Solar roadways have been promoted as a way to fight climate change, put people to work and make driving safer. But on closer inspection the reality is less than impressive.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Solar power
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The case for pragmatism, not dogma.
Providing people with clean drinking water and sanitation is less expensive than grid electrification and it could improve more lives.
The first commercial-scale installation of rooftop solar cells, printed with specialised inks, is a step towards an energy future in which solar power can be stuck to any roof or structure.
Taking millions of gallons of water permanently out of the Colorado River amid a prolonged drought would surely start an interstate fight.
The Trump administration's Affordable Clean Energy Plan would help the declining coal industry, but a study shows many coal workers could transition to a new industry – solar – and earn more money.
South Africa's new energy plan is set to be announced.
Two business professors spent five years studying Walmart's ambition project to bring sustainability to its millions of budget-conscious customers – a plan that began with the birth of a granddaughter.
Silicon is cheap and a good semiconductor, but it's bulky and rigid. Using organic polymers as semiconductors could yield solar panels with the physical characteristics of plastics.
Energy experts are getting excited about a proposed solar farm in Kent and what it could mean for a clean energy future.
Proteins guard their secrets closely, but once you get them to "sing", there's an enormous amount to learn.
There are calls from the backbench and elsewhere for the federal government to safeguard the future of coal. But do those calls make economic sense? A look at Queensland's energy landscape suggests not.
Households that are most likely to go solar are those that can afford solar panels, but aren't so rich that they don't have to worry about their electricity bill at all, says a survey of 8,000 homes.
Solar power technology has huge potential for Africa. But there are some barriers.
Large-scale solar and wind tend to push energy prices down, which sounds great as a consumer. But that makes keeping the grid in constant balance harder.
The 2017 hurricane season showed that Caribbean nations urgently need more resilient power grids. But the effects of climate change – including more severe storms – complicate the shift to renewables.
A recent survey of electric utility leaders finds that Trump administration efforts to promote coal energy and roll back air pollution regulations have had little impact on their long-range plans.
As fusion becomes more technically viable, it's time to assess whether it's worth the money because breakthroughs in the lab don’t guarantee success in the marketplace.
Saving power to use later lets consumers, businesses and utilities generate energy when it's cheap and deliver it when they need it most. There's not much of it today, but the industry is growing fast.
To understand what happened to our love of giant radioactive kettles, take a look at cultural theory.
Top contributors
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Professor of Engineering, Australian National University
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Researcher at the Australian German Climate and Energy College, University of Melbourne
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Professor of Strategic Management, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University
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Mark Diesendorf is a Friend of The Conversation.
Honorary Associate Professor, UNSW
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Senior Industry Fellow, RMIT University
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Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University
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Senior lecturer, Monash University
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Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute
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Research Fellow of Energy, University of Texas at Austin
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Associate Professor in Biophysics, University of Pretoria
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Professor of Chemistry, Monash University
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Co-director, Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets, UNSW
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CEO at ClimateWorks Australia, Monash University
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ARC Australian Laureate Professor, University of Tasmania
