Georgia pecan grower Trey Pippin now harvests more than nuts—he’s also generating electricity from a one-acre solar farm on his property.

This week 32 solar powered cars from 17 countries have converged on Australia's outback to compete for the title of World Solar Car Champion. The race, the "World Solar Challenge" takes place every two years - giving teams ample time to raise money, design, build and test their dream vehicles. It's a unique event and there are 5 reasons to love every part of it.

If there ever was an event for our time, it is the Solar Decathlon (original post w/video) on the National Mall in Washington DC, the fourth one of which just concluded. Begun in 2002, with support from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and BP Solar, the Solar Decathlon brings together 20 universities from the U.S., and some from overseas, to erect innovative, full sized, green, solar powered, energy efficient homes in a "solar town" on the expanse of grass in front of the Nation's Capitol.

The idea is great, and it works, but the name is terrible. It came out of Germany in English translation. We should call it "clean energy purchase" or "solar buy back" or at least Feed-in Rate, since we pay electric utility rates, not tariffs.