Five State Clean Energy Policies that are Expected to Survive and Thrive during the Trump Administration
President Trump has been a long-time climate change denier. We know this from his rants during his campaign, his tweets —his most famous being that the global climate change is just a “Chinese hoax”—, and from Trump’s writings in his book titled Crippled America. I’m glad our President has the environmental knowhow to make an […]
Hawaii’s Popular Rooftop Solar Incentives Winding Down
Hawaii is a national leader in rooftop solar power, but despite the state’s ambitious goal of using only renewable energy by 2045, people are being shut out of solar incentive programs because of limits set by the state. On Maui, a program that reimburses customers who supply energy to the grid reached its maximum in […]
Solar Impulse completes historic round-the-world trip
The first round-the-world solar powered flight has been completed, after the Solar Impulse aircraft touched down in Abu Dhabi. Bertrand Piccard piloted the plane for a final time, steering it safely from the Egyptian capital Cairo to the UAE. He has been taking turns at the controls with Swiss compatriot Andre Borschberg, with the mission […]
You’ll Never Believe How Cheap New Solar Power Is
Solar energy has grown 100-fold in this country in the past decade. Globally, solar has doubled seven times since 2000, and Dubai received a bid recently for 800 megawatts of solar at a stunning “US 2.99 cents per kilowatt hour” — unsubsidized! For context, the average residential price for electricity in the United States is […]
Facebook’s solar-powered internet plane takes flight
21st Jul 2016 Facebook has announced the first successful test flight of a high-altitude solar plane to bring internet access to remote parts of the world. The Aquila drone has the wingspan of an airliner but weighs less than a car. When cruising it consumes just 5,000 watts – the same as three hairdryers or […]
California’s biggest utilities break own record for solar power
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. California’s booming solar industry had a record day this week when the state’s largest utilities generated more power than ever from the sun. The state’s largest power grid, the California Independent System Operator, or ISO, on Tuesday, managed enough solar energy to power 2 million homes. Its 8,030 megawatts recorded at 1:06 p.m. […]
Engineering researchers strive to create cheaper, more efficient third-generation solar cells
A humming laboratory is birthing tiny solar cells — the first such devices created on campus — as Kennesaw State researchers strive to develop better photovoltaic technologies. Sandip Das, assistant professor of electrical engineering in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, along with a team of three undergraduate research assistants, has recently […]
Solar Roadways are coming to historic Route 66
Solar Roadways are finally gaining traction in the United States. Scott and Julie Brusaw have been developing their energy-generating roads for the last several years, hoping to replace asphalt with solar panels that can withstand the weight of cars. Now they are bringing their dream to a section of the historic Route 66 highway in […]
NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Arrives at Jupiter
The Juno spacecraft successfully entered orbit around Jupiter on July 4. The solar-powered craft will spend 20 months studying the planet’s composition and history, then burn up in Jupiter’s atmosphere. A Five-Year Trip Juno spent two years looping through the inner solar system, then slingshotted past Earth to gain speed for its long trip to […]
Floating Solar: A Win-Win for Drought-Stricken Lakes in U.S.
Floating solar panel arrays are increasingly being deployed in places as diverse as Brazil and Japan. One prime spot for these “floatovoltaic” projects could be the sun-baked U.S. Southwest, where they could produce clean energy and prevent evaporation in major man-made reservoirs. The Colorado River’s two great reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are in […]
