Renewables

A new efficiency record for solar panels

To EcoGeek : ” Semprius, a startup company manufacturing tiny concentrated solar cells that forgo any cooling systems has achieved a truly amazing leap in solar cell efficiency. “ This is truly exciting as ” The company was able to hit 33.9 percent efficiency with their solar panel, the first time a commercially-viable solar technology […]

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Research on algae biofuels is booming

If traditional / first generation biofuels based on cereals are nowhere near being sustainable, the ones based on algae could be a good or even great solution in the not so far future… Some entrepreneurs and scientists are sharing this opinion as the New Mexico Business Weekly reports than at least three different companies are

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Renewables are – nearly – competitive

Oh the irony ! As you know, fossil fuels are heavily subsided. I have written a few articles here on how ending those subsidies would be a major boost to renewables. Well it seems they don’t quite need it. As Bloomberg notes : “Wind in some cases already is, or can in coming years, be

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Climate change : China faces a grim future

To Reuters quoting a local scientific report : ” Global warming threatens China’s march to prosperity by cutting crops, shrinking rivers and unleashing more droughts and floods. “ “China faces extremely grim ecological and environmental conditions under the impact of continued global warming and changes to China’s regional environment,” Given how the situation is dire

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Sustainability is the only way out

I was really thinking about if I should share the latest World Bank prospects with you. To this most venerable agency, economic growth is due to be nearly flat lining globally this year. With less money for the traditional economy, isn’t it time to embrace sustainable alternatives ? Energy efficiency and renewables are growing faster

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Germany is still adding a lot of solar PV capacity

To GreenTech Media : ” Germany installed more than 2 gigawatts of solar in the month of December alone. (…) Installations for the full year will be nearly 7 gigawatts according to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW).” The article goes further : ” According to the BSW, solar power contributes approximately three percent of the German electricity

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The triple crisis, two years on

One of my very first post in 2010 was about what I was calling the triple crisis. As I noted back then ” our economies are crumbling, our climate is warming and our energy supplies are getting scarcer. “ You would think that after two years, we would have started to do something about them.

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Hawaii could be entirely powered by geothermal

Could Hawaii be entirely powered by geothermal, just like Iceland ? To Industry Intelligence : ” Hawaii Island has geothermal potential of 500 to 700 MW, enough to easily exceed its energy demand of 90 to 185 MW “ You think this would be a  senseless move ? Think again, to the report carried out

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China unveils huge wind energy plans

Here are some great news for climate and quite bad news for America and Europe : China unveiled last week massive wind energy plans. The People’s Republic is willing to seriously expand the renewable energy industry. Indeed from the current 40 GW of capacity, it is planning to reach ” 200 GW, 400 GW and

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The international year of sustainable energy for all

Here is why cleantech will be a buzzword all throughout 2012 : the United Nations declared this year will be the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. As Catherine Banet notes on her blog : ” (the) aim is twofold: increase awareness and find solutions on access to energy (with the objective of universal

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