Technology and Automation at Home

Dean Kamen has invented some pretty cool items, not the least of which is the Segway transporter. Although less well-known, he's also invented a number of ground-breaking medical devices through his company DEKA Research and Development. His latest invention is a Stirling engine power plant that can power a house for under $10k.

Heating a home or business using solar heat is a viable option for many. Unfortunately, trying to store heat generated during the day for use at night (the time when it's needed the most) can be a difficult process. A university in Spain may have come up with a slightly better way to store heat.

The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) of Scotland recently published information that Scotland had a "bumper month" for renewable energy in October 2014. Wind energy alone produced enough electricity to power 126% of the needs of every Scotland home.

Almost everybody has the dream of supplying their own power so they can cut ties with the local utility company. While solar panels offer some hope, the payback period is long, and without large state or federal subsidies, the cost is usually beyond reach for most of us. The Volo stirling engine may change all of that.

For most of us, the Blue-Black color of PV solar panels is a given. When we see panels in that color with the outlines of the PV cells, most of us instantly recognize them. When we read or hear the words "solar panels", we instantly think of large blue-black rectangles. That may all change when CSEM introduces white (and colored) solar panels.