The Tûranor PlanetSolar relied completely on solar energy when it left a tropic port off of the coast of Panama. It sailed across the world with most of its panels displayed on the outside of the craft. The ship ran entirely on solar energy. The panels were able to store electrical energy in batteries in the craft that allowed the craft to run throughout the hours of the night.

The Turanor PlanetSolar may have demonstrated one of the uses of sun power, and it provided a great way to spark off the conference in Abu Dhabi. The delegates at the World energy conference discussed many different ways to use photovoltaic cells in non-commercial and industrial applications. The world energy conference discussed more than just solar power, the delegates discussed many different types of energy.

The captain and crew of the Turanor PlanetSolar hoped to spread a message about sustainable energy. The photovoltaics lasted throughout most of the journey, and the solar powered boat showed a sleek design that impressed many of the goers. There is no rule that says an environmentally friendly vehicle has to break any of the rules of style. The Turanor looked like a hydrofoil that could cruise across the oceans at decent speeds.

Check Tax Incentives
There are many cities and states that are willing to give consumers and investors refunds or incentives for purchasing solar panels. This can drastically reduce the initial cost, and should be researched before investing in solar technology. This can be done by checking your state’s Department of Energy physically or online. You will still have to lay out some money for the solar investment, but this will greatly assist your investment.

Investing in Solar Stocks
While many people invest in solar panels, you can also invest in solar stocks. Much like any other stock, these are associated with businesses. You should check out the business’s yield and any risks presented by a particular business before investing in it. Strong balance sheets are good, especially since it can take a long time before solar stocks will net you any money.

Consider Maintenance Costs
When most people invest in solar technology they only consider the initial investment, but there are other costs as well. These are mostly maintenance costs to ensure the technology still works at optimum levels. Normally these costs are much less than the initial investment, but they should still be considered to ensure you can turn a profit on your investment.

Invest in Scalable Systems
The initial investment of solar technology is often very large because people want to instantly power their entire home or business with solar panels, but the system is actually scalable. This means you can start with a small system that just powers part of your home or business, and you can scale up later with more panels. This allows you to save up money and buy as you go, rather than having to save a huge amount for that one huge purchase.

Perform an Energy Audit
When you generate enough power you are able to sell it to the power company, but you should know how much power you use so you know how much power you can sell. Not only that, but an energy audit shows you how many panels you need to rely solely on solar power.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed the raid without offering further details. The DOE inspector general’s office typically investigates allegations of fraud or wrongdoing at the agency and within entities the agency does business with.

Solyndra just filed for bankruptcy last week, laying off 1,100 workers.

This was the beginning of a bad week for the environment in the United States, being capped off at the end on Friday with an announcement by President Obama that he would be halting a move towards stricter air quality laws. The Department of Energy had provided Solyndra with over half a billion dollars in the last stimulus package.

Solyndra plans to take a look at some options that could include a sale of its business and licensing of its technology. It also said that 1,100 full-time and part-time employees will be laid off immediately.

This summer, it was announced that, due to near-drought conditions, the desalination plant capacity would have to be doubled to meet the expected water demands of 2012 and 2013.

“The expansion of the SSDP was necessary because we can no longer rely on rainfall run-off into our dams as a major source of drinking water. This was never more apparent than at the end of the 2010 winter which was the driest since records began. We had to act decisively as a government and take direct action now. This decision is a major step in providing security to our water supplies even in the driest of years,” said Simone Knox, Australian minister for water, in a statement.

The company announced their plan this week as part of the financing that BrightSource Energy needs to build solar power plant in California’s Mojave Desert. BrightSource also has lined up $1.6-billion in loans guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Energy and a $300-million investment from NRG Energy Inc. The project, known as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, is supposed to generate about 392 gross megawatts when it is completed in 2013.

“Over the last decade, through technology investment, GE has become one of the world’s major wind turbine manufacturers, and our investment in high-tech solar products will help us continue to grow our position in the renewable energy industry,” Victor Abate, vice president of GE’s renewable energy business, said in a press release.

California installed the most photovoltaics last year, with 258.9 megawatts of direct current, followed by New Jersey in second place with 137.1, and Nevada with 61.4.

The SEIA estimates that the U.S. now has a cumulative solar capacity of 2.6 gigawatts.

PV capacity in Europe is expected to jump from 28 GW last year to close to 100 GW by 2015 – with the potential to nudge 350 GW globally by 2020. This would represent a carbon emissions mitigation level of 1.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide globally each year.

The report, called “Solar Generation 6″ was published today by the EPIA and Greenpeace International and states estimated investments in the PV industry in the European Union could increase from a current €25-30 billion to over € 35 billion in 2015.

In a statement, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA®) President and CEO Rhone Resch said:
“It took a year of tireless effort from the entire solar industry and our champions in Congress to get an extension of the 1603 program. President Obama and our bipartisan champions in the Senate and House recognize that the solar industry is one of the fastest growing industries in our country, and this extension will create tens of thousands of new jobs for Americans.”