Latest Solar power and photovoltaics News

Kyocera reduces solar cell thickness by 20%

Kyocera has announced a new achievement in its solar cell manufacturing process that offers higher efficiency in its consumption of multicrystalline silicon, the essential raw material used to make photovoltaic solar cells and modules. The new mass-production process allows Kyocera to manufacture solar cells with a thickness of 180 micrometers using the latest advances in silicon ingot slicing and wafer coating. The industry’s standard mass-pr... [more]

New Solar Tower Technology for Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed a contract to procure an additional 245 megawatts of solar power for its customers with Pasadena, Calif.-based eSolar in the nation’s first commercial effort using power tower solar thermal technology. The project, which will be built in the Lancaster area of California, is expected to begin delivering energy in 2011, with a total of 105 megawatts of renewable solar power by 2012, ramping up to 245 m... [more]

Floatovoltaic solar array installed by Napa Valley wine producer

Napa Valley wine producer Far Niente was founded in Oakville, CA in 1885 and prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919, when the winery was abandoned. Oklahomans Gil and Beth Nickel revived the winery in 1979, restoring the estate to its original grandeur. Far Niente has now gone live with its “Floatovoltaic™” solar array. The Floatovoltaic installation, developed by Thompson Technology Industries, Inc. (TTI), couples solar power with ... [more]

Photovoltaic solar power system for Ironwood State Prison

Ironwood State Prison and SunEdison have announced the activation of a new 1.18 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted photovoltaic solar power system. The photovoltaic system, which will deliver 2.4 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean renewable energy in the first year of operation, was deployed through a public-private partnership between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and SunEdison, North America’s largest solar ... [more]

Masdar PV aims to become a global leader in thin-film photovoltaic solar technology

According to Deutsche Bank the current global PV market is worth US$15 billion and growing rapidly at 40% per year. Thin film PV is growing even faster, with an annual growth rate of 100% Masdar PV has announced a multi-billion dollar investment in thin-film photovoltaic solar technology, as part of its drive to become a world leader in alternative energy. The total investment of over US$2 billion represents one of the largest investments e... [more]

EcoFriend products and systems:
Renewable energy - Recycling and waste management - Sustainable development - Company news - Product news

Applications:
Home and residential - Offices and commercial - Industrial - Transportation -

Other Solar power and photovoltaics news and reviews

Sanders backs new solar power initiative (Brattleboro Reformer) BRATTLEBORO -- An idea to put 10 million solar panels on 10 million buildings in the United States is a good start, said an advocate for the replacement of fossil fuels and nuclear power with renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

Japanese Shell subsidiary plans solar-panel plant (CNET) Oil company turns to the sun, with plans to build a factory manufacturing thin-film solar panels with a cumulative yearly power generation capacity of 1 gigawatt.

Roofing firm goes solar for savings (Bradenton Herald) Flat, flexible shiny cells that harness the power of the sun may be the answer to a local roofing company's need to save on energy costs and pave the way to increasing its commercial sales.

Pushing the PV Envelope: Organic Solar Cells Moving into Production (Environmental News Network) Organic photovoltaic cells, including dye-sensitized cells (DSCs) - may be the ultimate when it comes to offering off-grid, micro-power generation. Initial small-scale technology and market tests — solar chargers for mobile phones in Africa, for example - are under way as researchers continue to try to find ways to boost solar energy conversion efficiencies — which now surpass 5% for small ...

The Sunny Side of the Street: Investing in Solar (GreenBiz) Solar energy is clean energy's rising star, leading the pack in renewable energy investments last year. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reports that 254 megawatts of photovoltaic and concentrating solar power were installed in 2007. The solar energy sector has grown substantially over the past 25 years.

Ausra's Las Vegas solar thermal plant comes online (CNET) The desert factory is supposed to make enough solar equipment to power the equivalent of nearly half a million homes.

Solar-curtain "soft house" plan proposed by MIT prof (The Register) Soft buildings: require no foundation of hard facts Architect Watch Heavens be praised* - the energy security/climate/fuel-price crisis has been solved by an MIT professor. Remarkably, not a professor of engineering or science either - but an architecture prof. Sheila Kennedy and her partner Frano Violich - assisted by other architects - have designed a "soft house" powered by "energy ...

Israel invests in clean tech as energy crunch looms (The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles) At a lab in Rehovot, the man who developed the Arrow missile is consumed with his next mission: making Israel energy independent by using cheap solar power.

Greens pick holes in climate plan (The Telegraph) New Delhi, July 5: India’s action plan on climate change exposes a lack of ambition compared with China’s plan to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, an environmental group has said.

REGION: Permit sought for world's largest solar farm (North County Times) Proponents of what would be the world's largest solar farm told state regulators Monday they want to build thousands of mirrored dishes in the desert that would make electricity from sunshine and use it to cool and light homes and businesses in San Diego County.