PV-Tech: SolarWorld and REC Solar Suggest U.K. Solar Collapse in 2016

Both SolarWorld and REC Solar have issued their Q3 2015 reports in the past couple of weeks, and each company delivered its own estimates of U.K. solar deployment for the 2016 calendar year.

The forecasts were almost identical, and effectively indicated that each company is expecting the U.K. market to collapse to low levels, well below 50% of what is expected to be installed in the U.K. this year.

REC Solar is forecasting that U.K. solar installations for 2016 would decline to 23% of the European figure of 7.3 GW, or 1.68 GW. SolarWorld is forecasting that the U.K. would install 1.7 GW in 2016. So for all purposes, both are aligned at forecasting the U.K. to install just 1.7 GW for the whole of next year.

Engadget: Nest's Latest Thermostat Comes to the U.K. With Hot Water Controls

A month after its U.S. launch, Nest's third-generation thermostat has arrived in Britain. The hardware might look familiar, but it has a few extra tricks that separate it from previous versions and even its counterpart across the pond.

For starters, Nest has given the circular design a nice little spec bump; compared to its predecessor, the thermostat has a larger (2.08 inches), brighter and pixel-dense (229ppi) display, making it easier to scroll through the interface with sleep-deprived eyes. The device's entire body is also slightly thinner, meaning it should look just a smidge more attractive in a hallway or living room.

Reuters: Brazil Gives Go-Ahead to 53 New Solar and Wind Farms

The Brazilian government approved on Friday the construction of 53 new solar and wind farms that will add 1.5 gigawatts to its power generation capacity as part of a bid to diversify energy sources and increase the system's reliability.

Brazil granted contracts for companies to deliver 548.2 megawatts from wind farms and 929.3 megawatts from solar installations, with initial deliveries scheduled for November 2018. The government estimates those projects will cost companies some 6.8 billion reais ($1.77 billion).

Christian Science Monitor: Will South Korea Lead the Way With Its Ambitious Fuel Cell Project?

With the aim of reducing rising greenhouse gases and limiting the use of conventional fossil fuels, the world is slowly but steadily taking note of alternative sources of energy that are not only efficient but increasingly cost-effective. Fuel cells are one such alternative source of energy that is quickly gaining worldwide acceptance, and there have been several high-profile developments in this market recently, especially in Asia.

As reported this week, China’s Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co. (TRC) has signed a $2 million agreement with Ballard Power Systems to develop fuel-cell-powered trams by 2016. In addition, Connecticut-based Doosan Fuel Cell America (previously Clear Edge Power, before South Korea’s Doosan acquired it) announced a deal to manufacture and supply 70 fuel cells that would generate close to 30.8 MW of clean energy for a new residential complex in Busan, South Korea.

Inside Climate News: Global Coal Consumption Likely Has Peaked, Report Says

Coal still provides about 40 percent of the world's electricity, but it is "increasingly likely" that global consumption of the fossil fuel peaked in 2013, according to a new forecast based on recent trends in China, the world's biggest coal consumer, and the 11 other largest users.

An analysis by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis showed that worldwide coal consumption is likely to decline 2 percent to 4 percent in 2015, despite near decade-low coal prices. That's on top of 2014's 0.7 percent decline, estimated in BP's World Energy Outlook.