Energy
Transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy is key to tackling climate change. Here you can find the latest good news related to our clean energy transition, covering wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, and more.
Chile has so much solar energy, it's giving it away for free
Chile’s solar industry has expanded so quickly that it’s giving electricity away for free. Spot prices reached zero in parts of the country on 113 days through April, a number that’s on track to beat last year’s total of 192 days, according to Chile’s central grid Read More...
New report shows renewable energy records in 2015
Worldwide investment and implementation of clean energy hit records last year, according to new statistics. Some 147 Gigawatts of renewable electricity came online in 2015—the largest annual increase ever and as much as Africa’s entire power generating capacity. Clean energy investment Read More...
Algae can fuel planes, feed people and fight climate change
Algae will be a big part of any sustainable future. It absorbs carbon dioxide, like plants. It can survive in saltwater and wastewater, saving freshwater resources for human needs. It can be cultivated in shallow pools built and maintained in regions spare of farmable land. It grows quickly, needs Read More...
Investment in energy storage vital for renewable energy success
A new report has concluded that investment in energy storage technology is vital for the success of renewable energy and its full integration into the energy sector. According to a new study published by researchers from the University of East Anglia (UAE), government subsidies should be used so as Read More...
New solar cell breaks efficiency ceiling, theory goes out window
If you thought the upper limit of solar cell efficiency was 32 percent in April, think again in May. Last week, MIT News reported on a research team that demonstrated how a silicon solar cell could top the theoretical limit of 32 percent. See you later, Shockley-Queisser Limit, and don’t let Read More...
China Is Going Solar In A Big Way
China is investing in solar in a big way, which is great news for the rest of us. China is a nation of 1.36 billion souls, so even though it has only just passed Germany (population 81.6 million) in terms of installed solar capacity, it’s easily on track to leave it in the dust. According to Read More...
Baking bread and roasting peanuts with solar energy in Africa
Solar energy is the backbone of the clean energy future, and it mostly comes through solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays, which produce electricity for homes and businesses. However, in the developing world solar PV is more often still an expensive solution. Solar energy can also directly produce heat Read More...
San Francisco nabs significant federal funding for hydrogen and fuel cell efforts
San Francisco’s embrace of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for local transportation just got a big boost from the federal government. The Energy Department’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will direct nearly $4.5 million in funding for San Read More...
Global renewable energy employment rose 5% in 2015
More clean energy also brings more jobs. A boom in solar and wind power jobs in the U.S. led the way to a global increase in renewable energy employment to more than 8 million people in 2015, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). In 2015 almost 800,000 Read More...
Off the (failing) grid in North Korea, where solar energy is a hot commodity
Think of it as a North Korean Best Buy — a shop stuffed with refrigerators, karaoke machines, laptop computers and flat-screen TVs. But with a square footage closer to a typical American 7-Eleven than a big-box store, the Pothonggang Information Technology Center has to be selective about Read More...