U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the 20 collegiate teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 and unveiled the competition’s location, the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. The 20 teams … Continue reading →

As part of the DOE’s SunShot Initiative, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced two opportunities that will engage innovative scientific thinkers from the nation’s top universities to drive transformational research in solar energy. To advance promising utility-scale solar energy technologies, DOE … Continue reading →

A team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame has made a major advance toward creating an inexpensive “solar paint” that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy. A one-coat solar paint can be formulated by incorporating power-producing nanoparticles, called … Continue reading →

General Electric has announced plans to build a new solar panel factory in Aurora, CO, which is close to its recently acquired thin-film solar technology company called PrimeStar Solar.  The plant will feature Cadmium Teluride thin film photovoltaics. CdTe photovoltaics … Continue reading →

Scientists at the University of Minnesota have created a layered design for dye-sensitized solar cells – using a titanium dioxide-based cell that is less expensive than traditional silicon cells and boosts efficiency by up to 26%.  Current dye sensitized cells … Continue reading →

Solar statistics: The United States has 1.4 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, ranking it fifth globally Total revenue of photovoltaic cell and module shipments grew nearly 3% in 2009, from $3.34 billion in 2008 to $3.43 billion During 2009, … Continue reading →

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative, Energy Secretary Steven Chu was joined by Lynn Jurich, the president and co-founder of the solar power company SunRun, and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman to announce $12 million in … Continue reading →

According to former NASA manager of Advanced Concepts Studies Office of Space Flight , John C. Mankins, space-based solar power (SSP) systems could be capable of meeting the energy needs of millions of people.  Mankins believes the technology could be … Continue reading →

The DOE announced up to $7 million to reduce the non-hardware costs of residential and commercial solar energy installations. Made available through the SunShot Incubator Program, this funding will support the development of tools and approaches that reduce non-hardware, or … Continue reading →

A new study by Stanford University researchers finds that cool solar reflective roofs may not help in reducing global climate change. The work authored by Mark Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering states that the urban heat island effect” … Continue reading →

Researchers at University of Michigan have discovered a method using magnetic components of light to generate electricity without using semiconductors or photovoltaic panels.  In their work,  they found that light is composed of electric and magnetic waves, and when light … Continue reading →

Panasonic Corp is dropping their plan to convert a television panel factory in Japan into a solar panel factory. The decision is based on the industry price war and a strong yen that is making exports less competitive.

Italy’s total installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity is expected to rise to 12.0-12.5 GW by the end of 2011, but the growth will slow next year according to the chairman of industry body GIFI.

General Electric announced that it will soon begin construction on the nation’s largest thin-film solar manufacturing plant and initially employ about 355 people.  The PrimeStar Solar facility aims to produce 400 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity annually using cadmium telluride (CdTe) … Continue reading →

In the wake of the bankruptcy declaration by Solyndra, the Department of Energy approved two loan guarantees worth more than $1 billion for solar energy projects in Nevada and Arizona. The department has completed a $737-million loan guarantee to Tonopah … Continue reading →

UC Berkeley researchers laid the groundwork for potentially developing more energy-efficient solar cells in a new study published Sept. 15 in the journal Physical Review Letters. In the past, researchers have focused on looking at domains — the crystal surface … Continue reading →

California based Solyndra announced that it was suspending operations and filing for bankruptcy protection because it was unable to compete with larger competitors.  This announcement came shortly after two other US companies, Evergreen Solar and SpectraWall also filed for bankruptcy … Continue reading →

Toys “R” Us will be making the largest rooftop PV installation in North America. The 5.38 megawatt system will occupy almost 870,000 square feet and generate approximately 70% of the building’s electricity needs. The installation uses thin film PV producing … Continue reading →

Ford Motors and SunPower are partnering to offer a 2.5 kW rooftop solar system on a Ford electric vehicle. Ford will reportedly also include two charging stations with the purchase of a Focus. The 240-volt home charging stations will be … Continue reading →

SunPower’s metal roofing panels have a smaller footprint but generate 50% more electricity, according to the company. The system is expected to support a customer driving about 1000 miles per month. The cost to the homeowner is expected to be … Continue reading →

Scalo Solar Solutions, which has installed four solar-power roof systems in its first year, has created a $1 million Sunscape Demonstration Project on the roof of its headquarters in Thornburg, PA. The project shows solar technology to potential customers and … Continue reading →

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the offer of a conditional commitment to provide a partial guarantee for a $1.4 billion loan to support Project Amp. This project will support the installation of solar panels on industrial buildings across … Continue reading →

According to the Journal of Advanced and High-Performance Materials, a new form of photovoltaics holds the promise for lighter weight and more flexibility. “Sphelar”, manufacturered by Kyosemi, has the durability and reliability of conventional silicon-based PV yet the micro-spherical shape … Continue reading →

An experiment at the University of Michigan has revealed that when light travels through a material that does not conduct electricity; the light field produces magnetic effects that are 100 million times stronger than previously expected. This means that an … Continue reading →

As part of the Obama Administration’s SunShot Initiative to make solar energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels within the decade, U.S. Department of Energy announced the availability of more than $27 million in new funding that will reduce the non-hardware costs … Continue reading →

Scientists at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, announced a flexible solar cell made of CIGS with a light conversion efficiency of 18.7%. That is a new world record and about 1% higher that the previous … Continue reading →

Albuquerque-based Unirac now offers installers mobile apps for its aluminum and steel mounts for photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays. The free products are available for users of Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch but could be developed for Google’s Android and … Continue reading →

United Solar Ovonic LLC has introduced PowerShingle, an integrated PV system into asphalt shingle roofing. It is expected to be commercially available in mid 2011.  The product contains  193 mm wide strips of conventional roofing material with laminated 143 mm … Continue reading →

The DOE is initiating a new effort to reduce solar costs and stimulate international competition.  The department will spend $27 million on projects aimed at reducing costs up to 75%.  The projects will advance the development, commercialization and manufacturing of … Continue reading →

As part of the SunShot Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the selection of up to $112.5 million over five years for funding to support the development of advanced solar photovoltaic (PV)-related manufacturing processes throughout the United … Continue reading →

Researchers at Wake Forest University have developed a new type of polymer solar-thermal device that combines photovoltaics with a system that captures the Sun’s infrared radiation to generate heating. By taking advantage of both heat and light, researchers say the … Continue reading →

A recent report from Pike Research indicates that the worldwide solar energy market has experienced dramatic change in the past few years.  The industry has shifted from a supply-driven business with unsustainably high module selling prices to demand-driven with cost … Continue reading →

Two new reports recommend ways to overcome hurdles to achieving net-zero emissions in commercial buildings. Barriers include cost and a reliance on prescriptive, instead of performance-based energy codes. The rports, commissioned by the DOE, represent input from more than 430 … Continue reading →

A new manufacturing method that incorporates laser technology may result in thin film solar panels that are less expensive and more efficient than anything presently on the market. Currently, a stylus is used to mechanically etch microchannels into such panels, … Continue reading →

If PV modules could produce electricity with less cells, then their prices would come down. In order for panels to be able to do so using existing cell technology, however, they would need to get more light to the fewer … Continue reading →

ClearEdge Power is reporting that residential fuel cells are a good alternative to solar panels for onsite power because they take less space, don’t depend on sun exposure, and, as a combined heat and power product, are efficient. Its fuel … Continue reading →

Combining rooftop solar power with cool roofing has benefits.  According to an article in Architecture Week, a company reports that the output of its solar power system when combined with a cool roof increases 20% due to the improved collection … Continue reading →

A team of scientists from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI Corp. and Kyoto University have announced plans to begin testing of a space-based solar powered generation technology.  Sunlight in space would be converted … Continue reading →

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced additional details of the Department of Energy’s “SunShot” initiative to reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75% so that they are cost competitive at large scale with other … Continue reading →

A DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report released in December 2010 states that the price of installed solar photovoltaic power systems in the US declined sharply in 2010.  A spokesman for San Diego Gas and Electric states that “PV has … Continue reading →

By using carbon nanotubes and DNA, scientists at Purdue University have developed solar technology aimed at increasing service life and reducing cost.  The researchers say they’ve produced a new class of solar cells that can repair themselves much like plants … Continue reading →

In other research, scientists have developed a solar cell capable of collecting multiple electrons for each high-energy photon absorbed.  They have also found a way to directly measure the electron output. Conventional solar cells convert one wavelength of light efficiently, … Continue reading →

DOE has finalized a $400 million loan guarantee for Abound Solar Manufacturing, LLC to manufacture state-of-the-art thin-film solar panels, the agency announced on December 14. The Abound Solar project represents the fifth America Recovery and Reinvestment Act project to close … Continue reading →

Wiley Publishing has released “Photovoltaic Design and Installation for Dummies”.  The book is authored by Ryan Mayfield, president of Corvallis, OR-based Renewable Energy Associates.   The step-by-step guide provides information on the components of a PV system and the final working … Continue reading →

A federal government study concluded that by 2015 the cost of generating power from rooftop solar panels will be the same as the cost of power from the electrical grid.  The study also found that the cost could even become … Continue reading →

According to the 2009 Solar Industry Year in Review report from the Solar Energies Industry Association, the price per watt of PV modules dropped 40% in 2009. The price in mid 2008 was $3.50-$4.00 per watt and it dropped to … Continue reading →

As an example of the growing use of solar power, the Shiken Company, based in Japan, is developing a solar-powered toothbrush. The device features a solar panel in its base that produces about the same amount of power that a … Continue reading →

Underwriters Laboratories launched a training and certification program for solar system installers. The Raleigh NC campus will offer training and personnel certification programs in categories like general laboratory technology, PV testing, National Electric Code, electric vehicles and fire safety.

Solar power In the U.S. is presently a minor contributor of electricity, but it is significantly increasing in residential installations.  The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) estimates that the residential photovoltaic market in the U.S. doubled in 2009. The price … Continue reading →

Pres. Obama announced an initiative to provide $2 billion for new solar plants. The two companies that will initially receive the money from the president’s  economic stimulus are Abengoa Solar, which will build one of the world’s largest solar plants … Continue reading →

Manufacturing costs of PV have dropped 20% with every doubling in volume.  A new process from SunFab was introduced in 2007.  Based on flat screen television technology, it uses nanotechnology to turn thin pieces of glass the size of a … Continue reading →

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Department will invest more than $200 million over five years to expand and accelerate the development, commercialization, and use of solar and water power technologies throughout the United States. The … Continue reading →

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $10 million over five years for two organizations to help accelerate the adoption of solar energy among local governments. The selected organizations, the International City-County Management Association (ICMA), and International Council … Continue reading →

NRCA University is offering a one-day technical seminar for roofing contractors involved in rooftop photovoltaic installation. The seminar is titled “Rooftop Photovoltaics: Energizing Your Business” and is targeting those who are involved in design, installation or maintenance of PV roof … Continue reading →

IBM is reporting that they have made a breakthrough in solar cell research that allows for the production of thin film solar cells with  efficiencies of 9.6 percent, or 40 percent higher than the previous effort with comparable materials. The … Continue reading →

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM have reportedly created microscopic silicon solar cells that use 100 times less material and operate at 14.9% efficiency which is similar to traditional solar cells.  The cells are 0.25-1 mm in diameter and can … Continue reading →

A new Nevada law, Assembly Bill 186, makes it easier for companies to lease renewable systems such as solar panels to public and private entities. The law went into effect on October 1, 2009.  AB 186 makes it legal in … Continue reading →

SolarReserve, a Santa Monica, CA company, has announced the Rice Solar Energy Project to be built in the Sonoran Desert east of Palm Springs.  As many as 17,500 large mirrors, each 24’ x 28’, will be attached to 12’ high … Continue reading →

DuPont announced plans to invest more than $120 million to expand production of chemical films for photovoltaic modules.

NASA is investing $20.6 million in a new building that is expected to be the most sustainably built project the federal government has ever constructed.  The building will have 20,000 square feet of rooftop mounted photovoltaic panels.

The US Army is moving forward with plans to build a solar farm in the Mojave Desert.  The Army hired Clark Energy Group and Acciona Solar Power to install photovoltaics and concentrating solar technology. Construction costs are expected to reach … Continue reading →

Solar Roadways, an Idaho-based startup, has received a $100,000 contract from the US Department of Transportation to build a prototype of structurally engineered solar panels that can be driven on. This is in response to Energy Secretary Chu’s call for … Continue reading →

The Associated Press reports that solar panel prices have declined over 30% from 1998 to 2008 because of lower manufacturing nd installation costs. State and local incentives have helped in this as well. Analysis are forecasting a 8-10% drop in … Continue reading →

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) has launched Photovoltaics and Roofing on their NRCA University website. This is an online educational program that examines PV applications on rooftops.  The program takes one hour to complete, focusing on the basic components … Continue reading →

Fremont, CA based Solyndra Inc introduced a cylindrical solar cells that are designed to catch more light as it hits rooftops from many different directions. The development was announced in January 2009. The tubes are covered in photovoltaic materials. Since … Continue reading →

Global production of photovoltaic panels increased by 51% in 2007, according to the Worldwatch Institute.  In the U.S., the overall share of the total global production fell, despite an increase of 48%. This points to the fact that photovoltaics are … Continue reading →

Q-Cells in Germany is moving faster to industrialize the production of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells – 150 million in 2008.  They are projecting to double their production in 2009.  Their cost per watt is unmatched among PV manufacturers due to … Continue reading →

According to Earth Policy Institute, the use of photovoltaic (PV) systems has been growing by an average of nearly 50% each year since 2002, and production has doubled every two years. This growth makes PV energy the world’s fastest growing … Continue reading →

MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power- storing energy for use when the sun is not shining. Prior to this discovery, storing extra solar energy for later use has been cost prohibitive and very inefficient. The … Continue reading →