Dust, dirt, and the occasional bird-bomb can chip away at the efficiency of solar panels. Hand washing is fine for home-scale installations but that can add up to a huge problem for large installations that cover multiple acres of ground or roofs. Now scientists from Boston University have come up with a solution: self-cleaning solar panels based on technology used in missions to Mars.

There are two types of CFLs in use. One is the integrated and the other is non-integrated. The two main parts of a non-integrated CFL are a gas filled tube called bulb or burner and magnetic or electronic ballasts. An electric current from the ballast flows through the gas filled tube (mercury vapour) causing it to emit UV light.

The rise of the electric vehicle segment, as well as the industries which support it, is making companies not usually linked with EVs get into the heat of the moment and announce their involvement in the market.The chargers, announced by ECOtality this week, will be offered in two models, one for in-home use (residential wall-mount ) and one for commercial use (stand-alone charger). The chargers are currently undergoing testing for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification.

Students at Cambridge University look towards hydropower to light up homes in developing countries. Deniz Erkan, Li Jiang and Ned Stuart-Smith have developed a portable hydroelectric generator that is capable of producing up to 1kW of power when installed in free-flowing rivers. The 500kg device designed by these third-year students does not require special infrastructure or equipment, it is very easy to install.

Some young fellows stare at a big TV screen and shout noisily as they are watching a World Cup 2010 football match. Some electric fans run at their maximal speed to soothe the ongoing summer heat. The pigsty system behind the house of Tran Van Tam in Phu Trung hamlet, An Phu commune, Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City also gets cooled with home-made ventilation panels. It is unlikely that the area does not benefit from the national power grid and often incurs power outages.

Two drawbacks to solar power were cost and the bulk of the panels, but newer panels, called thin-film solar panels are lowering the cost of solar and allowing new types of solar panels to be made. Some are flexible and can either be rolled up or formed into roof tiles, so it’s hardly noticeable that you’re powering your home with the sun!

Solar energy solutions are paramount these days and yet solar technology used in homes is in its infancy and ungainly. Most conventional silicon cell photovoltaic solar panels are eyesores.However, there may soon be a less obtrusive, colorful and flexible alternative: the dye-sensitized solar cell or DSC panel.

You plug the appliances into the sensors, and the sensors into your home’s wall sockets. The sensors then relay each appliance’s electricity consumption to an Internet-connected router, via Zigbee, the RF standard crafted for appliances and other devices around the home. You can then view a graphical and numerical chart that shows how much that Vornado air purifier is costing.

Trong bối cảnh giá điện tăng cao như hiện nay, những hệ thống giải trí tại gia như “rạp hát gia đình” (home theater) lại “ngốn” điện khiến hàng tháng đều đặn bạn phải bỏ ra một đống tiền để trả tiền điện. Tuy nhiên, vẫn có những giải pháp để giảm thiểu tối đa chi phí này.