Should your mortgage cover solar panels and battery storage too?
A start-up mortgage broker is pushing for major lenders to bundle home loans with finance for solar panel and battery storage installation. Digital mortgage service Uno Home Loans told Energy Matters the move would boost property values. CEO Vincent Turner said currently banks see solar and batteries as distinct from home buying. “There’s nothing stopping [home […]
Audi’s next-gen EVs to feature solar roofs
Audi has confirmed it is working with Hanergy subsidiary Alta Devices to incorporate solar roofs into its new electric vehicles (EVs). The partners hope to generate solar energy to increase the range of Audi E-Tron EV models. The solar roofs will use Alta Devices’ high-efficiency thin-film solar cells embedded into a section of panoramic glass. […]
Global solar energy capacity set to beat nuclear in near future
Global solar energy capacity is on the rise, and is fast catching up to nuclear, according to a report by Green Tech Media (GTM). GTM’s research indicates nuclear is still slightly in front at 391.5 gigawatts (GW), compared with solar power’s expected 390GW capacity for 2017. However, solar power capacity is expected to reach 871GW […]
Huge Qld solar power farm to boost local economy
Queensland’s Western Downs Council has approved the development of a new 250-megawatt (MW) solar farm, 25 km from the town of Wandoan. This is the council’s eighth solar power farm approval. Delgar solar farm, a Shell Australia project, is expected to initially generate hundreds of jobs in the region. It’s also anticipated the project will deliver […]
New solar forecasting tool boosts energy efficiency
A breakthrough solar forecasting service developed in the UK looks set to boost efficiency and reduce energy costs. The innovative technology can predict energy generation from solar PV systems up to 72 hours ahead. The tool was developed by Solar Sheffield, the research arm of the UK’s University of Sheffield. Sheffield Solar has worked closely with […]
Farmers driving uptake of clean energy finance: CBA
Increasing numbers of farmers are accessing low-cost clean energy finance to buy more energy efficient equipment. The Commonwealth Bank has partnered with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to provide discounted loans to farmers and agribusinesses. Demand for special loans for energy efficient equipment is increasing, according to research by the Commonwealth Bank. Rising power […]
Bipartisan push for Renewable Energy Target: CEC
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) is urging bipartisan support for a renewable energy target in Australia. An email campaign launched by the renewable energy organisation supports a Clean Energy Target (CET). This is essential to drive new investment in electricity generation, the CEC claims. Despite the Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel’s advice to adopt a […]
Study reveals health benefits of solar and wind power
Since 2007, solar and wind power have prevented the premature deaths of up to 12,700 people in the US. That’s according to a study into the health benefits of renewables on the American energy sector, published in Nature Energy. Solar and wind power provide air quality and climate benefits by reducing the need to generate […]
Solar cell building blocks that power up your home
A new, glass building block containing solar cells generates electricity while allowing daylight in. The block, called ‘Solar Squared’, contains solar cells and looks similar to existing glass building blocks. Developed at the University of Exeter in the UK, the Solar Squared block is part of a new area of tech called Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). […]
Solar cell technology: When green energy really is green
We may soon be able to install solar panels from a broad palette of colours, thanks to new nanotechnology. A study published this week in Applied Physics Letters brings us one step closer to a future of custom-colour solar panels. Researchers have discovered how to imprint existing solar panels with silicon nanopatterns that scatter green light at […]
