Renewable Energy News!

A team of researchers performed wind tunnel experiments to determine the role of asymmetry caused by the orientation of a volleyball on its aerodynamic characteristics. They found that switching from the standard panel arrangement to a hexagonal or dimpled pattern may improve the consistency of flight, with many potential applications in aviation. … read more

The wind is always blowing somewhere, but deciding where to locate a wind farm is a bit more complicated than holding up a wet finger. Now a team of researchers has a model that can locate the best place for the wind farm and even help with 24-hour predictions of energy output. … read more

An increase in the generation of wind energy is a key component of the U.S. strategy to reduce carbon emissions from the power sector. Approximately 97 gigawatts of wind energy production capacity are currently installed in the U.S., and in 2018, wind energy supplied about 6.5% of the nation's electricity. Scenarios developed by various groups, including U.S. Department of Energy, indicate that a four- to five-fold expansion over current levels of electricity produced by wind is needed by the year 2050 to help meet U.S. carbon emission reduction goals. … read more

Over the last 10 years, the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which offers a federal income tax credit worth 30% of a homeowner’s solar installation costs, has opened up solar to millions of homeowners by dropping that huge financial hurdle. But the ITC is set to begin phasing out at the end of 2019 and […]

The post Does the U.S. Still Need the Solar Investment Tax Credit? appeared first on Solar Tribune.

… read more

Europe has the capacity to produce more than 100 times the amount of energy it currently produces through onshore windfarms, new analysis has revealed. … read more

Advances in adapting the technology and better methods for predicting wind conditions have fanned significant growth of the use of wind turbines for electricity in the last 40 years. A new report takes stock of where the field is now and what lies ahead. Researchers surveyed the growth of wind technology as a source of renewable energy and assessed its viability for continuing to capture larger shares of the electricity market. … read more

A new study finds that if less than 1% of agricultural land was converted to solar panels, it would be sufficient to fulfill global electric energy demand. … read more

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is a non-profit organization located in Washington DC whose mission is “to accelerate the transition to a new, low-emissions economy based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.” The organization works towards these goals through their briefings on Capitol Hill (as well as webcasts, papers, and more) to educate policymakers […]

The post Top Priority Policy Planks for a Green New Deal appeared first on Solar Tribune.

… read more

Installing solar panels on a household’s rooftop is an exciting moment for any family, but it’s also one that can come with some fear and hesitation due to the high costs. Mosaic is trying to change that and allow all homes to reap  the benefits of installed solar systems. Mosaic is a company that provides […]

The post Mosaic’s PowerSwitch 6 Residential Home Solar Loans: An Interview with GM of Solar, Erin Talbot appeared first on Solar Tribune.

… read more

The US is seeing record amounts of solar energy production recently. In April, renewable energy – including solar, wind, and hydropower – actually outperformed coal for the first in U.S. history. However, solar is still a small percentage of the nation’s overall electricity. How do we compare with the rest of the world? And with […]

The post As Costs Fall, Global Solar Capacity Ramps Up appeared first on Solar Tribune.

… read more

Advanced simulations have solved a problem in turbulent fluid flow that could lead to more efficient turbines and engines. … read more

Scientists have developed a very stable battery cell that can directly convert heat into electricity, thus finally providing a way for exploiting geothermal energy in a sustainable way. … read more

Researchers have discovered a new high performance and safe battery material (LTPS) capable of speeding up charge and discharge to a level never observed so far. Practically, if the first tests are confirmed, this new material could be used in the batteries of the future with better energy storage, faster charge and discharge and higher safety targeting many uses from smartphones, to electric bicycle and cars. … read more

Climate change policy has finally taken a place on the priority of the mainstream population and politicians and candidates looking to represent them. However, climate advocates can no longer support leaders who pass the bar of saying they support climate action, but rather we need to be debating and choosing the specific types of climate […]

The post What are the Best Policy Mechanisms to Combat Climate Change appeared first on Solar Tribune.

… read more

Silicon is by far the most common material in photovoltaic solar, but that could all change in the next decade as researchers around the world continue to develop new photoelectric materials. In a June 2019 webinar for the publication, Nature Research, University of Notre Dame professor Prashant Kamat walked through some of the most promising […]

The post New Solar Tech Could Outshine Conventional Silicon appeared first on Solar Tribune.

… read more