Tag: solar power

The Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii) has abandoned its strategy to export solar power generated from the Sahara to Europe, killing hopes of boosting the continent’s share of renewable electricity with cheap external supplies.

A new study for the Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy (AFASE) says that EU tariffs on solar panels from China could lead to 242,000 European job losses in the next three years.

A struggling German solar business has been bought by a South Korean firm as the appetite of Asian companies for their western rivals shows no sign of letting up.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) plays an important role in sketching out solutions, but at the moment other lobbyists and the big players in conventional energy have more influence, says Karlheinz Knickel.

Europe's record-low carbon prices are making carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology more of "an annoyance" in the absence of additional incentives, a delegate told a Brussels conference where policymakers and energy experts assessed the EU's energy strategies in the light of the economic downturn.

Nuclear power plants can be attractive for their owners but not necessarily for consumers as they hardly ever determine the price of electricity on the energy exchange, says Alois Tost, an independent energy consultant. In an interview with EurActiv.cz, the German expert also adivsed against solar photovoltaics to compensate for Germany's nuclear phase-out.

Solar heating systems can provide over half of households' hot water needs, according to the largest ever field trial of the green energy devices, conducted in the UK.

The industry, backed by environmental activists, is promoting solar power for its light impact on biodiversity, highlighting the sector's anxiety to preserve its green image.

Prototype solar-powered military uniforms, skyscrapers built from energy-harvesting glass and waterways covered with floating panels are all being developed as innovators seek to match photovoltaics and industrial demand.

A slowdown in subsidies for solar power across European countries has encouraged companies to look oversees for greener pastures, threatening Europe's lead in this promising high-tech sector.