Australian engineers have taken us closer than ever before to the theoretical limits of sunlight-to-electricity conversion, by building photovoltaic cells that can harvest an unheard-of 34.5 percent of the Sun’s energy without concentrators – setting a new world record.
Fossil fuels are holding on, but end of their reign is nigh, says a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which predicts that wind and solar will be cheaper than coal and gas generators by 2027, and electric vehicles could make up 25 percent of the global car fleet by 2040.
Renewable energy accounted for nearly 25 percent of global electrical capacity in 2015, according to a new study, Renewables 2016 Global Status Report, by REN21. The power sector experienced its largest annual increase in capacity ever, with significant growth in all regions. Wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) had record additions for the second consecutive year, accounting for about 77 percent of new installations, and hydropower represented most of the remainder.