The Loyalty One building, from where the Air Miles rewards programs are managed, has just been equipped with the biggest rooftop solar panel system in the entire Canada. The system’s capacity isn’t that impressive compared to other installations around the world – just 165 kW, but it’s perfectly enough for the entire building, thanks to the LEED silver and gold certifications.

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The Solar Impulse, a solar-powered plan that’s planned to go on a 20-25 day trip around the world, was recently tested on a runway and the test was a success. And just yesterday, the plane made its first actual flight, proving that the concept works.

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Yiran Qian, a German resident, came up with an interesting concept called “Endless Warm”. The idea incorporates solar panels into a common hat and a pair of gloves, using the generated power to heat the clothing articles.

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German manufacturer Sulfurcell has cladding modules with integrated solar cells. These modules consist of a hardened, frameless glass followed by an Indium based semiconductor layer connected to a solar module. Sulfurcell claims that the use of Indium allows the semiconductor layer to be 100 times thinner than conventional silicone wafers.
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The World Solar Challenge started off in 1987, and features teams of some of the top engineering colleges from around the world vying to get hold of a top spot, while traveling thousands of miles in solar powered racecars. The challenge puts up a grueling task for the vehicles which are powered by only solar energy. This year, the cars covered a distance of nearly 1,864 miles through a route that stretched from Darwin in Northern Australia to Adelaide in South Australia.
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Designers and architects Iosa Ghini Associati have proposed a solar powered monorail system for the city of Bologna, Italy. Called Energy Belt, the 5084 meter long system will connect the airport to the city center. The monorail will operate at heights varying from 7 meters to 25 meters, will have an intermediate stop at Lazzaretto, and will be entirely powered by solar energy collected by photovoltaic panels placed at the track’s southwest side to maximize energy gain.

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The vast expanse of the Sahara desert has since long been seen as an available source of solar energy that can be tapped. However, there isn’t much progress to show on the issue. Now the idea seems closer to reality with a German-led consortium of 12 companies that intends to harness the desert sun to power Europe.
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The Sun-Bag is rather straightforward in its approach, especially by proclaiming its solar powered status loud and clear. Its size is big enough to be of practical use, and it is actually more practical with the claim of being the “lightest solar energy bag available on the market.”
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There are a number of devices or solar chargers that offer to charge gadgets with solar energy. But most of them are impractical, to say the least. It is simply not possible or viable for most people to allow their gadgets to be placed in direct sunlight for the entire day. That is where the ReNu Modular iPhone charger scores, it does not require the user to keep the iPhone in the sunlight all day long to charge it.

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China-based Suntech Power Holdings – the world’s biggest manufacturer of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert light energy into electricity – has signed agreements to develop 4 solar-power plants in China.

Suntech Power Holdings Company Limited says it has signed pacts with the governments of Shaanxi province and Qinghai province as well as the city governments of Shizuishan and Panzhihua to produce 1.8 gigawatts of solar power.

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