Sharp introduced a 26″ LCD projection TV that uses about 25% of an equivalent-sized conventional CRT TV. Rear projection TVs are known to be power misers and even compared to LCD TVs or plasma TVs they consume quite a bit less. If you don’t want to make huge payments to PG&E or to your local [...]
Engadget is reporting that Apple has filed a patent. The patent involves incorporating solar cells into a LCD geared for mobile devices. The concept is very smart. Of course, the question of whether it is currently manufacturable using today’s technologies and available at reasonable prices needs to answered. But just as a concept, having self [...]
GreenPix is a lighting project that applies sustainable and digital media technology to the Zero Energy Media Wall of the Xicui entertainment complex in Beijing, close to the 2008 Olympic Games site. The Zero Energy Media Wall was designed by Simone Giostra & Partners and Arup.
Simone Giostra & Partners is an architecture firm that is [...]
Gartner just published its findings on the crystalline solar cell market. In 2007, revenues for the market increased 39% in 2007 to just under US$4.8 billion. Q-Cells overtook Sharp for the top spot with US$1.1 billion in revenues, representing a Y/Y growth of 70%. Q-Cell captured a revenue market share of 17.2%. Last year’s leader [...]
On April 3, 2008, First Solar Inc., a thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar equipment manufacture, announced that the company is in dialogue with US utilities to build renewable energy projects. In 2007, First Solar saw its stock skyrocket, added a new facility in Germany and began construction of another in Malaysia. The company is currently supplying [...]
On March 26, 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the achievement of 19.9% efficiency with a copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cell. The record efficiency for a multicrystaline silicon solar cell is 20.3%. Thin-film solar cells require less energy to manufacture and can be placed on glass, [...]
On April 2, 2008, Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. of Littleton, Colorado USA, announced an agreement with ICP Solar to provide thin-film photovoltaic (PV) material to ICP Solar in 2008 and 2009. ICP Solar will then integrate the thin-film PV material into portable power and other electronic products with PV integration. Ascent Solar Technologies has a [...]
On March 27, 2008, Sharp announced a JPY72 billion (US$729 million) investment in a new solar cell plant in Sakai, Japan. Sharp is competing with Germany’s Q-Cells and many others. The Sakai thin-film plant will use substrates with a dimension of 1000 x 1400mm. In July 2007, Sharp announced the Sakai-based thin-film solar plant would [...]
Luoyang Zhonggui High-Technology manufactures polysilicon for use in solar cells. There are high hopes all over the world for solar energy to heat water and generate electricity. China has high hopes too. Eager to supply the growing demand of polysilicon, 20 Chinese companies are poised to manufacture 80,000 to 100,000 tons of polysilicon, which is [...]
Sharp announced its cumulative production of solar cells surpassed 2GW at the end of 2007. The company is the first solar cell manufacturer to surpass a cumulative production of 2GW in the world, according to Sharp. The company also estimates the worldwide cumulative solar cell production to be at 8GW, making Sharp’s production to account [...]
