CleanTechnica

Texas Legislature Passes Commercial And Industrial PACE Bill

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Guest Contributor

This post first appeared on Clean Energy Finance Center by Kat Friedrich The Texas House and Senate passed Senate Bill 385 this week. If Governor Rick Perry approves the bill, the state will break new ground by developing plans for commercial and industrial property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs. This bill will redesign Texas’s approach to PACE, focusing on the commercial and industrial sectors rather than on residential programs. The legislation covers both energy efficiency … Read More

Community Solar May Be Next Big Thing In Australia Renewables

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Giles Parkinson

This post first appeared on RenewEconomy The momentum for a big push into community solar projects appears to be gathering pace, with several different organisations planning public launches in the next month, and suggestions that several dozen projects could be built on NSW rooftops in coming years. Among plans revealed this week are the launch of a community solar network Farming the Sun in the northern Rivers region, to be followed soon by similar groups in New … Read More

2013 Nissan Leaf Achieves Best Safety Rating From IIHS

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

As I just wrote a couple hours ago, the Nissan Leaf is on a roll. One of the latest pieces of good news is that it is one. damn. safe. car. Not convinced? Read the following EV Obsession post. Here’s some more good Nissan Leaf news to wrap up the weekend. The 2013 Nissan Leaf has received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). “Driver and passenger safety are top … Read More

How Fossil Fuel Incumbents Hope To Tame Solar Juggernaut

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Giles Parkinson

This post first appeared on RenewEconomy The Australian solar sector is warning that the industry could be facing its toughest challenges in the coming years, as cost-competitive solar PV puts enormous strain on the business models of fossil fuel technologies. Muriel Watt, the chair of the Australian Photovoltaic Association, said the solar industry should be prepared for a fight-back from the incumbent businesses in the form of regulatory and tariff protection, and even a campaign … Read More

Police Get Nissan Leafs & Zero S Electric Motorcycles In Hong Kong & UK

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

The Nissan Leaf is getting a bit of a masculinity boost with its recent inclusion into a UK police force. And dozens of Zero electric motorcycles, in no need of a masculinity boost, are also on their way to a police force… this one in Hong Kong. More details via EV Obsession: Police fleets in Hong Kong and the UK recently got electric motorcycles and Nissan Leafs (respectively) for their crime-fighting (or crime-dealing, depending who they … Read More

BXR Motors Building Custom Hybrid Supercar

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Important Media Cross-Post

This post first appeared on Gas2 by Christopher DeMorro High-performance hybrid supercars are all the rage among the wealthy right now, despite the failure of companies like Fisker Automotive. One particular car design that caught my eye is the BXR Motors Bailey Blade EVR, a performance plug-in hybrid with some serious potential. Is this the Fisker 2.0? Yes, and no. While the drivetrain in the Bailey Blade EVR (currently still a one-off custom car) utilizes … Read More

23 Solar Pioneers You Should Know

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

Solar Power World’s Frank Andorka recently ran through a list of “23 solar pioneers whose names you should know.” Interesting list. As a taster, I’ll drop the first 3 below, along with Frank’s quick summaries as to why they’re pioneers. For the remaining 23, jump on over to Frank’s post. 1. Archimedes “As early as 212 BC, the Greek scientist, Archimedes, used the reflective properties of bronze shields to focus sunlight and to set fire to wooden ships … Read More

Ernest Moniz, Natural Gas And The “Forgotten Renewables”

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Tina Casey

In a town hall meeting with staffers last week, new Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz dropped a bombshell and a hint. The bombshell, at least as far as fans of natural gas are concerned, is that Moniz sees natural gas not as a permanent fixture in the US energy landscape, but merely as a temporary “bridge” to a globally competitive, low-carbon future that is well within our grasp. As for the hint, Moniz mentioned that the … Read More

St. John’s Makes Energy Upgrades To 36 Buildings, Installs Building Automation System

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Dan Thiede, CERTs

St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN, received a $300,000 grant for a $1 million building automation system upgrade and retro-commissioning project that covered all facility air handling units and heating and cooling systems.

State ARRA-funded C&I grant helps fund building retrofit: St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN, is constantly seeking ways to improve its infrastructure in the most cost-effective ways. And when the stimulus-funded Commercial and Industrial Grant Program from the Minnesota Department of Commerce came along, it made energy efficiency easy. St. John’s Hospital received a $300,000 grant for a $1 million building automation system upgrade and retro-commissioning project that covered all facility air handling units and … Read More