Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Solar Power From Space


San Francisco based electric utility PG&E has announced that it plans to buy power from the startup company Solaren, which intends to deploy an array of solar panels in space. This space-based solar farm will wirelessly transmit the collected energy to receivers on the ground, where it can be put to use in the grid.

One of the immediate advantages of having a solar farm in space is that it can receive solar radiation 24/7, not to mention removing the problem of inclement weather.


The bottom line is...

Science fiction is steadily becoming science fact.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

MIT Solar Car


MIT students have constructed a solar powered car, dubbed Eleanor, to compete in a race across Australia. It can cruise along at about 50mph without draining any energy from its battery pack, but it can reach speeds in upwards of 80mph if it draws additional energy from the battery. For more on this solar wonder, check out the full MSNBC article.


The bottom line is...

Solar power, full speed ahead!