Cleantech Buffet (China Sunergy Sets Solar PV Efficiency Record, First Solar Buys 250 MW Solar Farm…)
Here’s some more cleantech news for the cleantech-obsessed:
Solar
Record Conversion Efficiency For China Sunergy Solar Cells
China Sunergy has reportedly set a record for monocrystalline solar cell efficiency. The new record, 20.26%, has been verified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE).
First Solar Buys 250 MW Moapa Solar Project
First Solar continues to expand as the largest solar company in the world. First Solar today announced that it has bought the 250 MW Moapa Solar Project from K Road Power Holdings LLC.
Utility-Scale PV in Latin America
Two large solar plants are going up in Chile and the Dominican Republic. The one in Chile’s Atacama Desert will be the largest PV plant in Latin America.
Poland: Proposed Regulations Look Bad for PV
New draft regulations for renewable energy development in Poland, released last week, indicate that PV may have an uphill battle to gain renewable energy market share in the country. The proposed feed-in tariff (FIT) for micro-installations and installations up to 40 kW may still be worthwhile.
Aussie Bank Macquarie Invests in UK Free Solar Scheme
Deal with Freetricity and Styles&Wood Energy will see 1,500 homes a month fitted with solar systems for ‘the foreseeable future’.
Royalton Solar PV, Efficiency Measures Reduce City Hall Electric Bill by 39 Percent
Several years ago the City of Royalton embarked on a mission to increase energy efficiency through clean energy initiatives that save money. Royalton is now cheering its solar energy project as a success on many levels.
Bikes
Will Portland Lose its Status as America’s Bike Commuting Champion?
While bike commuting is gaining nationwide, it’s actually dropping in Portland which has held the enviable title of tops in bike commuting for large cities since 2005. Minneapolis and Seattle, #2 and #3 respectively, are gaining, warns BikePortland.
A new report by Danish firm Gehl Architects presents recommendations for transforming car-cluttered Moscow. A compact city center along with a strong desire for change are potential building blocks for a human-friendly and sustainable city.
Trains
In Five Short Years, High-Speed Rail Revolutionizes Chinese Transport
Five years after it opened, it looks like China’s bet on high-speed rail is paying off. The system has increased mobility and worker productivity and stimulated development in areas near stations. The country will continue to expand the system.
Can Chicago Ride Its Rails to Economic Growth?
Chicago’s position as a central hub for manufacturing and shipping helped establish the city as the economic powerhouse of the Midwest. A new report recommends the city update that infrastructure to grow the region’s economy.
Other
Why Don’t Mortgage Lenders Account for Transportation Costs?
Every house or apartment comes with an embedded cost: transportation. Depending on the location and local infrastructure, those costs can be very small or very large.
There’s a good deal of evidence that transportation expenses can have a direct impact on mortgage loan defaults. Shane Phillips at Network blog Better Institutions says banks should consider these costs when assessing risk and assigning a mortgage rate.
EcoFactor and iControl Team Up for Home Automation Domination
EcoFactor is joining iControl’s device-agnostic OpenHome Partner Program, which will bring cloud-based HVAC control and data analytics to iControl’s suite of services.
The partnership is new, but the relationship is not. EcoFactor and iControl are already teamed up through Comcast’s Xfinity home platform. Comcast’s venture arm is an investor in iControl and uses its platform to run the Xfinity offering, which includes EcoFactor’s service branded as EcoSaver.
Scotland Sets Energy Efficient Buildings Standards
New homes required to have emissions 21 per cent down on current levels, while non-domestic buildings expected to meet 43 per cent improvement.
Tokyo Electric Gets OK to Seek Restart of World’s Largest Nuclear Plant
Tokyo Electric Power Co took an initial step forward on Thursday in its plan to recover from the Fukushima nuclear disaster by winning approval from a previously reluctant local governor to apply to restart a plant in western Japan.
Dale Vince: We Need to Repatriate Energy Bills
Ecotricity founder Dale Vince today called for Ed Miliband to go further than thoughts of a price freeze and consider either renationalising the energy industry, or introducing proper regulation.
What if Auto-Away could turn off your lights? What if your dryer knew not to run when energy prices were high? What if your robot vacuum knew when you were gone and cleaned up before you got home?
Starting today, we’re looking for partners to bring this vision to life.
Ford plug-in hybrid vehicles rack up enough electric-only miles every day to drive around the earth nearly eight times – a number rapidly increasing as Ford continues investing in infrastructure while exclusive features like MyFord® Mobile help improve driving habits.
Corporate Investors and the Shift in Cleantech VC
Corporations are aggressively moving into greentech to deploy VC-backed innovation.
Hamburg Citizens Vote to Take Back Grid
On the weekend, the citizens of Hamburg not only took part in the national parliamentarian elections, but also voted on whether the city should buy back its grid from Danish power conglomerate Dong Energy. It was close, but the takeover bid succeeded. Nonetheless, citizens don’t have their grid back yet. The SPD’s position shows that the Social Democrats do not always support energy democracy.
And, as always, don’t miss our stories.
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