us solar panels

US ‘Solar Zones’ In Place, Ready For Big Projects

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signs off on a program to open up 285,000 acres in 17 “solar energy zones” in six Western states for fast…

Industry and Business

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Institute for Energy Efficiency Announces Peter J. Frenkel Foundation Fellows

The Institute for Energy Efficiency announces its fourth cohort of graduate student fellows receiving the Frenkel Fellowship.

Graduate

thin film solar plant

Is Thin-Film Solar Dead?

It may not be the end of thin-film solar, some analysts believe that (when the market picks up) thin-film solar may be just as popular…

Industry and Business

indian city

Can a Smart Grid Help India?

As the population of India continues to grow, the country faces challenges in trying to supply power to all its citizens. Utility…

Industry and Business

LED lightbulbs

LED Roundup: Redwood Systems, Lumenergi, Ikea and the GSA

Major retailers -- including IKEA, Home Depot, Best Buy, among others -- have vowed to phase out all incandescent and fluorescent lights…

Industry and Business

hydrogen car

Hydrogen Cars: A Dream That Won't Die

Better technology and high battery costs have revived interest in hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles.

Industry and Business

Santa Monica NPS

Lighting Science Group and National Park Service Open ‘First of Its Kind’ Net-Zero Visitor Center

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area opened a new net-zero visitor center -- the first of its kind. The building is equipped…

Industry and Business

chinese electric plant

Reprint: Grid-Scale Energy Storage in China to Become a $500M Market by 2016

By the end of the year, China’s electric grid will become the largest in the world in terms of both installed generation capacity and…

Industry and Business

thermostat

Carrier Picks Up EnergyHub for Smart Thermostat Partnership

In an effort to save energy, major HVAC and thermostat companies have been turning to "smarter" thermostats -- wireless, connected…

Industry and Business

John Bowers

Institute Director, John Bowers, is featured in the Huffington Post

Bowers talks about Institute research and ways research can improve quality of life around the world.

In the News

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Transphorm, An Energy Groundbreaker Backed By Google Ventures, Gets $35M From Japan Powerhouses

Transphorm, a company founded by Institute faculty member Umesh Mishra, recieved $35 million from two prominent Japanese companies to…

Alumni, Industry and Business

new hybrid engine

Carmakers Find Ways to Make Cheaper Hybrids

Advances in hybrid technology, such as batteries and electric motors, have made hybrid cars cheaper to manufacture. For this reason,…

Industry and Business

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Solar3D Unveils Its Working Prototype at an Event Hosted by the Institute for Energy Efficiency

The Institute for Energy Efficiency hosted an event for the unveiling of Solar3D's 3-dimensional solar cell prototype. Solar3D's…

In the News, Industry and Business

Shuji Nakamura

Soraa Co-Founder Shuji Nakamura Named Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association (SVIPLA) Inventor of the Year

Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association honors Institute Faculty Member, Shuji Nakamura, with the Inventor of the Year…

Industry and Business

thin film solar panel

A Solar Startup that Isn't Afraid of Solyndra's Ghost

The start-up SoloPower recently opened a manufacturing facility, which raised concerns from media and solar observers. SoloPower is…

Industry and Business

LED lightbulb

Falling LED Cost Yields Virtual Device Efficiency Gains

Falling LED prices are yielding an unexpected bonanza for system developers: a “virtual” gain in device efficiency, which can be as much…

Industry and Business