“The vast majority — 92% — of Americans think it’s important for the country to develop and use solar power, according to a study released today, making the alternative energy option potentially one of the most popular things since puppies or ice cream…”

Read the full story at LAT

“For many, the words “China” and “environmentalism” don’t go hand in hand. Instead, visions of China might include smog-filled skylines and factories belching out clouds of smoke. But a growing green movement is underway in China’s industries, and some experts are betting that China will leap ahead in renewable energy…”

Read the full story at voanews.com

“With more than 150 members, the Cornell University Solar Decathlon team is the largest student-run project on campus. It includes representatives of all seven Cornell colleges and the graduate school of business…”

Read the full story at examiner.com

“Across the USA, states are falling short of their goals to increase the use of renewable energy as Congress weighs a national renewable-energy standard.

Thirty-five states have set goals to use more electricity from solar panels, windmills and other renewable forms of energy, according to a database funded by the Energy Department. There is no central clearinghouse of states’ compliance records, but USA TODAY research and interviews with state and power company officials found nine states that have failed or expect to fail to meet their energy goals…”

Read the full story at usatoday.com

“Chu was one of the featured speakers at the opening ceremony of the Solar Decathlon, a contest among 20 colleges to create the best solar-powered home. Student teams from the U.S., Canada, and Europe build homes powered only by solar energy and reconstruct them on the National Mall where they are judged in ten categories and opened to the public for viewing…”

Read the full story at cnet

“The central government will convert 10,000 villages which do not have electricity into solar-powered settlements 2012, Union minister
Farooq Abdullah has said…”

Read the full story at indiatimes.com

“The morning heat hits triple digits as a whiptail lizard darts below a creosote bush near Route 66. Gazing across the desert valley, power company executives, environmentalists and federal land managers stand beneath a cloudless sky and argue over the landscape…” – Andrea Stone

Read the full story at usatoday.com

“Market analysts at investment bank Piper Jaffray said the cost of solar panels has plunged in the past year due to increased supply and decreased demand.

The price of a critical ingredient for many solar panels, polysilicon, has dropped as more producers have entered the market…”

Read the full story at upi.com

“UNTIL five years ago Japan made around half of the world’s solar cells, thanks to its thirst for native energy and its expertise in the related fields of computer chips and flat screens for televisions. Sharp, which alone has made a quarter of all the solar cells ever produced, dominated the industry. But as solar technology matured and demand grew, new companies emerged, notably in China and Taiwan, eroding Japanese firms’ share of the market to around 20%…”

Read the full story at economist.com

“When Greg Hare looked into putting solar panels on his ranch-style home in Magnolia, Tex., last year, he decided he could not afford it. “I had no idea solar was so expensive,” he recalled.

But the cost of solar panels has plunged lately, changing the economics for many homeowners. Mr. Hare ended up paying $77,000 for a large solar setup that he figures might have cost him $100,000 a year ago…” – KATE GALBRAITH

Read the full story at NYT