The lower efficiencies mean that it takes years for homeowners and businesses to recoup the money they invest in solar power systems. If the efficiencies were higher, that time for return on investment would be slashed, people would be able to cover more of their power loads with renewable energy and solar power would be much more enticing to people and corporations.

The project is part of the local authority’s commitment to Bristol 2015 European Green Capital. The city has also installed a sculpture of two life size whales made from recycled bottles, marking the city’s green status.

In the implementation of energy development strategy, Ministry of Industry and Trade presided over the preparation of policies to support the development of renewable energy sources such as wind power, biomass power, electricity generated from solid wastes and solar power.

While the cost of solar power has dropped significantly from the early 2000s, there is still plenty of room for the technology to become cheaper, making it even more attractive as a substitute for fossil fuels.

Central Quang Binh province started work on a 13.7 million USD project in Bo Trach district on July 1 to supply solar power to far-flung areas outside the reach of the national grid.

The world’s first solar powered catwalk – the J Summer Fashion Show 2015 – took place last Friday evening, July 17th, at the Gemasolar plant outside Sevilla in southern Spain.

On a highway near Den Bosch, The Netherlands, a new form of solar technology is being tested on what is usually a mundane piece of infrastructure: a noise barrier.

Mitsubishi Electric has completed installing a 6.2MW solar power plant in northern Japan.

The first utility-scale solar power plant in East Africa is now open in Rwanda. Built in the shape of the African continent, the solar farm is expected to generate enough power to supply 15,000 homes and boost Rwanda’s electricity generation capacity by 6%.

ABB has won a solar order worth $20 million (£12.6m) in Dubai. It will extend the substation at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park, which will integrate more solar energy into the grid.

Two “mega” floating solar power plants have been completed in Japan.

The Port of Gothenburg also estimates that it will save SEK 60,000 in energy costs each year.

Walking through the frenetic streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city, it's not out of the ordinary to see large swaths of electrical grids suddenly shut down, the power supply overextended.

From plants to people, every living thing on this planet needs water. But getting enough to survive, and survive comfortably, that can be a little tricky

UK provider of commercial PayGo solar systems, Azuri Technology, has announced that it plans to partner with Oasis African Resources to provide 100,000 off-grid homes in Ghana with pay-as-you-go solar power over the next 2 years.

Smart grids could save up to €3.5 billion in the Netherlands, a new survey claims. Renewable sources such as wind and solar power fluctuate due to the weather but smart grids help balance the supply and demand.

British racing team Aston Martin Racing and the world’s biggest solar power company Hanergy have renewed their partnership to develop the first solar-powered car for consumers across the globe

High-tech industrial battery manufacturer Saft will supply Sunica.plus batteries for a solar power installation at the Duhkan oilfield in Qatar, which covers an area of about 80 kilometers (50 miles) by 8 kilometers (5 miles).

Solar power almost doubled in the last year, with 650,000 installations ranging from solar farms to panels on homes, figures showed.

Right now, solar power only comprises 0.23 percent of America’s electricity generation. But that percentage has the potential to skyrocket to 10 percent in the next 30 years, according to a report released Thursday by Environment America Research & Policy Center.