Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. Today, the technology produces less than one tenth of one...
The general public perception of renewable energy is often in terms of saving the environment and reducing global carbon dioxide emissions. While it is true that renewable energy provides great environmental benefits and may yet prove to be our main hope for decarbonization, it is...
Author: Erica Dean Last week the annual Engineering Leadership Council meeting for the Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science was held at UCI. During the meeting, the last task on the agenda, but certainly not the least, was a short presentation from Alex McDonald, Team...
Author: Hannah Francis Solar Decathlon’s Team Orange County attended the DOE workshop on January 9th and 10th. The workshop was a two day event in which the 17 teams, all with a mutual goal of sustainability and innovation, came together to learn more about each other,...
Author: Erica Dean Last week Team OC had the opportunity to learn more about one of our first sponsors, Southern California Edison. We spent the morning touring their 31-acre campus in Westminster, California and got a first-hand look at their Advanced Technology Lab facility. At the...
Author: Erica Dean Team OC chased the sun with great strides this first week of June. The organic, cohesive efforts of Team OC are apparent through our consistent progress. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been up to. Some highlights from this week were...
What are you doing this summer? Taking a class online? Interning from 9 to 5? Traveling a little? This summer, the California-Renewable and Adaptive Energy, or CAL-RAE, team will be helping with the construction of a solar microgrid system in Uganda. see more...
The additive manufacturing approach means that manufacturers can create highly complex, individually designed pieces and print them directly in metal. This in itself has tremendous implications for reducing costs and cutting waste. But the latest advances in the design techniques explored by Galjaard's team mean...
Solar farms are blooming across California's deserts, wind turbines are climbing the Sierra, photovoltaic roofs are shimmering over suburbs, and Teslas are the Silicon Valley elite's new ride. A clean energy rush is transforming the Golden State so quickly that nearly a quarter of its...
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 would not be possible without the time and commitment of hundreds of volunteers. Their work supports and celebrates the remarkable student teams that bring their solar-powered houses and passion to the Solar Decathlon. The event will take...
Author: Kristina Lamb When first thinking of the word ‘decathlon,’ sports, specifically the Olympic Decathlon where individuals compete in ten track & field events, was the first thing that came to mind. In the Solar Decathlon’s case however, we will not be hurdling over solar panels...
Video from Bosch Solar on how solar panels are made. see video...