Solar News

As you might already know, I’m big on solar power and see it as a no-brainer technology for supplying our energy needs.  Solar power is the original energy source for everything on Earth. Without the Sun, there would be practically no life on our world. Animals rely on plants for food, and plants rely on the Sun for food. If almost all the life on Earth uses the Sun to recharge, why not use the Sun for our electricity needs also? It is capable of providing more than the whole world uses today.

Much progress has already been made in bringing solar technology closer to your doorstep.  Below you can read about how solar is making an impact, and why solar is the way to go.

This Week’s Solar Energy Headlines from Alternative Energy News

• Barcelona’s Solar House 2.0 Pavilion Built With Modular Photovoltaic Panel Roof May 21, 2012
• Fluor Completes Polysilicon Plant in China for LDK Solar May 21, 2012
• Ascent Solar and Shenzhen Radiant Enterprise Enter Strategic Alliance with Leading China Railway Design Agency May 21, 2012
• Momentive Performance Materials Expands SilTRUST* Technology Solutions For Solar Module Production May 21, 2012
• KYOCERA to Supply 34 Megawatts of U.S.-Made Solar Modules for Utility-Scale Installation May 21, 2012
• Martifer Solar USA, Inc.: 100 MW Estimated Pipeline for 2012 May 21, 2012
• Shanghai-Listed Sunrain Leads the New Development of the Solar Thermal Industry May 21, 2012
• San Lorenzo Unified School District and Chevron Energy Solutions Announce Completion of Solar Energy Project May 21, 2012
• JinkoSolar Selected to Supply 50MW for GSHHSD Solar Project in China May 21, 2012
• Ideal Power Converters Reaches Compliance and Certification Milestone With CEC Listing May 21, 2012
• AIMS Power, Leader in Power Inverter Technologies Launches a New 60 Watt Solar Panel May 21, 2012
• Students Prepare to Install Solar Panels in Rural Tibetan Clinic May 21, 2012
• Solar Power Case for Ipad May 21, 2012
• The Stillwater Energy Plant in Nevada is the World’s First Solar-Geothermal Hybrid Facility May 21, 2012
• Look Who’s Going Solar in California May 21, 2012
• Bright future for solar power from space May 20, 2012
• Student Accommodations To Be Powered With Solar Energy May 18, 2012
• Anti-Dumping Duties against ‘Big China Solar’ Step toward Restoring Industry Competition May 18, 2012
• Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor Reaction to Preliminary U.S. Department of Commerce Determination Regarding Solar Tariffs May 18, 2012
• GT Advanced Technologies Announces Orders Totaling $8 Million for DSS™450 MonoCast™ Upgrades and DSS™450HP Furnaces to Taiwan-based Utech Solar Corporation May 18, 2012
• Arista Power to Present at Storage Week 2012 May 18, 2012
• Suntech Response To Preliminary Decision on Tariffs In The Antidumping Investigation of PV Cells From China Source May 18, 2012
• Yingli Green Energy Responds to U.S. Department of Commerce's Preliminary Decision on Anti-Dumping Tariffs for Chinese Solar Cells and Modules Source May 18, 2012
• Trina Solar Statement on Preliminary Determination of Antidumping Duty in the United States Source May 18, 2012
• SolarMax Technology Approved by WRCOG for Energy Efficiency HERO Financing Program May 18, 2012
• Jobs In Solar: PV Solar Electric Journeyman (Denver CO) May 18, 2012
• Saudi Arabia's $109 Billion Plan Will Make It World's Solar Giant May 17, 2012
• ISO Helps Advance Mini-Solar Plants and Other Distributed Generation May 17, 2012
• First Solar and SunPower Look to Benefit From Saudi Arabia's $109 Billion Solar Plan May 17, 2012
• GT Advanced Technologies Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012 Results May 17, 2012

This Week’s Solar News from Renewable Energy World

• Yesterday's Solar Eclipse – Tomorrow's Healthy Solar Industry May 21, 2012
• Asia Report: Solar Stocks Tumble After Tariff Ruling May 21, 2012
• Will SolarWorld's Brand be Helped or Harmed by the China Trade Dispute? May 21, 2012
• Will Chinese Solar Module Tariffs Restore Balance to the Industry? May 18, 2012
• Apple to Power 3 Data Centers with 100 Percent Renewable Energy May 18, 2012
• NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar May 30th & 31st May 18, 2012
• Are IT Data Centers Emerging as a 'Killer App' for Green Power? Part 1 May 17, 2012
• 31 Percent Anti-Dumping Tariffs Announced for Chinese Solar Panels May 17, 2012
• Domestic Module Manufacturing: PV Globalization or Political Vote-Seeking? May 17, 2012
• Can the Voice of Solar Shine Brighter? May 17, 2012
• Mission Critical: A Clean Energy Call to Arms May 17, 2012
• Rethinking the Role of Government in Cleantech May 17, 2012
• Five Shining Examples of Renewable Energy Innovation and Investment May 17, 2012
• Proposed New Jersey Solar Bill May Not Solve SREC Woes May 16, 2012
• Solar FIT Fallout: Germany's Environment Minister Forced Out May 16, 2012
• Senate Democrats: Exclude Chinese Solar Panels From ITC May 15, 2012
• Pallets of PV: Communities Purchase Solar and Drive Down Costs Together May 15, 2012
• Asia Report: Solar Dumping Announcement Set for May 17 May 15, 2012
• Saudi Arabia Launches Massive Renewable Program with Hybrid FITs May 15, 2012
• A Review of Arizona's Generous Utility and State Subsidies for Solar Hot Water May 15, 2012

Solar Technology News from Science Daily

• Bright future for solar power from space May 16, 2012
• Tiny solar-panel-like cells help restore sight to the blind May 13, 2012
• Solar power to dye for: Flexible lightweight inexpensive dyes could harvest energy from sun May 10, 2012
• Optimal planning of solar power plants May 10, 2012
• Use of public and private dollars for scaling up clean energy needs a reality check, say scholars May 1, 2012
• Liquid solar cells can be painted onto surfaces April 25, 2012
• Graphene boosts efficiency of next-gen solar cells April 25, 2012
• Scientists discover bilayer structure in efficient solar material April 24, 2012
• Solar cell that also shines: Luminescent 'LED-type' design breaks efficiency record April 19, 2012
• Nanotube electrodes improve solar cells April 17, 2012
• Structure of printable electronics revealed April 15, 2012
• Artificial photosynthesis breakthrough: Fast molecular catalyzer April 12, 2012
• Electronics: Low-temperature method could 'grow' transparent zinc oxide films for displays and solar cells April 12, 2012
• Bright future for alternative energy with greener solar cells April 9, 2012
• Listening to the radio even in an electric vehicle April 4, 2012
• Advanced power-grid research finds low-cost, low-carbon future in Western U.S. April 3, 2012
• Electricity and carbon dioxide used to generate alternative fuel March 29, 2012
• New dimension for solar energy: Innovative 3-D designs more than double the solar power generated per area March 27, 2012
• Butterfly wings' 'art of blackness' could boost production of green fuels March 26, 2012
• Slime mold mimics Canadian highway network March 26, 2012
• Plasma flows may shed light on predicting sunspot cycles March 23, 2012
• Brown liquor and solar cells to provide sustainable electricity March 22, 2012
• Focus on technology overlooks human behavior when addressing climate change March 19, 2012
• Dye-sensitized solar cells that use carbon nanotube thin films as transparent electrodes offer significant cost savings March 14, 2012
• NASA's Goddard, Glenn Centers look to lift space astronomy out of the fog March 13, 2012
• Developing sustainable power February 28, 2012
• Only the lowest carbon dioxide emitting technologies can avoid a hot end-of-century February 16, 2012
• Low-carbon technologies 'no quick-fix': May not lessen global warming until late this century February 16, 2012
• Engineers create tandem polymer solar cells that set record for energy-conversion February 13, 2012
• New battery could lead to cheaper, more efficient solar energy February 9, 2012

Solar News from Solar Panels Power

• Residential Solar Panels for Free May 18, 2012
• Solar Powered iPad Case from Kudo May 12, 2012
• Solar Panel Kits for Eco-Friendly Homeowners May 2, 2012
• Most Americans Overestimate the Cost of Solar Panels April 29, 2012
• A Guide to Solar Panels April 23, 2012
• Reasons to Switch to Solar Power April 11, 2012
• What is a Solar Power Purchase Agreement? April 2, 2012
• Rooftop Solar Power: The Best Places to Install Solar Panels March 20, 2012
• Easy to Install Residential Solar Panels by Sharp: SunSnap March 13, 2012
• How do you Install Solar Panels on a Roof? March 6, 2012

Solar News from SolarPower.org

• Native American Community Plans 30-MW Solar Installation on Tribal Land April 27, 2012
• Tenaska Closes 130 MW Solar Energy Center South Power Plant April 10, 2012
• New Program in Colorado to Encourage Solar Energy March 2, 2012
• For Sale: Solyndra February 24, 2012