NewScientist’s January 28 issue is likely to unsettle clean energy advocates — but it is worth the read. The cover article, “Power paradox: Clean might not be green forever,” posits that even renewable energy can warm the planet, and eventually change climate, if we continue to ratchet up power production to serve our ever

It's easy to think about modules as singular units of power output, but the reality is that they are a collection of diverse components, each with influence over the end system's total cost and performance. For DuPont, its focus is of course on the materials side, from metallization pastes used to form contacts on the solar cell, to backsheet materials that protect the panels themselves.

The Obama Administration's $60 billion Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) for renewable energy is considered a failure because of Solyndra, Beacon Power, and potential 2012 bankruptcies. What is not well known is that 75 percent of the program's deployed funds went to relatively low risk power plants that will catapult the U.S. to a leadership role in the utility-scale solar sector. This is hardly the hallmark of a "failed program." The program is akin to Shakespeare's King Henry V, who said as a delinquent Prince: "I'll so offend as to make offense a skill, redeeming time when men think least I will."

In a series of deals the investor-owned utility says is good for consumers' wallets, American Electric Power subsidiary Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) recently signed long-term power purchase agreements for a total of 358.65 MW of capacity from wind projects in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Miasolé says it has created a 17.3 percent "champion" thin-film copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) solar photovoltaic device, results obtained in its own labs and not (yet) independently verified.

Today the Obama administration moved forward with plans to develop the enormous offshore wind energy resources along the Mid-Atlantic coast, using a "Smart for the Start" approach designed to expedite the siting process while incorporating strong environmental protections.

By late February the renewable energy industry should have direction from the Ontario government on some of the major changes ahead for the province’s landmark feed-in tariff program. “I am hoping we will have an announcement then with the megawatt (MW) targets and pricing, then new rules and contracts in March, and application processi

You may have heard it before, but it is worth mentioning again: In residential communities, solar is contagious. But a recent study, "Peer Effects in the Diffusion of Solar Photovoltaic Panels," conducted by Bryan Bollinger of the NYU Stern School of Business and Kenneth Gillingham of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, published in December sheds some new light on the phenomenon.

Renewable energy in the United States is at a crossroads. With several federal tax grants set to expire by the end of 2012, utilities are trying to decide if the falling prices of solar and wind technology makes renewable energy competitive enough to invest in despite vanishing federal aid.

Scientists are turning the term "power plant" on its head. A team of researchers has developed a system that taps into photosynthetic processes to produce efficient and inexpensive energy.

Consistent appraisals of real estate outfitted with photovoltaic installations are a challenge for the nation's real estate industry, but a new tool addresses that issue.

A researcher is developing several technologies that could improve the performance of electric motors and generators. And that could make a real difference in building sustainable energy systems.

By tweaking the smallest of parts, engineers are hoping to dramatically increase the amount of sunlight that solar cells convert into electricity.

Researchers have discovered that changing the shape of a solar concentrator significantly increases its efficiency, bringing its use closer to reality.

Computational materials researchers have used cutting-edge calculations to determine fundamental optical transparency limits in conducting oxide material tin oxide.

A new discovery shows that the flexibility and durability of carbon nanotube films and coatings are intimately linked to their electronic properties and could impact flexible electronic devices such as solar cells and wearable sensors.

A new photovoltaic module allows electricity to be generated without greenhouse crops being affected by over-shading.

An engineering professor has made a breakthrough discovery with graphene, a material that could play a major role in keeping laptops and other electronic devices from overheating.

Imagine if the next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home generates electricity from light -- electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside. Scientists have just created an inexpensive "solar paint" that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy.

DOE has announced up to $7 million in funding to reduce the non-hardware costs of residential and commercial solar energy installations. The funds are being made available through the SunShot Incubator Program as part of DOE's SunShot Initiative.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced funding for two rural renewable energy initiatives. One will support energy assessments in 28 states and Puerto Rico, and the other will provide backing for wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power projects in 16 states.

California has now installed more than 1 gigawatt of rooftop solar power, according to a new report, and is on its way to meeting a goal of 3 gigawatts by 2016.

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SunShot Initiative, Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced up to $7 million to reduce the non-hardware costs of residential and commercial solar energy installations.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has released an updated plan for solar energy development in six western states. DOE helped develop the original plan.

A report from the Solar Foundation shows that job numbers in the solar energy field continue to rise. The report also indicates further growth in the workforce in 2012.

St. Paul, Minnesota, has unveiled a new solar photovoltaic installation at the RiverCentre convention complex in downtown St. Paul. The project received $1 million from DOE through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

By Niketa Kumar
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has teamed with a solar start-up to test an innovation. It's one example of how national labs are helping bringing cutting-edge technologies to market.

DOE has announced that it will invest $60 million over three years to support applied scientific research into concentrating solar power. The effort is part of its SunShot Initiative.

The third quarter of 2011 saw a global surge in wind farm and solar park financings, resulting in a $41.8 billion investment, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.