Solar Power Technologies

A G&M article states that "General Electric Co. and a dozen other companies are starting work under a U.S. federal program to make solar power cost-competitive by 2015".

The article reminded me of the work being conducted at the University of Toronto by Professor Ted Sargent and his research team. In 2005, they invented a plastic solar cell that can turn the sun's rays into electrical energy, even on a cloudy day. The spray-on material utilizes nanotechnology to harness the sun's invisible, infrared rays. Sargent is quoted as saying "If we could cover 0.1 percent of the Earth's surface with [very efficient] large-area solar cells, we could in principle replace all of our energy habits with a source of power which is clean and renewable."

While the technology hasn't been perfected yet, this potentially game-changing technology would definitely go along way in solving our energy needs. In the meantime, we should all do our part by conserving energy and save money in the process.