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.

They will have the option to purchase or lease the equipment, which Real Goods Solar will install and service.

After a year of preparation, the SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference and Exhibition will begin today at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.

Fuentes De Andalucia, Spain - A unique thermosolar power station in southern Spain can shrug off cloudy days: energy stored when the sun shines lets it produce electricity even during the night.

Tanzania probably doesn’t come to mind when you think about solar power leaders. But it’s actually working on a solar power project worthy of global notice, I think. The solar project will put solar power on “45 secondary schools, 10 health centres, 120 dispensaries, municipal buildings and businesses across 25 village market centres currently without access to the electricity grid.”

"Our commitment to provide solar power to Haiti will empower local schools and other community facilities, and give students a great place to study and learn while reducing dependency on expensive diesel power and polluting fossil fuels," said Petersen. "I look forward to partnering with the Clinton Foundation as we grow and identify new opportunities to harness the power of the sun by expanding the use of solar power in Haiti."

Borrego Solar Systems, Inc., has announced the completion of a 3.4 MW solar power installation at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.

A new material for solar cells -- a transparent conductor made of carbon nanotubes -- could revolutionize the way solar power is harvested, U.S. scientists say.

Pay as you go is a common way of paying for calls on your cellphone. Now the idea could help make solar power a more realistic option for families in Kenya and other African countries.

After 18 months of construction, the largest solar energy plant in Taiwan’s history is now fully operational in the southern city of Kaohsiung, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs Oct. 1.

Engineer Nguyen Dinh Minh Toan, Saigon Electronics and Industrial Services JSC (Ho Chi Minh City) and his colleagues have successfully studied the application of solar energy in aquaculture to help farmers reduce costs, save monthly energy and fuel and protect the environment.

NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station this month to begin a five-year journey to Jupiter. Juno's detailed study of the largest planet in our solar system will help reveal Jupiter's origin and evolution.

Santa Barbara’s Solar3D Inc. announced that it’s completed the design and is on track to complete a prototype of a “super-efficient” 3-D solar cell by the end of 2011. Holding out the promise of substantially increasing solar cell conversion efficiencies, the company believes its 3-D solar cell design “will dramatically change the economics of solar energy.”

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.

"We are planning to put 100 solar-powered ATMs in various areas in Miami in the near future," Robert Rico, chairman of financing for the Expert Group, said. "The wonderful thing about these machines is that they are not costly and will provide our customers with the chance to contribute to helping the environment."

Mr Matthew Warren, the Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council, which represents more than 300 solar companies and is responsible for the accreditation of solar installers, said solar systems were safe and the risk to solar households was very low.

The fact that weather varies unpredictably during the day, causing power production to fluctuate is much more important than the lack of sunlight during the night, because power plant operators know exactly when night time starts, so any other power plant can be scheduled to start for night time operation.

U.S. airmen are one step closer to going off the grid. The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., announced the completion of an on-base solar energy farm June 13 that generates up to 6 megawatts of solar power.

Wadebridge in Cornwall has moved another step towards becoming the first solar powered town in the UK, as PV installations begin to go up across the municipality. The area aims to generate at least a third of its electricity from solar and wind power by 2015, which is the equivalent of 15,000MWh a year. By generating renewable energy at this level, Wadebridge will be able to benefit significantly from the UK’s feed-in tariff, enabling significant cash contributions for local community projects.