Good news for a rare autumn sunny day in Vancouver! Turns out solar panels are lasting longer than expected and that fact, coupled with strong incentives from some European countries means prices are going to fall on the photo-voltaic panels that turn sunshine into electricity.

full story via the Beeb

Labels: bbc, bike sales figures europe, electricity, power prices, solar power

Dow Chemicals has come up with an easy-to-install solar-power-generating shingle utilizing thin film solar cells. The shingles are intended to replace typical asphalt shingles and are installed (with nails) in the same way. According to a company spokesman from Dow's Solar Solutions business unit the shingles will supply enough juice to meet 40 percent to 80 percent of a typical house's electrical  needs.

Full New York Times business story here.

Labels: Dow Chemicals, Global Solar, home construction, shingles, solar power