Covid-19 has significantly impacted the solar industry of USA, and not only has it shaken up the progress in solar plant construction, but the pandemic will also lead to a substantial unemployed population. According to the data of Employment Development Department, residential solar power provider Sungevity has implemented a large-scale lay off due to the pandemic and poor operation performance, and fired 387 workers. ...  more

Conventional solar panels are not intended to be in service forever even though they are designed for the outdoor environment and can withstand difficult weather conditions. The life of solar panels (photovoltaic modules) is around 25 years on average. ...  more

Dandelion Energy, a startup founded by Google X, has raised US$12 million recently, mainly for funding its development of residential geothermal technology. ...  more

U.S.-based General Motors has released its new Ultium battery system, with claims of improved mileage and lower costs. GM intends on licensing the technology to other automakers. Current market sentiment partially indicates that this new battery technology may have the potential to become a thorn in Tesla’s side. ...  more

Countries in Western Europe and the US are now rapidly decommissioning their coal-fired power plants. Policies mandating the adoption of renewable energies and reduction of carbon emissions are the driving force behind the coal phase-out in Europe. ...  more

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the solution of choice for most energy storage applications, including smartphones, electric vehicles, and battery energy storage systems. ...  more

Taiwan’s polysilicon producer Powertec (Powertec Energy Corp.) formally filed for bankruptcy on February 27. As one of its major shareholder, the government-run National Development Fund of Taiwan is expected to face a staggering loss of around NT$3 billion. ...  more

One of the most important and costliest raw materials in electric vehicles, or EVs, is cobalt, a type of heavy metal. Year 2019 saw the rapid growth of EVs, with a corresponding surge in battery manufacturers’ demand for cobalt, as five of the manufacturers expended 78% of the global cobalt supply. CATL ranks first. ...  more

To reduce reliance on gas-fired power plants and eliminate unsightly chimneys associated with most generation facilities, the US state of California has approved the proposal to develop four battery energy storage projects in Monterey County. ...  more

Major trade shows such as the Mobile World Congress in February 2020 and Facebook F8 in May are postponed or canceled to reduce chances for infection via large crowd gatherings, as the COVID-19 outbreak continues its worldwide ra...  more