Will government policy to promote clean energy be disastrous or a boon? A close look at the 2009 stimulus, which plowed $90 billion into energy, can tell us a lot.
Tara P. Dhakal, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Solar power has enormous potential, but provides only about one percent of world electricity today. An engineer explains the many steps it takes to make solar panels that are efficient, clean and cheap.
Tristan R. Brown, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
The wind and solar industries scored a huge win by getting extended tax credits, but research shows this isn’t the best policy for lowering emissions through renewable energy.
South Africa has been slow to adopt renewable energy sources. One option, which has proved successful elsewhere, would be to install solar photovoltaic panels on rooftops in low-income areas.
Mozambique has long standing energy challenges and widespread energy poverty. To change this, particularly for people living in rural areas, it needs to democratise the way it supplies energy.
Wilfred Fritz, Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Deon Kallis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Africa is blessed with an abundance of sunshine.Given the heavy demand for energy, alternatives, such as solar, could provide solutions and help stimulate economic growth.
The massive Ivanpah solar power plant uses natural gas – even more than it expected last year. It’s not ideal, but solar power and natural gas are a powerful, and relatively ‘green,’ combination.
Given existing technologies, expanding access to electricity almost always increases CO2 emissions. There are real trade-offs between addressing poverty and climate change.
Smoothing out variable wind and solar is a growing problem. Instead of storing energy with batteries, utilities can adjust the power of millions of devices in buildings and homes.