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

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.

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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

Solar panels must be regularly cleaned and maintained in order to keep them operating efficiently and maximize the amount of sunlight they convert into electricity. With this in mind, a group of students from CalTech and UCLA have developed an impressive robot that cleans solar panels. The design won a third of $200,000 in prize money in the DOE’s National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition.

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Post tags: award winning robot, Caltech Greenbotics, design robot solar panels, greenbotics, greenbotics design, greenbotics robot, prize money robot, solar panel cleaning, solar panels, Solar Power

With China becoming the world’s leader of solar cells and panels, it was hoped that their mass production would help bring down global prices. However, in order to aid domestic manufacturing, the US has hampered such progress by imposing tariffs of as much as 250 percent on Chinese-made solar cells. While the decision was made to protect US solar production against foreign competition, it is expected that it will ultimately raise PV cell prices and hurt the domestic renewable energy industry.

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Post tags: china pv cells, china solar power, chinese solar panels, Solar Power, solar tariffs, solar tariffs china, SolarWorld, us commerce department china, us solar power

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Post tags: architecture catalonia, eco design, endesa, Green Building, Iaac, Solar Power, solar technology, spanish architecture, sustainable design

The world’s first Solar-Geothermal Hybrid power plant has been inaugurated in the town of Fallon, Nevada. Just ten months ago Nevada Senator Harry Reid announced that the addition of solar panels to the existing Stillwater geothermal plant would create the pioneering hybrid renewable energy facility, which can now produce 59MW of clean power, enough to power thousands of homes.

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Post tags: enel, energy secretary chu, Geothermal power, geothermal solar plant, harry reid, hybrid plant, nevada geothermal, nevada solar, Solar Power, solar-geothermal hybrid plant, stillwater geothermal solar plant

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

When driving along a sprawling motorway towards the UK city of Bristol at night, a massive glowing helicoidal tower welcomes visitors and locals. Installed in 2008, the tower, called Twist, was designed by acclaimed British artists Ackroyd & Harvey. With its light powered by the sun and the wind, the 65-foot high tower has become a permanent landmark in the Southwestern English city.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "wind power", Ackroyd & Harvey, bristol, green technology, grey slates, Recycled Materials, renewable energy, Solar Power, Twist

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

Read the rest of 100,000 Solar-Powered LEDs Flow Down the Sumida River in Tokyo

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Post tags: e-waste, Green Design Events, Japan, LED bulbs, LED lights, Solar Power, Sumida River, Taito Ward, Tokyo, Tokyo Hotaru Festival 2012, Tokyo Sky Tree

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Post tags: about:blank, Archeo-Park, archeological site, bus station, green space, MVRDV, neolitic dig, pedestrian plaza, rail terminal, rainwater collection, Solar Power, transit hub, Yenikapi Istanbul

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

Read the rest of Turanor PlanetSolar Solar Boat Completes its Trip Around the World

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Post tags: green boat, green transportation, PlanetSolar, Raphael Domjan, solar panels, Solar Power, solar powered boat, TÛRANOR PlanetSolar

At airports, the usable space is limited to a few areas: runways, terminals and storage facilities. Much of the rest of the land is left fallow, requiring maintenance from airport operators (mowing the grass, keeping wildlife from interfering with planes, etc). But what if that land could be used to generate energy? US Department of Agriculture researchers have been exploring alternative uses for unused airport land with the goal of reducing wildlife hazards, and in a new study they’ve shown that much of this land could be converted for solar, wind or biofuel production.

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Post tags: "clean energy", airports, biofuels, Dr. Travis DeVault, National Wildlife Research Center, renewable energy, solar farms, Solar Power, switchgrass, US Department of Agriculture, usda, Wildlife, wind energy

A prototype for a solar and wind power station that fits within a shipping container has placed a group of students from Princeton University among the winners of a national EPA-sponsored sustainable design competition. The Princeton students’ entry in the P3 Student Design Competition is a “rapidly deployable renewable energy system” for areas hit by disasters such as the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010 and left large areas without infrastructure.

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Post tags: "wind power", disaster recovery, Disaster Relief, disaster zone, emergency infrastructure, environmental protection agency, haiti earthquake, p3 compeition, people prosperity and planet, Power in a box, Princeton university, shipping container, Solar Power, student competition, sustainable deisgn

Wouldn’t it be great if you could charge your gadgets while waiting for the bus or relaxing on a bench? Magdalena Czapiewska, Karol Murlak and Zuzanna Lemieszek of Design lab, have taken this thought and turned it into a real life concept with their solar charging bench, Poznan. Built sturdy and practical, the modern bench will even heat your bottom on those especially brisk days!

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Post tags: alternative energy, bench, Design Lab, eco design, Electricity solar charging, Milan Furniture Fair, Perspectives Poznan, Salone del mobile, Solar Power, sustainable design

SoBi, created and founded by Ryan Rzepecki, is an affordable bike sharing system that makes it easy to rent a bike when you need it and doesn’t require dedicated docking stations or other infrastructure. SoBi bikes are fitted with with on-board computers, mobile communication systems, and GPS so that they can be easily located and reserved. Energy is gathered and stored as you pedal to power these systems, and when the bike is at rest, the solar panel on the top provides additional power.

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Post tags: bike sharing system, electric bike, gps bicycle, green design, green transportation, sobi, social bicycles, Solar Power, solar powered bicycle, sustainable design

Read the rest of Bridge Studio is a Solar-Powered Minimalist Artist Retreat on Fogo Island

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", art studio, artist studio, Daylighting, eco design, Fogo Island, fogo island art studios, fogo island arts corporation, green architecture, Green Building, green design, micro studio, saunders architects, saunders architecture, Shorefast Foundation, small space living, Solar Power, studio, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, Todd Saunders

In remote areas without access to fresh drinking water, there is often the dual concern of a lack of electricity — which is what makes French company Eole Water’s innovative wind turbine, the WMS1000, so intriguing. Eole’s modified turbine not only harnesses wind for energy, but includes a compressor similar to that of a dehumidifier, which pulls in air to generate condensation. The condensate is then harvested to produce up to 1000 liters of fresh, clean drinking water each day.

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Post tags: "wind power", "wind turbine", clean water, drinking water, eole water, green energy, green power, rural infrastructure, Solar Power, water scarcity, water wells, Wind Farms