The quest for more efficient solar cells is on. Currently the typical rate of conversion of sunlight into electricity is around 12% and in order to make solar power more competitive the industry works to increase this rate.

The scientific assumption is that there is a limit to the amount of energy that can be produced by a solar (more…)

We’ve all seen majestic images of solar arrays: row after row of shimmering solar panels converting the sun’s rays into clean, renewable energy. While these fixed installations are undeniably impressive, one thing they’re not is mobile.

No problem. Thanks to the intriguing work of some (more…)

Solar3D, a company that develops a three-dimensional solar cell technology to increase conversion efficiency, appeared on News and Fox Business Network last weekend. The article featured an interview with company’s CEO Jim Nelson.

Solar 3D employs the same principle of fiber optic (more…)

Solar power tends to be big because it covers a large amount of area with its panels. The world’s largest solar thermal power plant (by physical size) is nearly double the size of the original largest in Denmark — is now online in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the notion that this Saudi Arabia has a lot of oil and a lot of sunlight. As long as the sun shines this sort of power is virtually (more…)

For many villagers in rural areas of India, personal banking comes at a high cost. In addition to the expense of traveling to the nearest branch, often in distant cities, they must often forgo a day’s work. Vortex Engineering, a start-up incubated at Chennai’s Indian Institute of Technology, has come up with a solution that not only saves rural Indians the day’s (more…)

Water and wasterwater facilities in California, Arizona and Nevada will be enjoying the benefits of solar power thanks to a new partnership struck with Kennedy/Jenks. Water treatment is an energy-hungry method, therefore introducing clean, renewable energy can reduce its environmental footprint. (more…)

First Solar, Inc., the U.S.’s biggest solar manufacturer, will lay off 2,000 workers and close its German factory, citing what the company called fundamental changes to the industry and “deteriorating market conditions” in Europe.

The Arizona-based company, which had been the (more…)

A German startup has developed a new type of lightweight solar panel its developers say can be integrated into the design of buildings and even used in electricity-producing tinted windows.

Designed by Dresden-based Heliatek, the technology utilizes small, organic molecules in the (more…)

As noted in a previous post, solar patent litigation has begun to move upstream to encompass photovoltaic manufacturing equipment.

Some recent public statements by PV production equipment maker Silicon Genesis (SiGen) about startup equipment vendor Twin Creeks Technologies (more…)

Here’s an interesting piece by Marc Gunther, suggesting that subsidies for solar have been misapplied and have created weird market conditions. No argument from me there. Handing people money to do a certain thing is a guarantee that they’ll do exactly what you’ve asked them to do – and no more. (more…)