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 …

Amid rapidly falling prices, mounting losses and massive operational costs, the upstream solar photovoltaic (PV) supply chain is undergoing major consolidation, with the number of companies participating in the market expected to plunge by 70 percent this year. Worldwide, the total number of companies participating directly in the manufacturing of PV solar panels, from polysilicon manufacturing through module assembly, is …

Tennessee Valley Authority named “Utility of the Year” for pioneering wind power in the Southeast The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has been named “Utility of the Year” by the American Wind Energy Association for bringing wind-generated electricity to its customers in the Southeast U.S., and its long-term commitment to low-cost, cleaner energy. TVA has signed nine contracts with eight different …

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,” …

As Washington hunts ill-defined al-Qaeda groups in the Middle East and Africa, and concerns itself with Iran’s eventual nuclear potential, it has a much more pressing problem at home: Its energy grid is vulnerable to anyone with basic weapons and know-how. Forget about cyber warfare and highly organized terrorist attacks, a lack of basic physical security on the US power …

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Wind energy industry calls for respectful dialogue after Ontario worker reportedly threatened with death The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is issuing a call for a respectful and fact-based dialogue on wind energy after a construction worker on a wind energy project was reportedly threatened with death in West Grey, Ontario, on July 26, by a man armed with a …

If you are like most people, the thoughts occupying your mind these days likely include the recession, losing weight, high unemployment rates and going green. While I can’t give you advice on how you can shed those unwanted pounds or finally land your dream job, I can help you do your part to save the planet. Without a doubt, going …

When power plants begin capturing their carbon emissions to reduce greenhouse gases – and to most in the electric power industry, it’s a question of when, not if – it will be an expensive undertaking. Current technologies would use about one-third of the energy generated by the plants – what’s called “parasitic energy” – and, as a result, substantially drive …

PSR REPORT: One Year After Japanese Disaster, Little or No Movement Seen in U.S. to Improve Response Capability; Complicating Factors: Growing Population Near Nuclear Sites, Aging Reactors & Lack of Gov’t Coordination. WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 6, 2012 – One year after the Fukushima reactor crisis in Japan, no meaningful progress has been achieved in improving the ability of first …

Solar power generation in today’s world has taken all new meaning and market push as the major player’s developing the new and more efficient power generating cells have shifted from the US to overseas. China has taken on a critical role in the solar energy marketplace with their huge investment in solar power factories that are cranking out cheaper solar …

Ecologists and environmentalists are currently anxious about the today’s state that the entire world has. Fears about the approaching tragedy of our world possess been circulating round the media whether it is in the newspaper, television, movies, radio, and internet. Everybody is just saying that the end world world is currently near. The produced exceptional cues all over he world …

SunConnect Signs Agreement with Macy’s To Develop 1.063 Megawatt Roof-Mounted PV System At New Jersey Distribution Center We have been driving by big huge retail and shipping buildings for years knowing that they suck energy to keep them cool and to keep them warm in winter. Huge roofs that till now have not been load bearing enough to support solar. …

Photograph by Tim Wimborne, Reuters This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge. For years, the energy world has puzzled over how to harness the sun to make rooms cool. That may sound counterintuitive to those who think primarily of the uncomfortable heat beating down on roofs and windows …

Marianne Lavelle For National Geographic News Published June 22, 2011 This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge. One of Indonesia’s most ardent rain forest protection activists is in what may seem an unlikely position: Spearheading a project to produce biofuel from trees. But tropical forest scientist Willie Smits, …

The terrible tragedy in Japan is bad enough with all the lost lives and crushed cities and towns but now the battle to save the damaged nuclear power plants has the government scrambling to prevent an even larger disaster from happening which could impact beyond the Japanese borders if it does not resolve. This article is from National Geo and …

Photograph from Kyodo/Reuters Today we bring you some content about the energy and power of the Earth. The horrific earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan yesterday has left a horrible scar on Japan. We mourn for the lives lost in this tragedy. I would like to encourage all to donate to help the victims of this quake. This content is …

natural gas fuel cell residential Fuel cells and fuel cell technology has been a big buzz now for the last couple years with lots of talk and plans for cars that run on them and so on But it has seemed to be very much a thing of the future and not of today in terms of consumer use of …

Phillip Rye asked: It seems like about three million of you have asked me to explain how a geothermal system works. Well, maybe not three million, but it’s a bunch of you and I’m honored that I have the opportunity to do it. Now you’ve probably already figured out that I’m not smart enough to be real technical, but I …