Alternative Energy HQ solar power for homes, wind energy, and bio fuel issues

Sustainability is more than a buzz word; it’s essential to the continuation and preservation of modern society. The old methods of construction are too wasteful to continue using in this age of dwindling resources and global climate change. Those who want to build green are to be commended, but getting a new deck, new house or new building built is …

Typical Wind Farm Supports Nearly 1,100 Jobs; Adds Millions of Dollars to Local Communities Congressional Inaction on Production Tax Credit Threatens to Stop Major Boost for Employment Each major wind farm in America creates nearly 1,100 jobs and can add tens of millions of dollars in new taxes and other benefits to the communities where they’re located, according to two …

American wind power has blown through an historic milestone: 50 gigawatts of electric generating capacity, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Denise Bode, CEO of AWEA, made the announcement at the recent National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. The 50 gigawatts (GW) online means that U.S. wind turbines now power the equivalent of nearly 13 million American …

Mobile Robots Turn Solar Panels to Follow the Sun IEEE Spectrum Startup QBotix says robots can boost efficiency of solar energy. China Price War Draining Jobs in Germany’s Solar Valley Renewable Energy World When Thomas Behling returned to his home state of Saxony-Anhalt in 2006, he was drawn by a job in the solar industry and the chance to participate …

Obama Administration announces seven major renewable energy projects to be expedited As a part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Barack Obama recently announced that seven nationally and regionally significant solar and wind energy projects will be expedited, including projects in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Wyoming. Together, these job-creating infrastructure projects would produce nearly 5,000 megawatts (MW) of clean …

Push on for ‘green power’ auctions Straight Furrow AS DEBATE rages over the future of a renewable energy target that mainly promotes wind power, a Melbourne think tank is calling for it to be scrapped and replaced with a new scheme to help transform the electricity industry. China Wind Power Provides Default Status Update Marketwire China Wind Power International Corp. …

Natural gas is an efficient, safe, and reliable fuel source. It costs less than heating oil, and is one of the cleanest-burning fuels available. If you are not currently using natural gas in your building, converting to natural gas is a wise choice for property owners who want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the air quality in your …

Silicon wafers coated in a protein extracted from spinach produce an electric current that is nearly 2-1/2 times higher than the previously best level reported for so-called biohybrid solar cells. The protein, called photosystem 1 (PS1), converts sunlight into electrical energy. For the last few decades, researchers have learned how to extract and harness PS1 to create solar cells, but …

Wind energy industry calls for respectful dialogue after Ontario worker reportedly threatened with death The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is issuing a call for a respectful and fact-based dialogue on wind energy after a construction worker on a wind energy project was reportedly threatened with death in West Grey, Ontario, on July 26, by a man armed with a …

It’s a vision that would make the University of Iowa one of the top solar energy using universities in the country. “All over campus, on top of the dorms, even small little car charging points where students can plug their electric bikes into,” said Tim Dwight, who formed the Iowa Solar and Small Wind Energy Trade Association. Dwight is now …

California’s big solar farms have surpassed a new milestone amid the late summer heat, reaching one gigawatt of electrical generation capacity, the state’s main grid operator said Tuesday. The state’s large-scale solar fields hit a new peak in production on Friday at nearly 1.1 gigawatts, or 1.1 billion watts, according to the California Independent System Operator. That peak output, which …

SolEnergy owner Ken Olson has seen remote villages in Central America with no light. He knows the impact a small, two-watt solar panel can make. “What does strike me is the great gap between these two worlds,” he said, of his recent travels to El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. “On one hand, we provide two-watt systems, basically the panel is …

Global climate models may be overstating the warming properties of black carbon particles, according to new research led by the University of California, Davis. The study will be published online Aug. 31 in the journal Science. “Our results don’t change the fact that things are going to warm — just to what degree, literally,” said Christopher Cappa, a UC Davis …

Solar gardens to bloom on Colorado rooftop, farm field and parking lot Denver Post Where do you plant a solar garden? In Colorado they’ll be found on the roof of an old airplane hangar, on pillars hovering over a vegetable field and a school parking lot. Those are a few of the place that the first solar gardens – photovoltaic …

Building-Integrated Wind Power System The largest building-integrated wind power system in the U.S. is now spinning on the roof of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), thanks to a collaboration between Venger Wind and SWG Energy. Venger Wind installed a series of 18 vertical axis wind turbines (their own V2 model) as a part of OMRF’s sustainability strategy of producing …

According to EnergyTrend, the green energy research division of TrendForce, the demand in PV market remained sluggish. Outlook for September appears bleak, and the expected demand rebound may not occur. On the other hand, shrinking end-market subsidies has affected the return on investment (ROI) of solar systems. Manufacturers and makers have become less flexible when it comes to cost control …

Actor and environmental advocate and Energy Upgrade CA in LA County spokesperson, Ed Begley, Jr., gives easy, do-it-yourself tips for homeowners looking to reduce their energy use. This segment highlights how homeowners can easily compost any yard clippings, food scraps, and other organic waste materials and replenish soil nutrients in their yards with the resulting compost. Making your own compost …

New solar financing methods help houses of worship go green in California They span the range of religions and faiths. New solar financing tools now enable houses of worship throughout California to go solar and reduce their energy expenses. Berkeley’s Sun Light & Power has pioneered solar installations for non-profits and houses of worship in the Bay Area and throughout …

Smokerspack asked: Renault’s march toward an electric future continues and Bob gets a chance to drive the Fluence ZE on the roads in Ireland. See the exclusive video here first