Mark Olsthoorn, Grenoble École de Management (GEM); Nikolas Wölfing, Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW), and Swaroop Rao, Grenoble École de Management (GEM)
France, Germany and other European countries are increasing their use of renewable energy sources as well as storage solutions to help overcome their intermittent nature.
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.
The coils winding facility building in France, where a global effort to build the ITER fusion energy reactor is underway.
Rob Crandall/Shutterstock.com
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.
Grid-scale energy storage systems may make it easier to rely completely on renewable energy.
petrmalinak/Shutterstock.com
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.
The proton battery, connected to a voltmeter.
RMIT
A new rechargeable ‘proton battery’ - made chiefly from carbon and water - promises to outperform conventional lithium-ion batteries, while also being more environmentally friendly.
Solar and wind compete with coal power plants when it comes to energy storage systems.
AP Photo/Mel Evans
Energy storage, such as big batteries, on the power grid is generally seen as ‘green’ technology but the reality is more complicated, an analysis finds.
A solar and battery-powered microgrid got San Juan’s Children’s Hospital quickly back online after Hurricane Maria.
Alvin Baez/Reuters
Yes, Puerto Rico and any other storm-vulnerable location could benefit from on-site solar and battery backup, but it’s unrealistic to say these microgrids are enough to power the island.
The price of new-build renewable energy is expected to fall significantly relative to new-build coal energy in coming years.
AAP Image/Lucy Hughes Jones
The price of renewable energy will fall significantly relative to new-build coal in coming decades, making an all-renewable electricity system more desirable, both economically and environmentally.
Boron is often ignored, but it’s got a lot of important qualities.
David Ellis/Flickr
A planned expansion to the Snowy Hydro scheme is grabbing headlines. But a new plan could build oceanfront hydro power in places without mountains - including South Australia.
With the right mix, the grid can go fully renewable for the same cost and reliability as fossil fuels.
Pixabay/Wikimedia Commons
Andrew Blakers, Australian National University; Bin Lu, Australian National University, and Matthew Stocks, Australian National University
The Turnbull government is funding energy storage as a crucial missing piece of the electricity grid puzzle. Analysis suggests an affordable, fully renewable grid doesn’t require any heroic assumptions.
Social media might help you navigate the confusing world of sustainability.
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