With the cost of solar photovoltaic projects declining steadily and cost reductions in concentrating solar power (CSP) projects falling at a slower pace, some are calling 2011 the year that PV killed CSP. In the last year and a half, roughly 3,000 MW of CSP projects in the U.S. have been converted to PV.
Google has been a clean energy leader for a long time (see my post on 7 of Google’s top clean energy investments from earlier this year for more on that). While it dropped a major solar R&D initiative recently, it seemed it did so in order to put more … [continued]
1. SolarWindows achieve “speed and scale-up” breakthrough. We’ve written about New Energy Technologies’ SolarWindow technology a few times here on CleanTechnica, most recently at the end of September. The most recent news from the company is that it has “successfully fabricated its latest working window prototype using a faster, … [continued]
This post was originally published on ecomagination.com and has been republished with permission. “GDC Strikes Steam in Menengai,” exclaims the cover of this spring’s issue of Steam, the magazine of Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company. A column of steam spurts high into a deep blue sky in the cover photo—the geothermal industry’s equivalent … [continued]
This post originally appeared on Energy Self-Reliant States, a resource of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s New Rules Project. Americans seem unable to resist big things, and solar power plants are no exception. There may be no reasoning with an affinity for all things “super sized,” but the economics of … [continued]
One homeowner living in Manoa on the island of Oahu is a prime example of the benefits of solar power. Kenneth Chang is the first homeowner in the state of Hawaii to take advantage of the feed-in tariff program. In 2009, the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), which is the … [continued]
The micro wind turbine market has exploded in the last three years – heck, even the National Football League is on board with wind power – so now is a good time to update one of CleanTechnica’s most popular posts from 2008, “Top Five Micro Wind Turbines.” With three … [continued]
Fuel cells stack up well when comparing clean energy alternatives, and they’re increasingly being considered as sources of grid-tied and independent heat and power in stationary and mobile applications. Two recent fuel cell systems installations in New York City – at the new World Trade Center and at The Octagon, a mixed use development on Roosevelt Island – are good examples.
SeaTwirl has created a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) that is both direct-drive and stores energy using seawater. It also uses water as a bearing, which has the advantage of low friction. The generator is of the permanent magnet type. This means that it partially utilizes magnets (magnetic materials … [continued]
1. Cap & Trade “has created 3,800 jobs and nearly $500 million in economic activity for Massachusetts since 2008.” That’s the verdict of a recent study on the matter, Inside Climate reports. Nothing surprising to those who follow the effects of cap & trade, but would probably surprise a … [continued]
