DailyDirt: Solar Power Blankets The Earth, News At 11

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Solar energy has its benefits and shortcomings, just as any energy source does. However, to some folks, solar power just seems so much more attractive and "natural" than nuclear power or even wind energy. Everyone recognizes the sun as a source of energy, and solar panels to turn sunlight into electricity generally don't have lots of noisy moving parts or any visible waste products. If you ignore all the drawbacks, solar energy is perfect. If you're a solar power fanboy or fangirl, check out a few of these links.

• Floating blimps delivering solar power could help out in emergency relief operations as quick and easy generators that don't require a fuel supply chain to keep them going. The Zephyr is a prototype that could provide energy for makeshift hospitals or small refugee camps, and a working version could be available for use before the end of 2015. [url]
• The first "solar battery" made in a lab has the ability to turn light into electricity and store that energy -- eliminating the loss of electricity that usually occurs when solar power is transferred to external batteries. These solar cells increase the efficiency of collecting and storing solar energy, but it could take some time before we see these devices sold commercially. [url]
• A 550-megawatt solar power plant is the largest operating solar farm covering 9.5 square miles. It should be able to power 160,000 homes, and a slightly larger 579-MW solar power plant is scheduled to turn on later in 2015. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: energy, energy storage, solar, solar battery, solar power, zephyr