Science and Technology:
¶ A research team at Sharp Corporation has announced that it has created a solar cell capable of converting 44.4% of incoming sunlight into electricity. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ The German Society for International Cooperation released a report saying once a Feed-in-Tariff becomes effective, renewable energy can help answer a growing energy demand in the Philippines, with an affordable impact on household electricity bills. [Rappler]
¶ Six of Japan’s regional electricity monopolies have included plans to restart 20 reactors by September 2015 in applications for rate hikes. Industry observers say the assumptions are ambitious, as the NRA has said review period my be more than three years. [Chicago Tribune]
¶ A “climate bomb” of potent greenhouse gases far more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide is set to be released by some of the world’s leading producers of refrigerants following a ban on climate credits by the European Emissions Trading Scheme. [CNN]
¶ The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which oversees dismantling the UK’s atomic power and research stations will reveal on Monday that its estimates for the lifetime cost of the programme has risen by billions of pounds. [The Guardian]
US:
¶ The California Hydrogen Business Council has implemented a program to further the wider market adoption of hydrogen as a form of energy storage and advance commercialization of hydrogen as fuel. [bestmag]
¶ As Congress considers scaling back or abolishing US rules that mandate the use of renewable fuels, it has full support of most of the petroleum industry. BP, one of the world’s biggest oil companies by revenue wants to continue the rules without change. [Washington Post]
¶ The US Army had a power problem, and the consequence was no small matter: Troops were left more vulnerable to sniper attacks. But now, the Army says, the use of solar and wind systems is keeping the power flowing and, as a result, helping reduce casualties. [EarthTechling]
¶ A new environmental group in Massachusetts will ask voters to be the first in the nation to adopt a carbon tax by imposing new levies on fossil fuels based on the amount of carbon dioxide they produce. The tax could generate $2.5 billion in revenues per year. [Boston Globe]
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