Embattled photovoltaic solar power manufacturer Amonix announced on Tuesday that it has broken the solar module efficiency record, becoming the first manufacturer to convert more than a third of incoming light energy into electricity – a goal once branded "one third of a sun" in a Department of Energy initiative. The Amonix module clocked an efficiency rating of 33.5 percent.

Tunisian green energy startup Saphon Energy has created a new bladeless wind turbine which draws inspiration from the design of a ship’s sails, and promises to convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity at up to double the efficiency – and half the cost – of a typical wind turbine.

Solar power will eclipse nuclear energy in 2016 in Romania if investment in photovoltaic plants continues at the current pace, official figures released on Monday showed.

Another German industrial giant has bailed out of the Desertec project, which is trying to safeguard the future of a green Europe with expanded use of renewable energy. Bosch has confirmed that it will no longer be a member of Desertec by the end of this year.

Morocco's pioneering 160-megawatt solar power plant took a step forward on Monday, securing European financing agreements worth 300 million euros ($385 million), or nearly half of the project's cost.

An unexpected source of new, clean energy has been found: the Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell that can generate electricity from the natural interaction between living plant roots and soil bacteria.

India’s largest photovoltaic solar power plant, located in the western state of Rajasthan, has started generating clean energy that will provide electricity to thousands of households and businesses in Mumbai.

A revolutionary new way to create steam simply by using sunlight, has been discovered by researchers. The method is able to bring an entire container of fluid to boiling point, even a container of icy cold water.

They can help us pass the time, socialise and yes, even work, but can smartphones also help us save the planet? A paper recently published in the International Journal of Sustainable Energy suggests they can.

Denmark wants to assist Vietnamese enterprises in using energy more effectively, Danish Ambassador to Viet Nam John Nielse told reporters on October 31.

Via Solar Love, reposted with full permission (one image added):

Critics of solar and wind power often point out they are intermittent power sources, and they are correct about that. Cloudy and still days mean low or no energy and that is the major drawback of solar and wind power. However, new hybrid solar and wind power systems in California may offer a viable alternative.

Germany installed nearly 1,000 MW (1 GW) of new solar power in September, bringing its total for the year up to 6,200 MW (6.22 GW). These statistics were provided by the German Federal Network Agency, The Bundesnetzagentur (or BNetzA). The solar industry there also saw solar generation growth of over 50% in the first 9 months of 2012.

US solar and wind developer Lincoln Renewable Energy announced Monday that it has entered into a 20-year power sales agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) to deliver electricity sourced from two upcoming solar projects located in San Bernardino.

Investing the funds that are raised as a result of carbon taxing into a major energy efficiency program could boost the economy and create jobs, as well as dealing with the original issue — energy efficiency. This is according to a new report published by British statutory consumer organisation, Consumer Focus.

Declining PV prices, incentives, and the fear of losing incentives have caused a surge in solar installations in Australia. The result has been that the country has reached 2,000 MW of installed solar PV.

Texas, a state better known for oil production, just hit an all-time record of 8,521 MW from wind power (sent to its largest grid). 8,368 MW sent to the grid from wind power was the previous record. It was achieved twice this year, as well. The day when 8,521 was achieved was the last of a three-day run with an average of about 5,000 MW.

Google is continuing to show its commitment to development of a renewable energy economy, investing $75 million dollars into a 50MW wind farm in Rippey, Iowa.

Last Wednesday, GE celebrated the installation of it’s 20,000th wind turbine. All combined, these 20,000 turbines have the capacity to power the cities of Hong Kong and London.

Solar cell and module shipments increased by 80% in Japan in July, August, and September. The cause was government-initiated incentive programs, most notably an aggressive feed-in tariff.

Four wind farms in China have become operational, totaling 198 MW of capacity.

No form of renewable energy has gained more ground in the past 15 years than wind, with installed capacity up 40-fold. Now, facing a long list of hurdles, the Global Wind Energy Council says the industry will need to work hard to make the next 15 years as fruitful – a necessity in the fight against climate change, in its view.

Australia and the United States will have a bilateral discussion on energy supply and security in 2013, Australian Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson said in a statement on Friday.

Google announced that it was investing $ 280 million in a project to expand the use of solar energy by individuals.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular, as people and cities all over the world have started recognizing their advantages and introducing initiatives to promote the use of the plug-in transport option.

Heating and hotwater industry urges consumers to patch up "hole in the roof"