Solar Power, definition of

Solar Power refers to the act of using the Sun's energy to produce a power source, usually in the form of electricity. This is usually done using solar panels, although it can also be done using a solar mirror/concentrator to heat water to steam to power a turbine.

• Home Battery Storage Buying Guide
  Buying a Solar Home Battery Storage system can be a confusing undertaking, in this guide we examine the issues, clear up the confusion and give you useful advice.
• Cost of Solar-Power Storage Batteries
  The costs of solar-power storage batteries are explored in this article and how to get the best economies and long term reliability.
• How does solar power work?
  We explain how solar power works and how it can be used to provide clean renewable power.
• Solar Power Facts
  Establish the facts around solar power. This article explains the pros and cons of having a solar power system for your home, and how to work out the costs.
• Solar Power - the facts about setting up Solar Power
  Solar Power systems installed at the home or office can reduce environmental impact. How solar panel systems work is described and how you and the environment benefit.
• What is convection and how it effects your heating costs
  Convection directly effects the cost of keeping your house warm in winter. This article explains what convention is and some practical tips on how to battle convection.

• Solar Power Installers, what to look for..
  When looking for a solar power installer, it pays to do your homework and double check that you are getting the best.
• Updated Green Directory
  Our Green Dictionary App has undergone an upgrade.
• Self-Assembling Solar Cells Recycle Themselves Repeatedly
  MIT has been researching into creating natural cell like solar cells which are able to reassemble themselves and the research so far looks quite promising...
• Chicago Climate Exchange drops 50%, new record low
  Basically, if it gets any lower it will be ZERO..
• IPCC must reform, recommends IAC
  An independent review said the scientists who produce the periodic United Nations reports on climate change (IPCC) should be more open to alternative views, more transparent about their own possible conflicts of interest and more realistic in the reporting of the likelihood of climatic events.
• Alternative Solar Energy
  Alternative Solar Energy - this phrase often creates images of hippies and flower power... We look at what it really means.
• US Thermal Solar Plant approved in California
  California approves the first U.S. Thermal Solar Plant.
• solar power efficiency
  What are the factors that are important in efficiently harvesting solar power - we look at what they are..
• Special Interest Groups
  To make it easier to find information on certain important topics we have made a set of SIG's (Special Interest Groups)...
• New Rainwater harvesting calculator
  This new calculator allows you to work out the practical tank size given average per month rainfall, your roof area and expected monthly water usage.
• More Efficient Solar Cells with Selenium
  Researchers have discovered that just adding a minuscule quantity of 9% selenium with zinc oxide base radically improved the sun light absorbing efficiency of the material...
• Climate Change Policy in Australia
  With an election just around the corner the politically sensitive issue of how Labour is to deal with Climate Change has been presented as policy today.
• GE Ecomagination Challenge $200m for good ideas
  GE Ecomagination contest hopes to gather ideas for improving electrical grid technology.
• Call for tighter review of IPCC data
  Prof Jean Palutikof, who spent 5 years at the British Met Office preparing the UN report, Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, admitted the existing system was flawed because "quite a lot" of information had not been peer-reviewed by independent scientists before publication.
• IPCC conclusions fail under legal cross examination
  A cross examination of global warming science conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Law and Economics has concluded that virtually every claim advanced by global warming proponents fails to stand up to scrutiny.
• new low cost solar cell tech - dye films
  solar dye film cells will be available at a projected price of 3p per kw/h, a tenth of silicon cells.
• Give Curry to sheep and save the planet
  Strange but true, feeding sheep curry could save the planet...
• Solar companies receive $2 billion
  Two solar companies have been awarded nearly $2 billion in Recovery Act funding for solar projects in three states.
• New Square LED's more light directional
  A new LED fabrication technique produces squares of LED's that are more directional.
• Best Solar Panels for home
  We look at what are the best solar panels for home use
• Climatic Modelling - the problems with getting it right
  Climatic Models are being used more and more to demonstrate human induced climate change is happening; we look at the problems with this.
• Solar Power Calculator Updated
  Our solar power calculator has been updated..
• Gillard is in
  Julia Gillard is in as the new PM of Australia, replacing Kevin Rudd; what does this mean for the Green Agenda?
• Insulation, how much do you need?
  Working out how much insulation to install can be difficult, we show you how.
• Green Home Loan Calculator
  A home loan calculator that allows you to also work out what you can do to be more green, and pay off your loan quicker as well.
• Quantum dot solar cells - is this the breakthrough?
  Quantum Dot Photovoltaics look to be able to double solar electricity collection efficiency. Is this enough to improve the viability of solar power to be practical to more of the community and make it sustainable green?
• Buy Green Books and Products
  We now have an online facility to purchase green books and products.
• Resource Super Profit Tax is Super Stupid
  We look at the Resource Super Profit tax and show why it will not work as advertised.
• Climate Change: the ice is fine
  Electromagnetic survey to measure ice thickness uncovers vast areas of resilient "old" ice in the Arctic; leading researcher concludes, "Any talk about tipping points, a sudden drop and no recovery ... I don't think it is going to happen."
• Keeping Cool in Summer
  Keeping cool in Summer as always a challenge, we show you how to do it whilst being green.
• Wind Power, is it really Green?
  Can wind power be considering a really green alternative energy source in its own right?
• Time to comment on the IPCC
  The IPCC is awaiting your feedback, tell it as it is...
• A study: The temperature rise has caused the CO2 Increase, not the other way around
  Differentiating the CO2 measurements over the last thirty years produces a pattern that matches the temperature anomaly measured by satellites in extreme detail. That this correlation includes El Niño years, and shows that the temperature rise is causing the rise in CO2, rather than the other way..
• Sustainable House Day 2010 in Australia
  Sustainable House Day 2010 is on for Sunday 12th September 2010, we look at how this can help you been more sustainable.
• Sustainable House and Home
  Sustainable housing, we look into what you need to do to make your house more green and sustainable.
• Passive Solar
  Passive Solar is often banded around as a good thing to do to make your house more green; we look at it in more detail.
• Bilderberg 2010
  Bilderberg 2010, a meeting you have never heard of, full of people you have never heard of - trying to manage the world without your say..
• Rain fall and rain harvesting calculator
  A new calculator that uses some publicly available rain fall data to help work out your monthly rain fall and hence collectible rain water.
• Green Directory
  New Green directory service on line.
• Architects held to be "Fit For Purpose"
  Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Bill (No. 2) 2010 will seek to remove an exception requiring Architects and Engineers to comply to a 'Fit for Purpose' warranty. We think this is a good thing.
• The Skeptic Global Warming Conference
  The Fourth International Conference on Climate Change is taking place in Chicago, Illinois.
• Home Sustainability Assessment - do you really need one?
  Home Sustainability Assessments, are they actually assessing your home or assessing your ability to pay for more green modifications...
• Most convinced global warming not man made
  It appears that down in Australia that there is an outbreak of common sense occurring.
• Hot Water Heat Pumps - are they a rip off
  We have a quick look at the cost benefits behind heating hot water using a heat pump...
• Lets the climate models tell the truth we want to see..
  Climate models are just that, a model, based on assumptions and theories. Their accuracy is limited not only through the complexities of the climatic systems they model but also by the conclusions researchers want to see from them..
• More exact monthly means...
  Following up with more data set pairs showing the difference in accuracy between min/max daily monthly means and taking the mean of all hourly measurements in that month..
• What exactly is a monthly mean?
  A lot of climate analysis is done using the monthly mean temperature. Given that data is quite often available for hourly measurements I thought I'd have a look at whether creating a monthly mean straight off all the hourly measurements would produce a difference; initial findings indicate it does.
• Solar Power - hidden costs
  Solar power is all the rage at the moment, we had a look at some quotes and found it is not as good a deal as it looks.

• Solar System Savings Calculator
  Interactive calculator to help work out the savings from installing a solar power system and when it breaks even. Can factor in Feed in Tariffs, rising electrical bill costs and comparative investment returns.
• Solar Power Calculator
  Calculate the power solar panels will generate each season based on latitude or nearest town or city worldwide. Also works out off grid energy savings of going solar powered..

Related Tags: solar, solar cells,

Solar Power Generation is the act of using a system that is powered by the Sun to produce typically electrical power.

• California’s new renewable energy law could edge rooftop solar companies out of business
  Many states are making great strides when it comes to setting up regulations that encourage renewable energy production in alignment with President Barack Obama’s goal for 30 percent of the nation’s electricity to be generated using solar energy by...
• The Netherlands to Pave Roads with Solaroad Solar Panels
  In addition to being one of the most bike-friendly places in Europe, the Netherlands is about to make their bike lanes even more green — by paving them with solar panels...

Related Tags: solar power, solar energy, solar panels, inverter

A solar power system is one which is primarily powered by solar energy.

• Solar Power - the facts about setting up Solar Power
  Solar Power systems installed at the home or office can reduce environmental impact. How solar panel systems work is described and how you and the environment benefit.

• Solar Power Installers, what to look for..
  When looking for a solar power installer, it pays to do your homework and double check that you are getting the best.

• Solar System Savings Calculator
  Interactive calculator to help work out the savings from installing a solar power system and when it breaks even. Can factor in Feed in Tariffs, rising electrical bill costs and comparative investment returns.

• Can solar panels redeem this “environmental crime” in Brazil?
  60 per cent of Brazil’s energy comes from hydroelectric plants, but some, like the Balbina Dam, negatively impacted the environment. The Balbina Dam flooded around 930 miles of the Amazon rainforest, putting mammals, birds, and tortoises at risk. Worse,...
• Portable ESCAPE Traveler XL home lets you hit the open road in freedom and luxury
  If the ESCAPE Traveler XL sounds familiar, it’s because this tiny portable home is the upgraded and expanded version of its popular sibling, the six-person ESCAPE Traveler...

Related Tags: solar, batteries, renewable, electricity

Describes an object which is either solely or completely powered from the Sun. It may require direct Sun light to work or stores the solar energy in a battery to use later, such as solar powered garden lights.

• Saving Money
  Saving money and being green at the same time? We show how it is possible..
• Keeping Chickens, how they are good for you and the garden
  Chickens are a valuable addition to any garden, we explain why you should keep them and what are their benefits.
• Solar Power - the facts about setting up Solar Power
  Solar Power systems installed at the home or office can reduce environmental impact. How solar panel systems work is described and how you and the environment benefit.
• Low Allergen Building Design
  Low allergen design is a whole building approach that aims to reduce and avoid all known allergens, and to minimize the conditions in which they occur. This article shows you how.
• Top Ten Going Green Tips & Tricks
  Top ten green tips and tricks you can do to be Green and more Eco friendly in your day to day life.

• Solar Power Calculator
  Calculate the power solar panels will generate each season based on latitude or nearest town or city worldwide. Also works out off grid energy savings of going solar powered..

Related Tags: solar power