How the sharing economy can boost the rooftop solar market
Nearly half of households are currently unable to host a solar photovoltaic system, according to the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. One major reason is that the rooftop solar market is closed to renters. Boston-based startup Yeloha intends to explore that untapped Read More...
Solar roads are the way of the future
If a six-month experiment in the Netherlands is any indication, roads paved with solar panels can provide a solid alternative for renewable energy generation. So far, results have exceeded expectations. In this context, it is encouraging to know that similar projects are brewing in the United Read More...
Community-led programs accelerate transition to renewable energy across America
Community Choice Aggregation programs are bringing competition into power generation by letting cities and counties decide where their energy comes from. California's local authorities are leading the way, supporting governor Jerry Brown’s new ambitious climate goals to have the state produce 50 Read More...
Cyprus becomes testing ground for cutting-edge Australian solar technology
The Mediterranean island nation is bound by a European Union target of 13 percent of energy coming from renewable sources by 2020. It also needs energy to power desalination plants in order to remedy its water shortages. If the CSIRO’s (Australia’s national science agency) “solar thermal Read More...
Hawaii aims for 100-percent renewable electricity by 2045
Electricity in Hawaii costs three times as much as the national average. That’s because most of it is generated by power plants fueled by expensive imported oil. That is bound to change as the state legislature passed a bill this week that sets a 100-percent renewable electricity goal by 2045. Read More...
Portable sun-tracking solar system gives 40 percent more output
Many potential customers are kept out of the rooftop solar market by logistics requirements such as home ownership and roof availability. Portable, and with 40 percent more output than traditional solar panels, the sun-tracking Smartflower POP system is a 3.2 kW solar energy generator that you can Read More...
US solar firms invest to power more than 200.000 homes in rural Kenya
Decentralized solar holds huge potential to meet electricity demand in regions of the world where no centralized power grid is available. California-based Powerhive and First Solar plan to reach more than 200,000 homes and businesses with solar-powered micro-grids. The project will address some Read More...
MIT develops cheap, portable, solar-powered desalination system
Solar-powered desalination plants have been a promising technology for a while, but their prohibitive cost has prevented them from being considered a solution in water-deprived, typically poorer parts of the world. Using the electrodialysis process, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Read More...
North Korea’s quiet revolution is powered by solar panels
A limited power grid and regular blackouts are a way of life in North Korea. Including in winter when freezing temperatures reduces hydropower capacity. Over the past year, foreign observers have been noticing an unusual sight on a growing number of residential buildings in the capital Pyongyang Read More...
The solar revolution is here now
No lengthy analysis can convey the sheer enormity of the global seismic event happening right now in the energy world. Solar power is taking over. TreeHugger has collected various graphs to capture it in a visual format. It makes for compelling Read More...