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Solar News for December 2009
Solar Energy
Enfinity & Conergy's 788 kW Solar Solution to Help California's Pioneer School
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
3 Campus Solar Energy Solutions Earn Pioneer Union Elementary School District “Extra Credit” for Cost Savings and Sustainable PracticesThe Pioneer Union Elementary School District (PUESD) is earning extra credit with administrators, parents, teachers and students for a jointly-developed Conergy – Enfinity renewable solar energy solution that will cut operational costs, provide a hedge against rising energy bills and create clean, renewable energy to accommodate up to 77% of the electricity needs
Solar Business
Taiwanese solar panel company will buy GE plant slated for closure
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Motech Industries, a Taiwanese solar photovoltaic company, announced this week that it will buy General Electric's PV plant in Glasgow, Delaware.GE decided earlier this year to shutter the crystalline silicon panel plant, citing high production costs. The company added that it will shift its solar development into thin-film technology, which is far cheaper to produce; it bought thin-film company PrimeStar Solar in 2008."We are pleased to announce this agreement to purchase the solar module
Solar Policy
Two Massachusetts programs will keep solar power subsidies alive
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Two new programs in Massachusetts will provide subsidies for solar power projects, the state announced this week.The Bay State's original solar subsidy, the Commonwealth Solar Fund, ran out of money in October due to overwhelming popularity. It was administered by the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, which is funded through a surcharge on residents' electric bills. The surcharge amounts to about 50 cents per month per customer, the trust says.Now the trust will be responsible for overseeing
Solar Policy
Feed-in tariffs would incentivize solar energy investment: white paper
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Feed-in tariff policies will ensure that solar energy's popularity continues unabated, a white paper from a photovoltaic industry association says.According to SEMI, 80 percent of PV demand is from countries that support FIT policies. The policies are the best way of increasing demand for solar projects, the manufacturing industry association adds, for three reasons. They are performance-based, paying for electricity generated; they don't require taxpayer subsidies; and they do not conflict with
Solar Policy
Solar power's popularity spikes in Washington State
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Puget Sound Electric customers have installed solar power systems with 2 megawatts of generating capacity, the utility said this week.PSE, Washington's oldest energy utility, provides electricity and gas to residents of the Puget Sound area. Its net metering program allows customers to earn money by selling excess electricity to the grid. The number of customer-owned, grid-connected solar systems has risen from 100 in early 2007 to 516 today, PSE says.In addition to the utility's net metering po
Green Energy
Pennsylvania announces new green energy projects
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Green energy projects in Pennsylvania will be funded with $5 million of federal stimulus funds, Governor Ed Rendell announced last week.The federal monies will be combined with $22 million in private investment. Under Pennsylvania's Green Energy Works Biogas program, alternative sources will provide energy to homes and businesses in the commonwealth, lowering carbon emissions in the process. Rendell's office estimates that the projects will generate the equivalent of 3.2 billion cubic feet of na
Solar Energy
Solar energy takes hold in the Bay Area
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San Franciscans are discovering the virtues of solar energy, thanks to city-level incentives and innovative installation companies.The city's GoSolarSF program, created in July 2008, offers grants to residents who install solar panels on their homes. The grants range from $500 to $7,000, the San Francisco Chronicle reports; they are available to households with incomes below a certain limit."We really changed the face of solar in San Francisco," said city assessor-recorder Phil Ting, w
Solar Energy
New Jersey energy company installs solar panels to lower carbon footprint
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Separate facilities owned by South Jersey Industries are reaping the benefits of solar panel installations, the energy provider said this week.SJI and its subsidiaries provide natural gas to commercial and residential customers. Two SJI sites - the corporate headquarters in Folsom and a liquid natural gas facility in McKee City - have just switched on their solar power systems.McKee City's system generates 651 kilowatts of electricity and comprises 2,772 panels; the 886,000 kilowatt-hours of ene
Solar Energy
Government lab creates solar "microcell" technology
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A new solar "microcell" would allow solar power to be generated in unconventional places, scientists at Sandia National Laboratory reported this week.The cells are glitter-sized, Sandia researchers said, meaning that they could be building-integrated or installed on tents or clothing. "Hunters, hikers or military personnel in the field [could] recharge batteries for phones, cameras and other electronic devices," lead investigator Greg Nielson suggested.And the microcells are
Solar Energy
Solar power services agreement will provide 50 megawatts of energy to New Mexicans
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Southwestern Public Service Company, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy, announced this week that it will buy 50 megawatts of solar power from SunEdison.The solar energy will be generated in Lea and Eddy counties in southeastern New Mexico, the companies said. Solar panels will be installed on five 10-megawatt sites; the electricity they generate will be enough to power 10,000 homes."We are thrilled to begin harvesting New Mexico's rich solar resources," enthused Southwestern Public Service C
Solar Energy
Florida regulators give utility the go-ahead to buy solar energy
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The Florida Public Service Commission approved Tampa Electric Company's proposal to buy solar energy from a 25-megawatt plant in Polk County, solar developer Energy 5.0 said.The solar firm will build, operate and maintain the facility, which is slated to be built on 350 acres of a reclaimed phosphate mine site. It will deliver clean electricity to Tampa Electric Company over a 25-year period."The E5.0 team is very excited to be working with Tampa Electric to help make renewables a reality i
Solar Energy
Florida university's solar panel system takes nature into account
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Florida Gulf Coast University has activated the nation's largest university-sited solar panel array, the Naples Daily News reported this week.The installation generates 2 megawatts of electricity at peak; it comprises 10,080 panels on 16 acres. "It's now providing electricity to over 200,000 square feet of space," university president Wilson Bradshaw was quoted as saying. "We're really pleased," he added.Students interviewed by the newspaper reported interest in the project b
Solar Policy
New Mexico moves closer to allowing solar power purchase agreements
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New Mexico's Public Regulation Commission voted to uphold a ruling that would allow private entities to build and operate solar power installations on private property.The decision moves the state closer to permitting power purchase agreements. Already popular in California, they are something of a win-win for solar installers and homeowners. Under a PPA, a private firm builds, owns and runs a solar array; a customer - either a homeowner or commercial property owner - contracts to buy the electr
Solar Business
Massachusetts project sources solar panels locally
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A massive retail and entertainment complex west of Boston is installing solar panels made by a Massachusetts company.The company, Evergreen Solar, is based in Marlborough. It operates a solar panel plant in Devens, a town in central Massachusetts. The entertainment complex in Foxborough, called Patriot Place, is adjacent to Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.Patriot Place, which is being constructed piece by piece, will offer shopping and dining options in its 1.3 million square
Solar Energy
Innovative New Jersey solar power program will double state's generating capacity
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Solar panels are springing up in central New Jersey, MyCentralJersey.com reported this week.Small, 200-watt panels are being installed on utility poles as part of a program designed by the state's largest utility, Public Service Electric & Gas. The program, called Solar 4 All, plans to have 80 megawatts of solar power installed on poles by 2013, doubling New Jersey's solar generating capacity.PSE&G is installing panels on poles that "face in a southerly direction [and] are not obstr
Solar Policy
Obama Administration Supports another $5 Billion for Clean Energy Manufacturing
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If the Obama administration has its way, an additional $5 billion will be directed toward clean energy manufacturing.This increase would more than triple funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Section 48C, which formulates provisions for the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit.The news that the Obama administration was four-square behind the funding came from Vice President Joe Biden’s task force on the American middle class – a vanishing species – and was greeted warmly
Solar Energy
Buckman’s Ski Shop Solar Power System Equivelent to Planting 13,000 Trees
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In an odd juxtaposition of purpose and ideals, Pottstown, Pennsylvania-based Buckman’s Ski and Snowboard Shops recently announced it was installing 3,000 roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels to supply electricity to the company’s warehouse and production facilities.Cooler temperatures are generally better for conventional (silicon-based) solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. In fact, according to a recent study, temperatures around 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 Celsius) began to affect solar PV performa
Solar Energy
Solarpower.org Enlists 10,000 Bloggers to Donate Solar Panels to Schools
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and Solarpower.org have teamed up to install solar panels on schools around the country through their new Bloggers for Solar Schools program. The Bloggers for Solar Schools Program starts online, by reaching out to blogs and websites that want to get involved and help spread the word about solar power. By simply placing a badge or banner supporting Solar Schools on their site, bloggers and webmasters can accomplish 2 things: Showing their support
Solar Policy
New York State Adds $6 Million Funding for Long Island Power Authority
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On Dec. 17, New York State Governor David A. Paterson added $6 million in funding to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) via a grant which will allow LIPA to continue helping homeowners and businesses install solar photovoltaic systems to lower energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.The funds were provided through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, in response to unparalleled demand for solar energy on Long Island, and will allow LIPA’s solar installat
Solar Policy
Pennsylvania to spend $10 million on new solar power projects
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Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Financing Authority has given the go-ahead to $10 million worth of solar power project grants, Governor Ed Rendell's office said late last week.The state monies will fund 12 separate projects with a total generating capacity of 9.1 megawatts, the governor's office noted.One of the largest grants is going to Knouse Foods Cooperative in Dickinson Township. The company is building a $19 million solar power installation on a former brownfield site, and the CFA is providin
Solar Energy
Solar energy will feed into Long Island grid
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
The Long Island Power Authority announced late last week that it is signing power purchase agreements for 50 megawatts of solar energy.The PPAs, with BP Solar International and enXco Development, will create New York's largest solar power source. The solar energy purchased by LIPA will be generated on Long Island, LIPA officials say.BP Solar's installation, at Brookhaven National Laboratory, will generate 32 megawatts of electricity and cost LIPA $298 million over the 20-year term of the agreeme
Solar Energy
"Personal" solar energy will help meet world's energy needs, professor says
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Personal-scale solar energy is essential to meeting the world's energy demands in the next century, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Daniel Nocera said in the latest issue of Inorganic Chemistry.Nocera envisions a catalyst that could split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen; the hydrogen, in turn, would be used to generate electricity in a fuel cell. The process is not dissimilar to photosynthesis, the series of reactions by which plants generate energy.Electricity demand wi
Solar Energy
California regulator will allow PG&E to buy solar energy from Nevada project
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The California Public Utilities Commission has given Pacific Gas and Electric the go-ahead to buy solar power from a soon-to-be-built facility in Nevada.The 48-megawatt Copper Mountain solar plant will be part of the nation's largest operational photovoltaic site, operator Sempra Energy said. Sempra already runs a 10-megawatt solar power system in Boulder City, Nevada; combined, the two facilities will generate more electricity from solar energy than any other site.Construction would commence af
Solar Energy
NV Energy Gives $1 Million to City of Reno for Solar
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
According to AP reports, NV Energy just gave the city of Reno, Nevada, a $1-million incentive payment to be used for installing solar panels at the Reno Events Center, and for paying off the cost of panels installed earlier this year at the city’s Parking Gallery garage.NV Energy, an offshoot of a merger between Nevada Power, Sierra Pacific Power and Sierra Pacific Resources, serves northern Nevada and northwestern California – in towns like Tahoe, Portola and Quincy – providing electricity to 2
Solar Energy
Exeter High School in New Hampshire Starts Installation of a 100-Kilowatt Solar Array
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
It’s not your typical solar installation, and cold weather is the current drawback, but when the solar photovoltaic project is completed, Exeter High School in New Hampshire will have a 100-kilowatt solar system, the largest in New Hampshire.Installation is being done by 55 students from the Seacoast School of Technology, or SST, whose welding, building and pre-engineering studies, combined with the skill of licensed contractors and representatives from Revolution Energy Solutions, will help mak
Solar Business
University of California solar power installation set to move ahead
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Financing for a solar power project at the University of California-Merced has been secured, meaning that installation can move ahead.The $100 million solar project, announced in June, will meet up to two-thirds of the campus's energy needs on sunny summer days. Twenty percent of the school's annual energy use will be provided by solar power generated by the 1-megawatt system.And the system at UC-Merced will offset 45 million pounds of carbon emissions over the next three decades, the equivalent
Solar Policy
Solar energy groups declaim solar's potential at climate conference
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
European and American solar energy associations exhorted the benefits of solar power at the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen this week.The European Photovoltaic Industry Association suggested that solar makes sense in emerging markets. Solar energy "is easily adapted to poor infrastructures," EPIA vice president Murray Cameron said. It allows for a "decentralized [energy] solution," too, he said.The EPIA cited a September report it had issued about the potentia
Solar Energy
Juwi Solar Plans Two More Megawatt Fields
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juwi solar Inc. (JSI), the U.S. subsidiary of Germany-based juwi Group, recently began construction on two large field-based solar installations, one in Ohio and one in Florida.Described as free-field projects (that is, located on land which is not being used for any other purpose), the first, in Ohio (the Wyandot Solar Energy Generation Facility), is a 12-megawatt solar photovoltaic “farm” in Upper Sandusky, Ohio which will, when completed in the summer of 2010, produce about 15.8 million kilow
Solar Business
Newark Solar Energy Project to Save 4,400 Trees
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On Tuesday, December 15, City of New Jersey officials, along with Weston Solutions, Inc. executives and Wilson Avenue Realty representatives, got together for a final inspection of a 200-kilowatt rooftop solar system at the city’s engineering department motor vehicle garage.Located at 233-249 Wilson Avenue, in Newark’s East Ward, the 55,472-square foot building, occupied via a long-term lease from Wilson Ave. Realty, features a $1.3-million system which will provide about 83 percent of the build
Solar Energy
Cost concerns derail solar energy project in southeastern California
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A planned solar energy project in Niland, California has been put on hold, the Los Angeles Times reports.Located in arid territory near the Salton Sea, it would generate 55 megawatts of electricity. But the project - which was slated to be built on land bought by the city of L.A. in 2006 - is being shelved because of worries about the cost of transmitting the electricity it would generate.The interim general manager of the city Department of Water and Power, S. David Freeman, indicated to the Ti
Solar Energy
Solar power lease program is Colorado's first with no upfront cost
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California-based solar power installer SolarCity will soon offer Coloradans a leasing program for home solar installations, the company announced this week.SunRun, another California solar firm, already offers leases on solar equipment to Centennial State residents. But SunRun charges $1,000 upfront; SolarCity's panels will be offered with no upfront cost.The lack of upfront expense makes solar leasing more viable for Colorado residents, SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive said. The company's systems will
Solar Policy
Promote Solar Energy, Sign the Solar Bill of Rights
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At Solar Power International in Anaheim, California (Oct. 27-29), Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) president and CEO Rhone Resch outlined the Solar Bill of Rights, a list of eight rights Americans should demand if solar energy is ever to compete on the same playing field as fossil-fuel generation.The Bill of Rights, which you can sign to insure these rights are met in a timely fashion, will also provide an opportunity for consumers focused on clean energy to choose the energy source th
Solar Business
City of Houston Reneges on NRG Solar Energy Deal
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Back in September, the City of Houston agreed to buy all the solar power from a proposed NRG $40-million solar plant on a 25-year power purchase agreement, or PPA.The deal called for NRG to foot the bill for the plant, and the city to pay for the power at a rate of 8.2 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first year. What this meant, in real-world terms, was that NRG would supplant some of the solar output with power from other plants, giving the city an effective rate of 8.2 cents, though the agreem
Solar Energy
Standard Solar Installs System at Loudoun County Homeless Services Center
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The newly constructed Loudoun County Homeless Services Center in Leesburg, Virginia, destined to become a Silver-certified LEED building, recently began generating part of its electricity needs for the facility with a 9.5-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array, which in Virginia’s relatively sunny climate can be expected to deliver about 13,000 kilowatt-hours per year, or enough to power a large American home.LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the international paradigm for build
Solar Policy
Germany number-one for solar power, nonprofit group says
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Germany has the most solar-friendly policies, a report from Global Green USA indicates.The European nation was the only country to get an A in Global Green's Global Solar Report Card; its A- grade was unchanged from 2008. California - which was rated independently of the U.S. - and Italy came in second and third, respectively, with grades of B and B-.Spain, France, the U.S. and Japan shared C+ grades.Poland and Russia got the two failing grades, due to their governments' lack of photovoltaic-spe
Solar Energy
Solar energy society plans Arizona outreach campaign
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The Arizona Solar Power Society, a group that educates consumers and businesses about the benefits of going solar, plans a major marketing campaign in 2010.The society plans a community outreach program, called "Go Solar in Arizona," to educate Arizonans about the many benefits of solar energy. Its program includes a marketing template for community groups, to make it easier to hold solar town hall meetings that will provide education at the local level.Robert Hoskins, the society's ex
Solar Energy
School's solar power installation will provide clean energy, educational opportunities
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This week, a Maryland school announced that it is installing a solar power array that will provide 6 percent of its electricity needs and educate students about renewable energy.The Bullis School is a co-ed school for students in grades 3 to 12. It's located in Potomac, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. The school plans to install a 111-kilowatt solar power system that will generate 143,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.Bullis has already committed to buying 100 percent of its ele
Solar Energy
Multicrystalline solar panel efficiency reaches new heights
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A joint effort by two European groups has resulted in the world's most efficient multicrystalline solar panel, the groups announced this week.Renewable Energy Corporation, a Norwegian solar panel manufacturer, partnered with the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands (ECN) to design and build the new multicrystalline technology. REC built the solar wafers and ECN constructed the solar cells and assembled the panels.Their new panel achieved 17 percent conversion efficiency, narrowly beating th
Solar Policy
Oakland adopts, expands program for solar panel financing
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Oakland has become the latest city to join the California First solar panel financing program, the San Francisco Chronicle reported recently.California First - which the nearby city of Berkeley pioneered in 2007 - allows homeowners to pay for the cost of solar power projects through an assessment on their property tax bill. Payback takes between 20 and 30 years, the Chronicle said, adding the cost of borrowing is typically lower than what homeowners could expect to find on their own.Under Califo
Solar Business
South New Jersey manufacturer announces solar energy installation
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Late last week, a roll forming company announced that it would install a 383-kilowatt solar energy system on the roof of its plant in Deptford, New Jersey.International Rollforms, a family-owned roll forming firm, said that it's partnering with installer Mercury Solar Systems for the system, which will comprise 1,205 panels that are expected to generate 438 megawatt-hours of clean energy per year."Given the continued demand for our specialized products," said International Rollforms re
Green Energy
Government policy is essential to the development of green energy jobs, policy group says
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Governments are instrumental in creating jobs in green energy fields, a liberal think tank said this week.Tens of millions of jobs could be created around the world in the coming years, the Center for American Progress suggested in a report entitled Low-Carbon Jobs in an Interconnected World. But the report pointed to four key steps that governments must take to promote job development.The first, CAP said, is that jobs in low-carbon industries are contingent on the passage of government policies
Solar Policy
San Diego County Approves FIRST Solar Financing Program
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San Diego County, California, has officially joined a handful of other California counties that participate in a solar incentive program called FIRST.The FIRST program gives residential and commercial property owners the opportunity to finance new solar photovoltaic (PV) installations via their property tax bill, in conjunction with the California Solar Initiative.Once approved, the city pays for the cost of installing a solar PV array and adds a like amount (plus undisclosed interest) to proper
Solar Energy
Researchers announce solar panel technology that captures high-energy "hot electrons"
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Boston College researchers announced this week in the journal Applied Physics Letters that they have developed a solar panel that can capture so-called hot electrons.Hot electrons are, as their name suggests, hot. They possess a great amount of kinetic energy, though, making them desirable for capture in electricity generation. But they typically shed heat quickly and are effectively lost.The BC researchers' panels are ultra-thin. By making solar cells thinner and smaller, they say, hot electron
Solar Energy
New solar energy technology comes on line in Hawaii
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Solar energy through solar-thermal technology is not new, but it has not been adopted on a micro scale until now.Sopogy, the designer of a concentrating solar power system called MicroCSP, announced this week that it has built the world's first small-scale solar-thermal plant on the Hawaiian island of Kona.Sopogy's technology is similar to that used in massive solar-thermal installations that occupy thousands of acres of land. Those systems use mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays on a central
Solar Policy
Washington Airport to Get Solar Energy System Free
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In Port Townsend, Washington, the county-owned airport may soon get a $100,000 solar array for free courtesy of solar firm Power Trip Energy and a consortium of solar interests called the Jefferson Solar Group.The 16-kilowatt array will occupy a 100-square-foot parcel near the navigational beacon at the Jefferson County International Airport, on the airport’s western perimeter, providing about 16,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity to run the beacon and landing lights.The Jefferson Solar Group, co
Solar Energy
Greensboro Invests in Solar Power to Heat Water
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In Greensboro, North Carolina, city officials are planning a number of energy efficiency measures in public buildings aimed at reducing energy use from regional utilities. The most exciting venture involves the installation of solar thermal panels on the roof of the Melvin Municipal Office Building to heat hot water for the building. Located at 300 W. Washington Street, the installation will likely be completed before Christmas, and is the result of the city working with Pepco Energy Services (a
Solar Energy
U.S. to Outperform Germany in PV Solar by 2012
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A new report by GTM Research, the analytical arm of GreenTech Media, shows that the United States is on track to head the global solar photovoltaic (PV) marketplace, with sales set to double by 2011.According to the report, The United States PV Market Through 2013: Project Economics, Policy, Demand and Strategy, the U.S. will likely put Germany in second place over the next four years when it comes to solar sales and installation.Germany is currently the world’s largest solar PV market, accordin
Solar Energy
Washington State residents cautious about new solar power project
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A proposed solar power project near Cle Elum, Washington is facing scrutiny from citizens, environmental groups and state agencies, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported this week.The project would produce 75 megawatts of electricity at peak, outpacing the world's most powerful array, a Nevada facility that produces 64 megawatts.Kittitas County's community development department is requesting more information about the project, the newspaper says. The department's concerns center on increased
Solar Energy
Solar panels available in some California Lowe's stores
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Solar panels from California-based Akeena Solar are available for purchase in 21 Lowe's home improvement stores in California, making do-it-yourself solar a reality for some homeowners.Its Andalay AC panels are modular and easy to install, Akeena Solar says. A full 3-kilowatt, 20-panel array can be installed by a two-man crew in less than a day, the company suggested to Popular Mechanics magazine. Because the panels include built-in microinverters, they can be connected easily to a home AC power
Solar Energy
Solar energy collective lowers entry costs for L.A. homeowners
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Los Angeles homeowners considering a solar energy system can take advantage of a solar buying program that reduces per-watt costs by 23 percent.One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), a solar power collective, is offering a group discount on new solar installations to L.A. homeowners between now and March 9, 2010. The collective negotiates for lower costs on solar projects; it has partnered with installer SunWize to perform new installations in the Los Angeles area.In addition, 1BOG says, it has an Onlin
Solar Energy
Heating homes, businesses with solar power will become more popular, report says
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In a report released this week, Wellesley, Massachusetts research firm BCC Research said that solar-thermal technologies - like using solar power to heat water - will experience rapid growth in the next few years.The market for solar-thermal technology in residential and commercial applications is worth $8 billion today, BCC said. It will grow to $20 billion by 2014, a 19.8 percent compound annual growth rate.The research firm broke solar-thermal into two categories: solar power for water heatin
Solar Energy
Solar energy to make huge strides in U.S. market, report says
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The U.S. is poised to overtake Germany as the world's largest solar energy market, a study from GTM Research says.GTM Research, a subsidiary of Greentech Media, issued this week a report entitled The United States PV Market: Project Economics, Policy, Demand and Strategy Through 2013. Driven largely by new residential and utility-scale solar power installations, installed solar capacity will more than double by 2013, the report suggests. This year, GTM estimates, 440 megawatts of solar projects
Green Energy
Missouri Dept. of Transportation to Use Solar To Fight Ice
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The Missouri Department of Transportation has signed a contract with Pave Guard Technologies of Lee's Summit to install solar warming systems on two bridges near St. Louis, one of the state’s four largest cities.The move makes Missouri one of the first states to use solar energy to fight ice road/bridge/overpass conditions, the leading cause of winter vehicle accidents. In fact, 52 percent of U.S. deaths are caused by accidents, and motor vehicle accidents account for 37.5 percent of this total.
Green Energy
John Door Nature Center Call on Nature for Solar Power
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In Washington, Connecticut, the John Door Nature Center recently installed a 35-kilowatt solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system. The John Door Nature Center is one of four locations for the Horace Mann School, an independent day school located in New York City serving students from second through twelfth grades.At Horace Mann, students ranging from eight years of age to 18 years of age participate in outdoor and environmental education programs that last from a single day to more than a week. Th
Solar Energy
Prescott, Arizona Library Installs 8.2-Kilowatt Solar
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It’s far from a mega-installation, but the 63 solar panels on the roof of the Prescott, Arizona, public library are likely to save the city (or county) almost $1,000 per month in electricity costs.The $54,491 solar photovoltaic array, which became operational December 2, was made possible by the Prescott City Council, which approved the project on the basis of the library’s $7,000-per-month utility bill through Arizona Public Service Co., or APS, which is owned by Pinnacle West. The actual fundi
Solar Business
Solar Energy System to Save $1,000,000 Annually for West Valley College District
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The West Valley College District, with two campuses in Mission and Saratoga, California, is spending $8.7 million per campus to install solar photovoltaic panels to help lower the cost of electricity and show its support for clean, renewable solar energy.Funding for the projects will come partly from Measure H, a $235-million bond measure approved in 2004 by 60 percent of voters.Another portion will come from the Internal Revenue Service, via Clean Energy Renewable bonds, $2.5 million of which h
Solar Policy
Bill would create solar energy roadmap, provide research funding
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A bill slated for consideration in a Senate subcommittee this week would offer guidance to the Department of Energy and provide billions of dollars in solar energy research funding.The bill, H.R. 3585 - called the Solar Technology Roadmap Act - passed the House in October with a vote of 310-106. If approved by the Senate energy subcommittee, it would move to a vote in the Senate.H.R. 3585 would create an 11-member committee that would advise the DOE and Congress on solar policy. The committee wo
Solar Energy
Missouri will use solar power to keep bridges clear of ice and snow
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Solar power will replace snow-melting chemicals on two bridges in Missouri, the state Department of Transportation announced this week.Pave Guard Technologies, a Lee's Summit, Missouri firm, will be tabbed to design the solar power systems. They will be installed on two bridges on Route 10 near Excelsior Springs, a town near Kansas City.Pave Guard's systems use solar panels to heat an antifreeze solution. The solution circulates in pipes underneath the pavement, keeping ice from forming and maki
Solar Energy
California community college offers course on solar panel siting
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West Valley College in Saratoga, California is offering a course for would-be solar panel site designers, the San Jose Business Journal reports.Solar power site design is different from panel installation. The job of an installer is labor-intensive and pays just $15 an hour, but site designers can earn $40,000 to $50,000 per year, according to David Esmaili, the director of WVC's Advanced Transportation Technology and Energy Center.Site designers are responsible for "preliminary work and nu
Solar Energy
Greener solar panel components may reduce costs, lower solar's environmental impact
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Solar panel manufacturers need to "get serious" about the life-cycle impact of their components, a bioengineering researcher says.Dr. David Lee, the CEO of bio-based solar component developer BioSolar, noted that the solar industry "risks repeating the mistakes made by the microelectronics industry," which is facing "an ongoing legacy of toxic electronic waste."Lee cited a polyvinyl fluoride film used in 70 percent of all solar panels, Tedlar, as an exemplar of the
Green Energy
U.S. is number one in green energy potential, report says
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
America has the greatest potential for green energy adoption, a recent Ernst and Young report suggests.China ousted Germany as the number-two nation in green energy attractiveness, E&Y said.China led the U.S. slightly in wind energy potential, with a wind index score of 72 versus America's 71. E&Y credited China's lead to a recent announcement that the country would not require its wind energy developments to use domestically sourced components exclusively.But the U.S. was firmly in the
Solar Business
Private equity firm plans investment in solar energy and green tech
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Hudson Clean Energy Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, announced this week that its investment fund for solar energy and clean power met its $1 billion target.The fund, Hudson Clean Energy Partners, L.P., is the debut fund for the firm. Hudson already invests in several green tech companies. Hudson named Wind to Power Systems, a Madrid-based electronics concern that enables the connection of renewable energy sources to the electrical grid; CaliSolar, a solar wafer and cell manufactu
Solar Business
Solar power an integral part of large Massachusetts multi-use project
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
A solar power installation at a multi-use complex in Boston will be the largest privately built solar array in Massachusetts, the Boston Globe said this week.John Rosenthal, developer of the massive Fenway Center complex near Fenway Park, plans to install a 650-kilowatt solar array on the complex's roof. It will generate enough electricity to power both a commuter rail station and 100 apartments that are part of the project.Fenway Center has been in the works for over a decade, the Globe reporte
Solar Energy
Low-cost plastic solar panels garner awards
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Solarmer Energy, an offshoot from University of California-Los Angeles research, has attracted the attention of industry groups and government organizations for its inexpensive plastic solar panels.This week, the company announced that its panels had achieved 7.9 percent efficiency in National Renewable Energy Laboratory tests. "Our efforts in R&D have now put us in a great position to launch a competitive product based on plastic solar panels," said Woolas Hsieh, Solarmer founder
Green Energy
Massachusetts To Save 6.5 Billion in Energy Costs with Solar
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
On January 1 of 2010, Massachusetts residents with installed solar power will be able to take advantage of the state’s new net metering law, which provides for grid-connected renewable energy installations like wind and solar to capture retail rates for energy not used in the home.This overturns the provisions of the 2008 Green Communities Act, which provided for wholesale rates for excess electricity generation, though the intent of the Act – which focuses on energy remains the same; to reduce
Solar Business
Sopogy's Hawaii Solar Energy Farm Eliminates Need For 2000 Oil Barrels
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
The technology began on these tropical islands, and now it has come home to roost, but in a nice way.On Dec. 10, the Big Island will power up a 4-acre solar farm based on Sopogy technology, which was spun off as Keahole Solar Power LLC to develop the project.Located on Honolulu, Sopogy’s 500-kilowatt concentrating solar array, which is more efficient than solar photovoltaic systems, will deliver enough electricity to the Big Island’s power grid to serve 250 homes, according to state energy agen
Solar Energy
Curing Dust-Bowl Blues with Solar
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
In Los Angeles, California, the city’s Department of Water and Power (DWP) is eyeing flat, dusty, arid Owens Lake as the potential site for a future mega-solar farm, but the initiative is focused less on clean, renewable solar energy than on preventing the interminable dust storms generated by the dry lake bed.Owens Lake started to run dry when, in 1913, the city began diverting water from the Owens River. By 1926, the former lake was a shallow hardpan. Today, it ranks as the largest single sour
Solar Business
Largest Missouri Power Utility Going with Solar Energy
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Ameren Corporation, the holding company for AmerenEnergy and Ameren UE, announced Monday, Dec. 1, that it plans to install solar energy systems at its headquarters in St. Louis and, eventually, another in Illinois.Operating as Ameren UE, the company is one of the nation’s largest utilities, with 16,600 megawatts of generation and 2.4 million electric customers in Missouri and Illinois. AmerenEnergy is the risk management and energy marketing arm of the company. As a utility, Ameren also provides
Green Energy
Green energy policies lacking, experts say, leading to "underdevelopment"
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
President Obama is convening a summit this week to discuss the creation of green energy jobs, among other employment topics.Some have criticized the administration's $787 billion stimulus package, which allots $80 billion for renewable energy development, saying it has done too little to create jobs. Even though the nation is no longer in recession, unemployment rates are at levels not seen in decades.But government officials will redouble efforts to bolster green job growth, the New York Times
Solar Policy
Solar power project will have manifold benefits, L.A. officials say
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
A solar power installation on a lakebed in far eastern California would generate clean energy for Angelenos and contain dust storms, Los Angeles officials hope.In the early 1900s, the city of Los Angeles drained Owens Lake to meet its water needs. At present, the lakebed - located close to Death Valley National Park, one of the hottest and driest parts of the country - must be watered down to contain powerful dust storms. Annual water costs for the L.A. Department of Water and Power run into the
Solar Energy
Solar panels will provide clean energy to affordable housing developments
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Solar panels are planned for four affordable housing communities in California to provide inexpensive electricity to low-income residents.In total, the solar arrays will generate 790 kilowatts, or 1.1 megawatt-hours, of electricity. Three of the communities to receive solar power are in San Francisco and one is in Richmond, a city just north of Berkeley.The systems will be financed by power purchase agreements, which have become popular among homeowners and businesses looking to install solar pa
Solar Energy
VA hospitals to benefit from solar energy
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Six medical centers operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs will use solar energy beginning in early 2010.The hospitals - four in California and one each in Arizona and Nevada - will have the largest solar power arrays in the VA system once installation is complete. In total, 1.7 megawatts of solar energy will be generated by the arrays, reducing the VA's energy costs by an estimated $175,000 each year.California-based REC Solar will be responsible for installing the solar panels. Solar e
Solar Business
REC Solar Poised to Lead Solar Growth in US
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
San Luis Obispo, California-based REC Solar, one of the nation’s fastest growing solar providers for grid-tied residential and commercial solar photovoltaic systems, recently announced the acquisition of a contract with the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or VA – a division of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) – to build 1.7 megawatts of solar capacity on federally-owned buildings in California, Arizona and Nevada.Founded in 1997, and with more than a dozen offices in six states (AZ, CA, CO,
Green Energy
South Carolina Inmates Aim to Save the Planet with Solar Power
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Now, bright, clean, renewable solar energy is turning to its darker side; the Charleston County jail in South Carolina.Unlikely perhaps, but the large flat roofs of Charleston County detention center, also known as, “The House”, which aims to improve its status as one of the nation’s most crowded inmate facilities with an ongoing $100-million expansion slated for completion next year.The solar array will also improve power consumption figures, which already reach 4.25 million kilowatts a year, t
Solar Energy
Proposed Solar Power Installation to Save New Jersey School $21,000 Annually
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
In Mansfield Township, New Jersey, voters will be asked on Dec. 8 to approve or reject two proposals that would repair the roof of the John Hydock Elementary School and add solar panels.The total cost of the project is estimated at about $1.6 million, with the first portion – replacing more than 30,000 square feet of the 21-year-old roof – valued at about $639,000 but costing taxpayers about $333,000, thanks to a loan from the state’s Schools Development Authority, or SDA, which is in turn funde
Solar Policy
New Massachusetts law makes solar power more viable for homes, businesses
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Massachusetts officials announced this week that a new net metering law will go into effect, allowing homeowners and businesses to sell solar power to electric utilities at retail prices.It's not just solar power projects that will benefit, though: any kind of site-generated electricity can be sold to the grid. Massachusetts has long allowed property owners to sell electricity to utilities, but capped the size of power installations at 60 kilowatts and only required utilities to pay lower wholes
Solar Energy
Water treatment facility to use solar energy
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
A water treatment and transportation facility in Chester County, Pennsylvania will be the site of one of the East Coast's largest solar energy farms, the two companies involved in the project's installation announced.Sanyo will manufacture the solar panels for the solar array and Conergy will design and install the system. When complete, the panels will provide 1.1 megawatts of clean energy, reducing the load on the electrical grid and saving water treatment firm Aqua Pennsylvania $77,000 per ye
Green Energy
5N Plus Inc. to Recycle Elements Used in Solar Panel Manufacturing
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
In DeForest, Wisconsin, 5N Plus Inc., currently a Canadian cadmium telluride (CdTe) producer serving the solar panel industry, plans to open a solar module deconstruction facility.Cadmium telluride is used in thin-film solar applications, and 5N Plus Inc., which plans to begin the solar panel recycling process with the coated soda-lime glass from obsolete solar panels and solar panel production failures, says it may eventually use the leased, 60,000-square-foot facility to recover tellurium diox
Solar Policy
Governor Announces State Energy Program ARRA Wind and Solar Awards
Posted 2 years ago — Read Full Story
Cleveland, Ohio – Governor Ted Strickland today announced that 25 Ohio projects will receive more than $13 million in grant awards funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s State Energy Program. “We are shaping Ohio’s future by strengthening our advanced energy economy today. Supporting the growing wind and solar industries creates jobs, creates energy and reduces costs for hard-working Ohioans,” Strickland said. “These Recovery Act-funded projects take the state another vita

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