Tag Archive for: solarroofs

South L.A. Ecolab is a $35M initiative that aims to transform a 4-square-mile area of South LA into a model of sustainability

First of 140 solar roofs gets installed in South L.A.

Last week saw the completion of the first of up to 140 solar rooftop panel installations under a $35 million initiative that aims to transform a 4-square-mile area of South Los Angeles into a model of sustainability.

The initiative, known as South L.A. EcoLab, was set up last year by the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone and involves a host of community nonprofits and government agencies. Besides solar rooftop panel installations, the five-year initiative involves tree plantings, an e-bike lending program, construction of electric vehicle charging stations, a car-sharing program and various measures to promote the use of mass transit.

All the programs target residents in a 4-square-mile area of South L.A. bounded by Vernon Avenue on the north, Western Avenue on the west, Central Avenue on the east and 61st Street on the south.

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Source: LA Business Journal

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For about 40 years, car companies, startups and DIY enthusiasts have been pursuing the plug-less electric car, one that could wirelessly recharge via photons.

How solar roofs are being used to power electric cars

Every two years, engineering students from across the US compete in the American Solar Challenge, where around 10 schools cobble together a car designed to go as far as possible, powered exclusively by the sun. In 2022, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the top prize with a car that looks sort of like a ping-pong table sprouted wheels. On its best day, the Nimbus made it an impressive 869 miles (1,398 kilometers), roughly the distance from New York to Milwaukee. Of course, there are just a few impracticalities to contend with: The Nimbus can’t carry a passenger, for one, let alone a haul of groceries.

The quest to develop a solar-powered car that is at once functional, useful and practical has stumped more than the young wizards at MIT. In February, Sono Group NV said it would abandon its Sion solar-electric car after failing to raise enough money for the project. A month earlier, Dutch startup Lightyear suspended production of its €250,000 ($264,450) solar car and filed for bankruptcy. (Both declined interviews for this piece.) California’s Aptera Motors, while happy with its three-wheeled solar-powered machine, has struggled to complete a crowdfunding campaign to get it into production.

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Source: Bloomberg

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The UCLA engineers explore a new, viable application of solar cells that does not require large plots of land.

UCLA engineers design solar roofs to harvest energy for greenhouses

As countries around the globe seek sustainable energy sources and the U.S. endeavors to become a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, renewable energy sources such as solar panels are in high demand.

However, solar panels can take up significant space and are often difficult to scale. Enter the new field of agrivoltaics, which focuses on the simultaneous use of land for both solar power generation and agriculture. For example, replacing the glass in greenhouses with solar panels could power the lamps and water controls in the greenhouse, or even the whole farm. But how does one build solar panels that can absorb energy from sunlight without blocking the light that plants need?

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering’s materials scientist Yang Yang and his team have designed just such a device. In a study published today in Nature Sustainability, they explore a new, viable application of solar cells that does not require large plots of land.

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Source: UCLA Samueli 

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