Meet GELI And Its Operating System For Clean Power Storage

Scientists have developed a new way to calculate the carbon footprint of batteries needed to store wind and solar power for the electrical grid. A key problem is that the US electrical grid has virtually no storage capacity, so grid operators can’t stockpile surplus clean energy and deliver it at night, or when the wind isn’t blowing.To provide more flexibility in managing the grid, researchers have begun developing new batteries and other large-scale storage devices.

Clean energy investment slid 11% last year after governments in industrial nations slashed subsidies for technologies ranging from wind turbines to solar power and biomass. The US$268.7-billion invested in the industry last year was down from a record US$302.3-billion in 2011, the second highest reading ever and was five times the level in 2004, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

While the solar industry is going through something of a rough patch in the United States, the sun still shines in other parts of the world – a strong indication that better days are ahead for this vital source of clean power.   Germany’s Solar Boom  

Last year saw a shift from a reliance on oil and coal to an exploration of untapped natural gas resources and renewable energy. Few will bet against this topsy-turvy, transitional energy state persisting through 2013 and beyond. For the coming year, fossil fuels will continue to dominate the energy market, but renewables will continue their slow and steady gains, experts say

By John Addison:For ten years, the Clean Energy Trends report has been a must-read for investors in renewable energy and cleantech. The new report shows that global annual revenue for solar PV grew from $3 billion in 2001 to $91.6 billion in 2011; wind power from $4.6 billion to $71.5 billion. The new report forecasts that global solar power annual revenues will grow from $91.6 billion in 2011 to $130.5 by 2021; wind power from $71.5 billion to $116.3 in ten years.

ETF Database submits: Over the past few years, the number of ETFs tracking the alternative energy industry has soared; what was once just a few funds targeting broad equity and bond markets has now branched out into a diversified mix of ETFs offering exposure to almost every conceivable corner of the investable asset universe. One excellent example of this trend is the clean energy space, which is now the subject of dozens of exchange-traded products.

John Petersen submits: