Tag Archives: Solar

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin jointly announced today having achieved a new world record for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using a new solar cell structure with four solar subcells. Surpassing competition after only over three years of research, and entering the roadmap at world class level, a new …

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated a new mechanism for extracting energy from light, a finding that could improve technologies for generating electricity from solar energy and lead to more efficient optoelectronic devices used in communications. Dawn Bonnell, Penn’s vice provost for research and Trustee Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied …

Setting a minimum price and a volume limit on EU imports of Chinese solar panels has become the final solution to solar trade dispute between China and Europe. According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, the settlement is likely to increase entry barriers toward the European market and drive out destructive market price so first-tier manufacturers can focus on product and …

Despite demonstrating a slowed growth rate, China will continue to be the largest wind power market in 2020, as it attempts to reduce its carbon footprint while increasing electricity production in rural areas, says research and consulting firm GlobalData. According to the company’s latest report*, China has doubled its cumulative wind capacity every year between 2006 and 2011, growing at …

Santa Clara, Calif. (July 9, 2013)—Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the US have now broken through the 10 gigawatt (GW) barrier, following strong market deployment since the start of 2010. During the first half of 2013, more than 1.8 GW of new solar PV capacity was installed in the US, according to the NPD Solarbuzz North America PV Market Quarterly report. “The …

Low-cost solar power could supply more than a third of all energy needs in the Western U.S., if the nation can hit its targets for reducing the cost of solar energy, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.   The UC Berkeley scientists used a detailed computer model they developed of the West’s electric …

More Business Travelers Opting For Green-Certified Hotels According to a new report from Timetric, an increasing number of business travelers are opting for green-certified hotels in an effort to curb the impact of their frequent travelling. Business travellers are increasingly prioritising green-certified hotels, according to a new survey by market research firm Timetric. According to its Global Business Traveler Survey …

Solar Modules Prove Long-Term Reliability in Colorado Mountains KYOCERA modules continue performing efficiently after 10 to 22 years in the field Kyocera Solar Inc. today announced that its solar modules installed on three individual sites in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains have demonstrated long-term reliability and longevity despite extreme circumstances including a racking failure, high irradiance, freezing temperatures and heavy snow for …

New Worldwatch Institute study examines the global market for solar and wind energy production Global use of solar and wind energy continued to grow significantly in 2012. Solar power consumption increased by 58 percent, to 93 terrawatt-hours (TWh), and the use of wind power increased by 18 percent, to 521 TWh. Although hydropower remains the world’s leading renewable energy, solar …

SolarCity to Provide Solar Electricity to 7,500 Military Homes at Island Palm Communities at Multiple Army Bases in Hawai’i One of Largest Solarstrong Projects to Date Expected to Add 12.8 Megawatts of Generation Capacity Throughout Oahu, Including Fort Shafter and Schofield Barracks SolarCity today announced plans to add 12.8 megawatts of new solar generation capacity to provide solar power to up …

The European Union’s antidumping tariffs are spurring an increase in prices for Chinese solar modules, marking the end of a period when available inexpensive photovoltaic (PV) devices enabled fast growth of installations in the region. After declining for 48 months since the first quarter of 2009, with a seasonal uptick in February 2013) , average pricing for Chinese crystal polysilicon …

Replacing synthetic fertilizers with organic ones could help reduce climate impacts and improve agricultural systems By Deirdre Lockwood In efforts to mitigate climate change, we’re more likely to think about changing how we power our cars than how we grow our food. But as University of Washington geologist David R. Montgomery likes to remind people, farming has a huge impact …

Gerard D’Aboville is an experienced navigator — he’s rowed alone across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He’s accustomed to monitoring the wind and the current. But as the captain of the Turanor PlanetSolar, the world’s largest solar-powered boat, he’s had to factor in something else: the sun. And he marvels at its power. “I can feel it some days,” …

FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR CARBON NANOTUBE SOLAR CELLS In an approach that could challenge silicon as the predominant photovoltaic cell material, University of Wisconsin-Madison materials engineers have developed an inexpensive solar cell that exploits carbon nanotubes to absorb and convert energy from the sun. The advance could lead to solar panels just as efficient, but much less expensive to manufacture, …

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that it has installed a Smart Mobility Park electric mobility charging station at Toyota Ecoful Town, its low-carbon society model district located in Toyota City. While functioning as a hub for electric mobility sharing, the Smart Mobility Park can also generate and store electrical power, making it possible to reduce the burden on the electricity …

Japan Set to Become World’s Largest Solar Revenue Market in 2013 as Installations Boom in Q1   Japan’s solar installations surged by a stunning 270 percent (in gigawatts (GW)) in the first quarter of 2013, positioning the country to surpass Germany to become the world’s largest photovoltaics (PV) market in terms of revenue this year.   Although Japan is forecast …

With turbines operating in extreme wind regimes such as the Caribbean and northern Scotland, Northern Power Systems today announced that its fleet of gearless turbines that experience hurricane-speed winds has achieved 1 million run time hours, all without incident. That is equivalent to a cumulative 114 years of continuous, safe, high-performance operation. Proper design and control are essential for a …

Interesting article to read on the growth of wave/tidal power in the North Sea. Is this renewable energy source coming into its own in terms of viability and ROI? The debate over the viability and future of wind power in Scotland is omnipresent. But another form of renewable energy could soon become part of the national energy revolution – wave …

Mosaic’s Biggest Solar Project Ever Tops $1M Invested from 823 Individuals in 42 States Solar Asset Class Beats Treasuries with 4.5% Est. Annual Returns With the carbon dioxide level at its highest in human history and more than half the population worried about climate change (Gallup poll), many Americans are looking for an easy way to minimize their carbon footprint …

Manufacturers caught in the solar industry shuffle According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, Europe’s anti-dumping and countervailing investigation on China suggested that the government has subsidized their domestic solar manufacturers, and Europe may impose a punitive tariff (more than 30%) on China’s PV products. In addition, the wide range of products that may be affected by the punitive …