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ESA spacecraft set for flyby of Steins asteroid

AP - Scientists at the European Space Agency are preparing for the first fly-by of an asteroid by their deep-space explorer, Rosetta, on a mission to solve the mystery of the birth of the solar system.

Energy Policy TV - Teleconference Preview of Clean Energy Summit

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV); T. Boone Pickens, Energy Executive, Author of Pickens Plan; Daniel Weiss, Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy, Center for American Progress

Reid, Pickens, and Weiss speak with reporters to preview the bipartisan National Clean Energy Summit to be held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Organizers want the Summit to produce energy recommendations to Congress as well as the 2008 presidential candidates.

Using Sun's Energy to Split Water Means Solar Power All Night

phorm writes "Reuters is carrying an article about a recent MIT development which may pave the way for solar-energy to be collected for use in low-input periods. According to Reuters, the discovery of the a new catalyst for separating hydrogen+oxygen from water requires only 10% of the electricity of current methods. This would allow storage-cells to function as a form of battery for other forms of energy-collection, such as solar panels. The new method is also much safer (and likely environmentally friendly) than current methods, which require the use of a dangerously caustic environment, and specialized storage containers." sanjosanjo points out "coverage of the process at EE Times, which features the MIT group's press release.

Solar future brightens as oil soars

Science & environment: World's biggest producer of panels doubles output as nearly half a million houses now fitted with them

Solar powered refrigerator

Getting away from it all doesn’t have to mean leaving your frosty cold-ones behind. These SunDanzer energy efficient DC refrigerators can keep your vitals cold while maintaining the off-the-grid status of your mountaintop yoga studio.

Arizona's Solar Aspirations in Peril

Faye Bowers writes for The Christian Science Monitor: "The sun shines 325 days a year in Arizona, on average, and some here see that as the state's biggest energy asset. But fledgling efforts to turn Arizona into the solar capital of the world depend on making the initial investment in new energy plants affordable - something that could become much more difficult, perhaps even impossible, if a federal tax credit for solar projects expires at the end of the year as scheduled."

DOE Shines $14M on Solar Energy Research

$14M seems like a sad joke. Billions daily to Iraq. Millions to energy independent technology investments: Eleven university solar research projects aimed at developing advanced solar photovoltaic (PV) technology manufacturing processes and products got a $14 million boost today from the Dept. of Energy. Photovoltaic-based solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity, and are made of semiconductor materials similar to those used in computer chips. When sunlight is absorbed by these materials, the solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity.

Solar Panels, Biofuel and Tidal Turbines in Bloomberg Plans

On Monday, the mayor made the latest in a series of proposals intended to help the city cope in an environmentally sound way with the one million new residents expected by 2030.

40% Efficiency Solar Cells Developed

gtada writes "A story published at Physorg.com discusses recently published research into the fabrication of solar cells that surpass the 40% efficiency milestone. Such devices would be the high water-mark to date, and hint at the possibility of even more effective technology. 'In the design, multijunction cells divide the broad solar spectrum into three smaller sections by using three subcell band gaps. Each of the subcells can capture a different wavelength range of light, enabling each subce...

The Walled City of Sustainability

Sarah Rich: A couple of months ago, we wrote about Abu Dhabi's Future Energy Company and their plans to build a huge solar power plant as part...

Silicon Valley's next big thing: 'clean tech'

Most of Silicon Valley's current emphasis is on clean energy. Entrepreneurs here are aiming to transform solar, fuel-cell, and biofuel projects into viable industries with huge potential. Already, the market amounts to $55 billion more than the entire Internet advertising market dominated by the high-tech region's current darling, Google. In 10 years, the clean-energy market by one estimate could quadruple.

Shortages Stifle a Boom Time For the Solar Industry