American Solar Challenge Racers Head For Canada: related news

American Solar Challenge Racers Head For Canada

coondoggie writes "Solar race cars this week began their nine-day, 2,400 mile chase from Dallas to Calgary, Alberta using only the sun for fuel. The 24 teams in the American Solar Challenge race are mainly US college teams including entries from MIT, Ohio State and Northwestern. The University of Michigan's Continuum car is the defending champ, having won the Challenge in Australia last year. The University of Michigan has won four out of the eight North American Solar Challenges it has entered with its team of more than 100 engineering students, who have vowed to defend their title this year."

Michigan Wins 2008 North American Solar Challenge

An anonymous reader writes "The University of Michigan Solar Car Team won the 2008 North American Solar Challenge, crossing the finish line in Alberta, Canada on Tuesday after more than 50 hours of racing over nine days. The team successfully defended their title from 2005, the last year the race was held. Final results have been posted on the North American Solar Challenge website and will be officially announced at an award ceremony later today."

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."

LDK Solar gets 440 MW solar wafer contract

Chinese solar product maker LDK Solar Co. Ltd. said Friday it will supply about 440 megawatts of solar wafers to South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., the world's largest shipbuilder.

Media Alert/Photo Opportunity-Xbox Canada Presents X'08 Canada

TORONTO (Marketwire) - Xbox Canada is pleased to invite you to attend the most exclusive video game event of the year. X'08 Canada will offer a sneak peek at the most diverse line-up of Xbox 360 games ever, in a massive arcade-style setting. Whether you're into gaming with friends on Xbox LIVE or if you prefer to gather together with family on the couch, Xbox 360 has something for everyone this holiday season. X'08 Canada will feature highly-anticipated games from Microsoft Games Studios and top third-party publishers.

U-M to Defend Title in North American Solar Car Race

As the University of Michigan defends its title in the North American Solar Challenge, the weather could be a fierce rival, team members said.

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.

American Ballet Theater Visits Korea in 12 Years

Some 120 dancers and staffs of the American Ballet Theater came to Korea via Incheon International Airport for their performance at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from July 31 to August 3. The American Ballet Theater, which is called one of the world’s three most renowned ballet companies along with the United Kingdom’s Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet of France, is visiting Korea in 12 years since 1996. Kevin McKenzie, the artistic director of the American Ballet Theater said, “Koreans will have a chance to enjoy outstanding performance of the world’s best dancers.” The American Ballet Theater will perform an opening gala on July 31 and perform “Don Quixote” for three days from August 1. For more information, call 02-399-1114.

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

Engineering Students Create Solar Car

A solar car created by engineering students is being road-tested in preparation for this summer's North American Solar Challenge.

Engineering students create solar car

A solar car created by engineering students is being road-tested in preparation for this summer's North American Solar Challenge.

Photo: Engineering Students Create Solar Power Car

A solar power car created by engineering students is being road-tested in preparation for this summer's North American Solar Challenge.

Engineering students create solar car

EVANSTON, Ill., June 27 (UPI) -- A solar car created by engineering students is being road-tested in preparation for this summer's North American Solar Challenge.

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.

BeaconEquity: Trade Alerts on Solar Technology Stocks: BSRC, ESLR, FSLR, SPWR, WWAT, LDK

Today's Trade Alerts include: BioSolar Inc. (OTCBB: BSRC), Evergreen Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR), First Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR), SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR), WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. (OTCBB: WWAT) and LKD Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK).

'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.

Traveling 2,400 miles with solar power

Fifteen teams took to the streets in a 2,400-mile race armed with solar cars. The competitors traveled from Plano, Texas to Calgary, Alberta in this year’s North American Solar Challenge. UWIRE affiliates were covering the story.

Where In The Universe Challenge #11

Blue is my favorite color. Especially the shade of blue in the image for this week's "Where In The Universe" challenge. It's just such an uplifting color. But back to the challenge. The goal of this challenge is to test your skills and knowledge of our solar system. Guess where this image is from, and give yourself extra points if you can guess which spacecraft is responsible for the image. As always, don't peek below before you make your guess. Comments on how you did are welcome.

Flat Panel TVs & Digital Cameras to Grow in Canada in 2008

Sales of digital cameras and televisions in Canada were strong in 2007, with growth predicted in 2008, according to the report, 2008 Consumer Electronics Market Trends and Forecast, by the Consumer Electronics Marketers of Canada (CEMC), an Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) council, and the Canadian Imaging Trade Association (CITA). The report reveals the rise in sales of digital cameras was up almost 25% in 2007 over the previous year, with manufacturers shipping almost 3.8 million digital cameras to Canadian retailers. The sale of digital cameras in 2008 is projected to increase to 3,952 units. In the Canadian television market, CEMC reported 2007 as a solid year of growth for television shipments in Canada. Sales surpassed the 3 million mark in 2007, an increase of 2% from 2006 levels.

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.

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