Now, it’s been revealed, that First Solar has a research team working in Silicon Valley on the CIGS (copper, indium, gallium diselenide) solar panels. This type of solar panel has been pioneered by other companies, but in the hands of First Solar might be taken to the next stage of technological evolution.

CIGS offers the potential for thin-film solar panel with low production costs, but high efficiency levels of up to an incredible 20 percent. First Solar is currently at looking at ways to make this technology producible for low cost. If successful this could prove to have huge impact on the solar power industry in general.

Of all the places to find a planned city built around the principle of having absolutely no carbon footprint and no waste, you wouldn’t expect to find it in the oil rich United Arab Emirates. But that’s exactly where the city of Masdar is being built.

Not only is the desert of the United Arab Emirates, rich in oil, it is also rich in sunlight. It is with this in minds that Masdar is being powered primarily by solar energy.

The project that is Masdar City was begun in 2006 and is expected to take eight years to complete at a cost of approximately $22 billion. Some of the expected population of 50,000 will move into Masdar sometime this year.

Among the first construction projects happening in Masdar now is a massive 10 megawatt solar farm that is expected to generate between 40 to 60 megawatts through solar energy. First Solar is providing the solar panles necessary for the first five megawatts of power and Suntech Power Holdings is suppliying the other five.

A larger solar farm is planned for later as are a large number of photovoltaic modules which will be located on rooftops of buildings. The rooftop solar panels are expected to generate an additional 130 megawatts.

Wind turbines are also planned for the outskirts of Masdar. Geothermal power will be constructed as will the world’s largest hydrogen power plant to help the city attain its completely renewable energy goals.

Masdar will have absolutely no cars. Instead, residents and visitors will rely on a personal rapid transit (PRT) system. The PRT runs about the city on cables with the cars (which look like some kind of sci-fi motorcycle) able to hold four people at a time.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber is the chief executive of Masdar. He recently spoke at the opening ceremony of the World Future Energy Summit where he stated that that by 2020 he aims to have 7% of Abu Dhabi (the emirate where Masdar is being built) running on renewable energy.in