Goodbye gas pump Elon Miusk s solar powered auto: related news

Goodbye gas pump? Elon Miusk's solar-powered auto

The electric car has been pronounced dead many times, but Elon Musk is out to resurrect it. The South African-born Musk left home at age 17 for North America and made a fortune when PayPal, a company he cofounded, was sold to eBay in 2002. One of his new companies—he's chairman of three start-ups—is Tesla Motors, a San Carlos, Calif.-based electric-car manufacturer. Its first model, the Tesla Roadster, is a sleek, high-end sports car with an eyepopping price tag. It'll start rolling onto streets this summer. NEWSWEEK's Fareed Zakaria spoke to Musk about the future of transportation in an oil-constrained world. Excerpts:

Zakaria: Goodbye Gas Pump? A Solar-Powered Auto

The electric car has been pronounced dead many times, but Elon Musk is out to resurrect it. The South African-born Musk left home at age 17 for North America and made a fortune when PayPal, a company he cofounded, was sold to eBay in 2002. One of his new companies—he's chairman of three start-ups—is Tesla Motors, a San Carlos, Calif.-based electric-car manufacturer. Its first model, the Tesla Roadster, is a sleek, high-end sports car with an eyepopping price tag. It'll start rolling onto streets this summer. NEWSWEEK's Fareed Zakaria spoke to Musk about the future of transportation in an oil-constrained world. Excerpts:

Carmanah Partners With ENCOM to Offer Wireless Control of Solar-Powered Traffic Beacons

VICTORIA, BC--(MARKET WIRE)--Jul 15, 2008 -- Carmanah Technologies Corporation (Toronto:CMH.TO - News) (Other OTC:CMHXF.PK - News) (Frankfurt:QCX.F - News) -- Solar technology provider, Carmanah Technologies Corporation, has partnered with ENCOM Wireless Data Solutions Inc. to add a wireless interface capability to its line of stand-alone solar-powered traffic beacons. According to Richard Chesson, Carmanah Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, this arrangement represents the next step in the evolution of Carmanah's solar powered LED (light emitting diode) lighting technology for traffic applications.

Solar Systems Like Ours Are Likely To Be Rare

KentuckyFC writes "Astronomers have discovered some 250 planetary systems beyond our own, many of them with curious properties. In particular, our theories of planet formation are challenged by 'hot Jupiters,' gas giants that orbit close to their parent stars. Current thinking is that gas giants can only form far away from stars because gas and dust simply gets blown away from the inner regions. Now astronomers have used computer simulations of the way planetary systems form to understand what is going on (abstract). It looks as if gas giants often form a long way from stars and then migrate inwards. That has implications for us: a migrating gas giant sweeps away all in its path, including rocky planets in the habitable zone. And that means that solar systems like ours are likely to be rare.

'Impressionist' Spacecraft to View Solar System's Invisible Frontier

(PhysOrg.com) -- At the edge of our solar system in December 2004, the Voyager 1 spacecraft encountered something never before experienced during its then 26-year cruise through the solar system — an invisible shock formed as the solar wind piles up against the gas in interstellar space. This boundary, called the termination shock, marks the beginning of our solar system's final frontier, a vast expanse of turbulent gas and twisting magnetic fields.

Carmanah Partners With ENCOM to Offer Wireless Control of Solar-Powered Traffic Beacons

Vancouver, BC, July 16, 2008--(T-Net)--Carmanah Technologies Corporation, has partnered with ENCOM Wireless Data Solutions Inc. to add a wireless interface capability to its line of stand-alone solar-powered traffic beacons. According to Richard Chesson, Carmanah Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, this arrangement represents the next step in the evolution of Carmanah's solar powered LED (light emitting diode) lighting technology for traffic applications.

NASA Set For Solar Sail Test

Solar sails have featured in various sci-fi mediums for a good while now, but NASA are planning to make the technology a reality in a mission which could launch as early as the 29th of July. An earlier 2005 launch of a solar sail craft by The Planetary Society was deemed unsuccessful, so if NASA's experiment fairs better it could be the first step to enabling space exploration powered by the sun's energy. The solar sail, dubbed the NanoSail-D is made up of aluminium and space age plastic and measures 100 square feet when unfurled. A sail of that size isn't enough to carry a craft of any significant size, but sails of thousands of square feet could open up some interesting possibilities. In theory, solar sails would be a better choice than conventional rockets for longer missions.

Solar energy turns organic

(Nanowerk News) Cheap and efficient conversion of solar energy into electricity could help combat global warming and the shortage of fossil fuels. However, the high production cost of electricity from silicon-based solar cells has limited the use of the technology. Low cost solar cells with high cell performance are highly desirable and organic solar cells could be the answer. They are easy to make from inexpensive organic materials and, unlike inorganic solar cells, are lightweight, flexible and colourful.

First Solar (FSLR): Encourage profit taking/shorting here - FBR

FBR is out with a negative call on First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) and SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) after Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), an industry association bridging the solar and utility industries, announced yesterday theresults of its survey of utility companies (titled:"Utility Solar Electricity Market Survey"). Summary: (a) projected PV installations of ~2 GW, on aggregate, over the next three to five years in solar portfolio, versus >3 GW for CSPs across the U.S. utilities; (b) possible paradigm shift, with utilities owning the plants and PV suppliers becoming only turn-key provider (if ITC is given to utilities instead of third parties).

Our Solar System: An Island of Calm in a Violent Universe (and it's special, too)

We humans like to think we're special, but astronomically speaking we've been shot down quite severely and humbly put in our place. We're not at the center of our solar system, nowhere near the center of our galaxy and certainly not at the center of the universe. But now comes great news for the human psyche from scientists trying to explain solar system formation. As far as solar systems go, we have thought ours was just average and that all solar systems were like ours. But in looking at the 300 plus extrasolar planets that have been discovered and the systems they are in, none so far are anything like our home solar system. In fact, say scientists at Northwestern University, we may be special after all. In a study using computer simulations (this is the week for computer simulations, see here and here), researchers ran more than a hund

Researchers Improve Solar Cell Performance

Vegematic writes "Researchers at MIT have improved solar collectors using dyes. They just increased their performance results by a factor of 4. These paint-on materials can increase the power obtained from existing solar cells by a factor of over 40 without needing to track the sun. 'By collecting light over their full surface and concentrating it at their edges, these devices reduce the required area of solar cells and consequently, the cost of solar power. Stacking multiple concentrators allows the optimization of solar cells at each wavelength, increasing the overall power output.' There is also a shorter FAQ available."

Praxair to Supply Gases and Equipment to Pevafersa for New Solar Cell Plant in Spain

17 Jul 2008 - Praxair, Inc. has been chosen by Pevafersa Group as the supplier of gases, gas equipment and gas management services for Pevafersa's solar cell manufacturing facility in Toro, Spain. Praxair will provide on-site supply of gases as well as gas delivery equipment and management services needed for the project, which will produce 120Mw of solar cells per year. The first phase of manufacturing is estimated to begin in September 2008.

Toyota plans solar-powered A/C on next hybrid model

TOKYO (AP): Toyota's ecological Prius gas-electric hybrid will become even greener next year with solar-powered air conditioning on some high-end models, The Nikkei reported Monday.

Draining iPhone 3G battery? Get a solar-powered case for charging it on the go!

Now that the brouhaha over the iPhone 3G has calmed down, users have now to deal with the problem of low battery life so typical of a device packed with Apps and with 3G connectivity. We have earlier dealt with ways and means of increasing the battery life of the iPhone 3G. For those of you for whom the tips to expand the iPhone 3G battery life appears unexciting, they are left with no other option other than recharging the battery as frequently as possible. To make the recharging process easier you could try the Solar Powered cases for the iPhone 3G. The inbuilt 1500mAh case battery can provide one full charge to the iPhone, the case battery in turn being recharged through the solar panel mounted on the front of the case or in case of non-availability of sunlight via mini USB.

LDK Solar Awards $220M Contract to Applied Materials for Precision Wafering Systems to Support Production Expansion

LDK Solar Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of solar wafers, awarded a US$220 million contract to Applied Materials, Inc. to provide precision wafering systems to support its next phase of production expansion. The systems are scheduled to begin shipping to LDK Solar's facility in Xinyu, PRC, in early 2009, and will support LDK Solar's previously announced plans to expand to 3.2GW annualized wafer capacity in 2010.

Solar Power Hits Home

There were limits to how green Bruce Letvin was willing to go. For years, the 53-year-old anatomy professor had wanted to install solar panels on his Manhattan Beach, Calif., home. But the up-front installation costs always outweighed the benefits for the environment and his conscience. This spring, however, he managed to work out green financing with the help of solar company SunPower. After determining that his electricity bills and roof exposure were large enough to make him a good candidate for its solar panels, the company, based in San Jose, Calif., helped him find a 15-year loan for the $64,500 system. Yes, his $550 loan payment is more than the $300 or so he used to spend each month on electricity bills--so far, he has generated enough solar power that he doesn't need to take any juice from the grid--but after he pays off the loan

QinetiQ claims solar plane broke unmanned flight record

QinetiQ's Zephyr solar-powered, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle taking off in Arizona. The ultra-lightweight plane built from carbon fiber and powered using paper-thin solar panels broke the world record for longest-lasting unmanned flight, its manufacturer claims.

DIY Solar Resources?

TihSon writes "I'm building a large shed out back and I want to power the lighting using a surplus solar panel. In searching for information on how to go about this, I have found a lot of rough DIY guides for various projects that are close to my goal. But none seem to explain the reasoning and theory behind using solar panels, so hacking their project to suit my own needs could be pretty much hit-and-miss. I don't want to do a hacked-up job, and future solar projects are not out of the question, so something a bit more in-depth is required. Do you have suggestions for books or Web sites you have used to learn the ins and outs of using solar panels? Something that starts with basic theory and ends with the ability to wire a house would be perfect.

World's Largest Solar Plants Planned In California

Pickens writes "Two photovoltaic solar power plants will be built in San Luis Obispo County in California, covering 12.5 square miles, that together will generate about 800 megawatts of power, the latest indication that solar energy is starting to achieve significant scale. 'If you're going to make a difference, you've got to do it big,' said Randy Goldstein, the chief executive of OptiSolar. OptiSolar will employ enough of its amorphous silicon thin-film solar panels at its Topaz Solar Farm project to generate 550 MW. Meanwhile, SunPower will install mechanical tracking for its more expensive 250 MW-worth of crystalline silicon photovoltaics at High Plains Ranch II in a bid to boost their efficiency by 30 percent from following the sun across the sky.

Voyager Alters Our View of the Solar System

San Francisco, CA. - NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft has followed its twin Voyager 1 into the solar system's final frontier, a vast region at the edge of our solar system where the solar wind runs up against the thin gas between the stars.

Chinese solar cell maker JA Solar to get new COO

Chinese solar cell maker JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. said Thursday that Elmer Hsu will replace Kang Sun as chief operating officer on Aug. 1.

New solar concentrators could replace solar panels

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhuanet) -- A new compact method utilizing solar concentrators to generate electricity could make solar panels that contain expensive photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity a thing of the past.

New solar concentrators could replace solar panels

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhuanet) -- A new compact method utilizing solar concentrators to generate electricity could make solar panels that contain expensive photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity a thing of the past.

Abu Dhabi inventor makes solar-powered car

A young inventor here has developed a solar-powered car - the first in the Middle East - that can run at 50 km an hour, WAM news agency reported Saturday.

Abu Dhabi inventor makes solar-powered car

A young inventor here has developed a solar-powered car - the first in the Middle East - that can run at 50 km an hour, WAM news agency reported Saturday.

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