In the United States a solar system is installed every four minutes. The solar industry is adding a lot of new jobs in the process. There are 142,698 jobs throughout the industry, according to the Solar Foundation. That’s a 20 percent increase since 2012 — a jump driven both by growth in installations and new categories for academic and research jobs.
Continue reading… “Top 5 facts about the solar jobs market”
China has “outstripped even the most optimistic forecasts” to install a record 12 GW of photovoltaic projects.
There were predictions all through 2013 that suggested Japan would walk away the dominant solar PV market. Bloomberg New Energy Finance has revealed that despite those predictions China has “outstripped even the most optimistic forecasts” to install a record 12 GW of photovoltaic projects in 2013.
Continue reading… “China installed more solar power than any other country in 2013”
Novel energy storage materials flow from the white containers into a fuel-cell like device in the foreground, where they generate electricity.
It would be great if utilities would be able to store the power that wind farms generate at night when no one wants and then be able to use it when the demand is high during the day. But conventional battery technology is so expensive that it only makes economic sense to store a few minutes of electricity, enough to smooth out a few fluctuations from gusts of wind.
Ascent Solar Technologies EnerPlex solar charging products.
Ascent Solar Technologies Inc is a developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art, flexible thin-film photovoltaic modules integrated into off-grid applications as well as the EnerPlex(TM) series of consumer products. The company has debuted new additions to their EnerPlex product lineup, including the Surfr battery and solar case for the iPhone 5 and 5s as well as additional solar products and charging accessories, at CES 2014 in Las Vegas.
Continue reading… “Ascent Solar debuts solar powered battery for smartphones”
Rooftop solar on a house in Hawaii.
William Walker and his wife, Mi Chong, wanted to join what’s seen as a solar revolution in Hawaii. Shortly after buying their Oahu home earlier this year, they plunked down $35,000 for a rooftop photovoltaic system. The couple looked forward to joining neighbors who had added panels, to cutting their $250 monthly power bills and to knowing they were helping the environment.
Continue reading… “Hawaii’s solar boom is so successful it’s been blocked from further expansion”
America is on track to install more solar capacity this year than world leader Germany.
In the U.S., the outlook for solar power is bright and sunny. The solar industry in America has recorded its second largest quarter ever in the third quarter of 2013, and the largest quarter ever for residential installations. (Infographic)
Continue reading… “2013 has been a record breaking year for solar power in the U.S.”
By the early 2020s, we will have the means to program our biology away from disease and aging, by the early 2020’s. Health and medicine have been a hit or miss up until recently. We would discover interventions such as drugs that had benefits, but also many side effects. Until recently, we did not have the means to actually design interventions on computers.
Continue reading… “This is your future: Ray Kurzweil”
Train carrying coal to a power plant.
The Great Energy Shift is happening in spurts and is starting in places like Arizona and Mississippi instead of coming from legislation in Washington. Last week two two utilities faced decisions on whether to fight the future or embrace it.
Continue reading… “The death of coal in America”
Homeowners who aimed their panels toward the west, instead of the south, generated 2% more electricity over the course of a day.
Solar panels should face in the general direction of the sun. You would think that would be easy to do. But most installers of solar panels, especially the ones for homes, follow conventional wisdom handed down from architects, which holds that in the northern hemisphere, windows and solar panels should face south.
Continue reading… “Most solar panels are facing in the wrong direction: Study”
Off-grid solar
The off-grid clean energy market is booming. Sub-Saharan Africa is seeing 300 percent compound annual growth in off-grid lighting; Bangladesh is putting up 30,000 to 40,000 solar home systems every month; and d.light, a for-profit seller of solar lights, recently reached its1 millionth customer. (Video)
Continue reading… “Off-grid solar is the next big market in clean energy”
Cheap solar is a new trend changing the world.
It’s hard to keep up with what’s going on in the world these days. Some facts are familiar to anyone who reads the news. Unemployment is high. Growth is slow. Shale gas is a big deal. But beyond the headlines, shifts are changing the U.S. economy and reshaping the global financial order. Here are ten that have surprised.
Continue reading… “Top 10 stealth economic trends that are changing the world”
31 percent of South Australia’s total energy came from renewable sources in 2012 and 2013.
In South Australia, one in five houses already has a rooftop solar array. Twenty-seven percent of that region’s power is derived from wind energy. New figures released by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) predict that thanks to new sources of wind and solar power in development, the area could source half of its energy from renewables within the decade. This would make South Australia the first industrialized region to achieve such an accomplishment, surpassing other green-power giants like Denmark and Germany.
Continue reading… “South Australia to reach 50% renewable energy within 10 years”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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