The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) approved on October 5 the first large-scale solar energy plants ever to be built on U.S. public lands. The approval of two developments in California grants the U.S.-based companies behind the projects access to almost 6,800 acres of public lands for 30 years to build and operate solar plants. The approved plants could produce up to 754 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, or enough to power 226,000–566,000 typical U.S. homes. The projects will generate almost 1,000 new jobs.

It seems that we are finding a new use for solar power everyday. Whether its grid-tie applications, lighting, or backup power, solar is rapidly becoming our green energy alternative of choice. Solar is rapidly evolving as the technology and applications for it are changing daily. In this light, here are 3 great contests that are stretching the limits of what solar can be used for and may just change the way we use energy in our everyday lives.

Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a proprietary corn-based composite board that can be used instead of particle board, plywood of fiberboard. Called CornBoard, the invention is not one of those still-in-development laboratory hothouse flowers.

The cells that power the bicycle use sodium silicide, a powder similar to sand. In combination with water, the substance “instantly creates hydrogen gas”, that is further on used to generate energy. Moreover, excess electricity is stored in batteries that are safe and fully recyclable.

Previous news were saying that the Obama administration doesn’t have any plans of installing solar panels on the White House. Not even a month has passed, and a representative of the White House in Washington, DC says solar panels will be installed on the White House in order to impulse Americans to adopt green energy.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) joined China, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United States in launching the Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI) on October 1 at the Paris Motor Show in France. The new initiative will provide a platform for global cooperation on the development and deployment of electric vehicles.

Enbridge Inc. and First Solar, Inc. have achieved commercial operation of the 80 MW Sarnia Solar Project, making it the largest operating photovoltaic facility in the world. First Solar, a manufacturer of PV solar panels and provider of solar solutions, will operate and maintain the Sarnia Solar Project for Enbridge under a long-term contract. First Solar developed, engineered, and constructed the facility, using its advanced thin film solar panels.

Beacon Power Corp., a provider of energy storage systems has established a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency to produce parts of a flywheel energy storage over a period of two years.

In fact, Phu Tho Province has implemented 30 models of cleaner production. However, these programs have not attracted participation of industrial and craft production cooperatives and craft villages which have made important contribution to local industrial development and created jobs for local people. Because there is a lack of policies on application of cleaner production in craft villages and cooperatives, therefore, information on cleaner production still remain insufficient.

Each household taking part in the project has been provided with financial assistance worth VND1.2 million to build a biogas plant (of this sum, VND625,000 comes from the project’s budget and the remainder from the provincial budget). In places where the project was developed, people took active part in the construction of biogas plants. Before they were put into use, biogas plants were checked carefully and at the same time users were provided with detailed instructions to ensure effective and safe operation of biogas plants.

New technology is the key to the meeting the coalition's pledge to lead the "greenest government ever", David Cameron has said. The prime minister was announcing the publication of an online league table which will be updated daily, to allow the public to see which departments were cutting energy use the most.

The latest official figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) could provide insight into how energy saving aspirations across the UK have affected power consumption. In its second quarter 2010 report, DECC notes a 24 per cent fall in primary electricity consumption across the country.

The benefits of energy auditing in providing a means of producing tangible outputs to identify areas where energy consumption and wastage could be minimised. The accumulated results and recommendations from the auditing can assist an organisation in developing effective strategies to reduce their energy consumption and improve energy efficiency within their respective buildings.

The Renault DEZIR, or the desire of any new-age, science-fiction addict, hot-blooded obsessed rock star (or less) is the masterpiece of Renault’s design team and one of the best car designs (in terms of sexiness) I have ever seen. Renault DeZir occupies a central piece at this year’s Paris auto show, with all the other sports cars fading into anonymity (ok, well, perhaps Jaguar’s new masterpiece or Citroen’s Survolt will keep up).

According to the Danish climate commission, the country will gets its electricity from wind farms, developing an energy network entirely free of fossil fuels by 2050. The committee also said that biomass and wind energy could meet the bulk of the country’s energy requirements.

Beacon Power, a major player in flywheel energy storage, is now working with U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) on the development of a next-generation of flywheel storage. The new flywheel storage system is expected to be able to store 4 times as much energy as present flywheels, and at one-eighth the per kilowatt-hour cost.

Utilizing what we have in a wiser way could lead us to something worth it. As the famous line goes, “everything has its purpose” no matter how small or big it is. It also includes waste products such the awful pet poop, specifically dog poop. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a dog park hasn’t been considering these dog poop a waste at all. In fact, in has turned out to be a very useful.

Designed by the Tokyo Institute of Technology and fine-tuned by researchers at MERSTech in partnership with the ONR's office in Tokyo, the Magnetic Energy Recovery Switch (MERS) harnesses and recycles residual magnetic power that is produced by electrical current. By using a device that controls the flow of electricity, light bulbs can now maximize their potential. The proposal for the expanded experiment is scheduled for completion in October.

According to the Pedegopress release , “The announced battery-fuel cell hybrid system is compatible with all existing Pedego bicycles and batteries. For every 1.5 lbs. of weight a rider carries, an additional 700 watt-hours of energy is available (compared to ~350 watt-hours for an ultra-high performance lithium-polymer battery at a weight of 7 lbs.).

Anywhere people are walking dogs -- and throwing away dog poop -- can be a source of heat and light by introducing a methane digester into the equation. The first-ever Park Spark project was installed in Cambridge, Mass., on Tudor Street, between Sidney Street and Brookline Street, a few blocks from MIT.