Political will is necessary for governments to move away from oil. But alternative energies are not all that they seem, and should be considered carefully beyond the appearance of sustainability.
Will Gorman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Bentham Paulos, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Galen Barbose, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
A study of real-world disasters shows home solar and storage could keep the lights on and the air conditioner running during many outages, but not all.
The Indian government is encouraging the use of electric vehicles, particularly scooters.
Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
To put the $370 billion in subsidies to work, the US needs to build new infrastructure and manage a lot of regulatory hurdles.
The African Energy Commission says expanded access to new, people-centred renewable energy systems will “lift hundreds of millions of people” out of poverty.
KRISS75/Shutterstock
Are studies right that expanded access to off-grid solar products has driven economic development in Africa?
Offshore wind farms will assist in the renewable energy transition and offset the effects of climate change.
Abstract Aerial Art/DigitalVision via Getty Images
While a US transition to renewable energy by 2030 is possible, streamlined policies with clear goals and incentives are necessary to get there, says an industrial engineering professor.
Coal was the dominant fuel for U.S. power plants until 2016. This PacifiCorp power plant in Utah still uses it.
George Frey/AFP via Getty Images
Only 13% of US solar industry jobs are currently in manufacturing. The Biden administration hopes the sector will grow fast, but that might not be so simple.
By pairing solar power and battery storage, hybrids can keep providing electricity after dark.
Petmal via Getty Images
Joachim Seel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Bentham Paulos, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Will Gorman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The largest category of power plants applying to connect to the US grid are now solar, and over a third of those are hybrids that include battery storage.
China’s cheaper solar panels made it harder for U.S. companies to compete.
Ruan Xuefeng/VCG via Getty Images
The tariffs targeting cheap Chinese imports mean prices in the US are higher than average, at the same time Biden is pushing for more renewable energy. But their effect might surprise you.
An artist’s rendering of a solar canal.
Robin Raj, Citizen Group & Solar Aquagrid
Covering the state’s canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation of precious water and help meet renewable energy goals – all while saving money.
Integrating solar panels with farming can provide partial shade for plants.
Werner Slocum/NREL
Renewable energy is expanding at a record pace, but still not fast enough. Here are the key areas to watch for progress in bringing more wind and solar into the power grid in 2022.
Halving Australia’s 2030 target would see Australia become a valued and relevant party to negotiations at Glasgow, rather than a resented freeloader. Here’s how we could get there.
Without proper planning, an influx of electric vehicles could cause problems for the economy and our energy supply.
Joenomias/Pixabay
The temperature of the Sun’s surface is about 6,000℃. But higher above the surface, in the atmosphere, it suddenly shoots up to more than a million degrees!
The process of manufacturing gallium-doped solar panels was under a patent until last year. It’s only now that this method has started to pick up steam.
Sven Teske, University of Technology Sydney and Sarah Niklas, University of Technology Sydney
Keeping global warming under 1.5℃ is still achievable with rapid deployment of renewables. A new report found solar and wind can supply the world’s energy demand more than 50 times over.