Solar power

Flying a Solar Plane Around the World Takes One Hell of a Ground Crew

In about half an hour, the Solar Impulse solar-powered plane is going to touch down in Hawaii, at the end of a record-setting flight across the Pacific. Attention and praise are quite rightly going to be heaped on pilot André Borschberg, who will have been peeing into a funnelfor 120 hours straight. But behind the…

Solar Impulse Broke the Nonstop Solo Flight Record Today

Earlier today, pilot André Borschberg set the record for the longest nonstop solo flight, while completing the ambitious Pacific leg of the Solar Impulse’s journey around the world. On Monday, the sun-powered Solar Impulse plane set off on what would become a 120 hour-plus flight from Nagoya, Japan, to Hawaii. Now, over 76 hours into…

This Massive Solar Farm Shows That Some Things Can Grow In The Desert

China began construction on its first large-scale solar power station in August 2009. These striking before-and-after satellite images show the extent to which this solar farm has expanded in the Gobi Desert over the course of that time. These solar farms are located on the outskirts of Dunhuang in northwestern China’s Gansu Province. The image…

You Can Take this Little Wind and Solar Powered Home Anywhere

If life in a future megacity isn’t for you, your hour of escape is fast approaching. Especially if you don’t mind living alone in a 14 x 7 x 7-foot pod. Well, what if I told you the view was fantastic? Ecocapsule, which calls itself “the first truly independent micro-home,” is a new, teeny tiny…

Watch Tesla Announce Its Incredible Batteries Tonight At 11:30 PM EDT

Elon Musk will take the stage at Tesla’s design studio tonight at 11:30 pm EDT to announce the company’s newest products: a highly anticipated battery for home use as well as a more mysterious “utility-scale” battery. And you can watch it all live here. We’ll post updates from the event, but until then, here’s the…

California Farmers Without Water Are Installing Solar Panels Instead

Due to the unprecedented drought, many of California’s farmers won’t be allocated any water this year, thanks to the way that the state’s water rights work. But what actually happens to the farms that don’t get water? Some of the farmers are ditching produce altogether for a more profitable alternative to crops—they’re installing solar farms.…

Tesla’s New Battery Could Solve One of Solar Power’s Biggest Problems

So far, specific details are thin on the new battery designed for home use that Tesla’s announcing next week. But just based on what we do know, it’s a pretty big deal. The quest for a good battery that can store home-generated power is kind of like the holy grail for a renewable energy future.…

Tesla’s Next Big Product Is Coming On April 30: Batteries

When Elon Musk makes his next big announcement later this month he won’t be joined by an electric car or a space-bound capsule. Tesla will finally be passing along details on its long-awaited batteries designed for home use, plus a “utility-scale” battery as well—both of which will likely be manufactured in its new Gigafactory in…

This Is How Easily Our Cities Could Become High-Density Solar Power Plants

Solar energy has a dark side. Those gargantuan plants that sprawl out like deconstructed disco balls sacrifice valuable open space and put wildlife, and possibly human lives, at risk. A new study by Stanford researchers says that focusing our solar energy efforts in already-developed urban areas could yield more power—by collecting energy where we actually…

Japanese Scientists Just Beamed Energy Through the Air

Human-made satellites have long been able to harness the sun’s energy as it washes over them outside the protection of our atmosphere. But what if we could beam all that solar power down to Earth? The science fictional idea may be a reality sooner than you think. That’s because Japanese scientists have just made a…

World’s Largest Solar Plant Looks Like Someone Playing Tetris From Space

The Topaz Solar Farm in San Luis Obispo County, California is the largest photovoltaic power station on the planet. In this image, it looks like someone aboard the International Space Station decided to power up a game of Tetris on planet Earth. Covering 9.5 square miles, the facility is about a third of the size…

Now We Actually Have a Real Reason to Dread Solar Eclipses 

Superstitions have surrounded the eerie solar eclipse since time immemorial. And now, for entirely scientific reasons, it turns out we have good reason to fear them. Earth’s biggest solar eclipse since 1999 is happening this March, and it could cause some real disruption—thanks to Europe’s reliance on solar energy. Of course, Europe’s ready adoption of…

A Test Of Nevada’s Solar Tower Project Torched Over A Hundred Birds  

In what’s turning into a public relations headache for the solar industry, news has emerged that a recent test of the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project in Nevada resulted in some 130 birds catching fire, when they flew into an area of highly concentrated solar energy. As KCET’s Rewire is reporting, the incident happened…

Dust Off That Day Planner For These Compact Solar Charging Panels

The Blackberry struck the first blow, but eventually those multi-page day planners were all but completely replaced by modern smartphones. However, they might have finally found a way to claw their way back into relevancy with these replacement day planner pages that are actually functional solar panels, letting you charge your smartphone when left out…

This Ball Machine Fakes Perpetual Motion As Long As the Sun Is Shining

Why is watching a marble snake its way around a twisty maze so mesmerizing? Maybe it’s an allegory on the human condition as we all try to make our way through the world? What’s for certain is that they make for great desk toys, and as long as your office gets a bit of sun…

The Largest Solar Plant In The World Is Now Operational

Called Topaz, it’s located in San Luis Obispo County, California. The plant recently completed its final 40-megawatt phase, making it the first 500-plus megawatt solar farm to come online in the United States — and the largest online plant in the world. Topaz, which is manufactured by First Solar, is a $2.5 billion project that…

Study: Solar Energy Will Be as Cheap as Fossil Fuel Energy by 2016

A new study on solar energy from Deutsche Bank bears very good news. Thanks to technology and innovation, solar energy will be just as cheap as energy from fossil fuels by 2016. That’s basically tomorrow, and it’s awesome. We have a few people to thank for this encouraging turn of events. One is Uncle Sam.…

Has America Been Installing Its Solar Panels Sideways For Years?

There’s a structure to installing solar panels. The size, the shape, and the configuration are all pretty rigidly prescribed. There’s also a direction they face: South. The trouble? They might actually be facing the wrong way. The rationale behind rooftop southern-facing panels seems solid. By having them face south — which almost all the rooftop…

Introducing the world’s first solar battery. The device — which is part solar cell, part battery — recharges itself using air and light. Nano-scale holes allow air to enter the battery (inset), while rods of titanium dioxide gather light (larger image). The researchers from Ohio State say it’ll help tame the costs of renewable energy.

This Cheap, New Solar Cell Doubles As a Battery

Solar power has an efficiency problem. When the electrons move from the solar panel to the battery that stores them, about 20 percent of the energy is lost. But now, thanks to new type of solar cell, nearly 100 percent of the energy is stored. That’s because the solar cell itself is the battery. Researchers…