Environment Forum
Global environmental challenges
Federal purse reopens for solar science
The U.S. Department of Energy announced this week $60 million in funding for scientists to develop “revolutionary research” to lower the cost of solar power systems.
The DOE SunShot Initiative is baiting researchers to increase efficiency of commercial solar power (CSP) systems and lower costs to six cents per kilowatt hour by the end of the decade.
The initiative is being called a “sign of the times for the sector“, and comes amidst accusations the government is squandering taxpayer money on businesses doomed to fail, best exemplified by recently bankrupt solar heavyweight Solyndra.
The DOE says the SunShot CSP grant is meant to look beyond short-term innovation and explore transformative concepts with the “potential to break through performance barriers like efficiency and temperature limitations,” the DOE announced. It wants scientists to think big.
With billions invested in multiple CSP plants throughout the southwestern states, improving CSP generation to the point where it can once again compete with cheaper solar photovoltaic panels appears to be an important priority for the DOE, writes Energy Matters.
from DealZone:
Tesla sticker shock?
With highly touted plans for a new electric car in jeopardy, an overseas investor steps in to provide new capital and a much-needed endorsement.
GM? No, Tesla.
Remarkably, the terms of German automaker Daimler AG's 10-percent stake in Tesla may have also helped the Silicon Valley electric-car start-up inch closer to GM in value.
Daimler's vague disclosure of its purchase price as "double digit million dollar" means Tesla is valued at a minimum of $100 million. That would make Tesla, which was founded nearly six years ago, about one-eighth the size of 100-year-old GM.
A world away in Detroit, GM has seen its share price spiral downward to near $1. That the price may fall to near zero if the automaker files for bankruptcy as is widely expected. It would be worth less than 2 cents if GM proceeds with plans to issue a flood of new shares to pay off creditors.
GM was worth around $768 million, making it by far the smallest component in the Dow Jones industrial average judged by market cap.
its a great thing happening because the fuels are going to die one day and then we are totally dependent on the solar energy. It should happen in whole globe that all countries should think of the future now because we are living good life so we should do things which make the life of our coming generations quite smooth.
Kevin
BD manager
http://www.textloansnocreditcheck.co.uk/