Home: Renewable Energy News: April 2011

Renewable Energy News

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Friday 29 April, 2011

Totally Won By The Power Of The Sun
French oil and gas giant, Total Group, has purchased 60 percent of US solar panel manufacturer and global exporter, SunPower Corp.

New Polymer Solar Power - Thermal Device Unveiled
A new polymer-based solar-thermal device developed by the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University can generate power from both heat and visible sunlight. The concept could potentially slash the cost of home heating by as much as 40 percent.

Thursday 28 April, 2011

Gillard Talks Fossil Fuels, Reid Evangelises Renewables In China
Taking a diplomatic sojourn in China this week alongside Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was Democratic Senate House leader Harry Reid - a man who would appear to understand the importance of renewable energy to a country's economy.

Centralised Vs. Decentralised Solar Power
As the U.S. begins a major push to become the leading player in the global solar revolution, the topic of sprawling solar farms built away from communities vs. small and medium scale solar arrays utilising rooftops and smaller parcels of already developed or degraded land is becoming an increasingly important issue.

Wednesday 27 April, 2011

Solar Sail Satellite's Slow Journey Home
NASA's NanoSail-D solar-sail equipped satellite will soon begin its descent from an altitude of 640 kilometres above the Earth.

Energy Matters And Apollo Energy At Clean Energy Week 2011
Australia’s two biggest renewable energy conferences, the Clean Energy Conference and ATRAA are being held over one week and under one roof and this year; and the general public are invited to attend.

Global Renewable Energy Capacity Eclipses Nuclear Power
Even before the Fukushima nuclear crisis hammered what some hope is another nail in the nuclear power industry coffin; the sector was in decline - but renewables gained a great deal of traction.

Victoria's Solar Feed In Tariff Cap Approaches
Solar power incentives come and go - sometimes with little warning - and the latest initiative where the future seems uncertain for new systems installed from late this year is Victoria's solar feed in tariff.

Tuesday 26 April, 2011

New York To Turn Trash Into Solar Gold
The city of New York, famous for triumphing over adversity, is putting that can-do attitude to work in the latest update to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s "Greater, Greener" sustainability plan, which will see many of the city’s rubbish dumps and landfills converted into solar farms.

Solar Cell Efficiency Boosted With A Virus
Through harnessing viruses as workers, MIT researchers have developed a method of improving the conversion efficiency of solar cells.

Monday 25 April, 2011

US DOE Announces More Funding For Renewable Energy Innovations
Last week, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced funding of USD$130 million for new program areas focusing on clean fuels, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Friday 22 April, 2011

Home Solar Power Systems Boost House Value
A study of the real estate market in California has found homes with rooftop solar arrays achieved better sale prices than non-solar houses.

Renewable Energy Assessment For Western Australia
The Australian Government has announced work is about to commence on a detailed assessment of the renewable energy potential of the Mid-West and Pilbara regions of Western Australia.

Thursday 21 April, 2011

Safety Of Cadmium Based Solar Panels Questioned Again
The debate over the toxic potential of thin film solar panels based on cadmium compounds has been reignited.

Major AU/China Solar And Wind Power JV Announced
In an important milestone for Australia’s renewable energy sector, Sydney-based renewable energy CBD Energy today formally released details of a $6 billion deal to develop solar and wind energy projects throughout Australia over the next eight years.

Wednesday 20 April, 2011

Energy Matters Launches Coal Consumption And Carbon Emissions Counter
Australian solar power solutions provider Energy Matters has unveiled a web-based counter that updates the amount of coal burned globally for electricity generation every tenth of a second, along with the carbon emissions created. The company is offering the counter application free to web site owners and bloggers.

Tasmania's New Solar Incentive For Business
The Tasmanian government announced a $30-million Renewable Energy Loan Scheme last week to help businesses make better use of renewable energy sources, including solar power systems.

Boeing Powers 787 Dreamliner Factory With Solar
Boeing have announced their 787 Dreamliner will be the greenest jet in the skies once completed models begin rolling out of the company’s new manufacturing facility in South Carolina, which will draw 100 percent of its power from renewable energy sources.

Google And Facebook's Latest Renewable Energy Forays
Google has announced yet another major wind power investment and Facebook is dipping its toes into solar power.

Energy Matters Video News - Episode 30 - April 20, 2011
In this episode, Virginia covers NSW electricity price hikes, a huge injection of funding for a solar power system at Kogan Creek, Schott Solar's school initiative and Energy Matters' coal and carbon emissions counter.

Tuesday 19 April, 2011

Embedded Electricity Generation Can Reduce Energy Costs
A recent report by the Energy Networks Association says embedded generation (EG) technologies such as smaller wind energy and solar power systems can significantly increase their share in Australia's energy mix in the near term and that will decrease the need for additional centralised generation; and in turn, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Bosch Solar Energy's Record Breaking Solar Cell
Bosch Solar Energy has unveiled a record-breaking large-format solar cell, which delivers an impressive 19.6 percent energy conversion rate.

Monday 18 April, 2011

Printed Battery Technology Unveiled
Using a technology similar to printing solar cells, Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has developed a process to "print" batteries with far more energy storage capacity than lithium ion batteries.

More Bad News For NSW Electricity Customers
Late last week, New South Wales' Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) released the proposed maximum increases retailers will be able to charge residential and small business customers on regulated electricity prices from July 1, 2011.

Friday 15 April, 2011

Energy Matters Video News - Episode 29 - April 15, 2011
In this episode, Virginia covers legislation to boost South Australia's solar feed in tariff, demand for fossil fuels outstripping clean energy deployment, rumours of a further reduction to the Solar Credits rebate and the viral effect of solar power.

Solar Electricity Through The Magnetic Effect Of Light
Scientists from the University of Michigan have found a new way to capture solar energy without using solar panels and inadvertently discovered a new law of physical motion that has been overlooked for 100 years in the process.

Renewable Energy And Land Use
While renewable energy holds the answers to reducing electricity production related greenhouse gas emissions, a sometimes contentious issue is the space major installations occupy.

Thursday 14 April, 2011

UK Misses Renewable Energy Target
The UK has missed its 2010 renewable energy target by a large margin, according to a report by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF).

$35 Million Government Funding For Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday announced funding to help build a major solar energy system at the 750 megawatt Kogan Creek coal-fired power station near Chinchilla in Queensland.

SunPower Shines On With Major Solar Initiatives
It's been a huge few days for solar panel manufacturer, SunPower Corporation - with an announcement of over USD$1 billion in conditional loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Energy and the opening of new solar panel manufacturing facility in California.

Wednesday 13 April, 2011

Energy Matters Video News - Episode 28 - April 13, 2011
In this episode, Virginia covers the ACT's solar feed in tariff to remain unchanged, Professor Ross Garnaut states renewable energy not the major culprit in electricity price rises, the radioactive nature of coal and IKEA's solar power efforts.

Germany To Accelerate Shift From Nuclear Power To Renewable Energy
Japan's Fukushima nuclear crisis, now designated a level 7 incident - on par with Chernobyl, has spurred Germany on to draft plans to speed up the shift from nuclear power to renewable energy and increased energy efficiency.

California Legislates 33% Renewable Energy By 2020
California yesterday signed into law a requirement that its electricity suppliers must purchase at least 33 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2020.

Some Natural Gas Not So Green?
Natural gas extraction in Australia using hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is generating increasing concern.

Tuesday 12 April, 2011

Sydney Households Face Major Electricity Price Rise Shock
From July this year, close to half of Sydney households can expect to pay more than $170 and as much as $270 extra for electricity annually.

Google Announces Another Major Solar Power Investment
Hard on the heels of Google's recent multi-million dollar investment in a German solar farm, the company has announced it is sinking a massive USD$168 million into a solar power tower in the USA.

SEIA President Lauds U.S. Solar Industry
Last week the president of America’s Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), Rhone Resch, used a speech at a solar energy conference to congratulate the sector on its tremendous growth in 2010 and to highlight the solar industry’s importance to the US bottom line.

Monday 11 April, 2011

Australia's Solar Credits Rebate To Be Slashed Further?
Australia's popular Solar Credits rebate is already facing an early reduction, with possibly another to follow says a report in a major newspaper.

Schott's Solar In A Suitcase For Schools
A program launched by Schott Solar makes solar energy available in German classrooms in the form of solar suitcases, experimental kits that allow school kids to carry out practical experiments with solar power.

Google Buys A Stake In German Solar Farm
Search engine giant Google has further boosted its green street-cred with a major investment in a solar farm in Brandenburg, Germany.

Friday 08 April, 2011

South Australia's Solar Feed In Tariff Changes Legislation Tabled
There's good news and bad news for solar supporters in South Australia. Legislation has finally been tabled that, if passed, will see the feed in tariff rate increase to a very generous 54c per kilowatt hour, plus an additional amount from electricity retailers. The bad news is the scheme will close to new connections later this year.

IEA : Enough With The Fossil Fuel Subsidies Already
While clean-energy technology has moved ahead in leaps and bounds, it's still being overshadowed by continued demand for fossil fuels; partly due to subsidies says the International Energy Agency.

GE To Construct USA's Largest Solar Panel Plant
GE Energy has announced it will build America’s largest solar manufacturing plant, which will produce the company’s new high-efficiency thin film solar panel.

Thursday 07 April, 2011

SunShot Slings Solar Cash At US PV Sector
Lessons learned in the 1980s are being applied to the US solar manufacturing sector as part of a USD$112 million funding boost for the industry.

Energy Matters CEO To Speak At AuSES Solar Seminar in Melbourne
Energy Matters' CEO Jeremy Rich will be speaking at the Australian Solar Energy Society Solar Seminar in Melbourne tomorrow (Friday, April 8); addressing the issues and myths surrounding solar power vs. coal fired electricity generation.

Victoria Lagging On Renewable Energy Target
The Victorian Auditor General's Office has released an audit report stating the state is falling short of its renewable energy targets and while several external factors have played a role, performance has been undermined by poor planning.

Wednesday 06 April, 2011

Australia's Home Solar Power Revolution And The Viral Effect
Households installing solar power systems now are likely playing a bigger role in the Australian renewable energy revolution than they may realise.

Fraunhofer Consortium Developing Giant Solar Battery
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany are working on redox flow batteries - energy storage solutions that could hold the key to further the uptake of wind and solar power, with each battery able to provide electricity for up to 2,000 households.

Clean Energy Stocks Boom In First Quarter
Preliminary investment figures from global research firm Cleantech Group show clean energy stocks continue to boom in China, Europe, North America and India, totalling $2.57 billion across just 159 companies.

Tuesday 05 April, 2011

Sydney's Solar Powered Town Hall Wins Heritage Award
The $40 million internal restoration of Sydney’ Town Hall, the largest overhaul of the building since the 1930's, has won a prestigious National Trust Heritage Award.

IEA : Smart Grid Vital To Clean Energy Future
The latest study by the International Energy Agency (IEA) into the use of smart grids has found that current global trends in the supply and use of energy are becoming increasingly untenable and the world needs to rethink the way it can achieve a more sustainable energy future.

ACT Solar Power Feed In Tariff Rate To Stay Unchanged
The ACT solar feed-in tariff scheme payment rates will remain unchanged said the Territory's Minister for Energy, Simon Corbell, in Canberra last Friday.

Monday 04 April, 2011

Garnaut - Renewable Energy Not The Electricity Price Rise Culprit
A recent update paper from the Australian Government's climate change advisor, Professor Ross Garnaut, has confirmed that renewable energy is not the major culprit in electricity price rises and acknowledges its increasingly important role in distributed generation.

Wind Power Spain's Major Electricity Source In March
While countries like Australia still rely on emissions intensive coal for the majority of power generation, Spain is showing the rest of the world it is possible to drastically reduce the use of the filthy fossil fuel through the use of renewable energy sources.

Friday 01 April, 2011

Coal Ash - The Other Radioactive Waste
Nuclear power reactors aren't the only source of radioactive waste. The ash left behind from burning coal is radioactive also.

DoE To Fund Next Top Energy Company
US Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced the Department of Energy (DOE) will open the books on thousands of patents filed away inside 17 state-run laboratories in an effort to find "America's Next Top Energy Innovator."

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