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Articles on Solar

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Off-grid mountain house. Shutterstock

Is it possible to live off-grid?

Lowering your carbon footprint by living off-grid is a sustainability dream. But how possible is it using current technology?
Men transporting a large bag in the Muvumba river valley in Kigali. A massive Rwandan electrification programme sets out to benefit rural communities. Shutterstock

How electricity changes lives: a Rwandan case study

A massive rural on-grid electrification programme in Rwanda has delivered considerable benefits. But is it the most sensible way to deliver power to remote areas?
Managed in the right way, wind farms can actually help stabilise the grid, rather than disrupting it. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

What’s the net cost of using renewables to hit Australia’s climate target? Nothing

New modelling suggests that Australia could use renewable energy to hit its 2030 emissions reduction targets, without it costing any more overall than maintaining the status quo.
Solar technicians inspect panels at a Pacific Gas and Electric Solar Plant, in Dixon, Calif. in this file photo. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Solar power alone won’t solve energy or climate needs

Amid news that solar power capacity will outstrip nuclear by 2018, what do those assertions really mean?
A total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the United States Aug. 21, treating amateur and professional astronomers alike to sights similar to this NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory ultraviolet image of the moon eclipsing the sun on Jan. 31, 2014. (NASA)

How to safely watch an eclipse: Advice from an astronomer

If you’ve ever wondered why you can look at a solar eclipse and why it can harm your eyes, the answer is in the sun’s rays.
To manage renewable energy efficiently, all weather variation need to be taken into account. Greg Clarke/Flickr

An algorithm to improve the renewable energy production

Relying less on fossil fuels is one of the key challenges of energy transition, and taking weather variations into account can help increase the overall efficiency of a renewable-energy system.
Wind turbines require massive structures that are polluting to produce and can harm ecosystems, but these impacts compare favorably with those of fossil alternatives. www.shutterstock.com

Does ‘green energy’ have hidden health and environmental costs?

No energy source is perfect, but solar and wind have a much lower health and environmental footprint than fossil fuels, a study finds. Biopower, though, is a mixed bag.
The rise of renewable energy is one reason the world is shifting away from coal. Wind turbine image from www.shutterstock.com

We can still keep global warming below 2°C – but the hard work is about to start

Global emissions from fossil fuels have stalled. That puts us in the right place to keep warming below 2°C, but there’s plenty of work still to be done.

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