Solar Power World

Butte College First School Solar Installation To Be Grid Positive

Butte College in California this week becomes the first college in the history of the United States to go ‘grid positive,’ meaning that it will generate more electricity from its solar arrays than it consumes and will deliver power back to the electric grid. Butte College, located 75 miles from Sacramento and resting on a 928-acre wildlife refuge, will see significant cost savings from its solar arrays. The college estimates that it will save between $50 million... Read More

Voltaic Systems Launches Solar Charger For iPads

New York-based Voltaic Systems announced the release of its new case to charge the battery using solar energy. Therefore, users of ‘tablet’ devices will be able to take it with them because they will be able to charge the battery at any time.     Voltaic Systems' new solar I-Pad Charger “Voltaic set out to design a lightweight case that could charge a tablet quickly, but also match the sleekness and simplicity of the many of the tablets,”... Read More

Automation in Photovoltaics – A New Dimension of Productivity

With additional modules, Rexroth expands the extensive automation kit for the photovoltaic industry. It covers all drive and control technologies for the entire production process from the ingot production to metallization, stringing, lay-up and flashing. In this connection, the kit enters new dimensions for increasing productivity with low production costs. The new vertical transfer for the Rexroth TSsolar assembly system bridges height differences from several hundred... Read More

IPCs manage energy aboard largest solar-powered boat

Gleaming with 500+ sq. meters of photovoltaic panels and packing 11 tons of batteries (with chassis), including the 388V lithium ion (NCA) battery, the Tûranor catamaran research vessel is a showcase for solar power advancements and sustainable transport. Conceived by Raphaël Domjan, a Swiss eco-adventurer and PlanetSolar founder, it is the world’s largest solar-powered boat. The vessel will embark on a solar-powered 2011 worldwide tour, with planned stops in San Francisco... Read More

7 Key Steps to Fast PV Module Certification

Follow these seven tips to ensure that your new product designs for the photovoltaic industry meet certification standards so that you can get to market fast.You won’t be able to sell that new PV module into certain countries and regions around the world if it does not meet specific certification standards. As more companies seek proof of certification, the wait time is increasing at accredited testing labs. You can significantly reduce certification delays by making smart... Read More

NextEra Energy Sees a Solar Future in Photovoltaics

As a leading U.S. renewable power producer, NextEra Energy, formerly FPL Group, favors photovoltaic solar power over thermal solar.  “I think we’re going to find increasingly that the market is a PV market,” Moray Dewhurst, vice chairman and chief of staff at FPL, said at the Reuters Energy Summit in Houston. Photovoltaic (PV) modules currently make up the largest chunk of the U.S. market, though some analysts expect concentrated thermal technology to become... Read More

Solar Alternatives for Energy Generation

By John R. Gyorki, Editorial Director Theoretical scientists have discovered many techniques for converting sunlight into electric energy, but only photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) systems show the most promise for practical applications.It’s always fun and interesting for engineers to focus on the technical development of emerging technologies such as solar energy and specifically, photovoltaics. But we often tend to forget the influence of... Read More