Germany

Making Cheaper and More Efficient Solar Cells with Copper

14 years ago charis 6 Comments

There are two ways to lower the cost of producing energy through photovoltaics – more efficient solar cells (more power per square foot) and lower production costs (lower cost per square foot). The ETAlab of the Fraunhofer ISE has devised a way to do both simultaneously. The research team in the laboratory for new solar cell structures and processing steps has not only made the solar cell contacts out of 100% cost-effective materials (replacing expensive silver with cheaper copper and nickel), but the process also increases the efficiency of the solar cell to a very respectable 21.4%.

Using Sunlight to Dry Clothes – Indoors

14 years ago charis 8 Comments

Solar energy is a common method of clothes-drying in many parts of the world. However, hanging clothes on a line costs time, rather than money, and depends on the weather. The German company Miele has removed the weather and the extra time from the equation altogether by designing the world’s first solar-heated dryer.

Global Renewable Capacity Has Now Exceeded Nuclear

14 years ago susan 20 Comments

The world has now breached a tipping point of some significance. According to Phyllis Cuttino, Director of the Clean Energy Program at The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Michael Liebreich, CEO of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the worldwide installed capacity of renewable energy has now surpassed that of nuclear power.

Writing for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the pair note that with increased investment in renewable energy over the last year, the world now has more renewable energy capacity in place than nuclear power.

Road Trip! Testing EV Highway Practicality in Europe

14 years ago charis 3 Comments

It’s not uncommon to see incentives for buying an electric car, but owning one is another matter entirely.

Electric cars have many qualities making them attractive as urban commuter vehicles – particularly when driving through heavy traffic. The question of how an EV does on a longer road trip is one that does not as of yet have a definitive answer. France, for example, is installing charging stations on its highways, but that project isn’t finished.

Mapping Solar PV CLEAN Contracts in the U.S.

14 years ago John Farrell 0 Comments

The price of solar is dropping fast, opening new opportunities for community-scale renewable energy across the country. But despite the improving economics and tremendously sunnier skies, the United States lags far behind Germany in installing new solar power.

The biggest difference is policy. The U.S. has two major federal incentives (a 30% tax credit and accelerated depreciation) for solar power, and a few state programs for solar power. Germany and most other developed countries use a feed-in tariff for renewable energy, a policy responsible for three-quarters of the world’s solar power capacity.

Germans Encouraged to Roof Carports with Solar Panels

14 years ago charis 5 Comments

Carports and garages are both perfectly serviceable structures to protect your car. We’re talking about carports here, though, so we’re just going to mention that they’re cheap, easy to build, and have great air circulation.

There’s one more advantage to a German carport – it’s incredibly simple to roof it over with solar panels and let solar energy pay for the carport.