Solar power installations are well worth the investment, even in snowy climates, according to new research from Michigan Technological University. The albedo effect caused by white snow cover actually helps to increase solar panel efficiency (counter to what many of us might have thought).

South Africa has unveiled first solar power plant, situated at the environmentally friendly OR Tambo Precinct, produces about 200 kW of electricity through 860 PV (photovoltaic) solar panels on 2,500 m² of land.

Getting energy from the sun is a great idea. However, installing solar panels house-by-house is slow, costly and cumbersome, and downright inefficient if the goal is to bring solar to the masses.

The university researchers have already tested equipment in space that would provide a platform for solar panels to collect energy and allow it to be transferred back to Earth through microwaves or lasers.

While we’ve looked at the development of solar cell technologies that employ nanoscale 3D structures to trap light and increase the amount of solar energy absorbed, MIT researchers have now used 3D on the macro scale to achieve power output that is up to 20 times greater than traditional fixed flat solar panels with the same base area.

San Jose-based SunPower (SPWRA) has landed a plum contract: Its solar panels will generate electricity for Apple's (AAPL) massive new data center in Maiden, N.C., according to a filing with regulators in that state.

Solar Ship says the aircraft's electric motor can either be powered solely by the energy provided by the on board batteries, or by the solar panels covering the wing - a feat already achieved by a conventional airplane design in the form of Solar Impulse.

That is the main finding from a new survey published by Barclays, which found that 37 per cent of the country's 200,000 farmers wanted to install green technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines or anaerobic digestion (AD) systems.

Google have amazing ratings for employee satisfaction, serve 100 percent local food in its massive cafeteria, and power its "Googleplex" with over 9,000 solar panels situated atop its four main buildings, but now Google plans to help homeowners get solar panels to power their own homes as well.

The US solar industry is getting a boost from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) - it's providing $75 million in long-term loans to export US-made solar panels to India.

The billboard will be disconnected from the grid to prove the energy used comes entirely from the onsite renewable technologies. The solar panels and turbines are expected to generate 12.6kw a day to light up the red lettering from first light or first wind until about three o'clock the following morning.

Australian researchers have developed solar panels which can be painted or printed directly onto a surface. The project is one of several initiatives which have the potential to revolutionise solar energy by eliminating the need for bulky panels which need to be attached to buildings.

Efficiency is a problem with today's solar panels; they only collect about 20 percent of available light. Now, a University of Missouri engineer has developed a flexible solar sheet that captures more than 90 percent of available light, and he plans to make prototypes available to consumers within the next five years.

The Uboat concept design by Wyatt Little of Houston, Texas, tackles all the major issues associated with green living on a boat. Electricity for the Uboat is provided courtesy of 3 Schüco 180 Watt, 16 Volt solar panels, mounted to a green roof (which we assume can also grow herbs and veggies for human consumption).

ANU has a partnership with a Chinese manufacturer to commercialise new solar cell technology. The scarcity of high grade silicon is one of the things which pushes up the price of roof top solar panels. The majority of existing solar energy cells on the market rely on high grade silicon components.

People were skeptical when the idea was first floated about a year ago, says Nick Getzen, spokesman for The Jobs Project, which is trying to create renewable energy job opportunities in West Virginia and Kentucky. In the southern coalfields, he says, people have only ever gotten electricity one way – from coal-fired power plants.

Thanks to a $3 million federal stimulus grant given to the Utah Energy Program, solar panels will be installed in every school district in the state, at 73 Utah schools in all. Students will be able to track online how many kilowatt hours of energy their solar photovoltaic arrays generate, and teachers at the schools will receive training to teach students about solar, wind and geothermal technologies.

Italy, the country with the world’s first highway ever built (in 1926), is now preparing the addition of another motorway segment between Catania and Siracusa (the A18). But this is not just another motorway: it is the first fully solar-powered in the world, with 20 hectares-worth of solar panels.

A plan to install solar energy panels on two Reigate council buildings is set to save money and reduce carbon emissions, a councillor has said. Councillor Julian Ellacott said the solar panels could generate electricity worth hundreds of thousands of pounds over their 25-year lifespan.

Thailand will be supplied with some more solar panels for a new power plant, as a result of the signed agreement between the authorities and Suntech Power Holding Co. The latter will provide approximately 9.43MW worth of panels to the installation. The project is owned by Bangchak Petrolem and is scheduled to be finalized by the end of next year. Once online, the solar power plant should provide around 44MW of clean electricity