According to BP’s “Statistical Review of World Energy,” released last month, coal consumption in Europe went up 3.3% last year over 2010. Germany, the biggest consumer of coal in Europe, consumed 77.6 […]
Competition among fuels for power generation driven by changes in fuel prices
The mix of fuels used to generate electricity has varied over time. Several factors, especially changes in relative fossil fuel prices, have influenced the mix of energy sources used. EIA recently released […]
Commercial Solar’s Risk Targeted by Insurers’ Partnership
Because solar is a still maturing industry, one of the big fears its financial backers have is that the panels on which their investment depends will not perform according to manufacturer claims. […]
Carbon Tax or Cap And Trade? Whichever Leaves Less Room For Politics And Corruption
It’s generally agreed among economists that the solution for climate change is either a carbon tax or a cap and trade permit system. This does of course assume that you agree that […]
Solar Hot Water at Intersolar: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed
The crowds swarming this year’s Intersolar North America at San Fransicso’s Moscone Center did an unusual thing. After combing the aisles and aisles hosting the photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) […]
Q2 2012 Cleantech Investment Falls to $1.6B
Global cleantech investment dropped to $1.6 billion in the second quarter of 2012, down 14 percent from $1.9 billion in the first quarter and 25 percent down from the $2.1 billion invested […]
Silent Power, Hanwha to Partner on On-Site Solar Batteries
Sticking a battery on your home solar system seems like the simplest idea in the world. You could use it to ride through power outages, or run appliances on stored solar power […]
EV Myths and Realities, Part 1—The Battery Crisis
There’s been much debate over the past days, weeks, months, years, and decades over the viability of electric vehicles (EVs). But Tesla’s Model S is a fast, luxurious, and frankly stunning sedan […]
Lower Oil Prices – Not a Good Sign!
Are lower oil prices good news? Not really, if it means the world is sinking into recession. We know from recent past experience and from common sense that higher oil prices are […]
June Plug-In Electric Car Sales: Volt Stays Strong, Leaf Low
Half of this year is now gone, which means it’s time once again to look at sales of plug-in electric cars–both for June and for the first six months of 2012. Coming […]
Prometheus Institute 