Better CFLs
GE has announced an interesting new bulb planned for 2011. This new bulb appears to be a traditional CFL, but with a small halogen bulb as well. Operating as a hybrid, it plans to address the 'instant on' issue that has caused concerns for CFLs since their inception. After the CFL reaches full brightness, the halogen bulb switches off, and the CFL remains on.I've discussed the instant on issue before, and even commented recently that a new EcoSmart CFL was the 'best yet', but CFLs still are noticeably dimmer than incandescents for the first 20-60 seconds. The question is whether LED prices and quality will continue to improve at a faster pace. If they do, GE's bulb may have a limited window of usefulness.
Stanford Solar Breakthrough
Stanford reported back in September that ultra-thin films (around a nanometer) may lead to 10 times more energy gathering potential for solar cells. For some reason this hadn't made big news but it now getting reported on many sites, including Worldchanging.Their breakthrough also has potential to reduce costs - meaning the world of solar has a chance to see significant changes in the years ahead. Lets hope their research holds out and proves to transfer to large scale implementations.
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