A photovoltaic module is an interconnected assemblage of photovoltaic cells that are more commonly known as solar cells. In turn, an installation or assembly of photovoltaic modules or panels is known as solar panel. In October of 2008 at the Solar Power International show in San Diego, California, Schott Solar Inc. unveils its latest innovation: a new 225-watt, polycrystalline photovoltaic module. Dubbed Schott Solar Poly 225, this is state-of-the-art application for solar energy.

Schott Solar Inc is investing $100 million on a 200,000 square-foot factory for their newest photovoltaic module Albuquerque, New Mexico. The plant will focus on the production of the company’s 225-watt photovoltaic modules and receivers for concentrating solar thermal power plants.
Read the full story »

Startling is this fact about solar power that, just about an hour of sunlight hitting the Earth’s surface is sufficient to fulfill the power needs of humans for an entire year!!! However, we know that if our systems were that efficient how much power we could generate with the sun rays coming down on our planet for the whole year. Besides expensive silicon components of a photovoltaic panel and low system efficiency, till now our knowledge on the mechanism behind solar storage was also limited. Bugged by the twin factors of inefficiency and expense a MIT professor Daniel Nocera undertook an exhaustive research at the end of (which he believes) his team has unlocked the ‘nirvana of energy’.The Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy, Prof. Nocera has made a discovery that may change the way we have so far used solar power through PV cells. Being inspired by green plants that photosynthesize and store solar energy all the time in them, Prof. Nocera has developed a simple method to split H2O molecules.

The end products being Oxygen and Hydrogen gases. The hydrogen thus produced may then store the solar energy. His study has resulted in the emergence of a new catalyst. The latter consists of phosphate, cobalt metal, and an electrode. This new catalyst is easy to set-up and works on neutral pH at normal room temperature.When the catalyst is placed in water and current is run through the electrode, oxygen gas is produced. When another catalyst is used to produce hydrogen gas, the oxygen and hydrogen combine inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity.

This simple set up can be used to power a house or an electric car irrespective of time (day or night). The whole set up can be duplicated in large numbers to harness the abundant sunshine bestowed to us by Mother Nature. Whether this clean technology will massively cut down the energy requirements of mankind is yet to be explored. But one this is for sure, this discovery has opened new avenues in the commercial usage of solar power.
Via: Goodcleantech

It will be required to install photovoltaic panels on the roofs in the German town of Marburg, 80,000 souls north of Frankfurt. In addition to incentives, to push on renewable with effect from 1 October 2008 required owners to install just puts hand to the roof for any work: new buildings obviously will have to mount them mandatory.

He established the municipal coalition of Social Democrats and Green imposing fines of over 1,000 euros to those who will not later. According to calculations, enough for 15 years amortize investments of at least one solar panel every 20 square metres of roof.

There are discussions policies: there are those who argued that the measure will trend and soon will be copied in other cities while there is the Christian Democrats speak of dictatorship environmentalist. In Italy, the 2008 budget already speaks of “mandatory installations” but not specifically mentions the obligation to install them in every work of maintenance for buildings (both for individuals and for businesses). A system of incentives and financing facilitated banks in Germany as in the rest of Europe, is already active to help individuals more reluctant to digest these new charges.