Renewable effects on environment garner more than $1 million in grants in California
The California Energy Commission provided grants last week for further study on the rearing methods of Mojave Desert tortoises and various grid-scale battery storage technologies as part of an effort to proliferate utility-scale solar projects in the state.
Real estate constraints, finance are key problems for rooftop solar in Washington D.C.
A new report finds that the nation’s capital has the ability to host up to 2.5 GW of rooftop solar potential and looks at ways to reach that potential.
Natcore’s Foil Cell creeps closer to commercialization
The U.S. cell manufacturer announced a partnership with Italian manufacturer Coveme to accelerate the development and commercialization of Natcore’s latest cell innovation.
“Skinny Budget” nukes renewable energy research
President Trump’s Department of Energy hit list includes advanced energy research, loan guarantees and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Fraunhofer ISE reclaims multicrystalline PV cell efficiency record with 21.9%
German solar research institute Fraunhofer ISE has reclaimed the multicrystalline PV cell efficiency record, achieving 21.9%. Fraunhofer researchers deployed n-type high-performance multicrystalline technology to produce the record-setting PV cell.
pv magazine Exclusive: A conversation with Charlie Gay
The man chosen to lead the SunShot Initiative at the Department of Energy talked with our own Frank Andorka about the $30 million in grants SunShot awarded, future funding opportunities and why he’s more excited than ever about the future of solar energy in the United States.
Money for nothing (except ground-breaking clean-energy ideas)
With help from the California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (CalSEED) initiative, the California Energy Commission is calling all enterprising clean-energy entrepreneurs to submit proposals to get a piece of $24 million to bring their ideas to fruition.
MIT report questions value of distributed solar
The Utility of the Future report decries poor state-level rate-making, mythical cross-subsidies by non-solar customers, and economies of scale as reasons that adding more distributed PV to utilities’ portfolios make little long-term economic sense.
1366, Hanwha achieve 19.6% multicrystalline cell efficiency
Using 1366’s groundbreaking kerfless silicon wafers and Hanwha’s proprietary PERC cell process, the cells’ remarkable performance was verified by an independent testing firm.
Bill Gates’ energy innovation fund commits to $1 billion in investment
The Breakthrough Energy Coalition is backing research on zero-carbon technologies; however its guidelines show a lack of understanding of solar technology and market development.
