PHOTO GALLERY: Amazing solar powered housesTeams from universities all over the world are competing to design and construct innovative new solar-powered, energy-efficient houses as part of the Solar Decathalon. Check out some of their amazing designs.
Solar energy
In the ashes of the GFC lay Rudd’s broken promises
What happened to Australia becoming a world leader in solar energy? Or for students to be fluent in Asian languages? If a week is a long time in politics then two years is an eternity, writes Josh Gordon.
Sunny side up: power the whole world with solar
How much of the earth’s surface would need to be covered by solar panels in order to power the whole world in 2030? Not that much. It would take up a far bit of the Sahara desert, but that alone could power all of Europe and North Africa.
Japan’s big plans for solar energy
Partly spurred by the loss of dominance in the solar industry, Japan has plans for widespread deployment of solar PV technologies to push the price of solar energy down to the same as conventional energy.
Solar-powered blimp powers on
Using flexible solar panels, French engineers have created an unlimited emissions-free transport in the form of a solar powered blimp, set for a test flight in two weeks.
Australia’s solar industry left in the shade
The solar sector will soon overtake Germany’s car industry as the nation’s number one employer. And Germany only gets half as much sunshine as Australia. So why is our solar industry treated so shabbily? asks Laurie Mallia.
