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

Reduces Both Costs and Carbon Ventura County’s outstanding cost savings and sustainability efforts have earned them the silver level in Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Energy Leader Partner Program. The Energy Leader Partnership Program awards local governments who are performing outstanding sustainability efforts with the support to identify and address energy efficiency opportunities in municipal facilities. The County of Ventura who …

As Ratepayer Rebellion Rages in Florida, Small Modular Reactor and “CWIP” Advance Financing Drive Stopped Dead in Iowa; Next Battleground States: Missouri and North Carolina. Though its trials and travails at the national level get all the attention, the nuclear power industry is finding fewer and fewer friends in statehouses across the nation. In the Southeast, traditionally the stronghold of …

The LA Times examines the effect of net metering in California on solar system installations. Net metering has been a big success in helping to give consumers a reason to install solar. IN fact until net metering came along (and leasing options) I was held up in limbo. I wanted to have solar on my house but could not find …

Anti-dumping and Anti-countervailing Decision Unexpected, Manufacturers Treading Carefully Last Friday’s (May 18) results for the preliminary ruling on the U.S. anti-dumping and anti-countervailing case against China were not what the PV industry expected, and Chinese manufacturers were caught off guard by the news, resulting in delayed price negotiations for June. According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, related vendors …

Solar power growth has depended on a variety of incentives to get the ball rolling in the consumer and utility scale markets. Subsidies, rebates, leasing, and so on have been needed to get funding for projects and R&D in this growing energy field. This item shows how a consortium set up to promote solar power is further stimulating the market …

Industry Says Even Greater Assurance Possible Hardly a week has passed since Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association, TREIA,hosted the Electric Generation Adequacy & Reliability Forum at the Texas State Capitol on Tuesday, May 8 where Texas PUC Commissioner Pablos and industry leaders spoke to a standing room only audience about issues facing energy industries in Texas. TREIA President Steve Wiese …

Wind Energy Roundup (via Clean Technica)   Some more top wind energy new from around the internet: Western Wind Energy Corp. is acquiring a whopping 4,000 MW of wind energy projects from Champlin/GEI Wind Holdings. “Cost of the acquisition is $20 Million US, payable by the issuance of 8 Million common shares at a deemed value of $…

U.S. ENERGY SECURITY EFFORTS UNDER ATTACK IN ANNUAL DEFENSE BUDGET BILLS House Defense Bill Undermines Public-Private Initiative to Develop Domestic Alternative Energy Sources to Reduce Reliance on Foreign Oil The House on Friday approved a $642 billion annual Defense authorization bill, 299-120. Included in the bill are harmful provisions that would undermine efforts to reduce the military’s dependence on the …

Low income families across the country probably don’t give much thought to adding solar power to their homes since they might be tight for cash flow as it is in their life. But now thanks to some non profit solar installers in So Cal low income residents can now get help adding solar to their homes. This is the type …

SuperiorMind asked: Just showing off some of the cool new electric cars and putting to rest some of the myths out there. When people think of electric cars, typically they think of older ugly slower models, lead-acid batterys, and BS propaganda they’ve read slamming the “electric cars”(as though they all carried the exact same attributes) The battery technology has changed(and …

By Elisa Wood Why do some states avoid creating policies that encourage consumers and businesses to save energy? What’s the psychology of the laggards? A new report by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy sheds some insight as it examines the states that consistently fall behind in the organization’s annual energy efficiency ranking. The bottom states are: Alabama, …

Notice how they installed the solar panels on the side of the roof? Winter snows dont cover them up and they can still provide energy to heat the airport building. Chosen as a project because of its public use and higher profile, the solar thermal heat now part of the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport is hoped to be a model …

Solar News Roundup (via Clean Technica)   Some more solar energy news from around the net to wrap up the week: SolarCity & Clean Currents have teamed up to offer fixed-price Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for solar power with as little as $0 down and long-term electricity discounts/savings. The largest city-sponsored solar financing…

Renewable Energy via Fuel Cells: Part 2 – Solid Oxide Comes of Age (via Work-Bench.Org) Part 2 of 2. Part one is found here. In our previous post, we outlined some of the ways that the Hydrogen Fuel cell is slowly making its way into the transportation energy mix. It’s benefits seem manifold: Hydrogen Fuel Cells release only water vapor, and once …

U.S. Sets Preliminary Anti-dumping Duties on solar cells, Taiwanese Makers to See Improved Spot Market Prices Next Week On May 17, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary decision regarding anti-dumping charges against China’s solar cell and module makers. Anti-dumping duties imposed on China’s major solar cell manufacturers average 31.18%, with Suntech and Trina Solar receiving 31.22% and 31.14%, …

Pretty much everyone wants to save the environment. At least no one is out there advocating that we have a free-for-all with toxins and pollutants. The problem occurs from the choices we have to make: do it green or do it cheaply? Or more easily? I wrestle with that every time I grab a paper towel off the roll. But …

Renewable Energy to go: Fuel Cells (via Work-Bench.Org) (part one of a two-part post) Renewable energy offers much promise, and acceptance is growing: Two thirds of Americans (67 percent) think that “political leaders should help to steer the U.S. to greater use of cleaner energy sources – such as increased efficiency, wind and solar – that result…

This seems like a big development in the fuel cell energy market. South Africa is launching a fuel cell powered Locomotive. I love to find news like this about alternative energy development. I say a big hurray for SA for making this step towards renewable fuels for industry. South Africa’s Anglo American Platinum (Angloplat) has launched the prototype of the …

India is looking to fortify their energy needs and they are looking to the USA for large scale importation of liquified shale gas. This has some very positive implications for foreign trades concerns but how does it play out with our own energy policy and development? India is looking at the possibility of importing liquefied shale gas from the US, …

This year ethanol prices are going up due to foreign market pressures, loss of subsidies and other factors. But last year according to this study ethanol had a positive effect on US gas prices. America’s growing use of domestically-produced ethanol reduced wholesale gasoline prices by an average of $1.09 per gallon in 2011, according to updated research conducted by economics …