In Germany, PV Panels Often Come With a Battery. Stefan Paris is a 55-year-old radiologist living in Berlin’s outer suburbs.
He, his partner, and their three-year-old daughter share a snug, two-story house with a pool. The Parises, who are expecting a second child, are neither wealthy nor environmental firebrands. Yet the couple opted to spend $36,000 for a home solar system consisting of 26 solar panels, freshly installed on the roof this month, and a smart battery — about the size of a small refrigerator — parked in the cellar. On sunny days, the photovoltaic panels supply all of the Paris household’s electricity needs and charge their hybrid car’s electric battery, too. Once these basics are covered, the rooftop-generated power feeds into the stationary battery until it’s full — primed for nighttime energy demand and cloudy days.
“They convinced me it would pay off in ten years,” explains Paris, referring to Enerix, a Bavaria-based retailer offering solar systems and installation services. The Energy Storage Association, a U.S. 6 solar roads shaking up infrastructure around the world. Roads aren’t just for walking or driving anymore.
Solar road or pathway projects around the world are showing that streets can both provide firm footing and generate clean energy. Inhabitat rounded up six projects in places as diverse as China and rural Georgia to highlight potentially game-changing technologies in the solar road sphere. Solar PV and wind are on track to replace all coal, oil and gas within two decades. Solar photovoltaic and wind power are rapidly getting cheaper and more abundant – so much so that they are on track to entirely supplant fossil fuels worldwide within two decades, with the time frame depending mostly on politics.
The protestation from some politicians that we need to build new coal stations sounds rather quaint. The reality is that the rising tide of solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy offers our only realistic chance of avoiding dangerous climate change. Uk.businessinsider. The floating solar power station in Anhui province, China.
Sungrow The Chinese province of Anhui built a massive floating solar farm on top of an abandoned coal mine. An even larger floating solar plant will come online by May 2018. Due to rising concerns surrounding air pollution-related deaths, China is trying to invest more heavily in renewable energy projects. Solar Energy Prices Continue to Plunge While Coal Prices Climb Higher. In Brief Costs for solar power and other forms of renewable energy continue to dip.
Falling prices can be attributed to more efficient technology and auction practices, which ensure the lowest-possible price for building. Paper-thin printed solar cells could provide power for 1.3 billion people. The cost of solar power has declined dramatically over the past few decades, from $40 per watt in 1977 to $0.74 per watt in 2013.
This trend is expected to accelerate as improvements in efficiency and new technologies come online. This is good news for citizens of developed countries who want to make the switch to a cleaner and increasingly cheaper energy source. The shift to solar may be most dramatic for those living in developing countries. Thanks to inexpensive printed solar cells, 1.3 billion people currently without electricity may be able to plug in for the first time. Paper-thin solar cells require only an industrial printer to manufacture and are inexpensive to produce. Related: Maasai women are the new solar warriors of Africa However, the mass production and distribution of printed solar cells is not without its obstacles.
Via SciDevNet. Solar greenhouses generate electricity and grow crops at the same time, UC Santa Cruz study reveals. The first crops of tomatoes and cucumbers grown inside electricity-generating solar greenhouses were as healthy as those raised in conventional greenhouses, signaling that "smart" greenhouses hold great promise for dual-use farming and renewable electricity production.
"We have demonstrated that 'smart greenhouses' can capture solar energy for electricity without reducing plant growth, which is pretty exciting," said Michael Loik, professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and lead author on a paper that appears in the current issue of the American Geophysical Union's journal Earth's Future. Electricity-generating solar greenhouses utilize Wavelength-Selective Photovoltaic Systems (WSPVs), a novel technology that generates electricity more efficiently and at less cost than traditional photovoltaic systems. "Eighty percent of the plants weren’t affected, while 20 percent actually grew better under the magenta windows," said Loik.
Experimenting with a new technology: PowerWall. Over the years I’ve enjoyed experimenting with new technologies as they appear.
Which is appropriate for a futurist. This week we started another such pilot, and I wanted to blog about it. We now have a Tesla PowerWall installed in our house. Main unit on center-left. Why Tesla’s new solar roof tiles and home battery are such a big deal. On October 28, Tesla unveiled its new solar roof tiles.
Few of us in attendance, if any, realized the solar roofing tiles were actual functional solar panels until Elon Musk said so. Sure, it’s a neat trick, but what’s the big deal? Why does it matter that Tesla is making a fashion statement when the point is green power and a future where we aren’t so dependent on fossil fuels? Solar panels surpass coal-fired electricity in previously ‘unthinkable’ feat. Solar panels generated more electricity than coal in the past six months in a historic year for getting energy from the sun in the UK, according to a new analysis.
Research by the Carbon Brief website found that solar generated nearly 7,000 gigawatt hours of electricity between April and September, about 10 per cent more than the 6,300GwH produced by coal during the same period. The figures represent a dramatic turnaround in the UK’s electricity supplies. Climate change: It's "game over" for planet earth The first ever day when solar produced more than coal was only on 9 April – when there was no coal-fired electricity for the first time since 1882.
But then May became the first ever month when this happened. Solar capacity nearly doubled in 2015, but has been hit hard by cuts to Government support, which is currently needed to persuade investors to build any kind of power generation, including fossil fuels. You do not have access to view this Atom. The trend is unlikely to continue. National laboratory scales up quantum-dot solar windows that can power entire buildings. Imagine a future where a building’s energy comes from its windows. Many scientists have worked towards that future in the lab, but now five scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated solar window technology can indeed be scaled up.
Instead of palm-sized models, they created solar windows large enough to power entire buildings. One of America's most famous highways is about to become an awesome science experiment. There's a highway in America that's so famous, it has its own rock song which goes like this: "Well if you ever plan to motor West, just take my way, that’s the highway, that’s the best…” (That's the Chuck Berry version, obviously.) Image by Vincente Villamon/Flickr Designated in 1926, Route 66 traversed almost 2,500 miles, starting in Chicago, Illinois, and ending in Santa Monica, California.
It was the most direct path for many folks traveling west during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. Tesla Merges With SolarCity, Announces Plan To Build Solar Roofs. Houses of the future may be outfitted with solar roofs - rather than solar panels - which seamlessly integrate with Tesla technology. Credit: electrek.co Approximately 5 million roofs are constructed each year in the United States, which is why Tesla Motors is merging with SolarCity to bring something new to the market. Rather than sell solar panels that can be placed on someone’s roof, the visionaries behind both companies seek to develop entire roofs made of solar which will seamlessly integrate with Tesla’s home battery storage technology.
This will allow homeowners to effortlessly use solar power even at night. BusinessInsider reports that during a second quarter earnings conference call for SolarCity, the chairman of SolarCity and Elon Musk introduced the revolutionary concept: Tesla is Buying SolarCity, And It's Costing Them $2.6 Billion. In Brief A major deal involving Tesla Motors and SolarCity has just been finalized. The two companies are set to become one, and it is going to cost $2.6 billion. Automaker Tesla has just announced that they have finalized their merger with rooftop solar installer SolarCity. The price tag? How Blockchain Helps Brooklyn Dwellers Use Neighbors' Solar Energy : All Tech Considered.
Eric Frumin (right) stands in front of his solar panels on the roof of his Brooklyn home alongside architect David Cunningham (left) and AeonSolar's Allen Frishman (center). Courtesy of Eric Frumin hide caption toggle caption Courtesy of Eric Frumin Eric Frumin (right) stands in front of his solar panels on the roof of his Brooklyn home alongside architect David Cunningham (left) and AeonSolar's Allen Frishman (center). Solar plane makes history after completing round-the-world trip. Gizmodo. Cheapest power in 2030: solar PV. Solar sets British record for May, producing more electricity than coal. Solar Panels Could Be Twice As Efficient With New Tech Breakthrough.
University of New South Wales hits record 34.5% normal sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency which beat the old 24% record. Australian engineers have edged closer to the theoretical limits of sunlight-to-electricity conversion by photovoltaic cells with a device that sets a new world efficiency record. A new solar cell configuration developed by engineers at the University of New South Wales has pushed sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency to 34.5% – establishing a new world record for unfocused sunlight and nudging closer to the theoretical limits for such a device. The record was set by Dr Mark Keevers and Professor Martin Green, Senior Research Fellow and Director, respectively, of UNSW’s Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, using a 28-cm2 four-junction mini-module – embedded in a prism – that extracts the maximum energy from sunlight.
It does this by splitting the incoming rays into four bands, using a hybrid four-junction receiver to squeeze even more electricity from each beam of sunlight. US solar firm SunEdison files for bankruptcy protection. Dubai Makes a Strong Push for Clean Energy, Will Make Solar Power Mandatory by 2030. In Brief Dubai announces commendable initiatives focusing on the use of clean and renewable energy for 2030. Solar Power Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid recently unveiled Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050, and there is a notable renewable energy target: Mandatory use of rooftop solar power by 2030.
“Through this strategy, which is based on innovation, research and development, we aim to explore the future of the energy sector to unveil initiatives that will make use of the scientific and technological developments in this sector and take the lead in their development and application,” said Shaikh Mohammad in a release. Solar power from hydrogen filled balloons could gather cloudless solar power and provide hydrogen fuel cell power at night. Uk.businessinsider. Apple's first Singapore store will be powered entirely by renewable energy.
Will Solar Energy Plummet if the Investment Tax Credit Fades Away? What’s going to happen when a huge incentive to invest in solar power shrinks or vanishes? At the end of next year, the 30% investment tax credit for solar and other renewable power is set to expire for residential systems and plunge to 10% for commercial installations. Boosters are calling for Congress to extend the credit in its current form. The tax-credit crunch is looming at a time when solar is on the rise. Solar installations increased 30% last year, thanks partly to cheaper photovoltaic panels. Solar proponents note that the solar industry employs more than twice as many U.S. workers as coal mining and has added jobs 20 times faster than the rest of the economy. Many supporters say the abrupt end date of the 30% credit represents a “cliff” for the industry. Others, however, argue that the cliff isn’t as steep as it appears, and that solar will continue to grow even without the 30% credit—albeit not as quickly as before.
YES: The Industry Will Need Many Years to Recover. The sun is setting on solar, but there’s still time to scoop the feed-in tariffs.
Leading solar entrepreneur to put business into liquidation. PSEG Completes Construction of Waldorf Solar Energy Center. Solar Overtakes Wind As Australia’s Number One Renewable Energy. This glass sphere might revolutionize solar power on Earth. Blowing Up The Off-Grid Solar & Cleantech Market. The World's Largest Solar Plant Started Creating Electricity Today. Conventional fuels from concentrated sunlight. The perovskite lightbulb moment for solar power. Photovoltaic Solar-panel Windows Could Be Next For Your House. "Green" Jet Fuel From Sunlight Developed. New Solar Farm Produces Enough Electricity for 140,000 Homes. If You Need Any Convincing That Solar Roadways Are The Future, This Video Will Help. It's official: Everybody loves the idea of roads that generate solar power.
World first: Australian solar plant has generated “supercritical” steam that rivals fossil fuels’ How Much Room Do We Need To Supply The Entire World With Solar Electricity? Barclays Downgrades Electric Utility Bonds, Sees Viable Solar Competition - Income Investing. Zambia Set To Adopt Feed-in Tariffs For Renewable Energy. California Approves Distributed Energy Resource Providers To Aggregate Renewable Energy Generation - Renewable Energy World. Elon Musk to Build a Solar Power Super-Factory in New York. Scientists Create Transparent Solar Concentrator. How solar can become the world’s largest source of electricity.
New Solar Cells Use Perovskite to Turn Water into Energy. Batteries Included: A Solar Cell that Stores its Own Power. The Netherlands Gets The World's First Solar-Powered Bike Lane. How Solar Power Could Slay the Fossil Fuel Empire by 2030. U.S. Solar Installations Soar in Q3; Total Capacity Hits 17.5 GW. Margot Krasojevic's Fresnel Hydrofoil Trimaran is a solar-powered perpetual-motion vehicle. Is the solar panel & battery combo ready to change energy markets? Apple's Biggest Project Ever Is A $850m Solar Farm. Minnesota Group Works To Help Low-Income Families Go Solar. Tesla's New Battery Could Solve One of Solar Power's Biggest Problems. Efficiency record for black silicon solar cells jumps to 22.1% Breakthrough in solar cell research results in patent. This New Coating Makes Solar Panels Super-Powered.
How Cheap Can Solar Get? Very Cheap Indeed. India reveals world’s first 100 percent solar-powered airport. Revolutionary new solar windows can generate 50 times more energy than conventional photovoltaics. South African team may have solved solar puzzle even Google couldn't crack. Supramolecular nanofibers could create super efficient solar energy. Lightweight solar cells track the sun, providing 40 percent more energy than fixed cells. Tesla Is Betting on Solar, Not Just Batteries.