With so many auto-makers throwing their hats into the electric car ring, cleanly producing electricity cheaply becomes even more important. While the oft-touted nuclear solution seems to be getting a lot more expensive, solar is set to get a lot cheaper. Days after IBM announced it is moving into the thin-film solar power arena, Nanosolar CEO, Martin Roscheisen, remembered his own CIGS solar power company had achieved a remarkable milestone recently and shared some impressive video of the worlds first 1 GW production tool on his blog.

The 1GW CIGS coating machine cost $1.65 million and currently spits out solar goodness at a rate of 100 feet-per-minute. That's about 20 times faster than the high-vacuum process with a machine about 10 times cheaper. Roscheisen claims that, in principle, they could speed it up to 2000 feet-per-minute and says the coating should be even better. Since the target price point for Nanosolar panels has often been mentioned as $1 per watt., we say, "Crank those puppies out!". Check out the video after the jump.

SolarBug models old (right) and new.

It's been a bit over a half year since we last checked in with the pride of Bozeman, Montana - Steve Titus and his SolarBug electric car. A quick refresher: this homemade electric vehicle takes and ATV, encloses it and slaps on some solar panels. OK, it's not nearly that simple, and Titus has been hard at work for a long time on this project and hopes to one day sell a lot of these vehicles as people learn new ways of driving (i.e., in smaller cars). For now, the SolarBug is taking a toll on his family, but this "hobby gone awry" is not yet finished. Luckily, Titus is still energetic about the SolarBug, as a new video called A Crazy Dream shows. Produced by students at Montana State University there in Bozeman, the video is an uplifting two-and-a-half-minutes about Titus' vision. Interest in the SolarBug is not limited to one person. As fellow Bozeman resident Gary R. wrote in to AutoblogGreen, "We are very proud of Steve's effort here in Bozeman!!" Watch the video after the break and, if you're interested in getting one of these critters when they go on sale, download the brochure (PDF) or check out the SolarBug website.

FYI: We'd have used "going green on the green" if Uncrate hadn't already beaten us to it. Clever tagline aside, what we have here is a solar-powered golf cart which uses 48 volts worth of batteries to power its 5.5 horsepower electric motor. According to the specifications, the roof-mounted solar panels increase its range by about sixty percent over regular electric golf carts. That solar installation offers three amps per hour and can completely charge the batteries in fifteen hours. Otherwise, a regular outlet can charge the vehicle overnight.

Top speed is said to be twenty-four miles per hour. That seems plenty fast enough for the golf course, if you ask us. We also think that its 755 pound capacity should be more than enough for a couple of golfers and their assorted gear. Two cup holders are available for when the ever-important beer cart makes it over to your area, so all the bases appear to be covered.

[Source: Hammacher Schlemmer via Uncrate]

Vern Buchanan (R), the Congressman representing the Sarasota, FL area, is one politician who sees the "green" light. While visiting with solar and electric car maker, Cruise Car Inc, whose manufacturing and sales operation is in his district, the lawmaker made a plea for a national bipartisan effort to make the switch from fossil fuels to more environmentally-friendly energy sources. Speaking to the company's employees and assembled media, Buchanan said, "My sense is we've been misled as Americans in many ways for the last 25 years in terms of our energy and where we're going to get it. Solar, alternate energy, all that stuff is possible; it'll create jobs, it'll make a difference."

Proof of that difference was all around him. While obviously not the transportation solution for everybody, Cruise Car is doing a booming business. There's a 60 to 90 day waiting list for some of their vehicles, which can go up to 62 miles on a charge and are powered by the sun, though they can be plugged in for extra charging if necessary. The company is doubling its 10 employees this year and will be moving to a new facility (and doing more hiring) to keep up with an exponential increase in demand. Hopefully, more of our representatives will open their eyes to the many benefits of a greener economy and make the changes needed to speed things along.

[Source: Bradenton Herald]

Europe's largest Solar Rally departed from Barcelona, Spain, yesterday and is expected to arrive in Toulouse, France, on June 7th. That's about 250 miles over the course of a week. This is the seventh edition of the Rally, organized by non-profit organizations Volt-Tour and Phebus Ariège. Any vehicles can participate, as long as they satisfy a single condition: all of their energy must be obtained from sunlight, either with on-board or auxiliary photovoltaic panels.

The Rally defines itself as a forum for solar car developers to communicate instead of simply a race. And don't miss the scoring system: Cars don't get points depending on their speed and how much time it takes for them to make a certain lap, but on how little energy they need.

The Rally also takes in consideration additional measures to produce as little carbon as possible. First of all, the Rally produces all of the hot water it needs using solar energy, and the safety car is a Toyota Prius. Any energy that they need to produce that doesn't come from solar radiation gets offset via the purchase of carbon rights.

[Source: Rallyesolaire (h/t to Imma)]

This isn't the first time you've seen a solar lawnmower on AutoblogGreen. In fact, we've seen quite a few different green yard and farming implements in our time -- even solar powered tractors. The ever-increasing price of gas, though, may be causing the electric mowing option to loom a bit larger in people's minds these days. So, here's another man's attempt to save a little gas, and therefore the related emissions, from his own neighborhood when he goes out to mow his lawn. Starting with a standard push-mower powered by a typical small gasoline engine, three steps will be required to get your very own home-built solar recharged electric mower. If you are hoping that this little mod is going to be saving your hard-earned green, though, you may want to think again. The estimated cost of a conversion such as this one runs about $1,500.

[Source: Hack N Mod via Engadget]

Apparently, California ranks as the nation's largest state when it comes to solar installations, but, rather surprisingly, New Jersey takes the second spot away from such sun-rich states as those situated in the southwestern part of the country and also ranks in the top ten worldwide. The state currently has over 2,500 installations and will soon be adding two more. Nexus Properties has announced that new solar installations will be installed on the rooftops of Clinton Commons and Station Plaza Park & Ride, which flank the local Amtrak station. According to the press release pasted after the break, each roof-mounted solar field will have six-hundred-sixty-two individual solar panels which will measure 2.5 feet by 5 feet. These new installations will combine to reduce electric consumption at the garages by 467,500 kwh annually.

Bill Harris, vice president of operations for Nexus envisions a day when "electric vehicles gain in popularity, [and] we'll be able to convert additional parking spaces to docking stations." There is quite a bit more information, so be sure to hit the break for all the details.

Ah, those Italians and their penchant for rolling art. While the Fiat Phylla solar car concept may not yet exist in drivable form, it's asymmetrical styling sure is an attention getter. Presented a few days ago in Turin, Italy during "Uniamo le energie," this city car is designed to use solar panels and a hydrogen fuel cell to send power to each of its four wheels yet emit nothing but water and good vibes.

The project involved many different entities and agencies including the Piedmont Region, which sponsored and funded the undertaking, From Concept to Car and the Institute of Applied Art and Design, to name just a few, while the effort was directed by the Fiat Research Center. Besides its environmental goals of producing a high efficiency, recyclable vehicle powered chiefly by alternative sources of energy including solar, hydropower and biogas, the group sought to create a product that would be amenable to car-sharing programs and be inexpensive to operate. Indeed, since the Phylla is said to be capable of traveling 18 kilometers (11 miles) with just the energy it captures from the sun during the day, we think it is within reach of at least some of its goals.

Andrew Littlefair (left) and T. Boone Pickens

The majority of the attendees at the AFVI Expo's Fleet Day breakfast keynote seemed quite pleased to listen to T. Boone Pickens (just like last year). Pickens is the founder of BP Capital Management and had a sit-down discussion with Andrew Littlefair, the president and CEO of Clean Energy. Why do AFVI folks like this guy? He's got a lot of information (he's made billions in the oil and energy industry) and he sees a way to power the future (he's made a huge investment in wind power in Texas, for example. Littlefair said that without Boone, there wouldn't be an NGV industry in the U.S.

A few choice quotes:

• "We are importing 72 percent of our oil. ... We are now transferring $600 billion [a year] out of the United States to a few friends and a hell of a bunch of enemies. I can tell you, we are paying for the war against ourselves."
• "If they [China] had the Olympics today, in this smog, and ran the 100 meter dash, it would have to be a relay."
• "Diesel will never sell, again, below gasoline. It will always be more expensive than gasoline."
• "We're actually dealing with a huge shift of capital out to somewhere. We're going to be reduced to - I promise you it's going to happen pretty quick, too - we'll be reduced to something less than the superpower that we are."

Much more from Boone (including audio of his chat) after the break.

Though Nissan's solar projects in Spain have been around for a while now, they are still getting attention from many eco-minded people around the world. Proof of this can be seen again as Nissan has recently been awarded the 2008 Carles Ferrer Salat Award. Presented annually by Fomento del Trabajo Nacional, the award is named after the famous Spanish tennis player for his later efforts in the environmentally friendly business arena.

Two types of solar energy systems, both thermal and photovoltaic, have appeared on Nissan plants in Spain. At one of these installations at the Avila plant, the structure's 1,335 square meters makes it Spain's largest solar installation and is part of Nissan's total of 1,428 solar panels in Spain. Nissan estimates its total CO₂ emissions reduction of 381 tons per year due to these solar installations.

Besides these solar installations, renewable wind power is being used at Nissan's Sunderland vehicle plant in the UK. Details after the jump.

From time to time, an idea pops up which causes you to say, "Why didn't I think of that?" Often, these concepts seem to make so much sense that they absolutely must be implemented as soon as possible. Andrew Leinonen's concept for a floating solar-powered power station may just be one such idea. Using a lighter-than-air vessel, like a blimp, which can be maneuvered pretty much over anyplace in the world, power could be granted to disaster areas and other needy places using solar cells embedded all over the blimp which would turn the suns rays into electricity. It's possible that a vessel such as this could be tethered to the ground using "power boxes" which would be deployed from the airship using long power-carrying cables. The concept features twelve one-hundred-twenty volt outlets along with two two-hundred-forty volt outlets which would be able to offer power where it's needed most.

[Source: Pull The Sky Down via Engadget]

DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has set a seemingly impossible task, known as the Vulture program, by calling for an aircraft which can remain in the sky for five years while generating five kilowatts of power for a 1,000 pound payload. The Odysseus by Aurora Flight Sciences, which has been selected as one promising design by DARPA, doesn't appear capable of flight at all to many onlookers. The odd Z-shaped wing is actually three separate machines which can change their combined shape in order to catch the suns rays throughout the day and flatten out at night, when the Odysseus would fly on battery power alone. Together, the three sections would span almost 500 feet. Advanced composite materials and double-sided solar panels are employed to make the concept appear possible. If DAPRA's vision proves successful, aerial vehicles like these could take the place of satellites for surveillance and communications purposes.

[Sources: Flight Global, Gizmag]

The X-Prize foundation was established help spur developments in a variety of areas including space travel, medicine and genomics. We've had plenty of coverage here of the Automotive X-Prize where the target is to develop a production viable car that can achieve the equivalent of 100mpg. The foundation is now establishing what it calls the Energy and Environment Prize suite that includes the Automotive Prize. The suite will include a number of prize competitions that go beyond just transportation to include clean energy sources. A Biofuels X-Prize has already been created to inspire breakthroughs in next generation sustainable liquid fuels. The biofuels prize competition will officially launch later this year with a prize of at least $10 million. Other categories that will be attacked in the next couple of years include solar power, water, sustainable housing and carbon capture. In total the energy and environment prizes are will give away up to $100 million.

[Sources: X-Prize Foundation, BusinessWeek]

Sometimes we get a little fired up about new developments in solar technology. This new solar energy system (pictured above) from SUNRGI is making us downright delirious. What is it exactly? Thought you'd never ask. This, my friend, is the latest in concentrated solar technology or Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics ™ - XPV™ as it is referred to by the company. If it lives up to its extraordinary claims of producing electricity for a meager ¢5Kwh, we may all be saying "Good-bye coal, helloooo sunshine".

It works by using a magnifying glass to concentrate sunlight to make it 1,600 times brighter than the sun. It's focussed onto a photovoltaic cell that converts more than 37 percent of the sunlight directly into electricity. Of course, there are other companies that make similar types of concentrated solar systems that can concentrate light by 500 times but where the SUNRGI excels is in the dissipation of the heat that gets created. Apparently it has some nanotechnolgical goop made by Spectrolab that helps conduct the heat away from the cell so it stays only 20 degrees above the outside temperature instead of 3,300 degrees which helps it reach that 1,600 times figure. Already tried and tested, co-founder Robert Black says it should be on the market in 12 to 15 months.

[Source: SUNRGI via GreentechMedia]

All right, so maybe some of the homebuilt solar-powered cars that we've shown here in the past aren't the best-looking contraptions. Give then this, though: they certainly are useful. The latest example was made by a California man named Brent Hatch, who decided enough was enough when he got a $700 gas bill. With seven kids to drive to school and back along with record-high gas prices, it's easy to see why Hatch was fed up. His solution centers around a four-wheeled, pedal-powered bike that has been equipped with three roof-mounted solar panels. These provide electricity to a small electric motor. Maintenance charges have also gone down considerably, with the only real wear item being the vehicle's sole rear tire, which is powered. Perhaps it's not the most elegant solution we've ever seen... but it's hard to argue that it gets the job done. Watch a video of the machine in action here.

[Source: CBS 2 via Engadget]