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In an arid region of the western U.S. known as the Great Basin, the desert floor has recently been reaching temperatures in excess of 1,300 degrees Farenheit. No, this isn't due to global warming, but perhaps part of the solution to it. A Utah based company called IAUS (International Automated Systems Inc.) has developed a solar lens technology that transmits solar energy with an efficiency of 92%.

Unlike standard solar panels on rooftops or arrays of solar collectors in the desert, this is a form of "artificial photosynthesis." It tries to imitate the elaborate system that microbes, algae and green plants developed over 3 billion of years of evolution.

Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolutionScientists mimic essence of plants' energy storage system

The Zhejiang 001 Group has produced a tiny car powered entirely by the solar panels on its roof.

The panels can charge the battery enough for a 3-mile trip in just one hour. After a full charge of 30 hours in the sun, the car can travel up to 90 miles.
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The vehicle was debuted at the 29th Zhejiang International Bicycles and Electric-powered Cars Exhibition last week. The panels are not integrated into the car’s design, but rather stand above the car much like a typical roof-rack attachment.

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) have teamed up to operate the future Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM).