Solar, Wind, & Energy Efficiency News

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Here’s a big roundup of solar, wind, and energy efficiency stories not published on CleanTechnica.

Image Credit: Solar panel, wind turbine & globe via Shutterstock
Image Credit: Solar panel, wind turbine & globe via Shutterstock

George Bush’s EPA Chief: Clean Power Plan Is ‘Most Flexible Thing’ The Agency Has Done

In an exclusive interview, former EPA chief Christine Todd Whitman said the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) is “the most flexible thing,” the agency has ever done.

90% Of CA Voters Prefer Solar Power, Says New Poll

A poll of 1,000 registered voters in California, commissioned by the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) and Brightline Defense, found that 90% of them prefer solar power as a means to generate electricity. Almost 90% also indicated that rooftop solar power should be more encouraged.

Joint Project Provides Solar Power For San Diego Troops

A collaborative project involving GRID Alternatives San Diego, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, and Willis Allen Real Estate, has given solar power to eight military veteran families this year. The collaboration also will achieve another installation for four homes on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2015.

China, US, & Asia Rank As World’s Most Attractive Solar PV Module Manufacturers

The world’s top five most attractive countries for solar PV module manufacturing has received a boost from a “flurry of new module manufacturing capacity” in 2014. This, according to new research published by GTM Research today in its Global PV Manufacturing Attractive Index 2015 (PVMAX).

Solar Gardens Provide Future for Distributed Energy

Before I begin writing about energy gardens, it is incredibly helpful to understand what they are, what they aren’t, and their level of independence from whatever energy utility serves the vicinity.

How Will A Community Solar Subscription Impact Your Electricity Bill?

Since the passage of Minnesota’s 2013 solar legislation there has been a lot of interest in Community Solar Gardens (CSGs), especially in Xcel Energy’s service territory.

Is Solar Energy Renewable?

When considering the idea of solar as an energy source, a lot of the questions that people tend to ask are the obvious ones, such as, “How much does solar cost?” and its corollary, “How much will I save?,” as well as, “What kind of financial incentives are there to going solar?,” but when it comes to the practical, nuts-and-bolts questions about solar, people also commonly ask, “How do they work” and “What are the most efficient panels?” and “How long do solar panels last?

Why We Support the ITC Extension and Why You Should Too

The solar industry has its roots in America. American inventors Charles Fritts, Edward Weston, Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein (who won the Nobel Prize in 1922 for his paper on the photoelectric effect) led the innovation of the technology. American scientists at Bell Labs and Western Electric helped commercialize solar in the 1950s. The American government and NASA helped drive efficiency into the technology during the space race. These American pioneers were the foundational blocks of a modern billion-dollar industry which employs hundreds of thousands of people in almost every state in our nation, and many times that globally.

What’s Missing From Media Coverage of Net Metering

They appear periodically, but predictably — media reports on state-level debates over net metering that reduce the story to a struggle of irreconcilable and unevenly matched forces.

Spain’s New Self-Consumption Law Makes Batteries Impractical for Homeowners

Spanish renewable energy interests, consumer groups and opposition parties have slammed a solar self-consumption law passed this month after almost four years of consideration. Unlike a previous draft, the final legislation allows for battery storage, although with conditions that make it impractical.

Amazon Virginia Solar Farm Approved For Construction

Amazon recently received final approval to begin construction of a 80 MegaWatt solar farm in Virginia’s Accomack County. The farm, called “Amazon Solar Farm US East,” will be owned and developed by EPC Community Energy, and Amazon will buy the power generated through a power purchase agreement.


 

Solar Lights: Nokero Introduces New Solar Light Bulb In Zimbabwe

I received this news and Zimbabwe photo yesterday from Steve Katsaros, founder of Nokero, a pioneering Denver company that makes great solar lights and solar light bulbs that replace poisonous kerosene lamps that are so prevalent where people have no access to electricity.

$4 Million Raised By Clean Energy Social Enterprise Angaza

Angaza has closed a Series A round of financing for $4 million, which was led by a large unnamed-family office, with additional funding by a number of other organizations, including The Social Entrepreneurs’ Fund. Angaza uses a pay-as-you-go model to help consumers access clean energy products such as solar lamps, clean cookstoves, microgrid meters, and solar water pumps.

Trina Solar Secures $1.57 Billion Loan From CITIC Bank

One of the world’s leading solar PV module manufacturers, Trina Solar, announced Wednesday that it had secured a $1.57 billion loan from CITIC Bank.

Trina Solar Installs 200 MW Of 300 MW Yunnan Solar Project

Chinese solar company Trina Solar has revealed it has installed 200 MW out of a total 300 MW worth of capacity for the Yunnan utility-scale solar project in China.

JA Solar Opens 400 MW Solar Module Production Line In Malaysia

One of the largest Chinese module manufacturers, JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd., has announced that it has launched a new 400 MW solar cell production facility at Panang, Malaysia. JA Solar invested approximately MYR300 million (US$70 million) in the facility located in the Penang Bayan Lepas Industrial Park.

Enel Green Power Forming Solar PV Joint Venture In Italy

Italian-based Enel Green Power has announced it will be forming a joint venture to consolidate 210 MW of operating solar PV capacity in Italy.

Sunrun Surpasses 100,000 Home Solar Customers

America’s largest dedicated residential solar company, Sunrun, announced Tuesday that it had surpassed 100,000 home solar customers. Founded in 2007, Sunrun has made it a priority to make going solar a simple proposition for its customers, making rooftop solar customizable with their lifestyle and savings goal.

SolarCity Set To Hire 500 New Employees In One Day

SolarCity, America’s number one solar provider, is set to hire 500 new employees on October 21, during an all-day hiring event. SolarCity has been growing its footprint across the US for several years now, rolling out a bevy of new programs and offerings for consumers across the country.

GM To Build Its Largest Michigan Solar Array

An 800-kilowatt solar array will be built by DTE Energy in Warren, Michigan for General Motors. Twenty-eight hundred solar panels will be installed over about 4.25 acres to generate one million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. The GM transmission center at Warren builds front-wheel drive transmissions for the new 2016 Chevy Volt, among other GM vehicles.

Hotspots: How Germany and Belgium Became Global Solar Leaders

Yet, it was raining, too, when I sat down with Michael Fuhs, the Editor in Chief of PV Magazine Deutschland. We sipped cappuccinos in a local café as droplets trickled down the adjacent glass pane. “I haven’t seen the sun since I’ve come to Berlin,” I joked, pointing out the water sliding down the window. But, in truth, I was trying to frame the conversation.

The End of German and Belgian PV Hotspots?

Today, Wilson Sink closes his three-part series with a look at how recent policy changes may alter Belgian and German PV markets for good.

Barclays to Offer Solar Bonds for 300MW in Japan

British banking and investment group Barclays is set to begin offering solar bonds in Japan next year.

Western Australia’s Battery Storage “Ban”: Regulator Says Don’t Blame Us

WA regulator says it’s not at fault for so-called battery storage and EV ban in local households, and there is nothing preventing state-owned utilities from approving them.

Onshore Wind Approaching Baseload Availability

By 2024, wind turbine designs that Bernard Chabot says he is “99 percent sure” are on the drawing board will increase the capacity factor of onshore wind to 40 percent.

German Auctions Bring Down Prices of Wind Power?

In an assessment of the German energy transition, US environmentalist Carl Pope says that the policy switch from feed-in tariffs to auctions –€“ which Germany does not yet even have for wind power –€“ has brought down the cost of wind power.

New South Wales Planning Dept Sends 350MW Wind Farm Proposal Back To Drawing Board

A 100-turbine wind farm application for near Tarago, NSW, has been rejected by the state planning department, for failing to address community concerns about the project’s noise and visual impact.

The Demise of Coal in Germany and Globally

Germany opened a giant coal plant last month, but little is in the pipeline at present. Worldwide, coal faces a bleak future – somewhat unexpectedly.

Solar and Wind Catch Up With Coal, Natural Gas Across the Globe

A recent meta-review by the Rocky Mountain Institute found that the cost of utility-scale solar in some regions of the U.S. is cheaper today than the cost of fuel for natural-gas plants. That trend will likely only continue to spread across the U.S., even with the current low price of natural gas. Michael Liebreich, chair of Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s advisory board, recently presented data at BNEF’s London Summit and expressed an increasingly bullish view when comparing renewables to natural gas — and not just in the U.S.

Shedding Light On LED Lights: Leaders In Cost & Performance

In this era of continuing attention to energy efficiency, few, if any, are going to argue the case against the benefits of using LED lights. But replacing burnt-out incandescent bulbs with LEDs is no simple undertaking, especially when it comes to price. LED bulbs, built using light emitting diodes, although certain to last longer than the Edison-style incandescent bulbs and demand less electricity, are not what you would expect to find in the nearest neighborhood bargain basement store.

Air Conditioning Energy Saving Tips

Keeping your home or office cool during the hot months of the year can go a long way toward having happier and healthier occupants.

Delta Americas Opens LEED Platinum & Net Zero Headquarters

Delta, a global specialist in power and thermal management solutions, announced opening its new Americas headquarters in Fremont, California. The facility was designed to meet LEED Platinum and net zero standards.

5 Questions To Ask Before Buying a Home Based Franchise

If you’re ready to jump into the franchise world, congratulations! Starting a franchise is a great way to begin or continue your entrepreneurial career – and with so many franchise options available to you, there has never been a better time.

How To Insulate Your Attic Duct System Step by Step (with Video Instructions)

As winter nears, many will begin to activate their home heating system to keep the house warm in the blustery and frigid temperatures that accompany the change in seasons. Ensuring your attic is properly insulated is essential to this endeavor. Taking this initiative will reduce energy costs, which in turn aids the environment and also puts savings in your pocket. As warm air naturally rises, the attic is the area of any home where heated air is likely to escape. Thus it is fundamental to ensure the attic is properly insulated to reduce this risk. Checking the insulation itself with a laser thermometer and repairing leaky duct joints are two established methods to optimize heating and eliminate expenditures.


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Zachary Shahan

Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA], NIO [NIO], Xpeng [XPEV], Ford [F], ChargePoint [CHPT], Amazon [AMZN], Piedmont Lithium [PLL], Lithium Americas [LAC], Albemarle Corporation [ALB], Nouveau Monde Graphite [NMGRF], Talon Metals [TLOFF], Arclight Clean Transition Corp [ACTC], and Starbucks [SBUX]. But he does not offer (explicitly or implicitly) investment advice of any sort.

Zachary Shahan has 7324 posts and counting. See all posts by Zachary Shahan