VIDEO: National Geographic: Solar Tech

Solar Tech
Learn about a new way to harness solar power to create energy.

VIDEOS: TIME: Building a Champion Solar Home

Building a Champion Solar Home:
Students at Cornell University build a house completely powered by the sun to compete in the annual Solar Decathlon in Washington

Wired Science: Thin-Film Solar Startup Debuts with $4 Billion in Contracts

A startup with a secret recipe for printing cheap solar cells on aluminum foil debuted today, in what could end up a milestone for the industry.

Nanosolar’s technology consists of sandwiches of copper, indium, gallium, and selenide (CIGS) that are 100 times thinner than the silicon solar cells that dominate the solar photovoltaics market. Its potential convinced Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to back the company as angel investors in its early days.

Two big announcements marked its coming out party: The company has $4 billion in contracts and can make money selling its products for $1 per watt of a panel’s capacity. That’s cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels in markets across the world.

Specifically, the company’s management thinks it can help utilities avoid the difficulties of getting big coal and nuclear power plants built by offering the option to build small solar farms they can build close to cities.

(via Thin-Film Solar Startup Debuts with $4 Billion in Contracts | Wired Science | Wired.com)

Solar Tech (via NationalGeographic)

[Video] Japan's solar city

[Video] Japan's solar city
A solar-powered city offers a model for future self-sufficient energy communities, producing electricity with rooftop panels. Solar panels glisten across Ota City's tiny Pal Town neighbourhood, nestled among strawberry fields in one of Japan's sunniest spots, a testament to the allure of renewable energy in this resource-poor country.

Source: Gaijin Robo

[Video] Clean Energy, the Down and Dirty Truth

[Video] Clean Energy, the Down and Dirty Truth
Dow Jones Newswire columnist Simon Constable looks at the truth behind clean energy, whether wind and solar energy is as clean as some claim it is. (Oct. 23)

[Video] Eco nightclub opens its doors

A new London nightspot, where clubbers generate electricity by boogying on the dancefloor, claims to be the 'world's first eco nightclub' While Surya has its own wind turbine and solar energy system and even a dancefloor that apparently generates its own electricity, Andrew Charalambou...

Solar Power Vs. Trees

Well it looks like trees come second to solar power in California. I'm still not sure if this a good thing or not.

[Video] Could This Car Fight Global Warming?

[Video] Could This Car Fight Global Warming?
A Swiss adventurer, on a round the world trip in his solar powered car, has arrived in New Delhi where he hopes to spread his message to stop global warming. (Nov. 7)

[Video] Powering up with the sun

Twenty universities from Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States are competing here in the 2007 Solar Decathlon to design and build the most livable, energy-efficient solar-powered house. An AFPTV voiced report.