Recently in Technology
Solar Energy From Windows? Scientists Get Closer With Major Breakthrough
July 30, 2013 5:15 PM
by Chris Clarke
Technology:
We may be considerably closer to generating electrical power with the windows in our homes and offices.
Photovoltaic (PV):
A team in Australia has developed a way to create inexpensive solar cells using a standard industrial printer, offering the possibility of incredibly cheap photovoltaic cells -- but there are a couple of reasons not to declare the solar revolution over.
Clean Energy From Wind Turbines On Kites? Google Thinks So.
May 23, 2013 11:58 AM
by Chris Clarke
Can Electricity Be Stored Safely and Effectively? Firm Gets Big Money for Big Goal
May 21, 2013 5:45 PM
by Chris Clarke
Technology:
An East Coast firm has announced it's raised $15 million to develop affordable, scalable power storage for the grid using zinc-air battery technology.
6 Ways to Look at Renewable Energy Breakthroughs That Are Too Good To Be True
May 15, 2013 5:25 PM
by Chris Clarke
Technology:
There are a lot of wild claims about renewable energy these days. How do we sort the truly promising from the empty promises?
Technology:
The notion of capturing waste heat from our technology and using it to generate electrical power isn't new. But a team of scientists at UCLA has come up with a new spin on the practice, using a branch of applied physics that didn't even exist 40 years ago.
Technology:
One of the main obstacles to greater use of renewables is the fact that the cheapest forms of renewable energy, solar and wind, don't offer power 24/7. Without an effective way of storing surplus energy when the sun's out and the wind's blowing, those readily available renewables don't help much on windless nights.
A San Francisco-based company hopes to offer a practical way out of that problem by using high tech to fine-tune a technology we've used since the Stone Age: the flywheel.
Technology:
Add another item to the growing buzz about graphene, which ReWire has covered quite recently: in addition to being a promising candidate for electrical power storage, the single-atom thin sheet form of carbon may offer a way to squeeze a whole lot more power out of photovoltaic cells.
USC Breakthrough May Mean Stronger, Faster Batteries
February 12, 2013 4:41 PM
by Chris Clarke
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.
Clothing That Produces Energy: Future Solar Fabrics Possible
December 27, 2012 2:00 PM
by Chris Clarke
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.
The Aesthetics of Design Meets Emergency Backup Power
December 17, 2012 1:55 PM
by Chris Clarke
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.
Innovative Solar Cell Tech Gets Snapped Up In Lenders' Fire Sale
November 15, 2012 9:30 AM
by Chris Clarke
Photovoltaic (PV):
Nifty subatomic technology didn't save this Bay Area solar firm from melting down.
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.
Electric Car Battery Manufacturer Files for Bankruptcy
October 18, 2012 12:45 PM
by Chris Clarke
Technology:
The battery manufacturer responsible for Fisker electric cars catching on fire has filed for bankruptcy.
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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.

- 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
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