Feed-in tariffs, the terminology at least, has come of age. The term can now be found in a prolific English novelist’s most recent book. Jasper Fforde’s use of the words in fiction is an open acknowledgment that the term and the idea it conveys have be…
Tag: solar energy
The Making of a New Midwestern Solar Energy Standard
Last week, a solar energy standard moved one step closer to passage in the Minnesota state legislature, with an innovative new approach to financing solar power. It’s a powerful first step for what would be one of the more robust policies to support distributed, local solar power in the country. The policy has three key pieces, outlined below. A S
EU Debate Over Climate Change Policy Could Dampen Renewable Energy Growth
Europe’s program to halt climate change is in disarray with lawmakers in the region expressing concern the drift is undermining the planet’s most significant effort to combat global warming.
Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2013: April Update
While the sun was shining on most clean energy stocks in April, my ten clean energy picks for 2013 (introduced here) got relative showers. The Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW) was up a sunny 14.1% for April to 19.6% for the year, rising…
Report Anticipates 220 New Gigawatts of Distributed Solar Generation by 2018
A recent Navigant Research report anticipates that the world will add 220 new gigawatts of distributed solar photovoltaics by 2018 as solar comes into parity with other energy sources, creating $540.3 billion in revenue in the process. That’s a significant jump in the amount of solar that is currently installed throughout world, which the European
Solar PV Module Rankings in 2012, And What Comes Next
The gap between PV supply and demand narrowed slightly in 2012, but overcapacity will continue to weigh on the industry for the next several years, even with optimistic outlooks, according to new industry analyst reports.
Canadian Solar Report Lifts Panel Makers
Solar panel makers are finally seeing signs that the clouds could be lifting from their embattled sector, sparking a stock rally for their volatile shares. Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) led off the upbeat news, releasing preliminary results that included better-than-expected first-quarter sales and margins. But perhaps more importantly, other repor
A Clean Energy REIT: Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure
On April 18th, Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (NYSE:HASI) IPOed on the New York Stock Exchange. HASI is one of only two publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) dedicated to sustainable infrastructure.
America’s Real Problem with Solar Energy
Each day, our industry sits down and whittles the unsightly knots off the tree we call solar energy. We, as a group, spend more time than we should pointing to one of a growing number of reasons why solar energy isn’t taking hold in America: that perha…
Is the Japan PV Market the Next Big Thing?
Japan has been experiencing an enormous boom in solar energy development over the past year. More than 6.7 GW of PV projects have been approved between July 2012 and January 2013, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and mor…
Popularity of Solar Incentives in Colorado Bring Xcel, SEIA, COSEIA Together
It seems that just about every year in Colorado, Xcel Energy’s Public Service Company of Colorado’s Solar*Rewards program is too popular for its own good. The incentive program for small-sized solar installations in its service area is once again fully subscribed. In an attempt to make sure that more of Xcel’s residential and small business custome
Massachusetts Resets Its Solar Energy Bar, Four Years Early
Solar installations in Massachusetts topped 135 MW in 2012, and through April of this year another 30 MW was installed. This week, on May 1, the state achieved a milestone: 250 MW of installed solar capacity, fulfilling a goal set by Governor Deval Patrick’s administration — a goal that was expected to be achieved four years from now.
Residential Solar Sub-Contractors Work For Pennies – NLP Solar Sales Training May 15 & 16
Renewable Energy Leases on Tribal Lands: Enhanced Sovereignty and Increased Responsibility
2013 may well be remembered as the year that ushered in a new era for the development of renewable energy projects on tribal lands.
Distributed Energy Storage Benefits on Both Sides of the Meter
Solar and wind are excellent sources of clean, renewable energy, but as they contribute a larger share to the generation fleet, their integration will become increasingly challenging. The reason: solar and wind cannot be dispatched in the same way as other sources of energy, such as nuclear, hydro, and fossil fuels. Because the grid must operate “j
New Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Energy Power the Grid
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.
Latin America Report: Thinking Big About Clean Energy and Climate Change
Virtually eliminating the carbon footprint from Latin America’s power sector by 2050 would require $66 billion in annual investments, with spending on renewable energy making up half that amount, according to a new report analyzing full “climate stabil…
Alternative Energy Mutual Funds Outpace ETFs
Investors love Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). They trade like stocks, and are an easy way to diversify within a certain sector. Over the past year, though, alternative energy investors would have been much better off putting their money in regular mutua…
IBM, Swiss Developing Swiss Army Knife of Solar Arrays
IBM, which revolutionized the personal computer, is bringing its technological knowhow to solar through a new partnership with Airlight Energy, ETH Zurich and Interstate University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB. The group recently won a three-year, $2….
Verizon to Invest $100 Million in U.S. Solar and Fuel Cells
Verizon Communications Inc., the second-largest U.S. phone company, plans to spend $100 million on solar systems and fuel cells to power 19 U.S. facilities.