This week, the Obama Administration announced a plan that would allow access to public land in six US south-western states to speed up solar energy development, while still protecting environmentally sensitive land. The plan, according to the Department of Interior (DOI) news release, would cover 285,000 acres of public … [continued]
Metallization of solar cells is a process by which metal electrodes are laid down on a non-metallic object to collect the electricity generated by the sunlight. But it is a costly process, due in large part to the soaring cost of the silver that is normally used. However, according … [continued]
Investors purchased a record 3.9 GW of solar photovoltaic projects in 2011, worth an estimated $10.8 billion. This increased the gigawatt capacity purchased by 122 percent from 2010, according to new research published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a London-based consultancy firm. The report examined 221 deals made from … [continued]
Solar PV trade disputes between China and its main trading partners are escalating, as a group of German solar companies, led by SolarWorld AG, filed a WTO anti-dumping petition with the European Commission. The filing heightens tensions and divisions among industry participants, who have been put under increasing pressure as a result of a massive build-up in solar PV supply and manufacturing capacity, the bulk of which has come from China. […]
If sustainability and environmental responsibility weren’t enough persuasion, then cold hard cash in the form of home resale value may get homeowners to invest in green improvements. A new study finds California homes with green labels sell for $34,800, or nine percent, more than comparable homes without green certifications. … [continued]
The amount of solar energy capacity on the German electricity grid will soon overtake that of wind, making it the first major developed country in the world to boast more solar energy than wind on its national grid. According to the Federal Net Agency, the country’s solar PV capacity … [continued]
Australia, as just noted yesterday, is experiencing a pretty tremendous solar boom. Now, here’s some interesting news: it’s the less wealthy who are installing the most solar! That’s counter to the general stereotype that solar is just for the wealthy. Here’s a short video on the matter: And here … [continued]
This week, Germany got wonderful sunny weather all over the place, which made me hopeful that a new solar power record might be around the corner. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen on Monday, but 21.7 GW of peak output and 184 GWh aren’t bad either! That’s Giga with a G, as in … [continued]
The UK’s got a large new solar array up, the largest solar farm in the country to date. The solar array includes 1,800 solar PV panels, spans 30 acres, and has a total capacity of 5 MW, enough to power about 1,000 homes. It isn’t Germany, but it’s something. … [continued]
Global Solar Energy Incorporated, a manufacturer of flexible solar panels, has announced that it is entering the Japanese solar market with flexible solar panels that are designed specifically for Japanese roofs. These flexible solar panels are called PowerFLEX BIPV. BIPV stands for Building Integrated Photovoltaics. Photovoltaic solar panels are the … [continued]
