Solar power may soon bring the Web to remote areas
One laptop per child" was the ambitious promise a group of MIT faculty members made to the world in January last year. The idea to develop and produce millions of simple, Internet-capable $100 laptops and give them to the poorest kids on the planet sounded appealing. But just how children in remote villages in sub-Saharan Africa were supposed to hook up to the Internet was unclear. The solution may come out of thin air. Literally. All you need is a rooftop and the sun, claim the inventors of a solar-powered wireless device.

Solar power in schools saves money, renews energy
he first solar-powered school in the Poway district will open in August, with solar energy powering 50 percent to 60 percent of the school's electrical needs. The solar photovoltaic system will lower electrical costs for the Monterey Ridge Elementary School by $30,000 to $40,000, said Doug Mann, director of facilities for Poway Unified School District. The school is located on 4S Ranch Parkway, off Rancho Bernardo Road, and was designed by NTDStichler Architects in San Diego, and built by Temecula-based Edge Development Inc.

Everything You Wanted To Know About Solar Power and Were Afraid To Ask
Global electricity usage is expected to increase from 14.8 trillion kWh in 2003 to 27.1 trillion kWh by 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Internal Energy Outlook 2005. Approximately 65.7% of the world’s electricity is currently produced with fossil fuels. As demand for electricity continues to increase, the electric power industry is facing several challenges. Industry and governments are considering alternatives to traditional fossil fuels to address these challenges, including renewable energy sources and technologies.

Worldwide Solar Power Generation Growing Fast
According to speakers at the 21st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Dresden, world wide solar power generation is expected to increase by 25 per cent this year. In 2005, worldwide turnover in the sector was 5.8 billion euros (7.4 billion dollars), according to Heinz Ossenbrink, head of the Renewable Energy Department of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability at the EU Research Centre in Ispra, near Milan. He told the conference that drastic increases in oil prices and the growing awareness of business, politics and consumers of the limited availability of fossil fuels has given the photovoltaics sector a big boost.