Originally published on Shrink That Footprint. In 2012, solar power produced just 0.5% of global electricity. It’s only a speck compared to coal (42%), natural gas (21%), hydro (15%), and nuclear (12%). But solar is a startup. And market share is the wrong way to judge a startup. The fact … [continued]
The coming of solar grid parity offers an opportunity for millions of Americans to go solar affordably. But it also means a potential transformation, a democratization of an electricity system long dominated by centrally-controlled utilities and centralized ownership and production of electricity. When solar can undercut grid electricity prices, it … [continued]
SolarCity’s acquisition of Zep Solar, which I wrote about in October, has now been finalized. The total price tag is reportedly $158 million, part of which was in the form of 2.75 million shares of SolarCity common stock. Currently, SolarCity stock is selling for $51.30 per share. Zep Solar will … [continued]
Originally published on Cost of Solar. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) has published some wonderful reports on the solar rooftop revolution. It has also published numerous articles, charts, and graphics on this. Below is its Solar Rooftop Revolution infographic focused on when we’ll see solar panels cost less than grid electricity … [continued]
The world’s largest hybrid hydro and photovoltaic (PV) project has been completed in the Qinghai Province, China, with the successful grid connection of the Longyangxia Dam. Yingi Green Energy, who provided 15 MW of its YGE series PV modules for the project, offered their own congratulations last week, to all parties involved in … [continued]
Flexible solar cells that are lightweight, energy efficient, and mass-producible are now one step closer to being a reality thanks to new research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Researchers at those universities devised a new way of creating large sheets … [continued]
Originally published on Shrink That Footprint. By Lindsay Wilson. Writing a blog about reducing your carbon footprint is much, much easier than actually cutting your footprint. This post is where the rubber meets the road. It details my carbon footprint from 2012, the things I did, the things I didn’t … [continued]
Originally published on 1Sun4All. For 72 hours, non-stop (that’s 3 days and 3 nights), between 17 and 20 December 2013, Bertrand Piccard will stay at the controls of the flight simulator, a near-exact reconstruction of HB-SIB’s cockpit, reports Solar Impulse. The goal of the experience is to make the pilot as “sustainable” as … [continued]
Advocates for the controversial Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline got a roller coaster of a ride this week when the White House announced the appointment of well known Keystone opponent John Podesta to be White House counselor, only to follow up with an indication that Podesta would recuse himself … [continued]
OK, maybe I don’t need your stats, but I really, really want them! I’ve been wanting more information on a few EV & solar topics for a while. But an actual survey or study covering these matters is hard to find. It looks like my best source for this information … [continued]
