7 Reasons Why Solar Technology Will Soon Change The Energy Paradigm

For many generations the powers that shouldn’t be have worked hard to prevent the dominant energy consumption paradigm from changing. However, in recent years certain technologies have been developing so quickly that they will soon be impossible to contain. Solar power for example, is quickly becoming a serious contender in mainstream energy markets. At True Activist we have been covering these developments extensively, below are just a few of the new breakthroughs in the solar energy industry.

1. Solar Electricity Projected To Be Cheaper Than Power Grid By 2016

Giant_photovoltaic_arrayAccording to a recent estimate released by the International Energy Agency, solar will be the world’s primary source of energy by 2050.

This is good news, but that number may seem far off to some people, considering that solar energy currently represents less than 1% of the energy market.

However, a new Deutsche Bank report suggests that this shift may come sooner than expected.

According to the report, which was published earlier this week, solar electricity is on track to be as cheap or cheaper than average electricity-bill prices in 47 U.S. states by the year 2016.

2. Land Is No Longer Needed To Harness The Power Of Solar Energy

solarfloatKyocera and Century Tokyo Leasing recently announced the construction of the world’s largest floating solar factory. The factory will generate electricity just off the coast of Japan, where many people are seeking renewable sources of energy in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.

The site will be located on Yamakura Dam, which is in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, in Japan. This is a great innovation not just because Japan is short on space, but also because it allows the solar panels to operate more efficiently, because the water acts as a natural cooling system.

Nobuo Kitamura, an executive at Kyocera said that he hopes this design will create a new path for solar development.

3. Solar Panels Can Now Be Used To Pave Streets And Pathways

SolaRoad in Krommenie, the Netherlands, will be the world’s first cycle path with embedded solar panels. Photograph: SolaRoad

As we have been reporting recently, solar energy is on pace to become the dominant form of energy on the planet. It has been predicted by many experts that this shift will be occurring in the next few years, as solar technology becomes cheaper and more available to the average person.

There have been many breakthroughs in solar harnessing technology recently, and a variety of creative devices are being installed all over the world. Just this week, it was reported that a bike trail in Amsterdam will soon be fitted with an operational solar roadway.

4. Airplanes Can Travel Around The World Using Only Solar Energy

solarimpulseIn 2015, the team behind the Solar Impulse plan on making the first round-world trip in a solar-powered airplane.

The Solar Impulse has been taking flights for about five years and has been incredibly successful, breaking many world records.

There are a number of solar airplanes currently in development, but the Solar Impulse is the only one that can travel constantly for 24-hours per day, without re-fueling, running entirely on solar energy.

Swiss psychiatrist and aeronaut Bertrand Piccard is one of the main minds behind the project.

5. The largest solar farm in Africa Recently Became Fully Operational

Solar Reserve Promotional Photo

The largest solar farm in Africa recently became fully operational in Kimberley, South Africa.

The solar farm is called the Jasper Solar Power Project, and will produce an estimated 180,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually for South African residents, which is enough to power up to 80,000 homes.

However, another solar project in Africa may soon outshine the Jasper project. It was also reported that a 100-megawatt concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) project called Redstone is under construction nearby.

The project was designed by a group of specialists from a variety of companies, including, SolarReserve, the Kensani Group and Intikon Energy. The project also received financial support from Google, Intikon Energy, Kensani Capital Investments, the PEACE Humansrus Community Trust, and SolarReserve with Rand Merchant Bank.

The companies sourced nearly half of their building materials from the local economy, as a way of enriching local communities with the project.

6. 18,000 Free Solar Panels To Be Installed For The Navajo Nation

Eagle-Energy-navajo-solar-2Many Native people throughout the US have homes that are entirely off of the electricity grid, so a local organization called Eagle Energy is helping out by distributing kits for solar panels to the Navajo people and other Native groups.

The first kits to be installed will work specifically for lights, but this project is seeking to expand so it can provide more power, to more people.

Eagle Energy is a branch of an organization called Elephant Energy, which helps to distribute solar systems to areas in Africa that do not have access to electricity.

Eagle energy hopes to completely solve the energy crisis that the Navajo people are currently experiencing, which would require installing solar panels on over 18,000 homes that are currently without electricity. However, the staff at Eagle Energy seems confident and ready for the challenge.

7. Solar Technology Can Be Improved With Recycled Blu-Ray Discs

Photo: Pixabay

Recently, we have been publishing a series of stories about the rapid growth of the solar energy industry, as well as the rapid decline in price for solar products. Now, new research released this week has revealed another way that this technology can be made even more efficient.

A study recently published by Northwestern University in a new edition of Nature Communications shows that the same combination of materials and information patterns that make Blu-Ray discs possible, can also help solar panels harness electricity from the sun.

It has already been known by scientists and engineers that certain combinations of patterns can help increase the efficiency of solar panels, but now it has been discovered that the same pattern used for Blue-Ray discs actually works great for conducting solar energy as well.

One of the researchers who tested the discs is Jiaxing Huang, a materials chemist and engineering professor at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.


John Vibes writes for True Activist and is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war. 

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