Tag Archives: solar energy

New SolarCity Product Makes it Possible for Businesses to Significantly Increase Solar Output From Each Rooftop Incredibly Lightweight, “Snap Together” Mounting System Allows Businesses to Fit 20-50 Percent More Solar Panels on Each Roof, Promises to do for Commercial Solar What Zep Has Done for Residential SolarCity (Nasdaq:SCTY) unveiled a new product in its Zep Solar line of solar products today–a flat roof solar …

Solar is experiencing over-the-top popularity among US homeowners; energy efficiency not so much. But what if state programs made solar a subset of energy efficiency? That’s the recommendation of an intriguing paper released August 19 by the Center for Sustainable Energy. The California non-profit tried to tease out what it takes to motivate solar customers to pursue energy efficiency.  Homeowners run the …

What if we could take all that carbon dioxide that we have too much of and turn it into a clean energy source? Sound far-fetched? Well, it isn’t really. After all, plants do it every day. That is much of the rationale behind biofuels. Let the plants store the solar energy as sugars, starches, etc., which we then convert into …

By Travis Hoium  It may not have gotten a lot of media attention, but a recent eight-day race across the country may be laying the groundwork for vehicles of the future. The American Solar Challenge pits universities against each other in a challenge to make the fastest and most efficient vehicle powered only by the sun. The course weaved from Austin, …

By Travis Hoium A decade ago, the solar industry was almost nonexistent in the U.S. There was a large solar thermal power plant in the Mojave Desert that was completed in 1984; but between then and around 2008, there was almost no solar activity in the U.S. That all changed as costs quickly dropped for solar energy, and solar panel prices …

The Alcatraz Microgrid: Life on ‘The Rock’ Not Easy, Even for a Microgrid The Alcatraz microgrid stands as a model for installing modern energy technology under difficult terms. Historical structures had to be kept intact, equipment protected from the elements, and no new buildings erected. Here’s how developer Princeton Power  Systems accomplished the task. The 22-acre island in San Francisco Bay is …

Sustainable energy expert reports on market study at SOLAR 2014 Conference  With the growth rate of the solar energy market expected to increase by double-digits over the next decade, so too will the demand for copper which is needed to  power and ground cabling for these installations, said Zolaikha Strong, director of sustainable energy for the Copper Development Association (CDA), …

For many states struggling to reduce their carbon emissions, solar can be a real game-changer. With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set to announce new air quality standards for coal and natural gas-fired power plants on Monday, June 2, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today released a comprehensive report, “Cutting Carbon Emissions Under §111(d): The case for expanding solar …

In his State of the Union address, President Obama pledged to make 2014 a year of action. And today, we announced new ways we’re taking action to advance clean energy and create opportunity for hardworking Americans. The Obama Administration has made historic investments in the research, development, and deployment of clean energy. And these investments are paying off; solar power …

It’s never a bad thing to have the leader of the free world in your corner. And President Barrack Obama made clear again last week that he’s with energy efficiency. At a Walmart in Silicon Valley, Obama laid out his next round of green energy expansion plans. Sexy solar got much of the play in the media coverage. But staid …

Report commissioned by LABC Institute encourages incentives to share benefits of emerging commercial solar market with low-income areas throughout Los Angeles; many local programs already benefiting from the LADWP feed-in tariff   A significantly expanded commercial rooftop solar program in Los Angeles would create thousands of new jobs and spur hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment, with particular …

Marc Lopata says his job is to uncover the dark side of microgrids. And that’s just what the president and principal engineer for Microgrid Solar is doing in a project that combines energy storage and solar energy at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). The project is located at the “Solar Village,” which consists of multiple houses built by …

RGS Energy, a nationwide leader of turnkey solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, and utility customers, and GRID Alternatives, the nation’s largest non-profit solar installer, have launched a new partnership to help bring solar power to low-income communities across the country. RGS Energy employees will volunteer throughout 2014 to install solar for 10 low-income families in California, Colorado, New Jersey and New York, while …

  The age of solar being used to generate energy on the roof tops of commercial buildings now seems to be coming into its own. No longer just the domain of rooftop household solar or large solar power stations, commercial building owners can now see the benefits of using solar on their large commercial roof space. This report give the …

It seems hard to believe that we have come so far in the adoption and acceptance of solar energy in our country both on the commercial power development side and on the home solar power side that a dispute like the one brewing the St Louis area could still be happening. CLARKSON VALLEY • The fuss over the solar panels remains …

Reacting to today’s presidential memorandum requiring the federal government to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch released the following statement: “This is a landmark moment in our nation’s history. Today, climate change is a real and growing threat to America and the rest of the world. It’s indisputable. Sea …

This is an IHS News Flash covering the top predictions for the global photovoltaic (PV) market in 2014, from a new white paper issued by the IHS Solar service at information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). “After two years of a punishing downturn, the global solar industry is on the rebound,” said Ash Sharma, senior research director for solar at IHS. …

HALFWAY TO CROWDFUNDING SUCCESS FOR NRDC SOLAR SCHOOLS INITITAVE: LOS ANGELES, PHILADELPHIA AND CHARLOTTE LEAD VOTING FOR PILOT PROGRAM Just 8 Days Left to Show Support: NRDC Campaign Aims to Pave the Way for Solar Power for Every School in the U.S. That Wants It The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) campaign to bring solar power to more of America’s …

By Mark Jaffe Workers with Bella Energy install solar in Boulder in 2011. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post) The plan to auction rights to federal land across the West for solar power plants got off to a rocky start Thursday when no bidders showed up for the first auction in Colorado. Uncertainties about the solar market and federal rules …

Solar energy leader showcases innovation. American Solar Showcases Innovation at Southwest Builders Show “Working with American Solar, we can give consumers the best money-saving options in the business.” Roger Cregg, AV Homes American Solar, Arizona’s leader in residential solar installation and innovation, delighted home builders and business dignitaries during this week’s Southwest Builders Show at the Phoenix Convention Center. Showcasing …