Solar is the fastest growing electricity-generating technology in history. That rapid scaling was a result of squeezing cost reductions out of every step of production. But there's one critical piece that hasn't changed much: frames.
Aluminum frames now make up one-quarter of the cost of a PV module. And that metal mostly comes from China, a country that con ... Show More
Aug 12
Did someone just figure out how to project finance nuclear?
For decades, the promise of new nuclear power in the West has been stifled not by the technology itself, but by the “construction problem.” Massive, multi-billion dollar mega-projects plagued by schedule creep and labor shortages have made nuclear a financial non-starter for comm ... Show More
48m 50s
May 2016
The Solar Coaster: Troubles at Yingli Solar and the Flatlining Global PV Market
This year, GTM Research is forecasting that 66 gigawatts of PV capacity will be installed around the world -- a 21 percent increase over last year. But next year, capacity will only expand by 4 percent. In fact, without some of the top markets like India, America and China, the g ... Show More
52m 44s
Jul 2024
804: AI x Solar Power = Abundant Energy
Solar power now provides 6% of the world's electricity, thanks to rapid growth. Host Jon Krohn discusses the factors driving this rise, the challenges ahead, and how AI and data science are optimizing solar technologies. Tune in for insights on the future of solar power, and don' ... Show More
13m 57s
Mar 2014
Anatomy of a Solar Power Boom: Can the Industry Keep it Going?
As expected, 2013 was yet another record year for solar in the U.S. With 5.1 gigawatts of PV and CSP coming online, the solar industry was the second largest provider of electricity capacity behind natural gas. But how long will it continue? With a tax credit expiration looming, ... Show More
43m 9s
Aug 2024
The extraordinary resurgence of concentrated solar power
Complex, outdated, expensive: concentrating solar power used to be a clunky way of harnessing the sun. What’s changed to now make it viable? Concentrating Solar Power, or CSP, takes energy from the sun, converts it to heat, and uses it to drive a turbine to provide renewable elec ... Show More
56m 46s
Jul 2014
What Was He Smoking? How a Solar Pioneer’s Big Dreams Came True
Today, solar’s dominance feels inevitable. But in 1979, when Neville Williams started promoting the industry at the Department of Energy, it felt like a far-off dream. That didn’t stop the early pioneers from thinking big and pushing the government to invest in the early technolo ... Show More
42m 47s