West-facing panels help solve solar energy’s main problem
There is mounting evidence than West-facing solar panels produce more electricity during peak demand, and thus solve solar’s main problem.
Technology
Tesla unveils its solar roof technology
Tapping solar vast potential is one of our best bets to become carbon neutral by 2040. As prices keep on dropping, one of the remaining problems is the look of the panels themselves.
Carbon Capture and Storage is still nowhere to happen
A recent article in the New York Times recently outlined the massive problems of one of the key CCS project in the United States. The plant is still not online and is way over costs.
Tesla unveils its Powerwall, a revolution in the making
If you consume as little as electricity as you can and have solar panels installed, you are just one step away from being independant from coal and gas fueled utilities. This step might come sooner than expected thanks to Tesla.
Swiss company unveils white solar panels
The future will be solar powered. We have seen it time and again. But for those fearing a world full of black or blue solar panels, have no fear. If I had reported about colored solar panels in 2010, here is something new…
An efficient alternative to fluorescent tubes
Fluorescent tubes are everywhere : in offices and homes and of course, in supermarkets and factories. This ubiquitous lights are used in a staggering amount of 12 billion sockets to Philips. The company has developed an alternative based on LED technology : the InstantFit LED lamp. Up to 40 percent more efficient than traditional T8 …
Buenos Aires switches to LED lights, saves money
The capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires, have switched its 125,000 streetlights to LED. This will cut energy consumption by half and will last five times longer. With 13 million inhabitants, it is the second largest city in South America. To TreeHugger : ” That’s just one city. It’s estimated that if cities around the …
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On biomass energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)
If my Friday post got you down, this might cheer you up a little bit. After the study quoted three weeks ago, another one states that we could actually limit rising temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. But we have to act FAST. This one was carried out by the Climate Action Network and Climate …
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Nuclear saves lives, decreases emissions
While I am not advocating nuclear as much as I was doing a few years ago – the incident in Fukushima have shown how the technology can be dangerous – I am still believing that it is better than coal. (Sidenote : anything IS better than coal…) According to a study quoted by Cleantechies, ” …
Solar electricity, A/C and water. All-in-one.
To Climate Progress, Swiss researchers working with IBM ” have built a new solar dish, called the High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal system (HCPVT) that tackles the waste heat problem by using it to generate fresh water.” Yep, a solar installation that generates fresh water, thus solving two common problems faced in developing nations around the world. …
Turning urine into electricity
I recently wrote a post on how we could turn urine and feces into energy thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I also wrote about some similar efforts that are being done in Singapore. Now, according to Grist and Ecogeek, four African teenage girls created a generator that runs on pee, turning one …
Solar PV efficiency new record hit : 44%
To Treehugger : “ The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and their industry partner Solar Junction, have just set the bar even higher in the race for ultra-high-effiency PV cells by achieving another world record of 44% efficiency. “ But wait, there is more as to another article solar PV panels could soon be 50 …