The city of San Francisco in the United States is taking a unique approach to the problem of expensive solar power systems. City officials have introduced a new program called “Solar@Work” to help small and medium-sized businesses in the area afford solar power.

Big businesses are usually able to pay for massive solar power systems, and individual home owners can buy small panels to install on their houses. But for mid-sized companies, or even small companies, those options just don’t work. The idea behind Solar@Work is to allow those businesses to team up and purchase (and install) solar power systems at a discounted rate. So the more companies that decide to go in on the deal, the lower the price!

One city official called it the “Groupon” for solar power – after the very popular group coupon system that’s become a huge hit across the world. By the end of the year, Solar@Work is hoping to have installed solar power systems on about 20 buildings during the test phase of the project. If it goes well, the concept could be expanded across California, the U.S. and the world.

Is this the way to reduce the cost of solar energy for everyone in the future? Let us know what you think!

 

Earlier this year reporter Marion Hütter from the Global Ideas team brought us this interesting story about how Cambodia is harnessing the power of the sun and rice husks–yes, rice–to create electricity. That's especially important in a country like Cambodia, where 80 percent of people live in rural parts of the country, outside the national electricity grid.

 

A company called Kamworks has manufactured "Moonlight" solar lamps that can provide as much as 20 hours of light. And the cost of the lamp is being slashed, from $50 to $25. Another company called SME Renewables is working on new energy solutions in Cambodia, like turning biomass into electricity.

Check out this report–and enjoy!

Jordan's government has approved a revolutionary new green project that could transform the country's desert into a green oasis and provide basic necessities like food and water to boot. An environmental technology group called the 'Sahara Forest Project' is creating a massive facility in the desert city of Aqba that promises to turn transform sun and seawater into food, energy and clean drinking water.

 

And to top it all off, the facility could combat climate change too by pulling in large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. An MSN article on the project describes more of the details, including how the solar power plant and the greenhouse system will work.

 

The facility in Aqba will actually be a demo plant so developers can see how it works before creating more. And it could be up and running as early as 2012. Is this the way of the future for desert landscapes? Would this kind of project work in your country?