Power generation from renewable sources such as wind turbines, solar cells and biomass plays a small but important part in satisfying total electricity demand around the world, and is growing at an exponential rate thanks to generous public subsidies and government support.

The Karnataka Energy Department plans to set up at least one lakh solar roofs in the next five years to emerge as the number one in the country in terms of renewable energy usage.

Australia's government will spend A$4.5 billion (US$3.4 billion) in partnership with private investors to build up to eight commercial power stations testing clean coal and solar technologies, Treasurer Wayne Swan said on Tuesday.

A lack of project funding threatens to undermine the solar industry's already fragile growth prospects, two of the sector's biggest players said on Tuesday, reporting profits that missed market forecasts.

China is considering investing a more than 3 trillion yuan (US$440 billion) in the renewable energy sector by 2020, an official with the National Energy Administration said on Tuesday.

Energy experts believe Sri Lanka should now tap all possible renewable energy sources to cut down on the use of fossil fuels which comes to the country at a high price.

"Our economy will fall behind if we continue spending on foreign oil and coal every year," said Executive Director Energy Forum Ashoka Abeygunawardane at a recent workshop in Colombo.

Schott Solar, seeking to capture a big chunk of the US solar market, will unveil a new US facility on Monday that will produce both solar thermal and photovoltaic solar components.

The unit of privately held German glassmaker Schott AG said its Albuquerque, New Mexico facility employs 300 workers and will be up to 350 staff by the end of the year.

Do you have a new home and want power connection?

Have a good look at your roof before venturing to the nearest Bescom office. Because the electricity company now wants all new house owners, including those having two-storied buildings in 20X30 sites, to install solar water-heaters to get electricity connections.

An important and realistic front page report was published in a local English daily on the subject. It deserves national attention and urgent action by the government if it is really serious in providing more power within the next two years (by December 2012).

China is set to smash its target for a roll-out of solar power by 2020 more than fivefold and possibly even tenfold, a researcher with the National Development and Reform Commission, the economic planning ministry, said on Tuesday.

Under the NDRC's renewable energy plan set out in 2007, China would have 1,800 megawatts of installed solar capacity by 2020.

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