We continue with the John Perlin photovoltaics miniseries interview. In this 13th post, our featured physicist, solar historian, and author follows the late 20th century fate of solar PV, moving from the office of President Jimmy Carter to that of President Ronald Reagan. Perlin points out the future for solar energy … [continued]
The ongoing trade war between US- and Canada-based solar manufacturers and Chinese competitors over the practices of solar panel dumping and unfair product subsidies continues as the Canada Border Services Agency seeks increased tariffs on imported solar products. The preliminary ruling in Canada concludes that these modules have been dumped … [continued]
Welcome back, where we pick up on our 12th photovoltaics miniseries entry, “Jimmy Carter’s War Against PV.” Surprised? Read on. Our miniseries features physicist and author John Perlin. The idea for this series was developed to correspond with the UN’s 2015 Year of Light. Perlin’s book, “Let It Shine: The … [continued]
Oil and natural gas fields are notorious for leaking or flaring off excess methane, thus creating a staggering amount of lost clean-burning fuel, while significantly contributing to global climate change. This is no small matter. General Electric (GE) research provides this information concerning lost methane, or field gas: 140 Billion … [continued]
A new section of a very smart water pipe infrastructure is now operational in Portland, Oregon. It not only delivers water, it provides hydropower electricity en route. According to Next City, this clean energy infrastructure innovation has promise for a larger role in the future: A new system, unveiled in January, … [continued]
Last December, I covered AORA Solar and Ethiopia about a preliminary agreement with the Ethiopian government to pilot AORA’s Tulip solar-hybrid system. AORA’s solution functions on sunlight during the day, and seamlessly switches to run on bio-fuels at night or under cloud cover to provide 24/7 utility-grade energy. To that end, … [continued]
Here is our 11th photovoltaics miniseries entry, with the eye-catching title, “Nixon’s Solargate.” This miniseries featuring physicist and author John Perlin was developed as a celebration corresponding to the UN’s 2015 Year of Light. Perlin’s book, “Let It Shine: The 6000-Year Story of Solar Energy,” is worth reading for anyone wanting … [continued]
Bioenergy, while environmentally cleaner and more sustainable than fossil fuels, has historically been too energy intensive to produce — a big negative from an economic perspective. However, recent bioenergy research from the University of Minnesota on combining solar thermal energy with biomass gasification for producing a natural gas substitute indicates a … [continued]
If you think natural gas is a clean fossil fuel, you’re correct — when it comes to the combustion side of the formula. The production and distribution side and their role in emissions is another matter though — a bad matter. Here, methane emissions are abundant, even without flaring. Traditional … [continued]
Some visions sound as great as a magnificent aria — take Gensler’s concept for the London Underline to be a foremost example. Gensler’s vision for “disused London Metro lines,” was winner of the London Planning award. This video, produced by Gensler and starting with a campy play on Sherlock Holmes, provides … [continued]
