A professor at the University of Sao Paulo is piloting a project that uses the sun to power self-contained wi-fi units, in hopes of ultimately delivering free wireless internet to poor communities lacking proper power plugs and internet infrastructures. Professor Marcelo Zuffo, the Interactive Electronics Coordinator of the University of Sao Paulo, is testing [...]

This not-exactly economical solar table and a great instance of the Olympics using solar deserve mention, but cooler still is Oregon’s decision to use solar to help power a highway interchange.
OregonLive.com, which reported the story, states that “it represents a critical first step in what the department envisions as widespread use of solar energy.” [...]

The wizards at MIT have come up with yet another project that is nifty, cool, and eminently practical, with the invention of a simple, homemade $17 solar cooker designed for use in rural areas. The only materials are Mylar coating, yak wool, and bamboo ribs. In many countries across the world people cook with materials [...]

Last week, I had the fortune to tour a production site of Beijing Tsinghua Solar Co., Ltd., one of China’s biggest manufacturers of solar hot water systems. While the facility itself lies in the brownish, dusty outskirts of Beijing, where the grass grows sparsely and the sky remains a stubborn gray from sunup until sundown, [...]

Sometimes, it’s important to take a break from serious policy issues - which Margaret, Adam, Connie, and Matt tend to speak about a lot more intelligently than me - and reminder ourselves how cool solar can be. Especially on a Friday.
Over at Got2BeGreen, here’s a great post about solar-powered purses. Was the world anxiously [...]

Following up on Adam’s down-to-earth post about the basics of installing solar, there’s a great piece out today from The Star about the concrete benefits in using a solar water heater for a pool. For anyone with a pool that they need to worry about heating, getting solar has been a sensible and cost-effective solution [...]

Sky News reports that a solar-powered lawnmower has debuted in the United Kingdom. This is the first product of that kind in the world.
The real fun of following solar news lately has been seeing people apply the technology in some very strange and cool ways. There’s no real reason that the world desperately needs [...]

Following on Eric’s blurb on Qatar’s growing investment in photovoltaics, I thought I’d share this picture I took during my recent travels to the Middle East. These solar water heaters are found on nearly every rooftop around Jerusalem. I saw a good number of PV panel installations as well, especially atop commercial centers and government [...]

The iPhone dominated tech headlines last year, and with good reason. While it’s not a perfect device, it is a sleek gadget that works well and packages together an awful lot of attractive features. It’s not economical compared to some competitors, but it has the Apple brand name and, many would say, a priceless “cool” [...]

News: Spectrum Online
Traditionally, photovoltaic cells are fabricated from silicon. While cell efficiency is continually improving, the fact remains that the electricity generated from them is more expensive than that generated from conventional energy sources.
As the initial price and longer returns on investment are the main obstacles of more mainstream adoption of photovoltaic solar cells, the [...]