"In yet another knee-jerk reaction to curb #RenewableEnergy growth through #solar net metering amid high grid electricity costs, [#Pakistan's] government on Thursday reduced the buyback rate by two-thirds to Rs10 per unit and scrapped net billing.
The decision [is] applicable to new net-metering consumers."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1897740/solar-users-face-higher-costs-as-policy-revised
Botswana to Seek 1.5 GW of Solar Power to Speed Green Transition https://www.bocvip.com/792146/botswana-to-seek-1-5-gw-of-solar-power-to-speed-green-transition/ #RenewableEnergy
Countries like Chile and Kenya are leading by example in renewable energy, showcasing that ambitious policies can drive real change, even in challenging financial contexts.
Every effort counts! #RenewableEnergy #Leadership
"Crypto bros and AI nerds arguing over who will save the world first, while a solar cell just hit 45% efficiency and quietly said, 'Hold my photons.' 
#RenewableEnergy"
"45% efficiency in solar cells? This is the kind of breakthrough that could redefine our energy future. 
Let’s harness innovation to power a sustainable tomorrow. #RenewableEnergy #Innovation"
Economical, solar-powered system for converting municipal wastewater to green hydrogen and animal feed.
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/12/a-green-hydrogen-twofer-waste-management-plus-animal-feed/
What would be really helpful would be for new power projects to be rated in estimated annual generation in TWh. Rather than headline output. It would make comparisons a lot easier. Most projects shoud have a range estimate for this as it is fundemental to their income.
If they cannot do that then at least an estimated capacity factor along with the headline capacity.
Is there a resource anywhere that helps with this?
In the environment, the EU saw greenhouse gas emissions drop by 8% in 2023, marking a significant shift towards renewable energy.
The UK closed its last coal plant, joining nations committed to a sustainable future.
This week, we're sharing some inspiring news on how justice can lead to progress.
The US has struck a deal to return over $50 million, seized from Nigeria's ex-oil minister, to fund renewable energy in the country.
Milestone: 51% of all electricity produced in the Netherlands last year was from renewables! In 2015, it was only ~12%.
Nuclear's share last year was 3%, leaving 46% for fossil generation (mostly gas).
https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/11/half-of-electricity-is-produced-from-renewable-sources
#renewableenergy #solar #wind #electricity
#Trunp #Energy Secretary Pledges to Reverse Focus on #ClimateChange
To applause from #oil & #gas executives, #ChrisWright said #NaturalGas was preferable to #RenewableEnergy & #climate change was a “side effect of building the modern world.”
#ClimateCrisis #Fight4aFuture #FossilFuels #science #USpol #geopolitics
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/climate/energy-secretary-climate-change-fossil-fuels.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=p&pvid=B781C9BB-6190-487F-BE56-E9937CE369A8
A Wave of Anti-Renewables Bills Hits State Legislatures
"State legislatures are now a crucial battleground for the future of #RenewableEnergy, as Republican lawmakers seek massive restrictions and punitive measures on new solar and wind projects."
https://heatmap.news/plus/the-fight/spotlight/anti-renewable-energy-legislation-states
From setback restrictions to tougher approval processes, red states are aggressively limiting new build of clean energy.
"The aggressive and rapid approach sweeping state legislatures has yet to get a national spotlight."
Peer-to-peer energy in developing nations
https://youtu.be/j6oB1UjwY5w?feature=shared
It’s estimated that globally 1.18 Billion people are living in energy poverty and 700 Million are living with no electricity at all. [1] Many of them are in rural areas with no chance of ever getting connected to a mains (Fossil Fuel) grid because the electricity/maintenance would be just too expensive. Enter peer-to-peer energy trading technology, coupled with cheap solar and storage. A technology that has the potential to lift millions out of energy poverty, especially those living in equatorial regions.
Established in 2015, SOLshare, in Bangladesh, has developed one of the world’s first solar peer-to-peer energy exchange platforms, allowing households with rooftop solar home systems to trade excess electricity in real-time. This technology enables users to become both producers and consumers of electricity, enhancing energy access in areas where traditional grid infrastructure is lacking.
The SOLshare platform is comprised of three key elements
SOLshare’s initiative has significantly improved energy access for rural communities in Bangladesh, where approximately 60 million people still lack reliable electricity. Some of these communities have never had access to reliable electricity. By enabling households to monetise their excess solar energy, SOLshare not only addresses energy poverty but also empowers local economies by allowing individuals to earn income through energy trading.
The company’s technology exemplifies the benefits of a shift towards decentralised and sustainable energy solutions. The Fossil Fuels industry to this day claims that renewables can’t power the world, but if history has taught us anything it’s centralised Fossil Fuels can’t power poorer regional areas. While this technology is most applicable in rural areas it can be deployed in cities to help combat blackouts and rising electricity costs.
There are other similar initiatives happening in the developing world. I touched on another initiative in Africa in this article HERE. Also in Cambodia Okra Solar are deploying something very similar which they call a Mesh Grid. It can be quickly deployed, and in this case below, redeployed when needed. Someting that is increasingly important when it comes to Climate Change adaptation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI4S2lH9DdM
You can see other projects that Okra Solar are deploying around the world here: https://www.okrasolar.com/category/case-studies
It’s not just the developing world that can benefit from this type of Solar Micro Grid. In Australia remote communities that are currently dependent on diesel generators are now being powered by Solar and Batteries. These towns would also benefit from the addition of peer-to-peer energy trading as a way to save money and build more resilience into their micro grids. https://reneweconomy.com.au/horizon-slashes-diesel-use-with-solar-and-battery-microgrids-for-remote-towns/
Solar and Storage will 100% power equatorial regions, and beyond, in the the future. It will be cheaper and more reliable. It will allow for more energy independence and will dramatically reduce emissions. We just need to hit the accelerator pedal and get deploying these projects faster so they can benefit from economies of scale.
Notes*
The Bangladesh video is from Damon Gameau who embarks on a personal journey to explore what the future could look like by the year 2040 if we embraced the best solutions available today to improve our planet and wellbeing. https://theregenerators.org/2040/
You can read more about Mesh Grids here: https://cleantechnica.com/2024/04/05/the-potential-of-solar-mesh-grids-for-last-mile-electrification/
Other links:
Al Jazeera video on Solshare: https://youtu.be/v33ERl42VYM?si=U_dZvHwzlnZEmKuk
World Economic Forum video: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2018/06/rural-bangladesh-villages-transition-renewable-energy-sebastian-groh/
So, today's #SolarPunkSunday has been mostly about #SeedSharing and #Gardening. I think I'm going to continue with this theme since it's a timely topic. Next week I'll make sure to cover #RepairCafes and ways to make #RenewableEnergy more nature-friendly!
#SolarPunk
#OrganicPhotovoltaics: the path to lightweight, flexible and transparent #SolarCells
Researchers at #HiroshimaUniversity are creating organic photovoltaics that are sustainable and offer many benefits over traditional #silicon-based solar panels.
"Itaru Osaka’s story with organic photovoltaics began as a PhD student working in the research group of Hideki Shirakawa at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. In the 1970s, Shirakawa, along with American scientists Alan Heeger and Alan MacDiarmid, found a way to make plastics that can conduct electricity — a discovery that won them the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000.
"These days Osaka has his own research group at Hiroshima University that is working with these ‘conjugated polymers’ to make carbon-based, ‘organic’ photovoltaic cells. In contrast to typical silicon-based cells, which are relatively bulky, heavy, rigid and opaque, the organic alternatives are flexible and transparent enough to be placed where existing cells cannot, such as on the walls of buildings, the glass of greenhouses and even on the sides of tents.
"Significantly, their fabrication is expected to be cheaper and consume less energy than silicon-based photovoltaics."
Read more:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-022-00224-9
#SolarPunkSunday #SolarCells #SolarPower #SolarPunk #RenewableEnergy #RenewablesNow
Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
‘More frequent, intense’: PM puts climate front and centre for election
Gaaaah, we know all this, you dweeb. We've known it for decades. We also know that you keep funding fossilfools via undeserved obscene tax breaks, & doing their work by approving new fossilfool projects & expansions, plus demonising protesters instead of the actual climate criminals. You simply have NO credibility in this space, dear PM.
#AusPol #Greens #VoteGreens #ProgIndies #WeAreTotallyFscked #WeAreSelfishCruelBastards #Misanthropy #FsckOffDutton! #ShitParty1 #ShitParty2 #ComeOnTanya! #WhyIsLabor #NatsAreNuts #NoNukes #racism #FuckRacists #TuckFrump #ClimateCrisis #NonLinear #TippingPoints #PositiveFeedbackLoops #FossilFools #RenewableEnergy #ChangeTheSystem #StateCapture #RightToProtest #Biodiversity #WeAreTotallyFscked #Misanthropy #Karma #NativeForests #StopLoggingNativeForests #FsckCapitalism #CognitiveDissonance
This is part one of a two-part series on the innovative ways coal infrastructure is being repurposed to meet the needs of renewable energy.
Interesting and readable briefing note on the costs of electricity and renewable energy in the UK
https://eciu.net/analysis/briefings/uk-energy-policies-and-prices/renewable-energy-in-the-uk
Scotland now home to Europe's biggest battery as windy storage site fires up.
Located at a site named Blackhillock near the small town of Keith, the battery can deliver up to 200MW of electricity and can store as much as 400MWh. Charging current flows into the facility from offshore and onshore wind turbines.
The facility will expand to 300MW/600MWh by 2026, enough energy to supply two hours of electricity to 3.1 million homes.
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