Solar News
Alternative Energy News
19 May 2015
A quick shout out to Alternative Energy News, the website that always has the up-to-date stories and information on renewable energy systems, including solar, wind and hydro.
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Peru to provide free solar power to its poorest people
2 Apr 2015
Only two-thirds of Peruvians have access to electricity. Now, the Government in Peru has announced that they are providing free solar to more than two million of its poorest citizens in a move that will bring electricity to 95% of the population by 2016.
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A solar powered electric delivery trike now on sale in UK
27 Apr 2014
British electric vehicle company Bluebird have announced a brand new ultra-lightweight electric delivery trike. Designed for inner city deliveries, one option is a solar panel on the roof that the makers claim can give a range of between 20-30 miles (30-45km) per day purely on solar power.
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See-through solar panels could make solar windows possible
27 Apr 2014
Wouldn't it be good if every window could be a solar panel? 'Quantum Dot' technology, developed in Italy, could make it possible in the future. Whilst the amount of energy harvested would be lower than in conventional panels, their potential low cost and ease of integration could open up lots of new possibilities for solar in both new and existing buildings.
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Grid tie calculator improved
5 Aug 2013
The Grid Tie calculator on this website has now been improved, with updated figures. It now works for the United States, resolving the problem we have had for the past few months.
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Solar powered city car developed in Italy
5 Aug 2013
Only at prototype stage, but a solar powered city car has been developed in Italy. Weighing less than 600kg, it has a top speed of 100km/h and a solar only range of up to 20km a day.
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A transparent solar panel for use on windows?
5 Aug 2013
Scientists have developed a transparent solar panel that could be fitted to ordinary windows. It's too early to get the technology in your local solar shop just yet, but a very interesting and exciting development that could have some interesting uses in the future.
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China announces large scale overhaul of its solar industry
2 Jan 2013
Thanks to huge production, China has been largely responsible for the significant drop in solar panel prices over the past few years. However, that could be about to change with the Chinese authorities looking to stabilize their solar industry.
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Solar Electricity Handbook 2013 now available
2 Jan 2013
The 2013 edition of the Solar Electricity Handbook is now available in paperback and eBook formats. The 2013 edition has been updated to include the latest prices and latest information about solar energy systems.
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World's best selling solar book now available for Kindle
2 Mar 2011
By popular demand, the Solar Electricity Handbook - 2011 Edition is now available for Kindle eBook readers. You can read it using the Kindle eBook reader, or using any of the free software book readers available for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad or SmartPhone.
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UK solar incentive cap could harm growth
2 Mar 2011
A UK governmental review of incentives for installations generating over 50kW of renewable energy could harm the economy and stunt the solar market.
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100% Renewable Energy by 2050 worldwide is achievable
11 Feb 2011
A report released by WWF that shows how worldwide 100% Renewable Energy could be achieved by 2050 has received backing from major companies and governments around the world.
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Community solar farms may not get UK feed-in incentives
11 Feb 2011
There is concern that community solar projects may be excluded from the UK feed-in tariffs after a review by the UK Government.
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Iranian villages equipped with solar power systems
19 Jan 2011
The Iranian province of Kordestan is to supply electricity to several remote villages in eastern Kurdistan by equipping them with solar power systems. The project is the latest stage in the Iranian government’s programme to ensure the entire country has access to electricity.
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11 new countries added to Solar Calculators
18 Sep 2010
11 new countries have been added to the online Solar Calculators on this website today. Due to popular demand, Thailand, South Africa, The Netherlands, Nepal, The Philippines, Barbados, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Dominica and Jamaica now have access to solar irradiance and solar angle information. This brings the total number of countries covered by this web site to 97.
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New update to the Solar Electricity Handbook
14 Apr 2010
A minor revision has been made to the Solar Electricity Handbook based on feedback from readers and containing the very latest information on subsidies, feed-in tariffs and grants. The book is now published by Greenstream Publishing and is available from Amazon and all good bookshops. ISBN number 978-1-907670-00-8
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Canary Islands now added to solar calculators
14 Apr 2010
The Canary Islands have now been added to the solar calculators on this site.
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Solar calculators now support Central Africa
8 Mar 2010
The solar irradiance tables and solar angle calculators have been updated to include Central Africa: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, The Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Zambia have now been added to the calculators.
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Solar powered steam power station
18 Feb 2010
Instead of conventional solar plants that use solar panels to convert light into electricity, eSolar's thermal solar plants use softare-controlled heliostats to reflect sunlight onto a central tower to heat water for steam. The steam is then used to rotate a turbine to generate electricity.
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How do we get solar panels down to under $1 per watt?
16 Feb 2010
A great article about the future for solar PV and the battle to get the installed price down to under $1 per watt.
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Italy now added to the online solar calculators
22 Jan 2010
Italy has now been added to the online solar calculators!
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Central and South America added to Solar Calculators
21 Jan 2010
130 cities across Central and South America have now been added to the solar calculators on this site. The irradiance tables and solar angle calculators can now provide information on a city-by-city basis across the entire American continent.
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How green is the UK National Grid?
14 Jan 2010
If you want to see the carbon footprint of the UK National Grid, this web page shows you how much impact each unit of electricity has on the environment.
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Transforming lives with Solar Power
14 Jan 2010
For me, this company really sums up what solar electricity is all about - transforming lives of people. This company has a small solar unit that is sold in India: a modest solar unit for an entire house for around $150.
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Do a Solar Analysis with your iPhone
7 Dec 2009
A new application for your iPhone enables you to do a full solar shade analysis in moments. It costs $14.99 and is an absolute bargain.
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Guardian launches new energy saving quiz
17 Nov 2009
The Guardian have launched a new online interactive energy saving quiz, showing how much you can save by installing new energy saving technology and making minor changes to your life. Its a lot of fun and takes only a few seconds. How well do you do?
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New countries added to online calculators
17 Nov 2009
Five new countries have been added to the online calculators on the Solar Electricity Handbook site. The new countries - Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Russia and Pakistan - are now live on the solar angle calculator and the solar irradiance calculator. Further countries will be added in the next few weeks.
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Can Renewable Energy Save The World?
8 Nov 2009
An insightful article as to the climate and cost impacts of different power generators - coal, gas, oil and renewables - to identify the way forward.
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Solar power gives Andean villages new lease on life
8 Nov 2009
A pioneering solar energy project is using green technology to improve the lives of isolated villagers living beyond the reach of power lines on Argentina's windswept Andean plains.
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Sharp announce highest efficiency solar panel
24 Oct 2009
Sharp have announced their highest conversion efficiency solar cell - 35.8% efficient. It is meant for use on space satellites and special equipment.
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Solar getting cheaper
22 Oct 2009
Solar incentives seem to be working to both increase the number of solar installations in the U.S. and bring down the initial cost, according to a report released Wednesday by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
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Solar array causes conflict with neighbors
20 Oct 2009
Nearby homeowners have filed an appeal against a family who have spent $90,000 on solar electricity, claiming the panels are dangerous and could harm the character of their homes
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The first Chinese city to commit to carbon-neutral
19 Oct 2009
China may have overtaken the US in being the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, but they are also working hard on producing cheap solar power. Now the city of Rizhao is the first to pledge to become carbon-neutral through the use of solar power.
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Team Germany wins the Solar House Decathlon 2009
18 Oct 2009
Team Germany has been announced as winners of the Solar House Decathlon 2009 with their low energy house that generated more power than it consumed - even during three days of rain.
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Bringing low cost solar to the world's poor
19 Oct 2009
An inspiring story about a company called ToughStuff who are looking to help the poorest people in Africa get solar electricity.
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Solar powered tent
16 Oct 2009
Mobile phone operator Orange has demonstrated a solar powered tent with underfloor heating, WIFI internet access and phone and MP3 recharging built into the tent.
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Solar feed-in tarriffs for California
13 Oct 2009
Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed two solar bills to improve financial incentives for people wanting to install solar power in California.
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$10m for solar projects in New York
8 Oct 2009
The Governor of New York State, David Paterson says $10 million in federal stimulus funds are available to subsidize solar energy projects in New York.
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Solar energy contributing to lower carbon emissions in US
8 Oct 2009
The increase in clean power sources such as solar energy is helping the country reduce its projected carbon emissions for 2009, according to the Energy Information Administration, who claim fossil fuel based emissions are set to fall by 5.9 percent.
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Solar power kits for wildlife researchers
5 Oct 2009
A great application for solar power - providing power for researchers carrying out wildlife research in central Africa and beyond.
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US solar panel imports to face import duty rise
2 Oct 2009
The U.S. solar energy industry hopes to persuade Customs officials to reverse a decision to impose a 2.5 percent tariff on solar panel imports. U.S. solar importers could face $70 million in tariffs and penalties for product already imported this year.
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How solar power is transforming Iraqi hospitals
28 Sep 2009
A story on Iraqi hospitals and how solar power is transforming the medical care by providing a reliable electricity supply.
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Built in solar energy systems
28 Sep 2009
An article in the New York Times talks about an installation of solar energy using solar roof tiles rather than panels, which integrate neatly into the structure of the building.
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What happens when you don't do your homework...
24 Sep 2009
A precautionary tale about getting it wrong when installing solar power. When enthusiasm goes beyond knowledge, you can get it badly wrong with solar power - and it can end up costing you a fortune.
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Worlds first solar exhibition opens in November, Beijing
24 Sep 2009
The new International Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition 2009 (IPVSEE 2009) is set for inaugural opening November 18th-20th 2009, at the World Trade Center, Beijing, China.
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Google enters the solar panel arena
12 Sep 2009
Google is developing low cost solar power, using mirrors to track sunlight and generate steam. This steam then powers turbines to generate electricity.
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Online solar calculator updated to show lower solar costs
10 Sep 2009
The Solar Electricity Handbook online solar projects calculator has been updated to reflect the dramatically reduced cost for installing solar. Prices have dropped by around 25% for bargain-savvy buyers who are prepared to shop around.
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Price of solar dropping
9 Sep 2009
The price of installing solar panels on the roof of your house is going through the floor, due to over-production of solar panels, falling demand due to the recession and the availability of tax rebates.
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Solar road surfaces could be the next big thing
7 Sep 2009
A new technology that makes a road surface into a solar panel has been granted research funding by the US government. The panel is used instead of asphalt and generates electricity and hot water, plus can display warning signs embedded into the road surface.
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Home solar prices falling
6 Sep 2009
The price of installing solar onto a house is falling, thanks to lower installation costs and oversupply of panels in the market.
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Half of all solar panel manufacturers to close in 2010?
5 Sep 2009
A report from The Info Network suggests that half of all solar panel manufacturers may be out of business next year due to increased competition and lower prices in China, where solar prices are expected to drop 50% per year for the next two years.
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Co-operative neighborhood solar scheme goes live
4 Sep 2009
Story about a co-operative neighborhood solar scheme that has gone live in Mt. Pleasant, Washington.
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Spains solar subsidy failures could ripple to US
4 Sep 2009
In 2008, Spain accounted for half the solar installations anywhere in the world, thanks to over-generous subsidies. Since the collapse of the subsidy system, however, new builds have virtually ceased. The failures are causing policy makers in other countries to reconsider their subsidy schemes.
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A giant space solar panel to beam electricity to Earth?
3 Sep 2009
The Japanese are planning a 4km square solar panel to be built 22,000 miles above the surface of the Earth, beaming electricity back down to Earth.
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Combined coal and solar power station in development
2 Sep 2009
Xcel are building a new coal-fired power station that augments coal with solar. Huge parabolic solar dishes heat up water to convert into steam in order to reduce coal usage.
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'Solar Ink' could print solar cells like newspaper
2 Sep 2009
Research is being carried out into nanoparticle ink that can print solar cells like newspaper, or be sprayed onto the side of buildings, with claims that the technology could be commercially viable within three years.
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German Solar Power Station opens
21 Aug 2009
In Brandenburg, Germany, Europe’s largest solar installation is being completed: a 53 megawatt solar park producing enough electricity for 15,000 homes.
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Spain's solar market crash caused by excessive subsidies
18 Aug 2009
The Spanish Government guaranteed generous subsidies for anyone installing solar power. In the resulting flood of applications - accounting for 40% of all worldwide installations - the government changed its scheme due to huge taxpayer backlash.
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Solar electric vehicle recharging in Singapore
17 Aug 2009
Zero Systems in Singapore have launched the first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station.
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Solar cell-phone launched in Africa
15 Aug 2009
Kenyan cell-phone network Safari-com have launched a new solar powered cell-phone. As 90% of its customers have no easy access to electricity, the solar phone is a big hit.
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Solar cell production up 56% in 2009
14 Aug 2009
Solar cell manufacturing capacity will grow 56 percent in 2009, according to a new report. Cell manufacturing capacity will reach 17 gigawatts this year and will surpass 42 GW by 2013.
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Big incentives to switch to solar in Alabama
9 Aug 2009
A couple are getting $17,000 worth of solar panels installed on the roof of their home for $2,000 thanks to cash incentives.
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