High oil prices and the BP spill are just two real reminders of how energy dependent we truly are, but tomorrow's solar technology promises cleaner power at lower costs. ZDNet correspondent Sumi Das visits Stanford University where researchers have developed PETE, a new way to squeeze more energy from the sun.
At the Always On Venture Summit in Half Moon Bay, Calif., a panel of solar energy executives debates whether or not silicon prices will fall as the industry matures. While they all think margins will narrow, they disagree on whether there will be an industry wide shakeout, or if the polysilicon and silicon wafer markets will move up and down separately. Panelists include Suvi Sharma, CEO of Solaria, and Peter Nieh, managing director of Lightspeed Venture Partners. The moderator is David Chen, managing director of Morgan Stanley.
Since 1853, the California Academy of Sciences has been considered one of the world's most respected institutions. Now more than 150 years later, it's continuing to lead by example, showcasing how a museum can be environmentally sustainable from the ground up. Correspondent Sumi Das looks at the green innovations inside, including a living roof that helps reduce energy use, a solar energy installation that cuts down on carbon emissions in the atmosphere, and a building management system that manages temperature and humidity throughout the building.
At the Intersolar Conference 2008 in San Francisco, Fred Morse, senior advisor at Abengoa Solar says, "Don't underestimate thermal storage." The veteran solar industry exec talks about the benefits of concentrating solar technologies and the reasons why utility companies are starting to back thermal storage.
At a Churchill Club event in Menlo Park, Calif., CNET News.com editor-at-large Michael Kanellos talks to John Woolard, CEO of BrightSource Energy, about building 100- to 200-megawatt solar-energy plants to power 100,000 to 200,000 homes. Woolard also discusses how the company is targeting solar as a competitive energy alternative to natural gas.
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