Would tariffs placed on Chinese solar panels amount to “protectionism?” Are the companies most critical of the trade complaint “just crying foul?” And what’s more important to American companies, the race to grid parity or the desire to reclaim solar manufacturing from China?

With the creation of competing coalitions, the sides have been clearly labeled, and the opinions have become increasingly entrenched. But there remains a striking lack of clarity about what happens if and when tariffs are placed on solar panels and cells imported into the U.S., and how that could ultimately impact American businesses and American solar capacity.

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Even though it’s supposed to be a time of federal fiscal austerity, Bill Gates says its time to double down on energy research.

The software industry icon and philanthropist on Friday published an editorial in Science calling for a massive boost in federal energy research and development from about $5 billion a year now to $16 billion.

“In a time of economic crisis, asking policymakers in Washington, D.C., to spend more money might not be the most popular position. But it’s essential to protect America’s national interests and ensure that the United States plays a leading role in the fast-growing global clean energy industry,” Gates wrote, noting that federally funded research in energy has dropped by more than 75 percent in the last three decades.

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The coalition will seek to head off one of the biggest rebellions on policy yet on Wednesday when MPs debate drastic cuts to the subsidies that have sparked a 39,000-job boom in solar power.

More than 20 Liberal Democrat MPs are likely to vote against the plans, in a revolt that observers say is likely to outdo the vote on tuition fees, when 21 of the party’s number broke ranks.

The rebellion extends to ministerial level, with Norman Baker, the transport minister, writing to the climate secretary and fellow Lib Dem Chris Huhne to protest about the cuts, under which incentives to install solar panels would be halved, with potentially disastrous results for the fledgling industry. Baker said: “I have reservations about the speed and level of the proposed changes for communitysize projects [usually for panels to be installed on social housing] and I am therefore asking the secretary of state to examine urgently the case for some flexibility to mitigate any adverse effects of the changes.”

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People understand the importance of energy conservation and therefore are gradually opting for methods in which natural and renewable resources of energy are implied for generating power. Everything inside our homes, from your cooking appliances to A/V devices to lighting fixtures, is going green these days. Have you ever considered the idea of having a green roof for your home? There are a numerous methods that can be implied on the roofs of the homes to make them green, which will not only help cut down on the electricity bills but will also make your home an eco-friendly and an eye-pleasing appearance. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting green options for your rooftop after the jump.

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Wind Turbine Big Enough To Land A Helicopter On Scotland Has It Covered

Scotland has an ambitious and admirable goal: 100% renewable energy. Taking steps toward reaching this goal, the Scottish government approved an offshore test site for a new 6MW wind turbine.

2-B Energy, based in the Netherlands, has permission to install an innovative two-bladed wind turbine approximately 70 feet off the coast of Methil in Fife, according to Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing. 2-B is one of several companies which has a lease in the 2010 offshore wind demonstration leasing round, which is supposed to help develop wind farms offshore and in deep water.

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World Bank Co-Finances Morocco's Ouarzazate 500 MW Concentrated Solar Thermal Power

The World Bank approved $297 million in loans to Morocco to support construction and operation of Morocco’s 500-megawatt (MW) Ouarzazate Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant, one of several large scale solar power projects in various stages of planning or development across the solar energy rich Middle East-North Africa region.

Upon completion, the Ouarzazate parabolic trough CSP plant would be one of the largest CSP plants in the world. A group of seven international lenders has committed $1.435 billion dollars to build and develop the project. Ouarzazate is seen as a key milestone for Morocco’s national Solar Power Plan, which was launched in 2009 with the goal of deploying 2000 MW of solar power generation capacity by 2020.

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There have been a lot of articles about how many Asian countries, namely China, are starting to dominate the solar energy sector. However, General Electric Co. has decided to enter the Asian alternative energy sector by announcing they will be providing 31 turbines for a $100 million wind farm in Mongolia. The farm will be built by Newcom LLC, a Mongolian investment company.

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Efflux - An integrated wind turbine structure designed to perfection

You would have heard of various wind turbine projects that run toward the generation of power by using the naturally blowing wind’s energy. This generated power is then used to run several applications that require electrical energy as an input. For that purpose, the energy is generally transported and fed into the power grid. But, here is a unique and power-packed German design for an integrated wind turbine structure that is termed as Efflux. There are various unique features of this pylon that take its efficiency level to newer heights when compared to the regular wind turbine structures. You would be wondering what is the addition to this pylon that makes it different from other similar structures! Then, check out some of the exclusive characteristics of this power producer.

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In a few places, wind power is already as cheap as natural gas or coal-fired electricity. By and large, however, it’s still a bit more expensive in most regions ’round the world. But not for long.

Climate Progress points us to this report in Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which has the scoop: “The cost of electricity from onshore wind turbines will drop 12% in the next five years thanks to a mix of lower-cost equipment and gains in output efficiency.”

And that 12% drop will have huge implications, as Bloomberg reports: “The best wind farms in the world already produce power as economically as coal, gas and nuclear generators; the average wind farm will be fully competitive by 2016.”

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Siemens Boosts Its Stake in Tidal Power

Marine energy has long looked to be a niche area, capable of meeting just a few percent of global power demand. But this seemingly limited energy source is drawing some big players, the latest being Siemens. The German engineering giant boosted its stake this month in Bristol, U.K.-based tidal energy developer Marine Current Turbines from under 10 percent to 45 percent. The attraction, according to Michael Axmann, chief financial officer for Siemens’s solar and hydro division, is the predictability of marine power.

Solar and wind farm operators struggle to predict tomorrow’s output, and bad forecasts can wreak havoc with power transmission planning and market prices. In contrast, the gravitational pull of the moon and sun that controls tidal cycles provides a sure means of anticipating the output from tidal generating stations. “Power output of the systems could be calculated for centuries in advance,” says Axmann.

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