To GreenTech Media : ” SunPower just announced their newest solar panels with total area efficiencies of more than 20 percent. The 96-cell solar panels use SunPower’s 22.4 percent efficient cells .” To Ecogeek : ” Researchers at Empa (the Swiss national research laboratory) have achieved a new record in thin-film solar cell efficiency. (…) […]
Solar PV gets even more efficient and cheaper Read More »
Further to the decision Germany took on Monday about nuclear energy, I wrote an opinion piece for Cleantechies. I hope you will like and share it. As you can imagine, I am not really approving. Here it goes : ” You may surely know it by now : Germany decided to phase out completely all
My opinion about the German decision on nuclear Read More »
After the quite depressing news from the International Energy Agency yesterday, here is something that might cheer you up. If proven true, this could literally change everything. According to Bloomberg : ” Solar power may be cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels and nuclear reactors within three to five years because of innovations, said
GE : Solar cheaper than fossil fuels by 2016 Read More »
To the IEA : ” CO2 emissions reach a record high in 2010; 80% of projected 2020 emissions from the power sector are already locked in. Energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history. ” ” After a dip in 2009 caused by the global financial crisis, emissions are estimated to have
IEA: Chances to limit rising temps “bleaker” Read More »
To the New York Times : ” Hydropower, a renewable energy source often overshadowed by excitement about wind and solar power, is enjoying something of a global resurgence.” ” Huge, controversial dam projects have recently made headlines in Brazil, Chile and Laos. Many developing countries, hungry for energy to supply their growing economies (…) are
Hydropower strikes back, with a controversy Read More »
This week was published another new landmark report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This one is focusing on renewable energies as no less than 164 scenario where studied. You may have read it, one of them notes that energy sources like solar, wind and biomass could answer up to 77 % of
IPCC : Renewables could answer 77% of our needs Read More »
To Reuters : ” French energy major Total SA’s landmark $1.37 billion (note : one billion euro) offer for a majority stake in U.S. company SunPower Corp gave fresh impetus to hopes of more deals, lifting global solar stocks. ” ” Total’s move is one of the biggest ever by an oil and gas giant
Total to invest one billion euro in SunPower Read More »
In French, we have an expression, ” la fuite en avant “ which can be explained this way : “A fuite en avant is something one does when one is in a losing situation, and one hopes to salvage it by doing more of the same or worse.” Not that I want to delve into
Oil : the headlong rush Read More »
It seems that April is a bad month for the environment. Last week I was writing about the BP oil spill and now I am writing about what took place in Ukraine. The worst nuclear accident ever indeed took place on April 26th, 1986. This was the occasion for Ban Ki Moon – the secretary
Another anniversary : 25 years after Chernobyl Read More »
To CleanTechies : ” Worldwide installed wind capacity grew by 38.3 GW in 2010, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. That’s an increase of 24% in global wind capacity “. This is as much as what was installed in 2009. China alone installed nearly half of it alone with 18.9 GW. The United States
Global wind capacity grew 24 percent in 2010 Read More »
