thesolarpanel | 
07 9th, 2008| 
Interesting chart shows just how much ice we are losing worldwide from the large sea ice sources. Yes, there are a few spots with increasing sea ice, however, as you can see the vast majority of large sea ice sources are decreasing in size and rapidly. Ah, just another reason to get hoppin’ with that solar panel installation . . .
Jul
9
Jul
9
The news:
Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes.
Why it’s important:
- It requires the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010.
- The new law prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters.
- Committee, first introduced the measure five years ago when he said a barrel of oil cost just $40. Since then, the cost of oil has more than tripled.
Where to learn more:
Jul
9
The news:
The US government is putting a hold on new solar energy projects on public land for two years so it can study the environmental impact of sun-driven plants.
Why it’s important:
- Solar plants cover thousands of acres potentially and the environmental consequences must be determined.
- During the study, the BLM will not accept any new applications to lease public land for solar developments.
Where to learn more:
Jul
2
The News:
Organic Solar Cells are moving into production.
Why It’s Important:
- Printed inks replace silicon and enable new uses of solar power in portable and off-grid products, as well as the ultimate goal of low-cost, on-grid energy.
- Significantly lower cost, low weight, and the ability to quickly scale-up production are the chief advantages of organic PV inks.
Additional Information:
- Solar power holds the promise of delivering clean, renewable energy, but the cost of today’s silicon-based technology often limits use mainly to large, on-grid installations
Where to Learn More:
Jun
24
The News:
Intel and International Business Machines have joined the parade of technology companies making alternative-energy plays
Why It’s Important:
- It’s the support of such big companies that makes solar energy more popular
- Maybe in this way the products will get cheaper. Smaller energy bills might lead to smaller product prices. At least I hope so
Additional Information:
- Intel is tapping into its long experience working with slabs of silicon.
- IBM is pursuing a technology based on thin, flexible films developed at its research arm.
Where to Learn More:
Jun
11
All I ave to say to this is wow!
I have read about an alternative energy concept by Mexican-born Agustin Otegui.
He has conceived of a next-gen Nano Vent-Skin that sheathes structures in a shimmering solar weave studded with micro-turbines. The concept takes advantage of a structure’s maximum available surface space, and its modular composition allows it to retrofit our old buildings instead of pouring resources into new ones. Plus, the stunning superstructure incorporates micro-organisms to soak up C02.
Read more here about this interesting concept
May
30
Another proof that solar powered devices are the future. Apple is planning to implement solar panels under the iPhone’s touchscreen.
Apple has filed a patent for a surprising new technology- the implementation of solar cells underneath the iPhone’s touchscreen.
Read more here
May
23
A new project revealed. According to this post, a new solar powered airplane is about to be launched. The only question I would like to ask is: if it’s about to be launched, how come there’s no video of the actual plane? I suspect that it doesn’t exist yet but it’s a good start.
Here’s how it works:
It’s powered by a dense array of photovoltaic (solar) cells which generate electricity from sunlight during the day and store it in on-board lithium batteries to be used at night.
Read more here
May
13
I think that in the future everything will be working with solar energy, unless they find out another way to harness energy. The more I’m searching on the web the more products I find. Nowadays you can power almost anything with the help of solar panels and since they are even making pain work as a solar panel, the whole market is very close to change.
Here’s a short description of the inflatable solar panel:
Water heaters are one of the primary power-hungry devices in most households. That’s why the prospect of an affordable solar panel system is particularly exciting.
The inflatable SolarStore by British company, IDC, is planned for commercial availability at less than 100 pounds ($200). While most domestic solar systems take 10-20 years to return the initial investment, IDC promises that their system will pay back its cost in six months.
Read more here
May
13
I’ve seen a few things in my life but these gadgets are worth mentioning. Most of them are useless but if we take a look around ourselves we can notice a few useless things we have laying around our house, so why not solar powered gadgets?
The best thing is that I found a bunch of gadgets by just looking on one site. Here are a few that are worth mentioning:
To find even more interesting gadgets go here