The cells themselves, created at Sandia National Laboratories, are built using microelectronic and microelectromechanical processes, the same ones used for many of the smallest (and coolest) new microscopic machines.

As with any new and exciting technology, applications seem limitless. The current generation of photovoltaic cells are wafers around 6 square inches. In contrast, these tiny cells could be mounted on flexible substrates, such as on fabric or oddly shaped surfaces.

As an added bonus, the mass-produced micro-cells will also eventually be cheaper to make and install than current solar power cells. This could finally pave the way for buildings that pay their own energy costs with solar power. Or it could mean charging your iPod on the go from a solar-power-collecting shirt.

Glitter-sized solar photovoltaics produce competitive results [PhysOrg]

Solar Impulse is the Swiss bid to make the first Solar-powered flight around the world. The prototype is an ultralight single-seater with the wingspan of an Airbus A380, with four sun-fuelled electric motors. According to Solar Impulse co-founder Andre Borschberg, it's lighter and better performing than comparable gliders.

These photos show the plane being rolled out for the first time ever, and fitted with its vertical stabilizers. Isn't she beautiful?

The big challenge will come in Spring 2010, when the solar-powered craft's 36-hour flight will include flying all through the night. Images by AFP/Getty. [AFP]

Generally, parking in the sun just means coming back to a boiling hot car. But industrial designer Neville Mars has an idea for harnessing sunlight so it powers your car instead. He suggests installing tree-shaped sculptures in parking lots with giant, photovoltaic leaves to capture solar energy. You can simply park, plug your electrical vehicle into the tree, and return to a cool and fully charged car. It's ultimately more economical and more eco-friendly than building chargers into existing electrical grids, and could even make your parking space more attractive.

Solar Forest [via Inhabitat]

New Scientist reports on a new paper from David Smith at the University of Arizona in Tucson and the University of Texas, Austin's John Scalo that declares that the sun's heliosphere protection shrinks as the solar system passes through very dense gas and dust clouds, exposing us to harmful space dust and cosmic rays. Smith notes that planets orbiting red dwarf stars aren't affected by similar shrinkage due to their closeness to the star:

The bottom line is that habitable planets around red dwarfs are better protected from climate catastrophes than Earth is.

Don't feel too under threat, however; according to the paper, Earth is only being exposed to cosmic rays between one and ten times every billion years.

Sun leaves Earth wide open to cosmic rays [New Scientist]

Here's the MIT recipe for splitting water molecules. Take one glass of water that's pH neutral. Add a dash of cobalt and a pinch of phosphates. Apply a mild current via a conductive glass electrode. As the cobalt-phosphate mix forms a film on the electrode, a steady stream of oxygen bubbles will appear. Meanwhile, hydrogen ions collect at another electrode.

The crazy thing is, the MIT researchers don't really know why this works (they have a lot more research to do). They suspect the cobalt-phosphate is somehow catalyzing the reaction, but they need to figure out how to scale it up and collect the byproducts efficiently. They think they'll have marketable technology in ten years.

So how will you use this when the time comes? The current required could be supplied by solar cells. The resulting hydrogen and oxygen could be stored with relative ease, making this process an important new way to store and transport solar energy. There are lots of things you could do with all that O and H - like powering the hydrogen fuel cell in your car, perhaps. And what's the byproduct of a hydrogen fuel cell? Water. Images by steakpinball and EurekAlert!

Water refineries? [EurekAlert!]

Abengoa Solar's PS10 power plant generates 11 megawatts of clean power, supplying more than 5,000 households. The heliostats automatically swivel to follow the sun and focus maximum sunlight on the receiver at the top of the tower. The company claims the potential to generate temperatures in the neighborhood of 1,800 degrees F with an efficiency 25 percent greater than current photovoltaic technology. Prototype towers were tested in the U.S., but PS10 is the first commercial plant. More Spanish towers are planned with greater power generating capacity.

How hard would it be to put a mirror array like this into orbit? With GPS, it would have pinpoint accuracy, cause incredible damage and leave no unpleasant radioactivity behind. Company reps swear they have absolutely no plans to demand a $500 million ransom from the world's governments to keep them from incinerating cities. Top photo by: afloresm. Schematic by: Abengoa.

11 Megawatt Solar Power Tower [EcoGeek]