solar

Relocating prairie dogs displaced by solar power

It's nowhere near the level of destruction wrought by coal mines, oil and gas wells, or giant conventional power plants, but solar installations do have their consequences. Among them: making habitats hostile to prairie dogs.

Christopher Mims Science

Anatomy of a solar PV system

Solar photovoltaic gets a lot of attention compared to other forms of clean energy, but the attention is deserved.

Stephen Lacey Energy

Despite recession, Californians install solar panels at record-breaking pace

While the drill-baby-drill contingent was bitching about reliance on foreign oil, that hacky-sack full of smelly Nancy-Pelosi-electing hippies known as California quietly installed more solar in 2010 than any other state, ever.

Christopher Mims Energy

500 MW of distributed solar could have prevented blackout that affected 55 million

The massive blackout of 2003, which affected 45 million people in the northeast United States and 10 million more in Ontario, could have been prevented by just 500 megawatts of distributed solar, says John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance. For reference, California installed almost 200 megawatts of distributed solar in 2010 alone.

Christopher Mims Energy

Groundbreaking solar plant in Spain generates 24 hours of power

In Spain, a new Torresol concentrating solar power plant is the first ever to generate electricity for 21 hours.

Stephen Lacey Technology

'Cling-film' solar panels are 1/200th the thickness of Saran Wrap

New 'cling-film' solar panels can be printed like newspapers, and then self-organize into layers of plastics that can turn sunlight into electricity. The result is a useful solar panel that's only 60 nanometers thick -- or 1/200th the thickness of Saran Wrap.

Christopher Mims Technology

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