Recently in Technology
Technology:
Fast-charging, high-capacity lithium ion batteries could be available in two or three years, if a breakthrough made by USC engineers turns out to be commercially viable.
Technology:
A new, intriguing approach to rooftop solar power is getting some attention lately, but will the product live up to its developers' promises?
Technology:
It's an interesting idea, with obvious potential applications in California.
The Grid:
The California Energy Commission is plowing $1.8 million into UCSD's microgrid to help the University develop it as a model for the rest of the state.
Technology:
Did you open a package this week hoping for a nifty solar charger only to find out your gift was an ill-fitting sweater? In a few years, your gift might be both.
Technology:
Is it an emergency battery backup, or a "personal massager"? Wei Long's "Juice Can" is a creative approach to a slightly pedestrian need.
Photovoltaic (PV):
Nifty subatomic technology didn't save this Bay Area solar firm from melting down.
Biomass:
Four teenaged students in Nigeria got a lot of press around the world for building a "urine-powered generator." Sadly, the coverage misrepresents what these very bright kids have done.
Technology:
A team of researchers at Stanford University have found a way we might be able to use carbon to help solve the climate problem: by building photovoltaic cells with the stuff.
Technology:
The battery manufacturer responsible for Fisker electric cars catching on fire has filed for bankruptcy.
Technology:
Could Pennsylvania's smart meter overheating problems happen in California? Looks that way.
Technology:
Ever find yourself wanting to know where California's solar, wind, and other renewable energy facilities are? That just got a lot easier, thanks to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Technology:
By predicting the movement of atoms inside a battery, UC San Diego researchers hope to make batteries more efficient and faster to charge
Photovoltaic (PV):
A Silicon Valley firm envisions a solar future in which patient robots quietly turn solar panels to face the sun.
Photovoltaic (PV):
Photovoltaic cells made out of common elements may be coming soon to a rooftop near you.
Technology:
Natural gas may be a stepping stone to a renewable future, but that doesn't make it renewable on its own.
Technology:
Could California's renewable energy future depend on rust?
Technology:
A Santa Barbara company's solar hydrogen process was inspired by plant biology.
Photovoltaic (PV):
Windows that generate power from the sun may become a reality, according to UCLA engineers.
Technology:
A $2 million grant to study evening out renewable power in California goes to four companies, one of which could really use a break right about now.
News and analysis about renewable energy in California. Blog host Chris Clarke is an environmental writer of two decades standing. He currently lives in Joshua Tree and can be contacted at: rewire@kcet.org.
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- Wind Power
- PV and Solar Thermal
- Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI)
- Watts and Watt-Hours, Kilo and Mega
- 'Enough To Power X Thousand Homes'
- The Grid
- Distributed Generation
- Conservation and 'Negawatts'
- Grid Storage
- PACE Loans, Feed In Tariffs and Net Metering
- Base Load and Peaking Power
- Capacity Factor
- Renewable Portfolio Standards
- Biomass
- Transportation and Renewable Energy
- Geothermal
