It’s a funny thing. The more you rattle the cage, the more the caged bird sings. Since I posted a link to Chet Henry’s piece on Red, Green, and Blue last week about the impressive salary pulled down by Solar Energy Industries Association President Rhone Resch, my inbox and voicemail have been inundated by messages Rattling The Cage At SEIA was originally published on CleanTechnica . To read more from...
Originally published on Gas2. The future of performance isn’t big thirsty V8 engines, but electric motors and turbodiesel motors, at least according to Volvo tuning shop Polestar. Head of Polestar Hans Baath says that electric motors perfectly compliment the lower torque of small displacement engines…and there’s no reason to look back. Polestar became famous for its Electric Motors & Diesel Engines...
Originally published on Gas2. By Steve Hanley From the mighty Tesla Model S to the lowly Nissan Leaf, the lithium-ion battery is the heart of most electric vehicles today. Lithium-ion batteries have some disadvantages, though. Critics of lithium-ion batteries (and there are many) have plenty of arguements in their corner. These batteries run hot – Ryden Organic & Recyclable Cotton Battery was...
Following reports last month of the imminent formation of a major new private equity investor, media are now saying the company, China Minsheng Investment, has formally registered and is gearing up to make its first investments. The new company certainly has the resources and connections to quickly become a major player on both the domestic and glo...
Originally published on Gas2. The Tesla Roadster helped Elon Musk get his foot into the electric vehicle world, but he wishes it had been an all-original design from the get-go. Turns out Tesla had to modify so much of the Lotus Elise body, that it would have been easier to just design it from the ground-up. Elon Musk: Tesla Roadster Would Have Been Better As An Original Design was originally published...
Originally published on Gas2. Big, bold, British luxury car maker Rolls-Royce is putting the next-generation Phantom on a strict diet and plug-in hybrid workout plan. Image is everything after all, and these days it’s in vogue to at least look like you give a damn about the planet’s environmental woes. Set to launch in three Rolls-Royce Plans To Reduce Weight Of Plug-in Hybrid Phantom was originally...
Midsummer’s CIGS solar cells have recently seen their efficiency improved to an impressive 16.2% — up from a previous high of 15% efficiency. The new, higher efficiency solar cell was manufactured in a normal production run, and the process has already been implemented into the production line. “Considering that the solar cell is made on Midsummer CIGS Solar Cells Climb To 16.2%...
Originally published on 1Sun4All. Watch the discussion between André Borschberg—CEO, Co-Founder & Pilot of Solar Impulse—and students from the MIT Aeronautics Astronautics Unified Engineering class, led by Professor Olivier de Weck. An MIT Unified Engineering & Solar Impulse Hangout On Air The topic of discussion above is the challenges of building a solar airplane, as well as...
Over $10 billion has been invested so far into renewable energy by GE’s energy investing unit, the company recently announced — making GE Energy Financial Services one of the leading investors in the industry. When taken altogether, the projects produce roughly two times the electricity consumed annually in Los Angeles — not an insignificant amount, GE Has Invested $10 Billion In...
One of the technology bottlenecks sitting between you and the affordable fuel cell electric vehicle of the future is the hydrogen storage issue, and the Energy Department has just handed out a $7 million round of grants to help leap over that hurdle. The funds are being split among six projects that attack the problem FCEV Hydrogen Storage Bottleneck Get $7 Million Solution was originally published...
Lithium-ion batteries that last 3 times longer between charges than is the current industry standard are now a reality thanks to new research from the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering. The new way of making lithium-ion batteries — which, humorously, utilizes surgical tubing and one of the key constituents of Silly Putty Silly Putty Batteries That Last 3 Times...
National utility trade association Edison Electric Institute (EEI) has admitted that its members are pushing for solar taxes. Utilities across the country are lobbying for Value of Solar Tariffs (VOSTs), which require solar homeowners to sell the solar power they generate to the utility. That sale triggers substantial taxation for the homeowners. When discussing whether Edison Electric Institute Members...
Before too long, I’m going to publish reviews of three CREE LED bulbs. But before getting to that I wanted to pass along a quick note regarding the rather big news that you can now get CREE LEDs in Home Depot for a mere $6.97. That’s for a bulb that is equivalent to a 60W incandescent Philips LED Down To $1.97 Some Places, CREE LED Down To $6.97 At Home Depot was originally published...
General Electric Co., seeking approval from France’s government for its $17 billion Alstom SA energy bid, is in early-stage talks with nuclear-plant maker Areva SA and other French companies about asset sales or partnerships, people familiar with the matter said....
Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company is planning to add more solar power, a move to limit domestic fossil-fuel consumption in the world’s biggest exporter of crude....
South Africa enjoys some of the best sunshine in the world all year round and its electricity is among the most expensive on the planet. The country’s lofty solar ambitions therefore come as little surprise: Forty-two percent of South Africa’s newly-installed energy capacity should be renewable by 2030. Its solar power generation is expected to reach 1,050 MW by 2015 in contrast with just 25 MW in...
Politics, as with almost everything else, is all about perspective. Perspective is often used as a verb to describe spatial relationships in a photograph or by an astronomer to define the size of objects in space. The word is designed to remind us that we need to be aware of the relative nature of things. Without perspective, we wouldn’t know what is large or small, heavy or light, fast or slow, expensive...
As the city of Fort Collins grows, the utilities department continues to plan and adapt for the future and announced its commitment to sustainability by partnering with Colorado-based community solar developer Clean Energy Collective (CEC) to launch the city’s first community-owned solar program. CEC will build a 333-kW commercial-grade solar PV ar...
“It’s the most inspirational work that I’m doing…this is an inspirational and aspirational effort…at the heart of it is love of place and energy democracy.” Mariel Nanasi and the citizens of Santa Fe, NM, are exploring the economic and environmental benefits of more local and locally-controlled energy production. Is their city ready to take the le...
In an effort to better understand what persuades people to buy photovoltaic (PV) systems for their homes, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are gathering data on consumer motivations that can feed sophisticated computer models and thus lead to greater use of solar energy....