February 14, 2017 Luke Tonachel Despite the Trump administration’s apparent affection for the fossil fuels industry, individual states are looking at the numbers and coming up with a different conclusion: The future belongs to pollution-free electric vehicles, and the sooner we get them on the road, the better off we’ll all be. And there are some important new studies out …
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Avoid Buyer’s Remorse! 7 Decisions to Make Before Installing Solar
Although mainstream usage of solar panels used to be limited to the modern pocket calculator, the technology has advanced enough to accommodate the needs of today’s homeowner. While the current generation of panels may be quite affordable and efficient, there are a number of crucial decisions to be made before committing to a home renovation project of this scope and …
Read More »Nuclear Power’s value doesn’t justify intervening to ‘save’ it
WASHINGTON (Feb. 7, 2017) – Though market forces and external regulatory factors have combined to retire roughly 10 percent of the American nuclear power fleet, the facts don’t justify subsidies or other policy interventions specifically to save the energy source, according to a new policy study by R Street Electricity Policy Manager Devin Hartman. Hartman cites “increased capital investment requirements, …
Read More »Efficiency Costs Drop: Still Cheaper Than Power Plants
February 02, 2017 Sheryl Carter Energy efficiency programs to help utility customers save energy (and money) have dropped markedly in cost, and they’re cheaper than building new power plants to meet electricity demand, according to a new analysis from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The findings are a fitting tribute to Art Rosenfeld, the Berkeley Lab scientist and “godfather …
Read More »Going solar saves Utah business $30,000 a year
TeraFlex’s 140 KWh solar power panel system performing so well company plans to expand Washington, Utah, Jan. 18, 2017—Legend Solar, the fastest-growing solar power company in Utah, is saving TeraFlex approximately $30,000 per year in energy costs with a 140 KWh solar power system installed by the company. The new system offsets almost all of TeraFlex’s energy costs for …
Read More »Perry Should Focus on Clean Energy to Grow U.S. Economy and Cut Emissions
WASHINGTON (JANUARY 19, 2017)– Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing on the nomination of Gov. Rick Perry to be the Secretary of Energy. Following is a statement from Jennifer Layke, global director, Energy Program, World Resources Institute: “In pursuing the nation’s top energy post, Rick Perry carries a responsibility to act on the …
Read More »2017 United States Solar Power Rankings
2017 United States Solar Power Rankings (click the image for a larger version) Welcome to our annual state rankings report Hey folks! 2016 was a hell of a year, huh? Nowhere was that statement more true than in the solar industry. We’ve been through the ringer this year, with some big victories and big defeats. We began the year with …
Read More »China is Leaving the U.S. Behind on Clean Energy Investment
by Joel Jaeger, Paul Joffe and Ranping Song – January 06, 2017 As 2017 begins, China is poised to leap ahead of the United States on clean energy to become the most important player in the global market. Last year, China increased its foreign investment in renewables by 60 percent to reach a record $32 billion, according to a new …
Read More »Escondido Charter High School Goes Solar with Baker Electric
Escondido Charter High School will save more than $108,926 the first year with 25-year solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) from Baker Electric Solar. SAN DIEGO, Calif., January 4, 2017 — Baker Electric Solar, a full-service solar company, recently designed and installed another successful commercial solar system, this time at Escondido Charter High School (ECHS). The 321.75 kW system will …
Read More »Solar Lights for Those in Need
Bright Books Campaign from BrightBooks on Vimeo. A Good Story and Cause – The Bright Books Story At Bright Books, for every pair of journals purchased, we give one solar light to those in need. Our journals are high-quality, stylish and representative of the people we serve. You get 128 pages for notes and musings, while a child in the …
Read More »Solar eBook – Bill Walton
Bill Walton encourages us all: Power your house with solar for all the practical reasons—and for all the right reasons Read the riveting story about Bill Walton’s comeback from catastrophic spine collapse to become an unabashed solar evangelist. “When I was lying on that floor with my spine problem, I asked myself: ‘If you ever get better and get off …
Read More »3 Reasons President-Elect Donald Trump Won’t Kill the Solar Industry
Solar Industry Power in the USA On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made it clear that he favored coal and natural gas, wanted to kill energy regulations, and that he thought wind and solar power were too expensive. In fact, at a May 2016 press conference Trump said, “I know a lot about solar, the problem with solar is it’s …
Read More »Secretary Jewell Announces Milestones to Spur Renewable Energy and Transmission in the West
Cements partnership with State of California on onshore, offshore clean energy development; Approves two transmission lines to deliver energy across Southwest WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution and create clean energy jobs, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced new steps with Western states to encourage the development of renewable power, …
Read More »Secretary of Energy Should Embrace America’s Clean Energy Future
WASHINGTON (DECEMBER 13, 2016)– According to multiple media reports, President-elect Donald Trump will select Governor Rick Perry to lead the Department of Energy. Perry was governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015, and twice ran for president of the United States. As Secretary of Energy, he would lead the Department’s mission to “ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, …
Read More »First U.S. Offshore Wind Project Goes Online
Offshore Wind Project – Rhode Island The nation’s first offshore wind project, located in Rhode Island in waters off Block Island, began generating electricity today, officially launching a clean energy technology that has the potential to power millions of U.S. homes and businesses while further bolstering America’s domestic wind energy industry . Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense …
Read More »Energy Efficiency Gains But More Is Needed
World Energy Council Energy Efficiency report applauds progress but seeks further commitment to deliver the promise Action to be stimulated at COP22 in Marrakesh Over the last 15 years’ energy efficiency improvements have saved the world 3.1 gigatonnes (Gtoe) of primary energy consumption and 7Gt of Co2, in 2014 equating to 23% of global energy consumption and 21% of global …
Read More »Navy and Energy Commission Agree to Partner on Renewable Energy Projects
The California Energy Commission and the Department of the Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today that will help the state and the Navy and Marine Corps continue to operate on the cutting edge of technology by pursuing innovative renewable energy initiatives. Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller and Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment …
Read More »7 Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Sustainable
“What is the use of a house if you don’t have a decent planet to put it on?” This is what the author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau first asked back the 19th century, and his question still applies to our lives today. Because if we’re not living sustainably– then we’re slowly ruining our own and only planet. And …
Read More »Saint Lucia is Making a Big Commitment to Solar Power
The Government of Saint Lucia has a target of generating 35% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. This pristine island currently depends on dirty diesel generators for power, but has ambitious goals to revolutionize its economy with solar, wind, and geothermal energy. Solar represents the easiest attainable resource, and Saint Lucia is already famous for its sunshine, which draws visitors from around …
Read More »The Truth About Solar Power
This video “The Truth About Solar” gives a very interesting tour of the solar landscape in 2016 and looks at the future of solar power development. Source: For a long time, solar power has been very much hated from a cost-benefit standpoint but things are starting to turn around for the technology. Around the world, progress is being made …
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