Solar Energy

Solar powered security light.

Big breakthroughs in solar cell technology and manufacturing have been made by a company called nanosolar of San Jose California. The $1.00 a watt holy grail of solar cells have been reached by a revolutionary manufacturing process where thin solar cells are printed with nano particle semiconductor ink "roll to roll" like newspapers on an industrial scale.

This is great news for everyone. The affordability barrier, currently anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 a watt, has been breached and mass deployment is now seen for countless applications. One of the revolutionary product is Nanosolar SolarPly™ , a flexible " Light-weight solar-electric cell foil which can be cut to any size. Non-fragile. No soldering required for electrical contact."

"Thin Film Solar Power - Cheaper than Coal ?" A good article on what thin film technology is and its significance at TheOilDrum.com.

These innovations can fill the electric power requirements for rural survival such as remote solar water pumping, solar charging of storage batteries, running freezers, washing machines and other appliances without the exorbitant price historically associated with solar panels.

Home rooftop solar panels.

The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-grid And Sustainable Living An informative guide for the homeowner interested in ways to produce alternative energy and to conserve energy and resources. A comprehensive "how to" book illustrated with photos of actual projects.