By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Tue, 2009-04-21 15:10
Grid parity - the point where the cost of generating electricity by solar systems equalises the average (wholesale) price of generating electricity by means of conventional methods - is the Holy Grail for the photovoltaics industry. For concentrating photovoltaics in the sunniest locations in the world, this point is not far off. The most optimistic estimates put it at 2011, whereas pessimists expect we'll have to wait as long as 2020. Therefore, a prediction market at Leonardo Visions to build a consensus view among Leonardo ENERGY users on this important issue.
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Mon, 2008-01-14 08:00
Investment in renewable fuels is booming. Last year, solar and wind are reported to have broken through the 100 BUSD wall and reached 117 BUSD, a growth over 3 years that averages more than 40% per year. Reportedly, there is no slow-down in sight - on the contrary! Growth 2007 was 20 BUSD above predicted values.
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Fri, 2006-02-24 10:01
Learning curves are no doubt very useful for understanding matters of technology development and its consequences. But could they also be used for policy design? The answer is yes and in many ways. It has further been done so in some policy design such as the Japanese million-roof programme for Photovoltaics and the German feed-in tariffs for renewable fuels.
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By Hans Nilsson / Published on Tue, 2006-01-10 15:36
A frequently recurring debate over new energy technologies is whether they can be defended from the perspective of cost-efficiency, and what the roles of governments on one hand and market actors on the other hand are in making new technologies affordable.
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