A new company appears to have cracked one of the major obstacles towards full-scale adoption of solar power: Cost.

Its cells can generate power at a price approaching "grid parity" - that is, the same acquisition cost over their lifespan that it would cost to buy power from a normal electric company. It turns out that cost is about $1 per killowatt of capacity.

Previous solar cells cost about $2-4 per killowatt, so this is huge cost savings over the previous technology.

Read the full story at the link.

Filed under: solar power, cheap, and grid parity

This CNN article lists five promising future energy projects, from solar panels on top of Google's office buildings (left) to harnessing the ocean's tidal forces.

All these could someday power your Tesla Roadster or GM Volt.

Filed under: energy, power, and electricity

Here's an idea in sync with the times - an airship with solar panels that can drop down power to the ground, anywhere it would be needed. The possibilities in politically sensitive areas, such as Myanmar, where aid is tough to provide seem unlimited. Imagine an airship giving direct aid to the Tsunami victims, bypassing the government. It would create an enormous amount of good will the government would be unable to counteract.

The airship has solar cells on top of it, so it can provide electricity from anywhere sunlight can be found low enough for it to route its giant power cords down to the ground.

Power to the people, and clean solar power at that.

Cool.

Filed under: power, solar, airship, and blimp

Well, this is certainly a radical approach to green motoring.

This peculiar looking vehicle has a horse inside, which runs a treadmill, which generates electricity, which runs an electric motor to drive the car.

In other words, it is a one horsepower animal/electric hybrid vehicle. Top speed is a surprising 50mph (80kph) but sadly this is rarely achieved. You are more likely to get a sedate 12mph (20kph) out of it.

Well, as gas prices get higher, why not?

Filed under: horsepower, naturmobil, car, and hybrid

This potential new breakthrough solar array uses lenses to magnify sunlight 2000 times. Solar cells are then used to convert this energy into electricity.

If all goes well, this should produce electricity for about $ 0.07 per killowatt hour - or about the same cost as the cheapest coal-fired power.

Release is initially to utilities, but a household version could be made available within three years.

Filed under: solar power and cost-effective

Introducing the Petawatt Laser, created by the University of Texas at Austin's High Intensity Science Group.

As the photo shows, it looks more like one of the entries in the Rube Goldberg hamburger making contest we covered earlier than an intimidatingly powerful laser

Click on the article for more details and pictures.

Filed under: laser and powerful