Batwind : Battery Storage For Offshore Wind Power
The world’s first floating wind farm will have energy storage added after completion under a recently-inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The 35 MW Hywind Scotland wind far, located 25km from Scotland’s Aberdeenshire coast, will consist of five large floating turbines. Due for completion in 2018, it will be followed by the construction of a 1MWh […]
A Solar Panel Factory On The Moon?
As far-fetched as it may seem, space-based solar electricity production may become a reality if a California high school student’s vision of installing a self-replicating solar power factory on the moon is realised. Justin Lewis-Weber, a senior at Viewpoint School, California, believes terrestrial solar energy cannot work on a planetary scale. The sun isn’t always […]
Australia’s New Green Embassy In Jakarta Opened
The new Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, which features solar technology, was opened yesterday by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), it’s the largest embassy ever constructed by an Australian Government; incorporating a five-storey Chancery, staff accommodation, and a recreation and medical centre. The compound covers 50,000 […]
Majority Of Americans Against Nuclear Power
For the first time in its history, a Gallup poll has indicated the majority of Americans now oppose nuclear energy. The 54% against nuclear power is up significantly from 43% just 12 months ago and the 44% favoring it is down from 51%. Even soon after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, support had remained quite solid […]
South Australia Considering Solar Feed In Tariff Deregulation (Again)
The Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCoSA) is requesting feedback on the possibility of deregulating the state’s solar feed in tariff. South Australia’s retail electricity market was deregulated in in February 2013, but the retailer-paid feed-in tariff (R-FiT) remained a regulated component and is reviewed annually. Currently, owners of grid connected solar power systems […]
Better Lithium-Ion Batteries With Bread Mould?
Neurospora crassa – red bread mould – could help make better supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries say researchers at Scotland’s University of Dundee. While much research has focused on the improving the performance of electrodes by using materials such as carbon nanotubes and manganese oxides, little work has been carried out on the construction of novel […]
Doubling Renewables Could Save USD $4.2 Trillion Annually
Analysis by the the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicates a very strong economic case for doubling renewable capacity by 2030 globally. Achieving that level (around 36%) could save up to USD $4.2 trillion annually by that year – 15 times more than what it would cost. “Achieving a doubling is not only feasible, it […]
Carbon Emissions From Energy Flat Again
Energy related carbon dioxide emissions in 2015 remained flat for the second year running according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Global energy carbon dioxide emissions stood at 32.1 billion tonnes last year, essentially unchanged since 2013. The IEA states preliminary data indicates renewable energy has played an important role and accounted for approximately 90% […]
U.S. Electricity Generators Face Further Revenue Loss
Already feeling the pinch of lower demand due in part to solar power uptake and energy efficiency, conventional U.S. electricity generators could be facing an additional USD $2 billion loss of revenue starting in a few years. According to an article on Bloomberg, grid managers serving the eastern U.S. plan to reduce expenditure on electricity […]
NASA Selects ‘Game Changing’ Solar Projects
NASA’s Game Changing Development (GCD) program has selected four proposals to develop solar cell technologies that can operate in the high-radiation and low-temperature conditions of deep space. Deep space can get cold – very cold; down to -270.45 Celsius. High levels of radiation from cosmic rays, solar winds and storms can also play havoc with […]