Solar Energy News

November 22, 2016

Tesla microgrid powers entire island with solar in American Samoa
Ta'U, American Samoa (UPI) Nov 22, 2016
Self-sufficiency isn't easy on small Pacific islands, but the distant island of Ta'u in American Samoa can now supply nearly all of its inhabitants' power needs using renewable energy. The island now generates and stores nearly 100 percent of its electricity using a large solar panel array, microgrid and batteries installed by SolarCity and Tesla. "It's always sunny out here, and harvesting that energy from the sun will make me sleep a lot more comfortably at night, just knowing I'll be ... read more

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Argonne researchers study how reflectivity of biofuel crops impacts climate Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory have conducted a detailed study of the reflectivity effects of converting land to grow biofuel crops. Their study i ... more		Sweden to scrap taxes on solar energy in 2017 Sweden is set to ditch taxes on its production of solar energy in 2017 in a bid to run entirely on renewable energy by 2040, the government said on Monday. ... more		Africa looks to solar for communities off the grid Above the sacks of seeds and coal, three kerosene lamps gather dust in the tiny shed that Kenyan chicken farmer Bernard calls home. ... more
				Tesla shareholders approve merger with SolarCity Tesla said Thursday that shareholders approved a plan to buy renewable energy company SolarCity in an overwhelming endorsement of a plan outlined by founder Elon Musk. ... more		New Jersey's NEP Solar secures major funding agreement National Energy Partners ("NEP") and Forum Equity Partners ("Forum") have announced that they had signed an agreement in which Forum will provide up to $15 million in growth financing for NEP, a lea ... more

New way to make low-cost solar cell technology Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have found a new way to fabricate high efficiency semi-transparent perovskite solar cells in a breakthrough that could lead to more efficient ... more		A New Way to Image Solar Cells in 3-D Next-generation solar cells made of super-thin films of semiconducting material hold promise because they're relatively inexpensive and flexible enough to be applied just about anywhere. Researchers ... more		Global search and rescue system gets recognition as real lifesaver Solar flare ions reach extreme temperatures in breakthrough study Australia approves chlamydia vaccine for koalas		Wind and solar energy projects could bring 5,000 new jobs to rural Minnesota Minnesota has undergone a remarkable transformation in its energy landscape over the past decade. Coal, once the dominant fuel source for Minnesota's electric utilities, has given way to new types o ... more
				'Back to the Future' inspires solar nanotech-powered clothing Marty McFly's self-lacing Nikes in Back to the Future Part II inspired a UCF scientist who has developed filaments that harvest and store the sun's energy - and can be woven into textiles. The ... more		Solar industry shift tactics to sell more solar AC and smart modules The business model of microinverter and power optimizer suppliers is set to shift from standalone units to integrated systems, such as Smart and AC modules, according to new analysis released today ... more

6th Annual Modular Construction Summit for Oil and Gas Agenda - December 7-9 - Houston

Nuclear Plant Digitalization Conference - Nov 15-16 - Charlotte NC USA

Tesla's and SolarCity's launch of solar roof tiles is great news Sven Lindstrom, CEO of solar tech company Midsummer, has said that he finds Tesla's and SolarCity's launch of multiple styled solar roof tiles replicating original tile aesthetics very encouraging: ... more		Photon Energy delivers solar power for water treatment plant Photon Energy has started construction of a 99 kWp solar power plant to provide a large proportion of the power for the Leeton sewerage treatment plant. The power plant utilises Photon Energy ... more		MSBAI wins DoD contract to accelerate OrbitGuard for space situational awarenes SpaceX set to launch Indonesian communication satellite after scrub Spire wins NOAA pair of satellite weather data contracts totaling 13.7 million		Solar cells get boost with integration of water-splitting catalyst Scientists have found a way to engineer the atomic-scale chemical properties of a water-splitting catalyst for integration with a solar cell, and the result is a big boost to the stability and effic ... more
Simulation models global renewable electricity system A new model developed by Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) shows how an electricity system mainly based on solar and wind works in all regions of the world. It shows the functioning of an ... more		Major advance in solar cells made from cheap, easy-to-use perovskite Solar cells made from an inexpensive and increasingly popular material called perovskite can more efficiently turn sunlight into electricity using a new technique to sandwich two types of perovskite ... more		Shoring up the power grid - with DIY scrap-metal batteries With residential solar energy ramping up, consumers are looking for ways to store extra energy without breaking the bank. To help solve this problem, a team of scientists has come up with a novel po ... more		CPP, SolarCity Deal Keeps Colton, Calif., Community Affordable and Sustainable Community Preservation Partners (CPP) has agreed to lease 2.2 unused acres at its Arbor Terrace Apartments affordable housing community in Colton, Calif., to SolarCity at a below-market rate for the ... more

	Tesla expands its portfolio to produce solar roof tiles Electric carmaker Tesla has diversified into the alternative energy business, on Friday unveiling solar roofs for environmentally friendly homes. ... more		Schools in oil-rich Alberta to get solar panels The provincial government in Alberta said it's responding to student interest by making funding available for solar panels at dozens of school projects. ... more

Australia to deploy fleet of underwater strike drones

Pacific Island leaders back 'ocean of peace' at fraught summit

Russia launched 458 drones, missiles in overnight attack: Ukraine

Renewable energy on the rise, IEA finds		Researchers discover ways to expand temperature stability range of solar cells		Move over, solar: The next big renewable energy source could be at our feet		New perovskite solar cell design could outperform existing commercial technologies		Senegal in renewables drive as new solar park unveiled
ABC Solar files lawsuit to enforce Solar Rights Act		Highly efficient organic solar cells with improved operation stability		juwi Group announces expansion for Solar Power Plant in Fukushima Province		NREL model offers insights of higher wind and solar generation in US east		Energy hijacking pathway found within photosynthesis

UMASS Amherst taps Con Edison solutions for large-scale solar power initiative

X-ray vision reveals how polymer solar cells wear out

NREL report shows US solar photovoltaic costs continuing to fall in 2016

Nanoscale confinement leads to new all-inorganic solar cell

Midsummer receives new order for its DUO thin film solar cell manufacturing system

Efficient organic solar cells with very low driving force

Toward 'greener,' inexpensive solar cells

Non-toxic solvent removes barrier to commercialization of perovskite solar cells

Record for perovskite/CIGS tandem solar module

Food waste could store solar and wind energy

S.Africa basks in continent's first solar-powered airport

New advances in solar cell technology

Motion-directed robots on a micro scale

Alberta takes first look at solar

Global grand challenge strategy needed to develop clean energy

After Paris, India gets support for solar power

Researchers report advance in low-cost clean energy generation

Farewell Rosetta: ESA Mission to Conclude on Comet's Surface

Stacked Solar Module achieves unprecedented efficiency at 17.8 Percent

A cost-efficient compact hybrid system for solar-diesel microgrids

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