Adam McGlade

RISING COSTS Energy costs to soar as customers expected to pay around €200 extra a year with ‘more green energy’ needed as solution

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Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA) say that the recent surge in electricity prices is the consequence of failing to support the renewable energy sector. Conall Bolger CEO of ISEA said the spate of electricity suppliers increasing their prices highlights systemic problems within Ireland’s energy policies. “We remain over reliant on fossil fuels, in particular natural … Read more

Solar Futures Study

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The Solar Futures Study explores solar energy’s role in transitioning to a carbon-free electric grid. Produced by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and released on September 8, 2021, the study finds that with aggressive cost reductions, supportive policies, and large-scale electrification, solar could account … Read more

Power of solar energy

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Sir, – Chris Horn’s excellent article “Renewable energy is all very well, but how far will wind carry us?” (September 23rd), highlights the political, technical and possible economic naivety of welcoming so many energy guzzling data centres to Ireland, while simultaneously closing several reliable power stations. It is becoming blatantly obvious that if this unwise … Read more

Solar installation could add £1,800 to house prices – as it’s revealed half of homeowners would consider installing if green finance was available

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A new survey commissioned by Solar Energy UK finds that nearly half of homeowners would consider installing solar panels to their homes if green finance was available Research coincides with comprehensive report into the value of solar on UK properties, which reveals that installation could knock nearly a third of the cost of an average … Read more

Point Load Power releases latest version of flat rooftop solar tracker

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Point Load Power announced the launch of its flagship technology, PV Booster Gen 2, a rooftop tracking system designed to maximize solar production from monofacial and bifacial solar panels, producing up to 70% more energy per panel compared to fixed-tilt rooftop mounting solutions. This advancement in solar performance means that building owners, occupants and project integrators … Read more

Six-junction solar cell sets two world records for efficiency

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Scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have fabricated a solar cell with an efficiency of nearly 50%. The six-junction solar cell now holds the world record for the highest solar conversion efficiency at 47.1%, which was measured under concentrated illumination. A variation of the same cell also set the efficiency record under one-sun … Read more

Recently discovered molecule could significantly boost solar cell power

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In the search for more efficient solar cells, researchers in Japan have found that a recently discovered molecule, important in a plant’s ability to photosynthesise sunlight, could also reap rewards for solar cells. Among photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll is the most crucial one as it captures light energy and converts photons into electrons as a source … Read more

Breakthrough solar cell sets two world records for efficiency

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Scientists at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have published findings to Nature Energy on a new solar cell concept with enormous potential. The six-junction cell achieved a solar conversion efficiency of 47.1pc under concentrated illumination, creating a new world record. A second record was also achieved with efficiency of 39.2pc under one-sun illumination. To construct … Read more

New renewable energy capacity hit record levels in 2019

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Almost three-quarters of new electricity generation capacity built in 2019 uses renewable energy, representing an all-time record. New data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) shows solar, wind and other green technologies now provide more than one-third of the world’s power, marking another record. Fossil fuel power plants are in decline in Europe and the US, with … Read more