The slow adoption of new technology in the US solar industry provides time for field verification of manufacturers’ claims, which at times sound too good to be true. In the case of large-format dual axis trackers, however, the latest round of annual production numbers is eye-catching: a 27.73% return on investment, or a payback period of only three years.
The Alderwoman of Amsterdam, Sharon Dijksma, is advancing the city’s Clean Air Action Plan towards a ban of all fossil burning vehicles by 2030. Current transport-related air pollution in the city is the equivalent of smoking 6 cigarettes per day, reducing average life expectancy by 3 months. The auto industry lobby is up in arms, calling the plan “bizzare, beyond all reality.” The city council will debate the measures from the end of May, with a final decision by the summer.
Tesla last week released its Q1 2019 shareholder letter. You can read it in full here. We also had a special livestream and liveblog of the Tesla conference call published here. Below are some of the top highlights from me that I think have been mostly ignored or skimmed over by the press (including the EV press). I’m focusing my attention on the issue of consumer demand for the Model 3.
Tesla announced its earnings for the first quarter of 2019 with its usual letter that summarizes the financial milestones hit and missed throughout the quarter. The highlight of Q1 2019 is clearly the fact that Tesla was not profitable for the first quarter since achieving profitability in Q3 of 2018, but the full story is much more complex than just the headlines that will populate the nightly news at all the usual mainstream media outlets.
Welcome to the next issue of China x Cleantech, the March 2019 edition. For our full China × Cleantech history, stroll over to the “Future Trends” section of our website.
“Until organizations learn to internalize the threat, they’re in danger of falling behind.”
If all goes according to plan, solar panels will provide key benefits to US farmers in addition to cutting electricity costs and carbon emissions, too.
Geely has introduced a new electric car brand known as Geometry. The first car will have two battery choices, a full range of driver assistance features, and cost between $31,000 and $37,000. There are no plans to sell the car outside of China, although Singapore may be on Geely’s radar.
In yet another bad sign for coal (and natural gas), the US Energy Department is building the case for putting more solar panels on farmland.
The most popular CleanTechnica stories of the past week were led by … an April 1 joke. (It’s not the first time. And it was a great article.) Other than the Neuralink joke, Tesla sales in Europe, Tesla sales in China, a solar module efficiency chart, and a global Tesla 11 Year Death Anniversary event I dreamt up attracted the most reader eyeballs.
