The people of the United States have voted and their choice has been made. Donald J. Trump will be taking his seat in The White House. We need to bring to Mr. Trump's attention the importance of progressing clean and renewable energy technologies. Our new President needs to understand that these technologies harness tremendous environmental and economic benefits and should be an "on the agenda" item.
An employee of PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) cleans the surface of solar panels at a solar power generation plant in Gili Meno island, in this December 9, 2014 photo taken by Antara Foto.
Upon initial impression, Floridas Amendment 1 "Rights of Electricity Consumers Regarding Solar Energy Choice" seems very progressive. It allows "consumers to own or lease solar equipment installed on their property to generate electricity for their own use", will ensure protection of their "consumer rights and public health, safety and welfare". It even protects those who choose to forgo solar, "not [requiring them] to subsidize the costs of backup power and electric grid access to those who do [install solar]". It even promises to leave the state and local finances unscathed.
Perovskites have stolen center stage in the realm of photovoltaic technology and research, praised for their ability to bump up the efficiency of a typical solar array and for their relative affordability to traditional silicon materials. There has been much exploration-- and promising results-- of layering a thin sheet of the crystal atop a standard silicon cell in a solar panel. Yet many are deterred by the materials compromise in durability and stability, thus limiting its potential to be used in various formats.
According to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), more than half of all new electricity generation capacity 153 Gigawatt (GW) created last year was derived from renewable sources. The increase, a 15% uptick since 2014, is comprised predominantly of solar and wind power.
