solar thermal
El Hierro: The World’s First Renewable Energy Island… or is It?
The tiny Spanish island of El Hierro has recently entered the spotlight and being dubbed "the world's first renewable energy energy. No one can deny that what's happening on El Hierro is amazing, but
New Solar-Thermal Flat Panels Are Eight Times More Efficient than Existing Technology
A team of researchers from Boston College and MIT have developed a hybrid flat panel that is capable of producing electricity from the sun’s rays as well as hot water for thermal energy. The
Swiss Chalet is World’s First Apartment Heated Exclusively by Solar Thermal
This apartment building in Upper Castle, Switzerland is the world’s first to be heated exclusively by solar thermal energy. The building borrows heavily from traditional Swiss chalet architecture
Heliotrope: The World’s First Energy Positive Solar Home
Look, up in the sky — it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Heliotrope! The brainchild of Architect Ralph Disch, this rotating solar home was the seed for the extraordinary Sonnenschiff Solar
Ultra-Efficient Wuppertal House Blazes a Trail at Solar Decathlon
Team Wuppertal brought an intimate but expansive vision to the Solar Decathlon Europe this year. Their sun-powered house is flanked by solar walls, capped by a solar roof, and provides multiple spaces to
Self-Sufficient Napevomo Solar Decathlon House
As the European Solar Decathlon heats up in Madrid, the Napevomo House is turning heads for its very unique tack on design. The team, composed mainly of students from Arts et Métiers Paris Tech, has
Space-Age Solar Urcomante House Debuts at Solar Decathalon Europe
The Urcomante Team didn’t have to travel very far for the European Solar Decathlon this week in Madrid, Spain — but their home’s design has taken sustainability a long way. The home’s
Stunning Green Family Home Set in the California Redwoods
Here is a house that we bet you wish you grew up in. Built for a large family and developed to reduce its environmental footprint, this home feels a lot like summer camp. Located on a twenty acre site in
Cobra Energy Plans Massive $1 Billion Solar Thermal Plant for Australia
We’ve seen our fair share of giant renewable energy projects, but we’re particularly intrigued by Cobra Energy‘s plan to construct a $1 billion, 250 MW solar plant in Australia. The
Brightsource Energy Gets $1.4 Billion Loan for Massive Solar Thermal Complex
Solar power got a big boost this week with news that the U.S. government is guaranteeing $1.37 billion in loans to BrightSource Energy for the construction of three solar thermal plants in the Mojave
National Solar Homes Tour Kicks Off This Weekend!
If you’re looking for something to do this Saturday, may we suggest checking out the amazing Solar Homes Tour, which will be happening this weekend in many cities around the country? The American
BIG Architects Unfold Origami-Skyscraper in Shenzhen China
The very fabric of skyscrapers is being reinvented now as architects and engineers look to make these dense urban buildings more sustainable. One of the biggest dilemmas they face is allowing for
Prefabricated Bridge House Crosses Creek Sustainably
Located on a site with some bumpy topography, the Bridge House floats on steel trusses that literally bridge the gap between two sloping hillsides. The owners of this home saw opportunity when they
Foster + Partners Break Ground on Virgin Galactic Spaceport
It’s an exciting time for space fanatics everywhere as construction recently began on the world’s first commercial space launch pad, Spaceport America. Designed by Foster + Partners, the
PVT Solar Panels Generate Heat and Electricity at the Same Time
PVT Solar is pioneering an ultra-efficient breed of solar panels that focus not just on incorporating better photovoltaic components, but also take the heat generated by the solar panels and use it to
Solar Energy Cogeneration Solution from SolarWall
Solar photovoltaics are, depending on the day, between 8-15% efficient meaning much of the sun’s energy’s is lost as heat. While solar thermal systems offer a way to harvest this heat energy
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