SolFocus efficiency on the rise

25 percent efficiency

California startup SolFocus has achieved new efficiencies with their concentrated solar systems. By redesigning many optical components, the new SolFocus system improved its efficiency from 18 percent to 25 percent.

According to GreenTechMedia, "A SolFocus system is composed of a giant panel mounted on a tracker that tilts the panel to follow the sun's movement. On the panel are rows of curved mirrors that can concentrate 500 times the sunlight onto optical rods, which then lead the light into solar cells made with germanium substrate and gallium-arsenide and other compounds in the same class of semiconductors."

Is SolFocus, worth a green investment? SolFocus is picking up contracts. However, the company uses expensive Gallium-arsenide cells. Additionally, tracking systems, some solar experts believe, are a dying solar technology, as new cell technologies make tracking systems irrelevant. Removing tracking systems would make solar power cheaper.

PPG Industries Inc. as a green investment

Although not a pure play

PPG Industries, according to Jim Cramer via Mad Money, is a stock worth investigating. For green investors, PPG Industries is growing its business in solar and wind power. For instance, its fiber glass business is doing really well thanks to large wind turbines, an area of huge upside potential, and Cramer thinks an Obama Presidency will be good for PPG.

Additionally, PPG is a great way to play China. Cramer also notes that PPG is a broken stock, but not a broken company, with a great dividend.

On a side note, during the Lightning Round, Cramer advised against FirstSolar and solar power in general until oil prices start going up.

Semiconductors - The solar revolution is ready

Ready to take solar to the next level

Jim Cramer just had the Chairmen and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp. on Mad Money and part of their conversation was regarding solar power. National Semiconductor makes a number of devices that increase the efficiency of solar panels by 20 percent. And, in panels affected by cloud cover or debris, National Semiconductor has devices that can increase efficiency by 40 to 50 percent.

When Cramer asked if solar power was finally price competitive with hydrocarbons, the CEO said no. Today, the CEO stated that hydrocarbons are 6X more efficient, but for people in the semiconductor industry, 6X is nothing. Essentially, solar power is on the verge of becoming just as efficient as hydrocarbon power according to the CEO.

Solar concentrators continue to impress

Increase solar cell efficiency by a factor of 40

New research on solar collectors might finally achieve what no other breakthrough in solar power has been able to accomplish: make solar power cheaply and easily cost-effective. By adding some solar cells around the edge of glass, mixing in a few dyes and light can be gathered and concentrated in a way that increases the electricity gathered by a traditional solar cell by a factor of 40 according to LiveScience. More important, because of its simplistic design such solar concentrators could be mass-produced and widely available within 3 years.

Lehman's solar stock picks

Much cheaper solar powered homes in 5 years?

Lehman Brothers' Vishal Shah believes that China is going to have a huge effect on solar power, especially the costs, which Vishal expects to drop by as much as 50% in the next five years as the market triples.

Shah told CNBC today the key is that China could mass produce solar cells at a much cheaper cost. That's good news for environmentalists and those interested in green investing.

Some of Shah's top solar picks included First Solar, Sun Power and JA Solar.

40 percent cheaper solar modules

It's all about the lenses?

Since I've been looking into some solar power options to add onto my house, I was very happy to find some solar displays at this year's NextFest.

In addition to Kyosemi's Sphelar solar cells, the ClearPower solar modules of Stellaris also caught my attention. Using small lenses to concentrate light, Stellaris claims to be able to reduce the need for photovoltaic material by two-thirds, which equates into about 40 percent cheaper solar modules.

Bright, very bright!

Mirrors, gallium arsenide, the keys to solar power?

Just a discovery away from cost-effective solar power?

Researchers at Israel's Ben Gurion University are close to cost-effectively producing electricity from solar power via Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). The process utilizes mirrors to concentrate the sun's light by as much as a thousand times and directs that light towards a solar panel made via gallium arsenide, rather than silicon.

The researchers have helped form a company, Zenith Solar, to develop products using the new technology according to MSNBC.com.

While some researchers express caution regarding this innovative approach, it does seem to demonstrate why the U.S. should invest in such technology. Already some experts believe that cost effective solar power is just around the corner - at least in some areas.

"Solar power derived from conventional silicon could compete, without subsidies, in five years time in very sunny places such as Italy and parts of the United States, analysts say."

Considering the dangers of foreign oil, pollution and global warming, in addition to the growing demand for energy from places like China and India, it seems hard to believe that solar power won't play an important role. So, why is the U.S., again, such a laggard?

Has our fast food culture breed us for nothing but excelling at inefficiency and the status quo? Where's our kaizen? Our drive for innovation?