The decline in the price of oil could force the U.S. and other non-OPEC producers to make their deepest output cuts since the early 1990s, according to the International Energy Agency. [WSJ] The privatization of Zambia’s mines has created an energy crisis, producing regular power cuts and inadequate funds for new power stations. [The Guardian] Researchers… Keep reading →
Have you ever treated your windshield with Rain-X or bought eyeglasses with an antireflective coating? A new technology combines the benefits of both in a unique glass coating that can improve tomorrow’s solar panels, lenses, detectors, windows and many other products. Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory looked to some surprising… Keep reading →
US renewable energy sources continued to grow in 2014, as reported by Breaking Energy, with data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission showing that “15,384 megawatts of new generation went into service in 2014, and 49.9 percent of [all that capacity] came from wind, solar and other renewables.” According to the International Renewable Energy Agency… Keep reading →
The growth in installed solar power capacity over the past several years is nothing short of astonishing. Decreased costs and innovative financing mechanisms, along with supportive policy at national, state and local levels has helped solar power take off. Traditional fossil-based power generation sources like coal and natural gas had a huge head start and… Keep reading →
Is that massive Apple solar play that made news on Tuesday burnishing the tech titan’s green cred? It might be, but environmentalists aren’t thrilled about the whole thing. Not that they’ve got anything against Apple – or solar power, they say. Kim Delfino is California director of the group Defenders of Wildlife, an organization that has… Keep reading →
The second big round of SolarWorld’s controversial trade cases ended in the usual fashion on Wednesday, with the U.S. International Trade Commission handing the Oregon-based unit of the German company a final victory that expands duties on Chinese solar manufacturers and penalizes Taiwanese companies that underpriced their solar products in the United States. The ITC… Keep reading →
Recovery from the dramatic supply-driven oil price slide of 1986 took 5 years. Will the current cycle follow the same pattern? This piece plays a bit of Monday morning quarterback and suggests that if Saudi/Opec did more to moderate prices over the past 6 years the current supply glut could have been avoided. [Bloomberg via… Keep reading →
With a new year comes new promises and new opportunities – and that also goes for the United States and China, the world’s biggest climate polluters. The good news is both nations appear ready to embrace solar and other renewables, investments that will cement their recent, bilateral agreement to tackle climate change. Here are five signs renewables… Keep reading →
Businesses that want to go green often worry about whether they can recoup the expense of adopting new technology. In many cases, green tech is very affordable. Your business could even save money by adopting some of the following technologies. Thin-Film Solar Cells Many businesses would like to disconnect from the grid so they can… Keep reading →
Thin Film Solar Cell Industry in Transition: Knockout Phase is Over – Profitability and Vertical Integration Next
By Sven LindströmPrices of solar cells and solar panels have fallen dramatically over the last few years. This (and state subsidies) has been good for the advancement of this amazing renewable energy source, and solar energy can today be seen as an established energy source, reliable and well distributed, cost competitive with traditional non-renewable energy sources and… Keep reading →