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POPSTwo Large Solar Projects Planned for California While I'm not extremely keen on these sort of plants -- there's no real reason to centralize solar generation like this -- it's nice to see that solar's being taken seriously. Given recent advances in photovoltaic technology, the price is coming down enough for it to be put anywhere the sun shines. In other words, there's no reason to use up huge expanses of land when you can do the same thing on rooftops. Still, any time new generating capacity comes from green tech, it's good news.
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POPSElectro-Magnetic Skyscrapers
In this futuristic scenario controlled Electro Magnetic force (E.M.) will be a key element in the building industry. This controlled E.M. force will free humanity from the need to waste our planet resources by making the E.M. technology the ultimate sustainable method. E.M. Structures will be able to support each other simply by pure physical magnetism that can also direct electricity. By using magnetic fields as a construction material there can be Infinite vertical and horizontal expansions due to the final liberation from gravity. Tokyo was chosen to set the first example for the rest of the world in building a series of Electro-Magnetic Skyscrapers and these buildings will be able to migrate like birds. Self sufficient energy cubes will provide the basic needs to the community. By using built-in energy resources in every E.M. Cube (such as photovoltaic cells on the sides of the cube, Wind turbines, air shafts forcing wind into energy, water conservation tanks etc.)
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POPSFossil Fuel Free Community in Arvada, Colorado The community plans to employ both active and passive solar energy collection measures to meet daytime heating and electrical energy needs. Homes will be constructed to maximize solar gain and will feature checkerboard placements for complete access to sunlight, east-to-west floorplans to maximize exposure to the Sun, strategic placement of doors and windows, and scientifically engineered awnings. Rooftops will be outfitted with photovoltaic solar panels that will send their excess power to the grid for storage.
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POPSBeyond Zero-Energy: The World's 1st Positive Energy Building Generates more energy than it consumes. The building’s aggressive approach to sustainability enables it to offer the lowest energy consumption per square meter for its class. The complex will utilize sustainable materials and feature integrated wind turbines, outdoor air quality monitors. In addition to serving as the Masdar headquarters, the building will accommodate private residences and ‘early bird’ businesses starting up in the city. The Masdar development will be constructed over seven phases and is due to be completed by 2016.
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POPS0.3% of Saharan Sun Enough To Power Europe The visionary proposal comes as the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission released its strategic energy technology plan which highlighted photovoltaic cells as one of the eight technologies that need to be developed in the future. The plan also includes fuel cells, hydrogen, clean coal, second generation biofuels, nuclear fusion, wind and smart grids.
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POPSHow Parking Lots Can Beat the Heat & Gain Energy On hot, sunny days when air conditioners threaten to overload the power grid, solar power generation makes a lot of sense. Parking lots in asphalt-rich cities have great solar potential because the panels can be oriented to optimize power production during summer afternoons when electricity is most valuable. Google, for example, has installed solar canopies on its parking lots to satisfy 30 percent of its headquarters' power demand. Because the parking lots for most commercial buildings are bigger than the buildings themselves, economies of scale for large installations can further reduce the cost of the solar panels. We shouldn't wait until the next heat wave to think about getting solar power from our parking lots.
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POPSSolar plant a 'small but important step' The Australian centre gets an incredible amount of sunlight. There's very little that can be done without the first step. Remember computers became a prospect (distant) when they invented the transistor. Every program is a series of small steps. Step left 0 step right 1-(or vice versa) at least until we work out how to go organic (it's not far off). Who knows, with the amount of sunlight Australia gets, in time energy is likely to become an export. We'll just have to look out for real estate agents. "Want to buy a block of land in the desert?- Get it while it's hot."
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POPSMoore's Law and the Cost of Solar Energy Interesting. I like to see patterns emerging in technology trends. This one makes sense, but the fact is that there are many different types of solar panels, including solar thermal and solar hot water, that are already competitive.
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POPSCheaper than Coal... Several solar companies have announced that they can produce solar panels that have a cheaper dollars per watt price tag than coal. While these don't seem to have reached the domestic market yet, it's and interesting development.