Solar

Why solar cookers really matter

One of the main causes of climate change is fuelwood collection for cooking as the New York Times noted that “soot from tens of thousands of villages in developing countries is responsible for 18 percent of the planet’s warming“. Furthermore, deforestation aggravates poverty in many ways as soils deprived from their forests loose their nutrients […]

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Why renewable energies aren’t that sustainable

Even if I am an advocate of an increased use of renewable energy sources I am fully aware of their drawbacks. To me, they don’t constitute the panacea most people claim they are. After my posts on why renewables aren’t perfect solutions and the climate change mitigation paradox I would like to share with you

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February 2009 solar news

News on solar photovoltaïc are numerous as many companies and labs are working in research and development to bring to market the best PV cells possible in terms of price and of efficiency. In the meantime, more and more large projects are being launched. Indeed, California announced a 1,300 MW project near Los Angeles and

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A climate change mitigation paradox

Thanks to Meryn I came across a most interesting piece of information. According to the Spiegel (the leading German magazine) wind turbines in Europe do nothing for emissions-reduction goals. Despite the billions spent every year in wind energy, solar and similar renewable energy sources, greenhouse gases emissions haven’t decreased. What looks like a strong contradiction

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January 2009 solar news

Solar photovoltaïc (also known as PV or solar cells) is the subject of numerous researches around the world. Indeed, Earth receives so much energy from its star that the potential is simply tremendous. Accounting for less than a percent of our energy consumption, scientists around the world want to make solar an affordable energy source

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The underestimated potential of solar thermal

Solar PV seems to be everywhere in the environmental news as many companies around the world are working in this segment. Meanwhile, little is written on the amazing potential of solar thermal. This may change soon. A US company specialized in solar thermal claims that Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) could bring 90 percent of the

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Help in finding new solar technologies

If you let your computer idle while you are away or asleep, you might consider to allow Harvard and IBM to use it to do calculations for the Clean Energy Project, which is part of the World Community Grid. Due to find new ways to create more efficient solar photovoltaïc panels and later of batteries,

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UNEP highlights central role of solar

I have been for five years a huge fan of solar energies – both photovoltaïc and thermal – and I am still hoping that one day I will have the privilege to work in this booming industry. Today, the UNEP and three CEOs of this industry issued a joint statement at the current Poznan Conference

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Latest news on solar photovoltaïc energies

Solar photovoltaïc (also known as PV or solar cells) is the subject of numerous researches around the world. Indeed, Earth receives so much energy from its star that the potential is simply tremendous. Accounting for less than a percent of our energy consumption, scientists around the world want to make solar an affordable energy source

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Japan to spend $4 billion on climate change

By browsing TreeHugger and other sites, I came across a news on how Japan plans to put 4 billion USD (2.80 billion euros) in its climate change mitigation schemes. This occurs as the country see its greenhouse gases emissions increase and is far from achieving its Kyoto Protocol goals, and this even with the efforts

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