10-18-2014, 03:48 AM
Scientists at Western University have discovered that a small molecule created with just 144 atoms of gold can increase solar cell performance by more than 10 per cent. These findings, published recently by the high-impact journal Nanoscale, represent a game-changing innovation that holds the potential to take solar power mainstream and dramatically decrease the world's dependence on traditional, resource-based sources of energy, says Giovanni Fanchini from Western's Faculty of Science.
Scientists revolutionize solar power with new "gold nanocluster" technology
Reportedly, a lack of distributed generation installation this year is what prompted the increased interest at a policy level. Only 188 MW of the full target of 8 GW for the year had been installed by Spring. So the government wants solar developers to start building immediately, and apply for quotas afterwards. The point is to focus on construction or installation activity, not on paper work or other administrative details.
National Energy Agency of China Wants More Solar
A new, highly efficient process for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen has been demonstrated by researchers in Switzerland. The process combines a stable catalyst with a highly efficient perovskite solar cell. The perovskite solar cells do have a major drawback in that they breakdown after a few hours, but the researchers believe further advances in solar cell technology should take care of this problem.
Perovskite solar cells show hydrogen production promise | Chemistry World
As a case in point, SolarCity's installation costs have dropped nearly 30% in two years. And the company expects more savings to come. SunPower , which installs rooftop solar but works more at the utility level, noted that 2013 was the second consecutive year that it was able to reduce its solar panel manufacturing costs by 20%. And, like SolarCity, SunPower expects costs to come down even further as it builds more up-to-date manufacturing facilities.
Not All Solar Power Is Created Equal - NASDAQ.com
The average utility-scale solar bid through Georgia Power’s solicitation came in at 6.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Georgia Is the Latest State to Procure Dirt-Cheap Solar Power : Greentech Media
Renewable energy is now producing about 30 percent of all of Germany’s electricity needs. On some days, solar power provides half of the total grid demand, which is particularly remarkable considering that Germany only started installing solar about a decade ago. Total installed solar capacity now exceeds 38 gigawatts. Installed wind power is more than 35 gigawatts, and biomass power still produces almost twice as much power than solar in Germany, even though we hear far less about this third major renewable, which is also baseload power.
Is Germany Abandoning Its Commitment to the Energy Transition? : Greentech Media
A new report from GTM Research reveals the potential for a polysilicon oversupply to resurface in 2016.