Large expanses of desert have received most of the attention when it comes to large solar power installations, but a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology says that the world's coldest regions are actually some of the best places for solar power generation.

The study found that the Himalaya Mountains, the Andes and Antarctica are some of the most ideal solar power locations, with the ability to produce more energy per hectare than the world's deserts.  The Himalayas could provide power to China, while the polar regions see 24 hours of sunlight a day for half the year.

The study used weather data to account for any decrease in solar cell output due to freezing temperatures, snow fall and transmission losses when calculating the areas' power generation potential.

Research bases on Antarctica already successfully make use of solar and wind power for electricity, but transmitting power generated at the poles or deep in the Himalayas to towns and cities will likely prove to be the biggest hurdle to these solar power "hot spots."

via Fast Company

We wrote about the lovely solar roof shingles introduced by Dow Solar a couple of years ago and now they're finally going to be available to the masses.  The solar shingles look amazingly like traditional roof shingles and fully replace traditional shingles on the home while generating electricity.

The shingles use thin-film solar cells, which are less efficient than the silicon cells in conventional solar panels, but actually much more durable.  The first state where these shingles will be widely available is Colorado, with large quantities coming to a dozen other states by the end of 2012.

The solar roof shingles have an efficiency of about 10 percent, but if you cover your whole roof in them, you're still looking at a nice power pay-off.  Another bonus is that solar panels of any type keep areas under where they're installed cooler, which means you'll need less electricity for cooling anyways.

Dow has partnered with major home building company D.R. Horton to build homes outfitted three kilowatts of their solar shingles.  The homes will be large ones -- ranging from 2,205 to 4,115 square feet -- and will start at $485,950.  On the green jobs front, Dow is building these shingles in a Midland, Michigan plant and says the facility will create 1,275 jobs by 2015.

via CNET