New Worldwatch Institute study examines the global market for solar and wind energy production Global use of solar and wind energy continued to grow significantly in 2012. Solar power consumption increased by 58 percent, to 93 terrawatt-hours (TWh), and the use of wind power increased by 18 percent, to 521 TWh. Although hydropower remains the world’s leading renewable energy, solar …

Shelton Group Study Shows Decline in Energy-Efficient Product Purchases and Home Improvements Shelton Group, the nation’s leading marketing communications firm entirely focused in the sustainability and energy efficiency sectors, announced today that its latest Utility Pulse study shows that energy-saving habits have declined in the last three years. The national poll shows decreases in behaviors such as: Replacing incandescent bulbs …

Initiatives aimed at cutting carbon emissions and establishing long term energy security will see renewable energy claim a 36% share of global cumulative installed capacity by the end of the decade, states the latest report from business intelligence firm GBI Research. The new report* explains that solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy will be the primary technologies forecast to drive …

Alternative Energy HQ has been featured in a list of 101 Terrific Energy sites. Thanks! Techniques for harvesting solar energy, wind energy, and even the tidal movements of the ocean have been around for decades, but the importance of improving their efficiency and increasing their availability is growing rapidly. As oil companies sink more resources into dangerous practices like hydraulic …

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 …

Studies are showing that the interest and push for using new and clean renewable energy sources is growing fast among not just the public sector but also within the corporate world. Investment in technology for cleaner energy has surpassed that of traditional fossil fuel sources. Last week, businesses still on the fence about exploring their options in renewable energy were …

USdepartmentofenergy asked: This edition of Energy 101 highlights the benefits of electric vehicles, including improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and lower maintenance costs. For more information on electric vehicles from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, visit the Vehicle Technologies Program website: www1.eere.energy.gov

TAKING BACK AMERICA’S ENERGY FUTURE FROM THE LOBBYISTS: 1 MILLION AMERICANS TO FIGHT INDUSTRY EFFORTS TO KILL CLEAN ENERGY AGENDA Three Dozen Citizen Organizations From Across Nation Take on Undue Influence of Energy Company “Goliath”; Push Reflects Views of 83 Percent of Americans That a “New-Grassroots Driven” Effort is Needed. Fed up with the undue influence of the energy companies, …

With more and more consumers wanting to reduce their carbon footprints, the use of home solar power has arisen as an extremely viable and eco-friendly option. The only reason it has not become more widespread is the cost, which for many people has simply been too high. However, the cost of manufacturing is slowly coming down, due to increased innovation, …

By Ysabel Yates It sounds like a child’s question: can you generate solar power underwater? The answer, according to Phillip Jenkins and his team at the US Naval Research Laboratory, is yes. The researchers recently demonstrated a method for harvesting solar power underwater at depths of 30 feet. Currently, the only option for underwater energy is batteries, which shortens the …

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 …

— FuelCell Energy Solutions, GmbH Acquires Select Assets from MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH — European Joint Venture With Fraunhofer IKTS to be Finalized by June 30,2012 FuelCell Energy, Inc. a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean, efficient and reliable fuel cell power plants, today announced that its German subsidiary, FuelCell Energy Solutions GmbH, is acquiring select assets from MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, a subsidiary …

Washington Out of Step With Public? Little Confidence Seen in National Lawmakers Finding Solutions is Evident in Across-the-Board Political Support for Grassroots Drive to Take Back Issue. Clean energy issues and solutions. Majorities of Republicans, Independents and Democrats agree that the United States should move away from its reliance on dirty energy sources that foul the air and water and …

Mix of GIS, technical and financing advice helps countries shift from high-carbon imports to low-carbon domestic energy By embracing an integrated mix of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and grid technologies, countries can put their energy systems on a more sustainable path while developing economically, according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute. The report, Sustainable Energy Roadmaps: Guiding the …

Our continuing coverage of the PV America show in San Jose CA this past week as we highlight our conversation with AlsoEnergy CEO Robert Schaefer who gives us a breakdown of their solar power monitoring service. This technology helps solar power installations monitor remotely the efficiency of the solar power system output and many other onsite factors so an operator …

PA Consulting Group says yes – but players across the supply chain will need to adapt To address the challenge of expiring federal incentives for renewables, players across the supply chain will need to adapt, says Barbara Sands, renewable energy expert at PA Consulting Group. Equipment manufacturers, renewable developers and utilities will each need to face this issue, and Sands …

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 …

SolarCity Raises $81 Million in Growth Capital from Group Led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners Investor consortium also includes Elon Musk, Nicholas J. Pritzker and Shea Ventures SolarCity® today announced that it has raised $81 million in equity financing. The round was co-led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners, and included investments from Nicholas J. …

It doesn‘t happen every day that a US president visits a German automotive plant. But on Wednesday, US President Barack Obama did just that, stopping at a Daimler plant near Charlotte, North Carolina, to talk about energy as US petrol prices rise. “We‘ve got to develop every source of American energy – not just oil and gas, but wind power …

The premise behind the zero energy homes is that you have a house that not only generates its own energy through renewable energy sources but also has less of an initial carbon impact with the materials that are used to build the house. The theory is that you end up with a carbon neutral home. Zero energy homes and similar …