Xcel, MidAmerican among leaders as more utilities sign up for consumer savings U.S. electric utilities are locking in fixed-price contracts for wind power, now more cost-competitive than ever, illustrating the success of a key federal tax policy in holding down rates for consumers. A total of 66 U.S. utilities bought or owned wind power by the start of this year …

U.S. Solar Market Grows 76% in 2012; Now an Increasingly-Competitive Energy Source for Millions of Americans Today GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA®) today released U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-in-Review 2012, the definitive analysis of solar power markets in the U.S. With another record-breaking year, solar is the fastest growing energy source in the U.S., powering homes, …

Automation, Transparency Transform Solar Photovoltaic Shopping for Homeowners, Businesses and Non-profits   EnergySage, a free-to-the-consumer online marketplace for solar photovoltaic and other clean energy technologies, announced the release of the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive platform for researching and shopping for solar PV (also referred to as solar panel and solar power) systems for homeowners, businesses and non-profits. Through …

Efficiency improvement remains the key, Metal Wrap Through (MWT) technology ready to take the market According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, solar cell and module manufacturers will be more active in improving product efficiency under the pressure of both installation costs and subsidy cut. As for new technologies, MWT technology has been generally appreciated by related industries; it …

New Poll Shows Americans’ Support for Nuclear Energy, New Facilities Remains Solid  A solid majority of Americans continues to hold favorable views of nuclear energy and believes that electric companies should prepare now for new nuclear energy facilities to be built. In a national telephone survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, 68 percent said they favor nuclear energy, up from 65 …

Caltech Researchers Create Highly Absorbing, Flexible  Cells with Silicon Wire Arrays Using arrays of long, thin silicon wires embedded in a polymer substrate, a team of scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has created a new type of flexible solar cell that enhances the absorption of sunlight and efficiently converts its photons into electrons. The solar cell does …

We are at one end, striving to get the basic necessities of life and there are people, on the other end, craving for opportunities to multiply their millions. The disparity in the distribution of wealth is gigantic. This scenario creates problems for common people almost everyday. The elite class uses every possible means to make more and more profits, even …

Energy Focused Grant Applications Rodman & Rodman has prepared numerous 1603 applications and, based on our experience with the application process, we have a come up with a top 10 list of helpful tips.  Listed below are some application tips and additional documentation that we recommend you have on hand, even though the initial application does not require you to …

Three Power Sessions to Address Business Strategies at PV America East 2013 in Philadelphia Brian F. Keane of SmartPower, Scott Klososky of Future Point of View and Glenn Thayer Will Motivate Solar Energy Industry to Explore New Ways to Expand Business Opportunities On February 5, 2013, the solar energy industry descends upon the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia for three …

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After a disastrous third quarter of 2012 featuring extremely low factory utilization rates across the entire photovoltaic (PV) supply chain, a surge in demand was seen in the final quarter of the year for PV modules. A new PV module shipment record of 11 gigawatts (GW) was reached in the fourth quarter according to the IHS Solar Integrated Market Tracker …

$10 million directed to innovative solar projects In support of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced 10 small business-led projects to speed solar energy innovation from the lab to the marketplace. Through the Department’s SunShot Initiative, this $10 million investment will help significantly reduce the total installed cost of solar energy systems and …

Sometimes energy makes headlines, sometimes it doesn’t.  But it almost always has important implications for the global economy, the environment, and our day-to-day lives. Here are 10 energy statistics from 2012 that capture some of the most noteworthy trends of the year, and that will shape the energy world in the years to come. Natural gas, one of the three key fossil …

The Top 10 predictions for the global photovoltaic market in 2013, from the IHS Solar service at information and analytics provider IHS. “The photovoltaic industry is in the midst of wrenching change—buffeted by government incentive cuts and nose-diving prices that has hurt solar suppliers worldwide, rocked by trade disputes among its major players, and hamstrung by a sputtering global economy,” …

Average prices for operation and maintenance contracts in the wind sector have dropped 38% in the last four years, boosting the sector’s competitiveness significantly London and New York, 1 November 2012 – The wind energy sector is making significant improvements not just in the capital cost and performance of its turbines, but also in the ongoing cost of operating and …

In the sprawling metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona, traveling via automobile is a hard reality. With gas prices remaining steady, new car buyers are looking for options that can save them money at the pump. Consumers are particularly curious about the Chevy Volt and hybrid vehicles in general. Phoenix Chevy dealers are not only pushing the environmental and fuel saving benefits …

Property Appraisers Are Now Up-Valuing Properties That Have Solar Electric Systems. With an Average Sized, 5kW, Your Property Value Could Increase Up to $20,000 In 2012, the Appraiser’s Institute issued formal guidance to appraisers, backing Sandia Laboratory’s new solar appraisal calculator for valuing solar electric systems. The basis of the value increase, over similar properties without systems, was the increasing …

Likely voters in the 2012 election cycle overwhelmingly support solar energy and would like to see the federal government to do more to foster the growing industry, according to a national poll released today. The survey, conducted by independent polling firm Hart Research Associates, showed for the fifth consecutive year that Americans maintain a very favorable view of solar energy …

When the idea of the electric car was proposed to minimize greenhouse gases and pollution, the two basic platforms were the hybrid platform and a pure electric platform. When it comes to the latter, the main issue is the low range of operation. While the breakthrough in battery technology is unlikely to happen, students, scientists, hobbyists and of course companies …

Listen to Podcast Download Transcript Today’s study could solidify the trend toward construction of gigantic windmills. In a report in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology, scientists have concluded that the larger the wind turbine, the greener the electricity it produces. “Wind power is an increasingly popular source of electricity. It provides almost 2 percent of global electricity worldwide, a …