Stirling Energy Systems claims it has come up with a new solar thermal system that is simpler than other versions of the technology and will make the energy cheaper. The company plans to start building large solar power plants using this design within the next year.
A new class of economically viable solar power cells--cheap, flexible and easy to make--has come a step closer to reality as a result of recent work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where scientists have deepened their understanding of the complex organic films at the heart of the devices.