Simply put, a solar panel works by allowing photons, or particles of light, to knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. Solar panels actually comprise many, smaller units called photovoltaic cells. (Photovoltaic simply means they convert sunlight into electricity.) Many cells linked together make up a solar panel.
How Do Solar Panels Work? | Photovoltaic Cells | LiveScience
In Hawaii, 10% of households have rooftop-solar systems, and the island's grid is starting to become unstable. The utility has little incentive to try to resolve the issue. More rooftop-solar systems mean fewer customers who buy electricity.
Will Rooftop Solar Stand the Test of Time? - DailyFinance
A team of researchers at Argonne National Laboratory has figured out an efficient way to split hydrogen gas from water, using a low cost cobalt-based catalyst instead of pricey platinum.
For Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Blue Is The New Green | CleanTechnica
The whole “Why is German solar about half the price of U.S. solar?” question is one of the most important solar questions of the day. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has probably most extensively studied this matter. In a recently updated version of its analysis, LBNL examines why a residential German solar system goes for $3.00/watt and a residential U.S. solar system goes for $6.19/watt.
Why German Solar Is So Much Cheaper Than U.S. Solar — Updated Study | CleanTechnica
Booth said the take-off in solar would be "quite fundamentally disruptive" to the energy industry's business model and that bigger European power companies had already seen huge amounts knocked off their market capitalisation. In October, the Economist reported the share price of Germany's biggest utility company had dropped by 75 per cent from its peak in 2008 and income from fossil fuels and nuclear power generation was down by a third since 2010.
Time to shine: Sunny days tipped for growing solar industry - Business - NZ Herald News