Sorry about the clickbaity title, but as it turns out, the solution to a serious problem discovered last year at Ivanpah — the first solar power tower in the US — actually has turned out to be “one weird trick.” Below is the exact problem, and how the problem was solved. America’s second solar power tower, … [continued]
When Beacon Power applied for the Section 1705 loan guarantee program, they probably had no idea that that painted a target on their back. After all, they weren’t even a solar or wind business. Beacon had perfected and patented adaptations to an old nuts-and-bolts flywheel technology, spending $200 million … [continued]
Very high new feed-in tariff payment rates coming into effect in July are widely expected to propel Japan to overtake both Germany and the current leader, Italy, to become the second largest solar PV market in the world. As with the previous record-holders, it will be the generosity of the … [continued]
Apparently the coal industry used a craigslist ad to hire astro-turfers to support dirty energy at the EPA’s May 24th public comment hearing on greenhouse gas reduction. A clever catch from The Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago has revealed the latest attempt by the fossil industry to subvert … [continued]
One of the avoidable costs of going solar is the current unnecessary bureaucratic delays in getting the solar permits. When we went solar in 2010, it only took half an hour for the solar salesperson to convince us to go solar, but then it took another long eight months for … [continued]
Comment sections of sites like ours are strewn with the kneejerk response of Republicans when asked to confront and help fix climate change. No! No! Hoax! Lalala! It’s all about tax! Big Government! Conspiracy! UN control! So you might think that a carbon tax to cut greenhouse gas emissions is the … [continued]
A revolutionary renewable energy bill could become law in California as soon as this September. It will allow customers of the big three utilities in California to buy power directly from renewable energy projects developed in their neighborhoods for the first time.
TXU Energy in Texas is offering the first free energy rates in the nation, between 10 PM and 6 AM. Its daytime rates are 11 cents. Wind power tends to be greatest in the wee hours. Texas wind power sometimes has to be curtailed or wasted because there’s no one … [continued]
A fundamental change in how Californians get electricity is shaking up the largest utility in the country, and one that will be getting 17 percent of its power from utility scale solar by 2020. PG&E is the nationwide leader in distributed solar, where it credits solar ratepayers for their production … [continued]
Is 24-hour solar that includes storage cheaper than PV with gas augmentation in the evening? Is this why SolarReserve contracts are over MPR? This is the second part of an interview I had with Tom Georgis, the SVP of SolarReserve, about the new wave of solar Power Purchase Contracts (PPAs) … [continued]
