SOLAR

A strong solar storm could cause devastating consequences for the planet, researchers said. Earth needs to better prepare for an event that could knock out power and GPS satellites, possibly for months.

The Solar Impulse prototype solar aiplane has been developed by Swiss engineers. It is has the 193-foot wingspan, about the width of a standard jetliner, but weighs no more than an average car. Placed on top of its wings are about 12,000 solar panels, which provides the aircraft with a renewable energy source.

First Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) announced Tuesday it will cut nearly a third of its workforce and shutter an overseas factory as a market flush with solar panels cuts into revenue.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Tuesday are: Endocyte, Comerica, Canadian Solar, Sprint Nextel, Valero Energy, U.S. Bancorp, Bank of America , China Gerui Advanced Materials Group, KIT digital, Host Hotels and Resorts and Goldman Sachs Group.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Monday are: First Solar, Alpha Natural Resources, CF Industries Holdings, Advanced Micro Devices, Halliburton, Citigroup, Mattel, Hasbro, Infosys and SCANA Corp.

President Obama visited the nation's largest solar panel plant in Boulder City, Nev., Wednesday, touting the state as a pioneer in clean energy, while promoting his all-of-the-above energy agenda on a four-state tour.

U.S. trade officials imposed surprisingly low tariffs on Chinese solar panels Tuesday, choosing to tread lightly and avoiding an all-out trade war when addressing local solar companies' complaints of unfair trade practices.

The United States on Tuesday dealt a blow to U.S. manufacturers of solar panels and boosted shares in their Chinese rivals when it imposed preliminary punitive duties of less than 5 percent on imports from China.

The United States on Tuesday dealt a blow to U.S. manufacturers of solar panels and boosted shares in their Chinese rivals when it imposed preliminary punitive duties of less than 5 percent on imports from China.

The first ever geologic map of Jupiter’s moon Io has revealed some of the most active volcanoes ever recorded in the solar system, scientists said on Monday.

The national solar industry installed a record number of panels in 2011, more than double 2010, and is likely to see strong growth again this year, according to a new report.

First Solar Inc will build a 26-megawatt solar power plant for power producer NRG Energy Inc in Arizona under the latest deal between two of the biggest players in the U.S. renewable energy sector.

As the solar storm continues to hit the Earth on Friday, reports indicate there have not been any major disturbances as was once predicted possible. However, the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, a rare phenomenon in the night sky, have taken place across the globe.

A solar storm that shook the Earth's magnetic field on Thursday spared satellite and power systems as it delivered a glancing blow, although it could still intensify until early Friday, space weather experts said.

Solar Storm 2012: Solar Flares, Southern Lights Visible from Space; Vivid Images of Storm Erupting From the Sun (PHOTOS)

As the largest solar storm in five years hit Earth on Thursday morning, it caused an unusual occurrence in the sky. Scientists expect that the array of cosmic activity caused by the solar flares and storms could expand the Aurora Borealis tonight, allowing people around the world to view the northern lights.

A solar storm expected to hit Earth on Thursday morning was caused by a massive solar flare that occurred earlier in the week. But what exactly is a solar storm?

A strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival on Thursday could affect power grids, airplane routes and space-based satellite navigation systems, U.S. space weather experts said.

A solar storm is set to hit Earth Thursday morning. The largest in five years, this solar storm is expected to cause some disruption as it shakes up the magnetic field and expands the Northern Lights. So what could this storm of charged particles mean for Earth? While solar storms don't harm people, scientists are expecting this storm to disrupt utility girds, airline flights, satellite networks and GPS services.

A mammoth geomagnetic storm, apparently the biggest in last five years, is expected to hit the Earth’s surface Thursday.

An eruption on the surface of the Sun has unleashed the largest solar storm in the past five years, which is currently barreling towards Earth and threatens to disrupt power grids, GPS signals and airplane flight systems.