Extreme skipping because it has been awhile.

IBM has just squeezed the most power ever out of the smallest area of solar panel. By focusing the sun over 2300x, they were able to pull 70 watts of usable electric power out of one square CENTIMETER of silicon photovoltaic panel.

Of course, the concentrator itself is quite large. But as the silicon photovoltaics are undoubtedly the most expensive piece of any solar installation, decreasing the amount needed dramatically reduces costs. Recently we reported on another company, Sunrgi, working on a similar technique, with similar claims of extremely inexpensive solar power. Both of these companies have had to face the same problem, keeping the photovoltaics from frying even when exposed to the power of thousands of suns. Sunrgi uses a proprietary cooling system, but this means that they can only concentrate solar power to around 1600x.

IBM, who has a LOT of experience cooling silicon (though generally not in the form of photovoltaics) has a more advanced system.

www.ecogeek.org

In the past week, there has been a whole lot of noise in the media about the DOE's recent investigative report. The report lays out a detailed analysis of the United States' ability to obtain 20% of its electricity from wind by 2030. I know that does not sound like much, but in reality it is a very ambitious goal and one that many within the industry doubt. The report is about as in depth as you will find these days and is worth a quick perusal.

This is good news.

A new forecasting report from the U.S. Department of Energy asserts wind power could generate 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs by 2030.

The scenario, "while ambitious, could be feasible if the significant challenges" identified in the report are overcome.

"To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security, clean power generation at the gigawatt-scale level will be necessary, and will require us to take a comprehensive approach to scaling renewable wind power, streamlining siting and permitting processes, and expanding the domestic wind manufacturing base," said Andy Karsner, DOE assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The report, "20% Wind Energy by 2030," was released Monday. The DOE notes that the report does not compare the 20 percent wind scenario to other energy options, nor does it lay out any specific action plan. Rather it was written to examine the costs, challenges and key impacts of obtaining 20 percent of the nation's energy from wind power in 2030.

More than 300 gigawatts of wind power capacity would be needed to meet the DOE's 20 percent scenario, up from 11.6 gigawatts in mid-2007. Wind turbines currently generate a little more than 1 percent of the country's total capacity. One gigawatt is enough to power roughly 650,000 homes.

To reach that level, the wind industry would have to quicken its pace of installations more than fivefold by 2018, to 16 gigawatts a year, up from 3 gigawatts a year today, and then sustain that pace through 2030.

www.bizjournals.com
Full report available at here