Over in the Palmetto State, solar panel inquiries are at an all-time high, due to rising electricity costs, according to local solar installers. One man just installed a 14.1-kilowatt system, the largest residential solar energy system in the state.

New Eni-MIT Energy Center Focuses Solely on the Sun

Last week the Massachusetts Institute of Technology opened a new solar-energy research center. Named the Eni-MIT Solar Frontiers Center, it is funded largely with a grant from Italian energy giant Eni. According to Boston.com, students and faculty will tackle problems such as how to put solar cells on flexible, inexpensive material such as paper; how to use water to store solar energy; and how to make solar panels more efficient.

Colorado to Offer Energy Rebates Starting Today

As we mentioned in a recent blog post, Colorado opens its new energy rebate program today. The Denver Post reports Colorado consumers can apply for rebates on energy-efficient appliances and home energy upgrades from the $18 million economic stimulus program. Rebates range from $50 to $400 on qualifying appliances. In addition, the program offers rebates of $400 to $15,000 for home insulation or installation of residential or commercial solar- and wind-energy systems. Get more info at RechargeColorado.com.

Solar Racers Defy Overcast Skies on Grand Prix Race Day

Hundreds of middle school and high school students raced solar cars in a Solar Grand Prix in Long Beach, Calif., April 10. The cars were model-sized; most finished the race despite overcast skies. In January, participants were given a small solar panel and a motor; they had to incorporate those pieces into their car design.

The outlook for solar power in California just got sunnier. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation February 26 that raises the cap on the amount of customer-generated solar power utilities must reimburse through net-metering credits. Net-metering allows homes and businesses to receive credits if they generate more solar power than they can use. In effect, the customer sells the excess power to the electric grid and gets credit for it.

Thirty years ago, when I was handling PR at the newly-formed Office of Energy Conservation and Solar Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, we released a TV public service announcement called "Master of the Sun (video)." It featured a Ponca Indian poet high on a Colorado mountain talking with his young son: "Since the beginning, the American Indian has valued the power of the sun," he intones. Against pretty visuals he tells his son what the sun can do for us, then concludes as the music crescendos: "The sun is power. The sun is security. The sun is your future. The sun is available now and forever."