Armageddon Energy's Plug n Play Solar Panels

Rooftop solar panel installation is often a time-consuming and complicated process, but Armageddon Energy's new prefab panels are practically roof-ready when they come out of the box.

A solar "clover"--enough to provide 400 watts of power--is made up of three 10 to 12 pound silicon hexagonal panels, a triangular frame and a micro-inverter. The panels can be easily connected with a series of uncomplicated tab and slots. Then all that's left is for a professional, or mechanically-inclined homeowner, to secure the clovers to the roof, angle them towards the sun, and plug them into the home power system. According to Armageddon, the process only takes a few minutes.

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XCPV Solar Panels Aim for Much Cheaper, Chip-Based Power

CHICAGO — Paul Sidlo doesn't see solar power toppling king coal's reign in the energy kingdom any time soon—not today and maybe not tomorrow. But he does see it seizing at least a portion of the fossil fuel's territory. On Friday, Sidlo's SUNRGI startup introduced a solar panel he claims will generate electricity cheaper than coal using only a fraction of the space needed by conventional photovoltaic panels. Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics (XCPV) technology was publicly unveiled for the first time at Wired NextFest here with the promise of generating electricity at five cents per kilowatt-hour—cheaper than coal-fired power and less than a third the cost of conventional solar power. [Check out hands-on video here; story continues]

New Coating= Solar Panels Harvest 96% of Available Sunshine

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new type of reflective coating can make solar panels far more efficient, soaking up nearly all available sunlight from nearly any angle. Current solar panels -- which convert energy from the sun into electricity -- absorb only about two-thirds of available sunlight.

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IKEA to start selling solar panels!

IKEA has shown some great green developments lately, from flat-pack bike trailers to eco-friendly lines of housewares. Now the patent purveyor of all things flat-pack has announced plans to invest $77 million into its GreenTech energy fund with the goal of eventually producing solar panels, efficiency meters, and energy efficient lighting. Granted its massive distribution network, IKEA’s uptake of green tech could pose a monumental shift in the accessibility and affordability of these technologies. IKEA hopes to bring its first wave of green tech products to market within three to four years.

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