The Shiken Company of Japan has developed a new solar-powered toothbrush which is so powerful that it may eliminate the need for toothpaste. Two dental researchers with the company, Dr. Kunio Komiyama and Dr. Gerry Uswak, are set out to determine whether the innovative brush will do a better job of reducing plaque and bacteria than the standard. The two doctors are searching for 120 teens…

Installing solar modules is typically a job reserved for certified professionals — however with renewable technologies advancing at such a rapid pace, solar panel installations may soon be as simple as 1,2,3. The “Sunfish”, designed by Chad Maglaque and Clarian Technologies, is a comparatively inexpensive solar module kit anticipated to release in stores by spring 2011. To begin installation, consumers would need to purchase a power module, circuit monitor and pluggable solar panel(s)…

Experts have warned homeowners agreeing to new “solar for free” offers that they could double their financial savings by paying for the panels themselves. Since a government tax incentive was launched in April 2009, solar PV installations have skyrocketed in the UK. This has left many homeowners vulnerable to a massive amount of companies offering to fit their homes with solar panels for free. Under the “rent your roof” model, the companies…

Through an arrangement with the Indian Parliament, the Punjab Energy Development Agency has invited bids for installing an 80 kW solar PV system. The solar array would provide battery backup for the Parliament building in the off-chance of a blackout, however over 50 percent of the generated power would be fed back into the grid. The project would help promote the use of solar PV systems which remain unpopular due to the high costs and lower efficiency when compared to other…

Gottlieb Paludan, a Danish architectural firm, has come up with a revolutionary plan to store green energy which may solve the world energy crisis. The firm has proposed to take the world’s uninhabited islands and turn them into Green Power Islands, in which power would be generated on land through wind or solar — depending upon the climate — and the surrounding water would be used to store the power using pumped hydro. Pumped hydro is an efficient and feasible way…