Tag Archives: California

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 …

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 …

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, …

TIME, PLACE AND HOW WOOD IS USED ARE FACTORS IN CARBON EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION A new study from the University of California, Davis, provides a deeper understanding of the complex global impacts of deforestation on greenhouse gas emissions. The study, published May 13 in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Climate Change, reports that the volume of greenhouse …

Top 10 Utilities Reported Adding More Than 1,000 MW of Solar Capacity Today, SEPA released the findings of 2011 Top 10 Utility Solar Rankings survey. According to the findings, utilities interconnected more than 62,000 PV systems of all sizes in 2011. These new systems resulted in almost 1,500 megawatts of new utility solar capacity, more than twice as much as …

Solar thermal startup BrightSource Energy has shelved its year-long plans for an initial public offering amid a turbulent stock market, a challenging year for solar energy companies and tepid interest from investors. The Oakland, Calif.-based company issued a news release late Wednesday saying it had decided not to pursue its IPO due to “adverse market conditions” and intends to withdraw …

Wind power bringing innovation, manufacturing back to American industry Stable policy leads to jobs and affordable electricity; Uncertain future impedes progress The U.S. wind industry’s 2011 Annual Market Report shows that American wind power is at the heart of an American success story ending another strong year of double-digit growth. The market report illustrates how wind power has created a …

PV America 2012 West Celebrates The inaugural PV America West conference and trade show concluded on March 21 with more than 160 exhibitors showcasing the products and technologies driving the PV solar energy industry in the western region in 2012. Presented by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)® and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), the show offered an extensive …

There are many misconceptions about corn and ethanol in our world. Many see corn as an important addition to the fuel system in our country while others see it as an environmental catastrophe of its own. This interesting article from right in the land of corn production makes for a good starting point in the discussion. Regardless of race, sexual …

New Report Finds U.S. Solar Energy Installations Soared by 109% in 2011 to 1,855 Megawatts Today, GTM Research and SEIA® release U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-­in-­Review 2011, analyzing the industry’s record growth and what lies ahead in 2012 and beyond. The U.S. solar energy industry installed a record 1,855 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2011, more than doubling …

SoloPower Sets Record for Flexible CIGS Solar Panel Efficiency SoloPower Flexible Panel Measured at 13.4% Aperture Efficiency by National Renewable Energy Laboratory SoloPower, a San Jose, California-based manufacturer of flexible thin film solar cells and modules, announced today that its next generation panel has achieved an aperture area efficiency of 13.4%, a record for flexible copper, indium, gallium and (di)selenide …

Solar power fueled homes used to be a thing of fantasy or only something the extreme eco home owners would try to accomplish. But the times have changed drastically. Prices of solar technology have come way down. The efficiency of solar cells has gone up and continues to improve each year. And green homes have become a thing of desire …

Despite difficult times economically over the last few years in the US, the solar market has been taking off, dramatically increasing the percentage of energy coming from clean, renewable sources. This growth has largely been thanks to a combination of factors. Consumer demand has dramatically increased due to mounting awareness of solar panels as an easy-to-install home improvement – they …

SolarCity and Shea Homes® Introduce the “No Electric Bill” Home Project, expected to be among the largest of its kind, will make solar-powered, net-zero homes available in five states SolarCity®, a national leader in clean energy services, and Shea Homes, one of the country’s largest privately-held home builders, have partnered to make a “no electric bill” home available to homebuyers …

Let’s face it in earthly terms as well as in business terms the solar energy industry is in its infancy as a maturing market for supplying and allaying the need for other energy such as oil. It is barely walking yet. There are many who would like to belittle its growth and even discount the eventual contribution of solar energy …

In the effort to convert sunlight into electricity, photovoltaic solar cells that use conductive organic polymers for light absorption and conversion have shown great potential. Organic polymers can be produced in high volumes at low cost, resulting in photovoltaic devices that are cheap, lightweight and flexible. In the last few years, much work has been done to improve the efficiency …

Over the past few years, the state of Florida has asserted itself as one of the states in the forefront of sustainability. When it comes to alternative energy and homes however, the developers in Florida have been somewhat lacking. Early this year, developer KB Homes moved forward with what is expected to be the first set of new houses in …

The solar power industry sustained an impressive growth in installed capacity with new capacity of 27.7 Gigawatts (GW) coming on line in 2011, on top of over 17 GW in 2010. This takes the total installed capacity worldwide to 67.44 GW. The capital cost of solar photovoltaic power plants have declined to around $2430 / kilowatt, which makes it possible …

Greensmith now providing distributed energy storage systems to fourteen customers, including eight electric utilities An innovative storage solution to integrate renewable energy generation and improve grid stability Greensmith Energy Management Systems, a leader in distributed energy storage control systems continues its growth, now with fourteen customers, including eight electric utilities using the company’s field-tested suite of product offerings. By expanding …

Under Pressure: Startup Company Turns Water into Power By David Ferris When Frank Zammataro thinks about water pressure, he sees an opportunity to create electricity. Zammataro, 53, is President and Co-Founder of Rentricity—a New York City energy company that has discovered a new way to tap into the excess pressure in water-treatment plants, reservoirs, and factories to help power our …