A battery module built at Aquion’s plant in Pennsylvania.
A new kind of battery that stores energy from solar and wind power cheaply and cleanly has hit the market. It is by far the cheapest of a new generation of large, long-lived batteries that could make it possible to rely heavily on intermittent, renewable energy sources.
Continue reading… “Aquion Energy’s battery helps solar and wind power operate in remote locations”
We all want to find an alternative to fossil fuels as soon as possible. The most viable answer to the planet’s energy needs is visible to us any time we look upward. The amount of solar energy that hits just 1 square mile of this planet over the course of a year is equal to 4 million barrels of oil, and the energy that hits the Earth in a mere 40 minutes can fuel all of humanity’s energy needs for a year. Isn’t that incredible? (Infographic)
Continue reading… “Could we run the entire world on solar power?”
How electrolysis could produce hydrogen as a way to store renewable energy.
There isn’t a cost-effective way to store large-scale solar energy. But researchers at Stanford have developed a solution by using electrolysis to turn tanks of water and hydrogen into batteries. During the day, electricity from solar cells could be used to break apart water into hydrogen and oxygen. Recombining these gases would generate electricity for use at night.
Researchers at Ohio State University have created a new hybrid device that can act both as a solar cell and as a battery storing that energy.
Scientists, entrepreneurs and government leaders are pushing to develop cheap, clean energy as the world seeks out alternatives to fossil fuels.
Continue reading… “New hybrid solar cell battery could solve solar power’s energy storage problem”
Minnesota to launch solar highways.
Solar arrays could soon be seen along the public rights-of-way that line the state’s highway in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has released a request for proposal (RFP) accepting bids to build and manage solar arrays, which would provide the state’s grid a new and reliable source of clean energy for at least 20 years.
Continue reading… “Minnesota could soon see solar arrays lining its highways”
Installing solar panels.
Anyone with enough roof space will be leaving the grid within the decade for solar power. And in most cases they won’t be leaving just one grid, they will be leaving two. That’s because solar is going to become, to put a new spin on an old phrase, “too cheap to have a meter”. It just won’t be worth paying daily service charges to have a grid supplied meter and grid access.
Continue reading… “How power companies will commit suicide by solar”
Even though wind power uses up to 14 times more iron, the world wins on a switch to low-carbon energy.
A global low-carbon energy economy could actually double electricity supply by 2050, while also reducing air and water pollution, according to new research. The first ever global life-cycle assessment of clean energy sources shows that a renewable system could supply the world’s entire electricity needs by mid-century, writes Tim Radford.
Continue reading… “100% of the world’s power could be supplied by renewables by 2050”
The Knox home has geothermal loops buried under the backyard.
Andrew Know, manager of Naval Facilities Energy Initiatives, decided to go “net zero” on his home in Washington, D.C. What Knox got was a true zero-energy home, done right on a budget.
Continue reading… “Naval Facilities Energy Initiatives manager goes ‘net zero’ on his home in D.C.”
Renewable energy shows an average price decline over the last 5 years of 78% for utility scale solar and 58% for wind.
Lazard, an asset management firm, has a fascinating new analysis of renewable and other energy prices out. There are a huge number of insights in this, from an outside analyst whose primary interest is financial.
Continue reading… “Solar and wind prices plunge below fossil fuel prices”
High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT)
A cutting-edge solar system that resembles a 10-meter-high sunflower has just been unveiled by IBM Research and Swiss solar technology company Airlight Energy. The High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system can concentrate the sun’s radiation 2,000 times and convert 80 percent of it into useful energy, generating up to 12 kilowatts of electrical power and 20 kilowatts of heat on a sunny day—enough to power several average homes. It can also produce clean, fresh water as a result of the process used to cool the solar cells. (Video)
Tesla/SpaceX chief and sustainable energy champion, Elon Musk, has finalized plans to build a 1.2 million square-foot megafactory in Buffalo, NY through his company SolarCity. The factory targets to create enough solar panels a year to harness a gigawatt of the sun’s energy.
Continue reading… “Elon Musk’s SolarCity to build a Gigafactory for producing solar panels”
Panther Vision Powercap
When you go out into the darkness then you’d better be prepared with a good durable flashlight to light up your path. However, packing an extra flashlight may sometimes make your gear a bit heavy which can slow you down.
Continue reading… “Panther Vision Powercap – a solar-powered flashlight you wear on your head”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.