Solar engineering has always been about space in some capacity. Not just outer space – though solar panels definitely got their start high above Earth, in an airless, cloudless vacuum. These days, solar engineering involves the other kind of space:…
New material of the future is cheaper and more versatile than traditional solar cells
Solar energy encompasses a lot of parallel engineering fields. In many ways, it’s not really like any other power generation field available. Rather than “power plants,” you have “solar farms”, which spread a vast array of kilowattage across a very…
How to build your own eco-friendly house
BY: HANNAH THOMAS You’ve searched and searched but you just can’t find it; you want it to have a structure that will withstand the burden of time, but won’t be costly. Well, if you can’t find it, then build it.…
Are green energy technologies a realistic option for most people?
BY: OLLIE WHITE Once considered a concept practiced mostly by businesses, industries and wealthy individuals, today green energy technologies are getting more and more popular among ordinary households and families, both in urban and rural areas. And while there is…
Solar electricity: New Brooklyn Microgrid will create community energy sharing
BY: SHAWNTAE HARRIS Solar power can help with the financial burden of living in a big city. With high rent eating up most of your paycheque, once the bills start to come in, finances can become stressful and overwhelming. But one…
Couple built their own solar electric VW bus and travels the west coast with their kids
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Brett Belan has always been passionate about clean energy. He gained an interest in building power plants as early as high school, and his passion has only developed and grown from there. With a Bachelor’s degree in…
Woodland citizens rejected a solar panel farm for fear it would suck up all the sun’s energy.
BY: JESSICA BEUKER The town of Woodland, North Carolina recently rejected a solar farm proposal after citizens expressed fears that the panels would suck up all the energy from the sun. The Woodland Town Council rejected a proposal that would…
New 1,620 square foot prefab eco-home can be shipped and set up in only 3 days (Video)
BY: ROB HOFFMAN Ecological pre-fab houses and quick, efficient home design have recently piqued a wide interest—and why wouldn’t it? According to Tedd Benson, Unity Homes Founder, “We can build homes that are fossil fuel-free and affordable. We can build…
New, paper-thin solar cells could bring electricity to 1.3 billion people in developing countries
BY: DANIKA MOIR By the end of the 1970s, it cost $40 for one watt of solar energy. By 2013, the price was drastically decreased to just $0.74 per watt. For those citizens in developing countries who wish to have…
An Israeli startup just invented a tree that can charge your electronics with solar power
BY: TJ MOREY Humanity is finally embracing the prospect of harnessing the power of our sun. Solar energy is going through a period of constant program iteration, from giving it for free to poor households in California to using it…
California is giving free solar panels to poor households by taxing corporations for GHG emissions
BY: DANIEL KORN California is, by a wide margin, the best state in the US for solar energy. Over a million homes in the state have solar panels installed—compared to the second-best state, Nevada, which only has about 50 thousand…
France passes a law requiring new rooftops to be covered with plants or solar panels
BY: TYLER FYFE Earlier this month France passed legislation in response to pressure from environmental activists that all buildings constructed in commercial zones must have sections roofed with solar panels or green spaces. According to smog readings by air pollution…
The windows of your house could soon be made of solar panels
BY: DANIEL KORN One of the biggest hurdles in the way of the average citizen getting on board with solar power is the way they look. It’s not hard to understand why—rectangular panels covering the top of your roof is…