Category Archives: Energy Boom
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The $10 LED Lightbulb
Of course, there never really was a “war on lightbulbs,” nor was there ever any ban on incandescents… but there was, certainly, a lot of hype about what a weak substitute Compact Fluorescent bulbs are for good old fashioned, energy-sucking Incandescent bulbs. Finally, it seems a viable and likable alternative has emerged: affordable and attractive [...]
Should Utility Companies Fear Micro-Generation?
Utility companies, that’s who. David Roberts over at Grist has just posted a fantastic series stemming from a report by the Edison Electronic Institute’s that outlines how the success of small-scale renewables could make utility companies, as we know them, obsolete. Roberts doesn’t skimp on details about how utilities operate or why the Edison Institute’s [...]
Shams 1 Power Plant Ready for Primetime
The launch of the Shams 1 power plant is big news in clean energy, and a major hallmark on the Middle East’s path towards energy diversification. Electricity from the power plant is competitively sold at market price to the grid, and is projected to reduce CO2 emissions 175,000 tons/year – the equivalent to planting 1.5 [...]
REPORT: Canadian Cleantech Companies Only 1% of $1 Trillion Global Industry
A new report released by the Pembina Institute says that despite a “go slow” approach to clean-energy development, Canada remains relatively competitive globally, but risks falling behind. The report, “Competing in Clean Energy” highlights the findings of previous studies, but also included information gathered by interviews with leading entrepreneurs and academics across Canada. The “go [...]
Solar Cell Efficiency and the “Black Hole for Light”
Researchers at Princeton University led by electrical engineer Stephen Chou, have developed what is being called a “nanostructure sandwich” to trap light and improve the efficiency of organic solar cells by 175%. A layer of metal mesh 30 nanometers thick (A nanometer is about one hundred-thousandth the width of human hair) is placed on top [...]
India’s Huge Solar Plan: Part II
The Indian government’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has released a draft of its policy for Phase II of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). First inaugurated in 2010, the mission is a key component of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims to create conditions to drive down the cost [...]
Uttar Pradesh: The Solar Silicon Valley of India
Much attention has been paid to the distributed clean energy revolution brewing in Bihar. But for all the hype generated by Minister Kumar, what’s happening next door in Uttar Pradesh may be even more exciting. The state is quickly becoming a hotbed for distributed solar activity. Two companies OMC, and Mera Gao, are leading the [...]
Scotland’s “Renewables Revolution”
After surpassing earlier targets for renewable energy production, the Scottish government has declared its intention to move “faster and further” to become a green energy powerhouse. Last week, First Minister Alex Salmond announced the plan to generate the equivalent of 100% of the country’s energy needs with renewables by 2020. Salmond says this goal will [...]
India’s Solar Revolution
A while back I wrote a post on the need to get India’s solar boom right solar boom right. I wrote it because it was obvious that solar energy was primed to take off in India and it was clear there were two paths the country could take – distribute that boom to benefit the [...]
Obama’s International Clean Energy Strategy
The best way to understand the Obama administration’s support for clean energy internationally is to understand the tale of two agencies: The US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and The U.S. Export Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank). The administration’s biggest success story comes from one of its smallest agencies, OPIC, which under the leadership of Elizabeth [...]
WOW: GM Loses $50K on Every Volt Produced
Despite selling a record number of Chevy Volts in August, General Motors is losing money on its plug-in electric hybrid, and a lot of money at that. Industry analysts estimate GM is losing as much as $49,000 on every Volt it produces. This number could be even higher with cheap leases now being offered for [...]
The Worst Energy Related Disasters of 2011
Feeding the globe’s insatiable energy appetite is a highly dangerous business. And, unfortunately, events like the BP oil spill are not once-in-a-generation freak accidents. Here, we take a look at the biggest energy-related accidents in 2011. Note: I’ve ranked the disasters in terms of importance. If you disagree with my rankings, or have other events [...]