Orange Button Initiative To Set U.S. Solar Data Standards
The US Energy Department has announced nearly $4 million in funding for projects with a goal of setting data standards to assist the nation’s solar industry. Currently, the solar sector in the USA relies on fragmented datasets released by various state energy departments and a limited number of private organizations in relation to project origination, […]
Electric Car Maker Breaks Ground On $1 Billion Plant
When thinking of movers and shakers in the world electric cars, brands such as Tesla tend spring to mind. A company you may not have heard about also intends to be a major player. Last week, Faraday Future commenced works on a massive manufacturing facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Faraday Future plans to produce […]
India Aims To Cease Thermal Coal Imports Within Three Years
India’s Coal and Power Minister has reaffirmed that he wants to see the end of thermal coal imports into his country very soon. According to Business Today, the nation’s government has set a goal to increase state-run Coal India’s production to one billion tonnes by 2019. “Indian companies used to import a lot of thermal […]
Tasmania’s Energy Crisis Costing Big Bucks
Tasmania’s energy crisis is costing a bundle – and the some of the brunt of the financial impact may be borne by electricity customers. The crisis began in December last year after the Basslink interconnector failed. The problems have been compounded by low rainfall, impacting on hydro-electric generation. According to an ABC report, the 100+ […]
New Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cell Efficiency Record
Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell that has smashed the world record for conversion efficiency. Scientists from PolyU’s Department of Electronic and Information Engineering used the novel solar material to create a hybrid solar cell with an efficiency of 25.5 percent – the highest level ever […]
Solar Citizens : It’s Time To Shine, Mr Turnbull
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been delivered a petition from solar supporters, a certificate of mediocrity and news that his own electorate is lagging behind in solar uptake. Grass-roots group Solar Citizens delivered the postcard petition to Prime Minister Turnbull’s office, signed by more than 10,000 Australians calling on the PM for a clear vision […]
NASA Commences Solar Powered E-Sail Testing
A very different type of solar sail concept that could send spacecraft to the edge of the solar system far faster is undergoing testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The solar sails we’ve seen in the past, such as LightSail, consist of large, ultra-thin sheets propelled by the action of solar […]
ARENA Funding More Solar And Storage Projects
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced yesterday it would be providing nearly $14 million in funding for solar/storage related projects worth a total of $44.8 million. Among the projects is research and development of a low-cost, modular and expandable sodium-ion battery storage solution; which will be demonstrated at Illawarra Flame House and Sydney Water’s […]
Australia’s University Of New England Going Solar
A $6.6 million solar farm is to be constructed at Australia’s University of New England (UNE) campus just outside of Armidale in northern central New South Wales. The clean power station is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2018 and will supply up to half of the University’s electricity requirements. Vice-Chancellor Professor […]
CSIRO Takes Delivery Of Electric Vehicles
CSIRO’s Discovery Centre at Black Mountain, Canberra last week took delivery of the first two of ten electric cars, plus a couple more electric bikes – and they’ll all be powered by the sun. The latest vehicles join the 36 electric/petrol hybrid cars added to CSIRO Fleet in 2015 to replace petrol-only vehicles. “The cars […]
