Tokelau islands, a territory of New Zealand consisting of three atolls, has become the world’s first nation to get all of its electricity from solar power.

Before making the switch to solar, the territory — with a population of about 1,500 people — was entirely dependent on diesel for their electricity generation.

Diesel, apart from being environmentally unfriendly, also cost the islands, which lie about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, around NZ$1.0 million ($825,000) a year.

This change to renewables would allow Tokelau to switch money from fuel purchases to social welfare projects.

For Tokelau, this milestone is of huge importance for their continued well-being.

New Zealand spent $7 million on the solar project.

Sure, it might seem like a minor feat with only 1,500 people living on the islands — about the size of tiny town. But consider this: how many towns with small populations can say they are 100 percent solar?

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Spain’s ULMA Agrícola consortium and Tecnalia research center have developed a photovoltaic solar panel for greenhouses that generates electricity without an adverse effect on the crops growing inside.

Read More: http://cleantechnica.com/2012/01/16/new-pv-panel-shows-promise-for-solar-green-house-in-spain-source/

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Faced with plummeting prices for photovoltaic modules, General Electric has stopped work on what was to be the U.S.’s largest solar factory to return to the lab to retool the cadmium-telluride thin-film technology it aims to sell to developers of solar power plants. “Over the last six months with all the [...] - http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/2012/07/03/ge-halts-work-on-the-u-s-s-biggest-solar-factory-to-return-to-the-lab/

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Solar Cell that Shines in Order to Produce More Electricity (Record-Breaking Technology) - CleanTechnica - http://cleantechnica.com/2012/04/23/solar-cell-that-shines-in-order-to-produce-more-electricity-innovative-research-record-breaking-technology/?utm_source=dlvr.it

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The Monarch Lotus has been designed to look like a lotus flower. It is meant to capture the solar energy and aid in generating electricity, providing hot water to small hotels or homes. The lotus is capable of generating 2KW , sufficient for an average household. http://www.monarch-power.com/blog/2012/02/28/introducing-the-monarch-lotus/

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Waste warriors is a group of professional Environmentalists engaged in creating a clean and green environment with social awareness.
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We would like to have your support in developing CDM Projects and work on developing actual  data on emissions management with respect to the benefits of a Decentralized…

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Snow Lizard has unveiled their AQUA TEK S case for iPhone 4 and 4S, the first that is battery-charged, waterproof and solar-powered for outdoor adventures.

This case isn't a thin, sleek case for keeping in your pocket, it's made for people who take their phones into more extreme situations and need a little more padding. The case is built from thick, dirt-resistant poly-carbonate with rubber grips and it is waterproof up to 20 feet. It features a built-in battery that can be recharged by the solar panel on the back of the phone. All of the phone's features and controls -- camera, volume, speakers and display -- are still accessible when using the case, meaning you can finally put the improved 4S camera to the test with some underwater photos.

http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/solar-powered-waterproof-iphone-case-backpackers-dream.html?campaign=daily_nl

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Apple $ 1 billion data center in Maiden, North Carolina, will have a 20 MW solar installation, located on 100 acres which will supply 42 million kWh of renewable energy each year. Apple is also building a 5 MW fuel cell installation adjacent to the data center, which will be powered by 100% biogas and provide more than 40 million kWh of baseload renewable energy annually.

The facility has already earned the LEED Platinum certification. The data centre’s chilled water storage system is designed to improve chiller efficiency by transferring 10,400 kWh of electricity consumption from peak to off-peak hours every day. Outside air is funneled into the building at night and during cool-weather hours. Use of outside air and the water storage system allows the chillers to be turned off more than 75% of the time.

The data centre also boosts white cool-roof to reflect sun, high-efficiency LED lighting equipped with motion sensors, and power distributed at higher voltages to increase efficiency by reducing power loss.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/apple-reveals-details-on-solar-powered-data-center/13294

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ATC Solar Curve Bus Stop concept is being developed by Studio Mango for the city Noord-Brabant, Netherlands, which would allow inductive charging technology at existing bus stops, which will enable electric buses to recharge each time they stop to pick up passengers.

The concept calls for installation of 15.5 meters of solar panels on top of a bus stop’s roof, which would convert sunlight to solar power throughout the day. The curved roof would be sufficiently tilted down to enable wireless energy transfer to buses using inductive charging, which employs the use of an electromagnetic field to transfer energy.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/transportation/wireless-solar-charging-for-electric-buses/1422

in Solar PV Electric, Hybrid and Plug in Hybrid Electric Cars Buses and Cleantech

Andreas Mershin, a research scientist in the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, noticed that while most of the pines had bare trunks and a canopy of branches only at the very top, a few had small branches all the way down the length of the trunk, capturing any sunlight that trickled down from above. He decided to create a microscopic forest on a chip, with PS-I coating his “trees” from top to bottom.

Turning that insight into a practical device took years of work, but in the end Mershin was able to create a tiny forest of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires as well as a sponge-like titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructure coated with the light-collecting material derived from bacteria. The nanowires not only served as a supporting structure for the material, but also as wires to carry the flow of electrons generated by the molecules down to the supporting layer of material, from which it could be connected to a circuit. “It’s like an electric nanoforest,” he says.

Read More - http://www.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/biosolar-0203.html

in Solar PV Biotechnology Biomimicry

More than a billion people worldwide lack access to electricity. The best way to bring it to them — while reducing greenhouse gas emissions — is to launch a global initiative to provide solar panels and other forms of distributed renewable power to poor villages and neighborhoods.

If we want the poor to benefit from electricity we cannot wait for the grid, and we cannot rely on fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency, historically a grid-centric, establishment voice, admits that half of those without electricity today will never be wired. The government of India estimates that two-thirds of its non-electrified households need distributed power.

Fortunately, the historic barriers to getting distributed renewable power to scale in poor villages and neighborhoods are rapidly being dismantled by progress in technology, finance, and business models. Getting 1.2 billion people local solar power they can afford is within grasp — if we only think about the problem in a different way. In fact, the world can finish this job by 2020.

Read More: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/solar_power_off_the_grid_energy_access_for_worlds_poor/2480/

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Despite uncertainties in the solar energy market, New York officials should support the “steady and measured growth” of solar power in the state as part of a balanced renewable energy strategy, a new report recommends.

Read More: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/new-yorks-solar-balance-sheet/

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Deals for 'new generation' renewable technologies – wind, solar, biomass - are entering the big time driving the market to new record highs, reports PwC in its annual global analysis of merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in the renewable sector.

Some of the main points include:

• Total renewables deal value leaps 40% worldwide, driven by industry shake-out

• Reappraisal of nuclear post Fukushima gives extra boost to renewables' generation and prospects

Read More: http://press.pwc.com/GLOBAL/News-releases/renewables-ma-hits-new-record-highs/s/ce2bd04f-23cb-493e-b5c9-7813bb13423e

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A thin-film system harvests energy from wasted light in an OLED display. Image credit: Arokia Nathan (via IEEE)

With the world’s showroom floors crammed with prototype smartphones promising advanced functions, bigger displays, stunning resolution, wouldn’t you think the biggest crowd-pleasers would dominate? The ultimate attraction in a smartphone, the one that never has to be charged again? This ultimate solution at least has scientists working toward that end, to bring in an easier time where users will not need to worry about the batteries wearing out.

Read More: http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-01-cambridge-team-solar-cells-oled.html

in Solar PV Thin Film Solar Cells

Since the time of Edison, the solution to increased demand for power has been to build more power plants. But not only is it impractical to continue building expensive and unpopular generating capacity, it is increasingly straining antiquated and inefficient electricity grids. Rather than build both capacity and transmission, a recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Energy Initiative has proposed an ambitious “third-way” that pushes for the deployment of tens of thousands of megawatts installed on millions of residential and commercial buildings.

Read More: http://www.txchnologist.com/2012/power-to-the-people-rooftop-renewables-are-the-future-of-power-generation

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The ‘Sun-Root’ living green roof system optimizes Photovoltaic (PV) element energy production by creating a cooler surrounding micro-climate through evaporation and evapotranspiration.

“Heat is the enemy of energy production.” said Jorg Breuning. “Any time atmospheric temperatures on a roof begin to rise PV elements lose their efficiency and can shut down if temperatures rise too high. We sought a way to counteract this negative phenomenon by combining solar modules with an extensive green roof. People have been using green roofs for centuries to keep their roofs cool in the summers and warmer in the winter. It was a no-brainer combination.”

Read More: http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/01/green-roof-plants-help-solar-panels-chill/

in Solar PV Green Buildings

This solar generator can run all of your essential electrical devices and it even has room for expansion with the option for doubling your backup power capacity. This solar generator home system includes: an inverter, 140 watt solar panel, 10 amp charge controller, battery storage and cabling to provide a system that can be used for back-up or stand alone household power for emergency outages or off-grid outbuilding applications.

Read More: http://www.earthtechproducts.com/1800-watt-solar-generator.html

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Recycled aluminum, colored lucite and solar panels were used to fabricate this powerful 15 ft. tall Sun-Catcher sculpture for Sculpture360: Season IV in the City of Clearwater, Florida. The solar panel installed on the top panel of the sun totem - captures the energy of the sun during the day and emits its dramatic stored light at night. The Sun-Catcher is thus, a visual display of the power and energy that’s available every day from a single solar panel’s relationship with the sun.

Read More: http://www.deedeemorrisonsculpture.com/portfolio/Portfolio/25/Sun-Catcher

in Solar PV Sustainable Homes and Communities

Aidan's exploration in the woods uncovered a mystery of science and he designed a fascinating tree solar collector as a result of his discoveries. After studying how trees branch in a very specific way, Aidan Dwyer created a solar cell tree that produces 20-50% more power than a uniform array of photovoltaic panels.

Read more: http://inhabitat.com/13-year-old-makes-solar-power-breakthrough-by-harnessing-the-fibonacci-sequence/

in Solar PV Sustainable Homes and Communities Biomimicry

Making solar cells involves subjecting silicon wafers to temperatures in excess of 1,000 °C. The process normally involves the use of heating elements, and requires a lot of energy.

A new optical furnace developed by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, heats up solar wafers by focusing light on them—a much more efficient process that uses about half the energy of a conventional furnace.

Read More: http://www.technologyreview.in/energy/39314/

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