The UK's forthcoming transition to a low-carbon future has been much touted as a financial and environmental solution. However, it remains uncertain whether the UK has the appropriate skills to underpin a renewable energy revolution. Professor Peter Crossley, Director of the Joule Centre, examines the situation.
25 March, 2009
At the first World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, early 2008, the agenda was dominated by fossil fuel companies seeking to paint themselves green – while maintaining the status quo with a few tweaks and some carbon capture and storage (CCS). Steve Sawyer returned for the second WFES in January 2009, and found the oil companies still there, but now competing with renewables for the spotlight.
01 March, 2009
Solar PV was born of electronic parentage, so it's not surprising that the two camps have much in common. Because of this, solar PV has inherited a manufacturing route and infrastructure originally fashioned for electronics. But some in the PV industry argue that this heritage can be as much a hindrance as a help, discovers George Marsh.
01 March, 2009