A massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power plants to solar power plants could supply 69 percent of the U.S.’s electricity and 35 percent of its total energy by 2050.
To convert the country to solar power, huge tracts of land would have to be covered with photovoltaic panels and solar heating troughs. A direct-current (DC) transmission backbone would also have to be erected to send that energy efficiently across the nation.
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I came across a post today about the Sanyo Building from Japan and I had to share some pictures with you because it has one of the coolest solar panels ever made.
Here are the pics:
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This is a good subject to talk about, so before you decide to switch to solar panels, you should check some things first. I found a blog with many interesting posts today and among these posts was this one about a couple who had planted some trees and and when their neighbor decided to switch to solar panels, they had to ‘get rid’ of the ones that were shading the panels.
Here’s the law:
The lawsuit, and decision was based on California’s Solar Shade Control Act, which requires homeowners to keep their trees or shrubs from shading more than 10 percent of a neighbor’s solar panels.
And the funny part:
Existing trees that cast shadows when the panels are installed are exempt, but new growth is subject to the law.
Interesting… 
Anyway. we should take care of our foresst and find some new ways to avoid this kind of discussions.
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This January, on an exceptionally clear and cold day, scientists for the Sandia National Laboratory and Sterling Energy Systems recorded a 31.25% solar-to-grid efficiency, nearly 2% better than the 1989 record.
The scientists contribute their success to
1. The increased reflectivity of the mirrors, which now approaches 95%, and
2. A rather ironic “Perfect Storm.” This perfect storm consisted of a perfectly clear day, with 0% moisture and no particulates, the day was 10% brighter than average.
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Bicycles are environment-friendly and now a bike mmanufacturer in Queens is using solar energy to make the bikes.
Worksman Cycles manufactures heavy-duty bicycles for delivery services, and adult tricyles that pull hot dog carts.
The company employs about 50 people in its 100-thousand square foot factory in Ozone Park, Queens. The company installed a 15-kilowatt system on its roof that will provide more than 20 percent of it’s electricity.
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Here are some interesting quotes on how some Chinese companies ‘recycle’ their bio-hazards.
Unfortunately it has to do with solar panels because the technology is not yet evolved enough.
The impoverished farming community of roughly 2,300, near the eastern end of the Silk Road, had been left behind during China’s recent boom. In a country where the average wage in some areas is $200 a month, many of the village’s residents make just $200 a year. They had high hopes their new neighbor would jump-start the local economy.
Washington Post. The tests show high concentrations of chlorine and hydrochloric acid, which can result from the breakdown of silicon tetrachloride and do not exist naturally in soil. “Crops cannot grow on this, and it is not suitable for people to live nearby,” said Li Xiaoping, deputy director of the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences.
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Floridians want more solar power, even if it costs a little more, according to a new state survey.High consumer demand has exhausted the state’s solar rebate program fund six months early, and lawmakers and solar advocates on Thursday released the new survey showing Florida residents overwhelmingly support spending more money on solar energy.
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Materials you will need The solar cell is made from these materials:1. A sheet of copper flashing from the hardware store. This normally costs about $5.00 per square foot. We will need about half a square foot.
2. Two alligator clip leads.
3. A sensitive micro-ammeter that can read currents between 10 and 50 microamperes. Radio Shack sells small LCD multimeters that will do, but I used a small surplus meter with a needle.
4. An electric stove. My kitchen stove is gas, so I bought a small one-burner electric hotplate for about $25. The little 700 watt burners probably won’t work — mine is 1100 watts, so the burner gets red hot.
5. A large clear plastic bottle off of which you can cut the top. I used a 2 liter spring water bottle. A large mouth glass jar will also work.
6. Table salt. We will want a couple tablespoons of salt.
7. Tap water.
8. Sand paper or a wire brush on an electric drill.
9. Sheet metal shears for cutting the copper sheet.
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Here are some negative facts about the use of solar energy:
Outfitting a house to harness solar power requires a few more calculations than plugging a home into a utility’s electrical grid.
Installing solar panels is expensive. In the typical residential scenario outlined below, it would take 14 years for a solar system to pay for itself. Customer demand is expected to rise, however, as technological advances make solar power more affordable.
3 kilowatt solar panel energy system
-Produces: 3,450 kilowatt-hours per year
-Size: Panels cover about 300 square feet
-Materials and installation: About $20,000
-Savings: $327.71 per year, plus $13,500 rebate
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A very suiting title for a campaign called “lighting a billion lives”.
One billion people can get electricity for the first time for little more than the cost of one month’s war in Iraq, said Rajendra Pachauri, the head of a Nobel peace prize-winning U.N. panel of climate scientists.
Pachauri is supporting a campaign “lighting a billion lives”, led by India’s Energy and Resources Institute, to furnish people without access to the grid with electric lanterns powered by solar photovoltaic panels.
To read more on this topic click here
thesolarpanel | 
03 28th, 2008| 