Enphase Energy, a leading maker of microinverters, yesterday announced the launch of what is being billed as the company’s “most efficient and power technology to date.”

This may lead some of you to ask, What the heck is a microinverter?

Luckily for everyone involved, GetSolar’s very own Annie Lindseth has already has a concise explanation:

Solar panels need (micro)inverters to convert the electricity they produce to a type that can be used at home. Solar photovoltaic panels produce DC (direct) electrical current, and household appliances use AC (alternating) electrical current. …click here to read more

We’ve seen a slew of solar-powered chargers designed for use with personal electronics. Here’s but one example. But how about getting rid of all the plug-in peripherals and instead go with a laptop that runs entirely on solar power?

That seems to be the goal of Andrea Ponti, an Italy-based industrial designer. …click here to read more

The most efficient solar photovoltaic (PV) panel on the market today is capable of turning about 20 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity. This number is slowly but surely increasing, as technology continually improves. But in an ideal world, solar panels would convert a larger portion of the sun ray’s into useful energy.

On this topic, EchoFirst may be onto something. In addition to using sunlight to generate electrical power, as conventional PV panels do, the company’s energy system captures the sun’s thermal energy, which may then be used for heating water and home air conditioning.

The result, according to the company, is a system that operates at around 50 percent efficiency. Here’s more on how it works: …click here to read more

In our four years as a blog, we’ve seen just about every solar-powered gadget out there, including solar surfboards, solar suitcases and a solar helmet. So, when Ralph Lauren recently announced the release of a solar-powered backpack, we weren’t exactly surprised.

The bag is part of the designer’s RLX line, which offers buyers “exceptionally luxe lifestyle apparel and innovative athletic gear.” It is perfect for me, in other words. Next time I’m exploring the Amazon, I can both (a) look great and, thanks to the backpack, (b) get enough juice from its 2.45-watt solar panel to charge my GPS device and iPod. …click here to read more

It seems April Fools’ Day this year got very popular with corporate America and media outlets:

From a new “body controlled” email system to the purchase of Pluto to a royal wedding–themed car, companies and media outlets have been busily pranking this April Fools’ Day, lightening up an otherwise grim news flow focused on violence in Libya and the ongoing disaster in Japan.

The MarketWatch story linked to above references the day’s gags from Google, Groupon and Virgin, among others. We here at GetSolar would just like to inform our readers that we were hip to the April Fool’s thang way back in 2009:

A Spain-based firm, Derma-Volt, is developing a suntan lotion that, when applied, will cause the underlying surface to generate electrical current.

…click here to read more

Just last week, we introduced you to the LED solar pebble — a dependable and easily transportable solar-powered light that can be used in rural areas that lack a steady source of electricity. Today, it’s the solar refrigerator — an equally fascinating and useful development that is also made for those same remote areas.

The solar powered refrigerator was developed by the sustainable engineering firm True Energy and runs on what the company calls Sure Chill Technology. True Energy says that Sure Chill can guarantee a constant and reliable cooling temperature in “the toughest environments. Here’s how it works:

A refrigerator using Sure Chill Technology accesses grid energy and/or solar power when the energy is at its cheapest and most available. If the energy rate is too expensive at a certain time, the solar powered refrigerator can hold out for up to 10 days without using any electricity at all and still maintain a low, cooling temperature. How? It uses a high-density polyurethane foam as an insulator and a phase change material to store energy until it’s needed. So if the temperature rises too high, that stored energy kicks in and cools the refrigerator down.

The solar powered refrigerator keeps everything inside of it between four and six degrees Celsius (39 and 43 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s not widely used at the moment as far as residential use. But Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO) are already using the solar-powered refrigerator to store vaccinations in remote areas of Africa where they would otherwise not have a place to store vaccinations.

Photo credit: True Energy

Trust me, it’s much more significant than it sounds.

The LED solar pebble is not one of those “cool-but-who-really-needs-that” solar gadgets that we sometimes see. It’s actually a very significant development, specifically for people living in rural parts of Africa using kerosene lamps. According to Inhabitat, kerosene poisoning in some of the most remote and poorest parts of the world kills someone every 2o seconds. The solar pebble is a game-changer with the potential to eliminate the need for such a toxin.

The Solar Pebble was created by Adam Robinson of Plus Minus Solar — a research and design firm based in the UK. It can be used as both a lamp and as a solar charger for smaller electronics like cell phones and batteries. It’s perfect for people in areas that don’t have a steady source of electricity, and it lasts for 12 hours, meaning it can be used throughout an entire day before it needs a charge.

But what makes this solar pebble so valuable is its portability. After all, it’s the size of a pebble. If you’re at home, you can use it to light up a room. If you’re hiking, you can toss it in your backpack and use it to charge electronics. If you’re camping, use the solar pebble to light up the camp site.

Plus Minus Design hasn’t released a price yet because the LED solar pebble is still a few months away from officially being released, but Inhabitat says it costs roughly one-tenth of what a family would otherwise spend on a kerosene lamp. We’ll know more when it hits the market in June 2011, and of course, we’ll keep you updated.

Biennially since 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has held the solar decathlon, a competition between 20 university teams from around the world that design, construct and operate homes that are affordable, energy efficient and attractive.

The finalists for the competition were recently announced. Among them is Team New Jersey, a collaboration of faculty members and students from Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. It is the first trip to the finals for Team New Jersey and yesterday at Civic Square Building in New Brunswick, New Jersey, State Senator Robert Menendez recognized Team New Jersey and its project, “eNJoy: A Generation House.” The team will next travel to Washington D.C. for the finals.

The home is concrete, making it durable. It’s been described as a “passive solar house,” meaning the sun’s heat enters the home in its natural state of solar radiation by way of the roof and is used for both heating and light. This means there’s no need for fans or pumps to maintain a comfortable temperature. Additionally, Team New Jersey built the roof in the shape of an inverted hip for optimal solar exposure and rainwater collection.

The 20 finalists are chosen after schools submit proposals to be reviewed by renewable energy experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, American Institute of Architects, National Association of Home Builders, the U.S. Green Building Council, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. After the competition, the homes are on display for the public free of charge and are usually used as energy research labs.

Here is a list of Solar Decathlon Accomplishments since the 2002 inaugural competition:

• Involved 92 collegiate teams, which pursued multidisciplinary course curricula to study the requirements for designing and building energy-efficient, solar-powered houses
• Established a worldwide reputation as a successful educational program and workforce development opportunity for thousands of students
• Affected the lives of 15,000 collegiate participants
• Expanded its outreach to K–12 students by inviting schools in the Washington, D.C., area to visit on class tours.

Check out images of the 2009 Solar Decathalon.

We sometimes see it: homeowners don’t want to invest in a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system because they fear a better, more efficient system will available as soon as their system is installed. It’s the same reasoning some people use when the opt against buying a new computer or cell phone. Why trade up now when new technology will be available in six months or a year? When it comes to installing solar panels, however, there are a number of considerations that make the solar purchase decision unique.

First of all, you’re right: at some point during the lifetime of your rooftop solar energy system, a better version of what you have will likely come out. That’s going to be the case whether you install solar panels now or 20 years from now. The difference is that every month you choose not to invest in a solar energy system, you’re continuing to pay your utility. Depending on your electric rate and usage patterns, you may be overpaying for your electricity. What’s more? If you live in a state with a market for solar renewable energy credits (SRECs), the longer you wait to install solar, the longer you go without making money by selling your SRECs.

Second, the solar energy systems available today are pretty darn good. SunPower’s E19 solar panels have a 19 percent efficiency rating, and  Kyocera’s 190-watt solar panel boasts a 15 percent efficiency level. Each of these is a great choice when looking into installing a rooftop solar energy system.

The third reason why now is the time to go solar? Solar rebates, tax credits and other incentives. Utility, state and federal incentives are available right now throughout the United States. Five states in particular are making big pushes in 2011 to incorporate more solar into their power grids, and financial incentives are among the main ways they plan to do this. But the goal is to get to a point in time when the solar energy industry can stand on its own feet without the help of incentives. So, if you wait a few years, more efficient panels will be available, but incentive programs will be few and far between. So take advantage of the incentives while they’re still around and invest in a solar energy system today.

If we’re going to secure a clean energy future, education is key. The more young people know about solar energy, the better. So what can we do to teach kids about solar energy? Here are some ways you can help out, along with a few examples of activities that are already underway.

Photo credit: Green Heart Institute

1. Solar schools. An effective way to teach kids about solar energy is to install solar energy systems at schools. We’re already seeing this trend spread throughout the country. Public schools in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah have installed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Why is solar so popular? A solar energy system saves school districts money on utility bills and can become part of a school’s science curriculum.

2. Solar-powered gadgets. It’s no secret that kids love gadgets. Cell phones, laptops, cameras and any other hand-held, wireless device with a bright electronic screen. With the advancement of solar technology, we can now power most of these things with solar energy. So if you’re looking into buying any type of gadget for a young person, check to see if there’s a solar-powered version of it.

3. Lead by example. If you have kids and you want to teach them about solar, use it yourself by making your home a solar home. And while you’re going through the process of installing a solar energy system, get them involved. Show them the panels, let them watch the installation (from the ground of course) and introduce them to the home monitoring system it comes with. After all, it’s an electronic device with lots of interesting buttons. The more they get involved and enjoy the process, the bigger solar energy advocates they’re likely to become.

4. Science fairs. Whether their destined to be scientists or mathematicians, every elementary school child participates in a science fair at least once. So why not think of a way to help them incorporate solar energy into their projects? Anything from trying to build their own panel to a detailed description of how an inverter works will do. It’s a good way for a student to learn about solar energy in detail and give every one of their classmates an overview.