Doubling Down on Crystal: New PV Technology Boasts 20.3% Efficiency
Perovskites have stolen center stage in the realm of photovoltaic technology and research, praised for their ability to bump up the efficiency of a typical solar array and for their relative affordability to traditional silicon materials. There has been much exploration-- and promising results-- of layering a thin sheet of the crystal atop a standard silicon cell in a solar panel. Yet many are deterred by the materials compromise in durability and stability, thus limiting its potential to be used in various formats.
More Than Half of 2015's New Electricity Capacity World-wide Derived from Clean Sources
According to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), more than half of all new electricity generation capacity 153 Gigawatt (GW) created last year was derived from renewable sources. The increase, a 15% uptick since 2014, is comprised predominantly of solar and wind power.
Residential market leader to Foray into Building Integrated Photovoltaics
Renewable energy technology pioneer Elon Musk may have a new endeavor on the horizon for his newly acquired solar company, SolarCity.
UK Solar Rises Above Coal for Over Half a Year
Though shadowed by a reputation of haze and gloomy clouds, the United Kingdom and its renewable sector received some bright news recently.
Powering the Future: Renewable Energy-Supporting Corporate Cooperative Continues to Grow
The opening of this years Climate Week NYC was punctuated by the arrival of the latest wave of participants in a growing trend: Bank of America, General Motors, Wells Fargo & Co, VF Corp, and Apple joined The Climate Groups RE100, an international coalition of corporations committed to adopting 100% renewable electricity.
Has the Time Come for a Price on Carbon?
In an article written for the Wall Street Journal, global energy policy expert Amy Myers Jaffe argues that the US may soon put a price on pollution. Though it seems that pollution valuation and quantification are indubitably important in our collective battle against climate change, the idea of putting a number and price on carbon, the largest culprit, has been met with protest. The propelling factors, Jaffe writes, are preexistent valuation of carbon, technological advancements in viable alternatives, and international developments such as Chinas own development of a carbon-pricing plan and the UNs recent COP 21 in Paris. Unlike former iterations of the policy, she believes that upcoming carbon valuation plans will have the perfect storm of conditions to bolster their chances of getting passed-- the right policy, at the right time.
