He’s two feet tall, five feet long, and the very latest of the University of Illinois’ solar accessories and inventions. He’s a solar powered robot, and he could soon be helping America’s farmers to go green.

When we worry about environmental damage and pollution, we tend to think of cities as being at the heart of the problem. But farms, too, can contribute, especially when they use large amounts of herbicide. In order to protect crops from weeds and so keep farms profitable, thousands of tonnes of herbicide are sprayed on America’s fields every year.

As a child at school, you probably encountered prisms: glass shapes designed to reflect light internally, producing rainbows. The chances are that, later in life, you’ve purchased jewellery, ornaments or gift wrap which have been made using laser etching to produce tiny prisms, creating a bright shimmering effect. It’s this effect which creates the holograms on your credit cards. Now a group of scientists in New York have found away to use prismatic technology to create new, smaller, more affordable solar panels.

The latest statistics from Japan and California show that the cost of domestic solar power set-ups is continuing to decline as uptake rises, and the future’s looking bright.

It’s obvious to anybody that rare items cost more, not just because they have a higher perceived value but because the manufacturing overheads are higher. As soon as demand is sufficient to enable mass production, prices will fall. But sooner or later the market will stabilise and a natural price will be established.

Everybody wants green energy. Being able to get the power we need without damaging the environment is an obvious goal - but what’s the best way to achieve it? Should we be opting for wind farms, hydroelectricity, or solar energy as alternative power?

Wind farms often receive a bad press, especially when they’re situated near homes or in popular hiking areas. They can make a lot of noise and because they have to be placed on skylines for maximum efficiency they often spoil views. Offshore wind farms are less problematic in this way and can take advantage of fierce sea winds, increasing their output, but they rely on a nation having a lot of suitable coastline.