A climate scientist looks at what works and some popular ideas that aren’t as cheap or effective as people hope.
Articles on Solar
Displaying 61 - 80 of 140 articles
Only 13% of US solar industry jobs are currently in manufacturing. The Biden administration hopes the sector will grow fast, but that might not be so simple.
The largest category of power plants applying to connect to the US grid are now solar, and over a third of those are hybrids that include battery storage.
The tariffs targeting cheap Chinese imports mean prices in the US are higher than average, at the same time Biden is pushing for more renewable energy. But their effect might surprise you.
Covering the state’s canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation of precious water and help meet renewable energy goals – all while saving money.
Renewable energy is expanding at a record pace, but still not fast enough. Here are the key areas to watch for progress in bringing more wind and solar into the power grid in 2022.
Halving Australia’s 2030 target would see Australia become a valued and relevant party to negotiations at Glasgow, rather than a resented freeloader. Here’s how we could get there.
Electric vehicles are poised to take over our roads: so how do we make sure this change doesn’t exacerbate social and energy inequality?
The temperature of the Sun’s surface is about 6,000°C. But higher above the surface, in the atmosphere, it suddenly shoots up to more than a million degrees!
The process of manufacturing gallium-doped solar panels was under a patent until last year. It’s only now that this method has started to pick up steam.
Keeping global warming under 1.5°C is still achievable with rapid deployment of renewables. A new report found solar and wind can supply the world’s energy demand more than 50 times over.
How much energy does the internet use, and - given recent technological advances - could it ever run on renewable energy alone?
None of Australia’s highest-emitting energy firms are fully or even closely aligned with global climate goals. Just one goes even partway, and five appeared to be taking no action at all.
Scientists are working on ways to make lots of energy by converting matter into energy. The trick is keeping the process under control. One possibility is nuclear fusion – the Sun’s power source.
Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and their neighbours could deploy large-scale solar and wind farms, connected by a regionally integrated power grid.
A mix of wind, solar photovoltaics, and some natural gas would be more cost-effective than Inga 3 for South Africa and the DRC.
Some coal workers have the right skills and work in the right location to get a job in renewables. But many, such as semi-skilled machine operators, cannot.
Increased business lobbying for incentives and mandates may tip the balance in favor of a cleaner US energy policy.
Renewables technology already exists, it’s getting cheaper and we will never go to war over sunshine. If you need to be convinced of the potential of wind and solar, read this.
How indoor solar cells could help power the Internet of Things.
Top contributors
-
Professor of Engineering, Australian National University
-
John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation and Professor, Western University
-
Professor of Physics, University of Johannesburg
-
Research Fellow, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University
-
Senior Research Fellow, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW
-
Associate professor, UNSW
-
Professor, Climate | Policy | Sustainability, York St John University
-
Senior Fellow in Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute
-
Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Environment; Executive Director, Global Carbon Project, CSIRO
-
Graduate Student Researcher in Electricity Markets and Policy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
-
Senior Scientific Engineering Associate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
-
Affiliate, Electricity Markets & Policy Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
-
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University
-
Senior Lecturer in Parasite Epidemiology, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University
-
Senior Lecturer in Renewable Energy, University of Leeds