We've heard about ideas for floating data centers and floating wind turbines; it was only a matter of time before we heard about floating solar power plants.  Australian solar power company Sunengy has just gotten approval for a pilot project in India through a partnership with Tata Power.

The floating solar power units, called Liquid Solar Arrays (LSA), use concentrated photovoltaic technology where a lenses direct the light onto solar cells and move throughout the day to follow the sun.

The company says the advantage to floating a solar power plant is that it erases the need for expensive structures to protect it from inclement weather and high winds -- when rough weather comes along, the lenses just submerge.  Floating on water, whether it be the ocean, a lake or a tiny pond, also keeps the solar cells cool, which increases their efficiency and lifespan.  You can see a video demonstration of the technology here.

The pilot project should begin construction this August.  Sunengy as another larger array in the works for 2012 and if both projects go well, they plan to go into full production.

via Treehugger

Chicago's Willis Tower, America's tallest building -- formerly known as the Sears Tower, is getting a major green makeover.  The south side of the 56th floor will soon be home to solar electric glass windows, turning the tower into a 2-MW vertical solar farm.

The windows called high power density photovoltaic glass units are being made by Pythagoras Solar.  They will retain views and daylighting for the floor, reduce heat and produce as much electricity as a traditional solar panel.  The windows consist of monocrystalline silicon solar cells sandwiched between two layers of glass with an internal prism that directs the sunlight onto the solar cells, while letting diffuse light through.  The result is a cooler, natural lighting environment inside the skyscraper and a more efficient solar panel.

The windows are part of a bigger project by the tower's owner and Pythagoras to show the benefits of a building integrated PV system (BIPV).  For large towers all over the world, this could be a key component in both energy efficiency and renewable energy production.

via Inhabitat