Switzerland is going green

The world’s largest solar stadium located in Bern, Switzerland began operation this week. The Stade De Suisse has 10,738 solar cells from Kyocera with an overall output of 1.3 megawatts of power. That equals 350 four-person households.

The additional bonus is reducing CO2 emissions by 630 tons annually.

It’s basically paper-based battery technology, using carbon nanotubes and an electrolyte embedded in the paper. It’s scalable, and could conceivably be bent into any shape. Connected to solar cells, it could provide on-the-go power to just about anything. With flexible screens and nano devices of all sorts, one day we’ll just roll our computers up and stick ‘em in our back pockets. All thanks to researchers like those at Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute.

Having a large vehicle that guzzles up fuel like there’s no tomorrow sucks. The Sunforce 60W solar charger helps alleviate some of your guilt as it is capable of charging a 12V battery and comes with a 175W inverter for you to power a portable coffee maker or TV whenever you’ve ventured into the great outdoors. The Sunforce measures 54" x 42" X 12" and weighs in at 60 lbs., making it rather hefty to transport around (while consuming even more fuel when you’re carrying something so heavy). If you’re keen on some clean portable electricity, be prepared to pony up $400 for one of these.

They should have done this a long time ago. With all that direct sun real estate at stadiums, installing solar panels is so logical.

AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants, is now sporting 590 Sharp solar panels producing 120-kilowatts of electricity. That equals about 40 residential solar systems.

Now we need more to pick up the idea and run with it.

San Francisco’s Cleantech America is planning to build the world’s largest solar farm spanning 640 acres and to be 17 times larger than the current largest US solar farm.

It will generate enough power for nearly 21,000 homes and be sold to the Kings River Conservation District, a public agency that purchases power for 12 cities and two counties in California’s Central Valley.