As the world races to meet net-zero targets, emissions from all industrial sectors must be reduced more urgently than ever. Agriculture is an important area of focus as it contributes up to 22 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. One approach to decarbonising agriculture involves integrating solar panels – or photovoltaics (PVs) – into…
The solar energy industry has long been portrayed as being at odds with traditional farming, as both require lots of land and are presumably in competition with one another. However, a new approach called “agrivoltaics” is integrating the two industries together and showing that they can coexist while benefiting one another, the Washington Post reported. Agrivoltaics…
Solar panel recycling plays a role in the energy sector because it tackles the environmental and economic issues linked to disposing of old solar panels. As the global energy installation continues to surge, many solar panels will reach their end-of-life stage in the coming years, resulting in waste. Recycling these panels prevents substances from entering…
As the world races to meet net-zero targets, emissions from all industrial sectors must be reduced more urgently than ever. Agriculture is an important area of focus as it contributes up to 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions – almost as much as the energy sector. One approach to decarbonising the agricultural sector is agrivoltaics….
The Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) has launched another significant green transition project aimed at making the Greek island of Ai Stratis energy self-sufficient through the exclusive use of renewable energy sources. The pilot project, titled “Ai Stratis Green Island”, is designed to meet all electricity and heating needs of the island’s residents by…
MIT engineers have built a new desalination system that runs with the rhythms of the sun. The solar-powered system removes salt from water at a pace that closely follows changes in solar energy. As sunlight increases through the day, the system ramps up its desalting process and automatically adjusts to any sudden variation in sunlight,…
According to the European Environment Agency, 85–95 % of today’s buildings will still be standing in 2050. As a result, there is an urgent need to renovate existing buildings to reduce energy consumption and improve their energy performance >>> Barone, G., Vardopoulos, I., Attia, S., & Vassilliades, C. Energy Reports 12, 2933-2945 (2024) Recent related articles…
Liz Truss, the new UK prime minister, isn’t a fan of solar farms. In 2014, when she was environment secretary, she described rows of panels arranged in a field to capture energy from the sun as a “blight on the landscape”. Eight years later, as a candidate for the 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, she…
The depletion of conventional fossil fuel supplies and the growing global population necessitate a significant reduction in energy use and harmful emissions. High sun radiation in the Mediterranean region increases summer overheating, and results in increasing energy expenditures and building emissions. But, this also presents an opportunity for solar energy systems, as building designers see…
Scientists from Swansea University have developed a new tool to help identify optimal photovoltaic (PV) materials capable of maximising crop growth while generating solar power. In a recent study published in Solar RRL, academics from the University’s Department of Physics have been exploring the effect of semi-transparent PV materials placed over crops – an exemplary…