According to EnergyTrend, the green energy research division of TrendForce, the announcement of Italy’s solar subsidy cut scheduled to take effect by late July has driven the installed solar capacity to surge, and most Chinese solar companies are packed to capacity in order to supply the climbing demand. Taiwanese solar companies’ shipments remain stable due to the OEM orders from …

Recent elections in Europe ushered in uncertainty for the solar market, and the subsidy policies to take effect in 2012 also rendered players conservative. According to EnergyTrend, the solar research division of TrendForce, orders for solar modules will continue to pour in till mid-May, while orders for solar cells will persist till early June. When asked about the orders in …

OriginOil and Algasol Renewables to Develop an Integrated Algae Growth and Harvesting System Algasol, collaborating with NASA and Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, will bundle its offering with OriginOil’s Algae Appliance(TM) OriginOil, Inc. (OTC/BB: OOIL), developer of breakthrough technology to convert algae into renewable crude oil, and Algasol Renewables, a technology company with a unique patented technology for low-cost cultivation of …

Thinking Neutral: Small Towns Look to Renewables to Reduce Reliance on the Grid By Dave Levitan The town of Fowler, Colo., (pop. 1,087) sits in a 150-mile corridor between Pueblo and the Kansas border that boasts about half a million head of cattle. A few years ago, Fowler, like much of the country, faced a difficult economy and rising energy …

May Reach US$20/kg in 2012 According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, polysilicon spot price is closing in on major vendors’ manufacturing cost – this week’s spot price has already fallen below the US$23/kg mark, but vendors indicate polysilicon price is gradually stabilizing. TrendForce believes polysilicon price may hit US$20/kg this year, but as first-tier makers are standing firm …

Even if the motive isn’t actually green in the environmental sense, efforts to improve data center energy efficiency will help drive a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of approximately 13 percent compared with a “business as usual” approach. The reductions are being driven by heightened attention to electricity costs and enabled by investments in virtualization, cloud computing, advanced cooling technologies and …

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 47 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are from existing buildings. From a global perspective, reducing energy consumption in buildings is imperative for a sustainable future. So when property owners and managers transform an existing facility into one that’s a high-performance building, what does that mean? Essentially, it means doing more with less. …

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 …

Biofuel researchers have developed a mechanism that may increase yields for products like diesel, ethanol and even medicines. Growing bacteria, algae and plants on large scales is challenging enough; getting them to do things they don’t normally do, like make fuel, is even harder. Scientists have to select and tweak molecular pathways to make cells produce enough useful products to …

Lesson Learned, Solar Manufacturers No Longer Slashing Price to Bring In Orders According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, slowed demand on the German market, the uncertainty towards the future market in Italy, and unclear demand in other regions has resulted in fewer deals on the spot market. However, the situation is an improvement over last year – as …

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is envisioning a future where you can pull into a parking space and be given the option to wirelessly charge your electric car. It just needs somebody to invent the technology. Up to four contractors will be rewarded with up to US12 million in DOE grant money for innovation in static wireless charging. The …

Our continuing coverage of the PV America show in San Jose CA this past week as we highlight our conversation with Silevo VP Chris Beitel who gives us a breakdown of the Triex solar cell technology that they are developing. This technology is showing some very strong efficiency rates for converting sunlight to energy. Watch the video below and then …

At this weeks PV America show in San Jose CA we caught up with SEPA CEO Julia Hamm for a discussion of the state of the solar power industry and where she thinks things are going in this alternative energy business. While price drops in the last year have certainly sparked a great deal of interest in solar projects there …

March 21, 2012—The U.S. Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary decision regarding anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions against Chinese solar makers. Punitive duties on imports to the U.S. are set below 5%, lower than generally expected – Suntech will face tariffs of 2.9%, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy 4.73%, and all other Chinese manufacturers 3.59%. The U.S.’s anti-dumping …

Alternative Energy HQ attended the PV America show this week in San Jose CA to get an inside look at the solar power generation industry and what the leaders in PV think about the future of solar energy development. We spoke with a number of business leaders at the show and in coming days we will be featuring those discussions. …

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 …

Dramatic increase in solar use witnessed over two decades Washington, D.C. March 19, 2012 2012 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). During that time, solar energy has advanced from a niche resource with limited applications to a significant energy source for electric utilities and their customers across the U.S. In 1992, a new organization was …

These days there is a big rush on to make capturing solar energy for electricity more efficient and cheaper to produce solar panels in order to take advantage of the growth in the marketplace. Many technologies are being explored and this one being worked on at Purdue University sounds very interesting. Let us know what you think of this research …

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 …