Solar power is growing the fastest in developing countries that don’t have access to electrical grids.  Solar panels are still expensive although cheaper than purchasing fossil fuels for generators.  MIT scientists have come up with a method of creating your own solar cells using grass clippings that will be extremely cheap to make.

Energy companies are beginning to put Texas’ vast amount of sunshine to use. Having the largest utility scale solar project in the state is something to brag about.  Texas likes things big and Austin Energy’s 30MW solar farm fits that the bill while also providing clean energy to thousands of homes.

Installing solar panels is one way to get off the grid and free yourself from your local electric company.  Solar energy is renewable, free (except for the cost of the panels and installation) and doesn’t spew CO2 into the atmosphere.  But it still costs more per watt than grid provided electricity.  However that is going to change starting in 2013.

Parisian firm Influx Studio is proposing a radical retrofit of the Marina City towers in Chicago.  The renovation of the buildings would result in a variety of green innovations and architectural features that would result in renewable energy, vertical agriculture and cleaner air.

Researchers in India have developed a new type of bead from paraffin and stearic acid.  It absorbs heat from the sun during the day and then releases the heat at night. The new beads should work well in climates like the United States Southwestern states.

Nokero makes a number of affordable solar products that would make great gifts for people on your Christmas list.  The company also gives you a way to give light as a gift to those in need.

But wait it does so much more!  This device almost belongs in an infomercial.  It might actually take an infomercial to explain how it works and everything it does. 

In an effort to fast track solar farm permitting and construction, the Obama administration has set up “solar energy zones.”  The zones cover six western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. 

Scientists at Nanyang Technical University (NTU) and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have developed a thin film silicon solar cell using nanotechnology.  The resulting solar cells are significantly cheaper than other thin film solar cells and produce almost as much electricity as traditional silicon solar cells.

London is working hard to host the greenest Olympic Games ever.  As part of that ambitious plan, Blackfriars station platform will be extended and 4,400 solar panels will be installed on top of the bridge.  The work began on Tuesday and has to be finished in time for the Olympics in 2012.