort to explore opportunities to integrate solar within Japan’s electricity grid. Kyocera estimates the cost of the project at approximately $309 million (¥25 billion).

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Post tags: "solar energy", green design, green energy, IHI Corporation, Japan, japan solar power, Kagoshima, kyocera, Kyushu, Mizuho Corporate Bank, solar, solar farm, Solar Power, solar power plant, sustainable design

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Post tags: "solar energy", community, composting, David Vandervort, eco design, electric vehicles, green design, Issaquah, recycling, sustainable design, sustainable living, washington, Zero energy, zHome

Since the early 1970s, scientists have been toying with the idea of collecting solar power in space, where solar collection rates are stronger than on the surface of the Earth. But because of the costs and technical challenges involved, the concept still remains in the realm of science fiction. That all could change with a new proposal from John Mankins from Artemis Innovation Management Solutions, who claims to have come up with “the first practical solar-power satellite concept.”

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Post tags: "solar energy", Artemis Innovation Management Solutions, John Mankins, nasa, renewable energy, Satellite, Solar Power, space, space-based solar power, SPS-ALPHA

Kerosene lamps have been known to cause serious accidents in developing countries, but this new design by Alain Gilles provides a safe lighting alternative that relies simply on the energy of the sun to illuminate. Once fully charged, the Nomad lamp provides more than 6 hours of light at full intensity — more than enough to make it through the night. With the Nomad individuals can now cook, do homework, read or work into the night.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "solar energy", Alain Gilles, alternative energy, Belgium is Design, eco design, energy efficient lamps, green products, lamps for developing countries, lighting for 3rd world, lighting solutions for developing countries, milan furniture fair 2012, nomad solar lamp, o'sun, o'sun solar lamps, solar lamps