Wind energy industry says consistent tax policy from Congress needed to avoid losing more U.S. manufacturing jobs

 In the wake of today’s announcement from Nordex USA, Inc. that it will cease manufacturing wind turbine housings at its factory in Jonesboro, Arkansas, largely because of unpredictable U.S. policies, the U.S. wind energy industry renewed its call for a predictable tax policy to keep U.S....avoid, Congress, consistent, Energy, industry, losing, Manufacturing, Needed, Policy

Whaling in the Antarctic: Australia v. Japan - week one

Dispatches from The Hague: Tony Press, CEO of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre at the University of Tasmania, is in The Hague for four weeks of hearings at the International Court of Justice. The case will decide whether Japan’s scientific whaling in the...Antarctic, Australia, japan, Whaling

Graph of the Day: Live wind generation in W.A.

By Giles Parkinson on 30 June 2013 We’ve given Western Australia a fair old bagging in recent months over some of its energy choices, and the recent disaster over the Muja coal-fired power station refurbishment. And we’ve given it some bouquets, such as the opening of Australia’s first...Generation, Graph

Goldwind Australia Wind Farm Wins AUD250mn Loans

 
The Gullen Range wind farm in Australia, the largest overseas wind power project of Xinjiang Goldwind Science And Technology Co.,Ltd. to date, has won AUD 250 million non-recourse financing from a syndication of five financial institutions including National Australia Bank, Bank of China,...AUD250mn, Australia, Goldwind, loans

Wind energy project approved for Arizona

 interior Secretary Sally Jewell has announced the approval of a wind farm in northwestern Arizona.The project about 40 miles northwest of Kingman is expected to provide up to 500 megawatts to the electricity grid. That’s enough energy to power up to 175,000 houses.
It’s also projected...approved, Arizona, Energy, project

The third oil crisis and the forgotten half of US carbon cuts

US carbon emissions are down 12% since 2005.
According to many an editorial the reason is simple.  The fracking boom has driven out coal.
But that isn’t what the data says.  The data says that oil emissions are down more than electricity emissions.  That natural gas is at best...carbon, crisis, forgotten, third

The wind energy produced 19,3% of of electricity in June in Spain

 The peninsular electricity demand in the month of June, after taking into account the effects of timing and temperatures fell by 1.8% over the same month last year. Gross demand has been from 19,239 GWh, 7.3% lower than in June 2012.
In June, the generation from renewable energy sources in...Electricity, Energy, produced, Spain

The Daily Mail can scream, but we need another Gildas the Monk

The Daily Mail is having a field day with its screaming headlines about electricity rationing. “Power cuts in 2 years unless industry cuts back” it yells, repeating the warning of the regulator, Ofgem.In a dig at those of us supporting the idea of man-made climate change, which actually...another, Daily, Gildas, scream

Secretary Jewell announces DOI approval of 500 MW wind energy project in Arizona

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the approval of a wind energy project in Arizona that will provide up to 500 MW to the electricity grid — enough energy to power up to 175,000 houses — and create about 750 jobs through construction and operations.As part of President Barack...announces, Approval, Arizona, Energy, Jewell, project, Secretary

Gov. Cuomo says $30 million funding will create green jobs

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced $30 million in the first round of funding for the implementation of regional sustainability plans, including a plan recently endorsed by the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council. The plans were developed under the governor’s $100 million...create, Cuomo, funding, Green, million

Has SolarCity Created the Amazon 1-Click for Energy Efficiency?

After SolarCity shifted its energy efficiency strategy and pulled back from doing residential retrofits in-house, the solar services behemoth is moving straight into intelligent efficiency.
GTM’s Eric Wesoff recently reported on SolarCity’s evolving business plan and...Amazon, big data, efficiency retrofit, energy efficiency, intelligent efficiency, internet shopping, solarcity

Not so cool: First Solar’s moonshine story was … moonshine

On Thursday (US time) RenewEconomy published a story quoting operators at the AVSR1 project, under construction in the Antelope Valley in California, as saying that the 136MW currently connected actually managed to produce a small amount of electricity during the “super moon” last...First, moonshine, Solars, story

International bank approves grant to improve Haiti's energy sector

The Inter-American Development Bank approved a $25 million policy-based grant to support the modernization of Haiti’s energy sector. The resources include $22 million from the IDB Grant Facility and $3 million from the Haiti Reconstruction Fund.In coordination with other donors, the IDB is...approves, Energy, grant, Haitis, improve, International, sector

Vestas receives 107 MW wind energy order in Australia

Vestas has received a firm and unconditional order for the supply of 51 wind turbines to the Taralga Wind Farm project in New South Wales, Australia.The 106.8 megawatt (MW) order is made up of a combination of V90-2.0 MW, V100-1.8 MW and V90-3.0 MW turbines and will be supplied using Australian...Australia, Energy, order, receives, Vestas

Sunrun wins $630 million financing for rooftop solar

Sunrun secured financing to support more than $630 million in solar rooftop installations across the U.S. The solar energy developer received funds in three separate transactions from investors that include JPMorgan and U.S. Bank.Sunrun’s announcement follows on the heels of competitor...Financing, million, Rooftop, Solar, sunrun

Wind Case Could Become a Lightning Rod for Escalating US-China Trade Tensions

LONDON — For two years wind industry observers have been following U.S. component maker AMSC’s (formerly American Semiconductor) suit against the world’s second largest wind turbine manufacturer, China’s Sinovel. The suit alleged theft of intellectual property – software code for...Become, could, Escalating, Lightning, Tensions, trade, USChina

Central Texas Dreams Big for Solar Energy Center

Austin, Texas — Texas A&M University-Central Texas (TAMU-CT) is opening the doors for what it claims will be the planet’s biggest solar energy test facility, a 50-MW undertaking spanning both commercial demonstrations and testing, with an incubator program to shepherd newer...center, Central, dreams, Energy, Solar, Texas

IEA: Renewable energy to surpass natural gas as world's No. 2 source of energy

The worldwide growth of renewable energy will continue to accelerate in the future, even surpassing the power generation capacity of natural gas and nuclear energy, according to a study by the International Energy Agency By 2016, global power generation from hydropower, solar energy, wind power...Energy, Natural, Renewable, source, surpass, worlds

ACORE Study Looks at How to Scale Renewable Energy Investment in US

As solar projects are becoming more prevalent in the U.S. and more people are interested in going solar at home and work, the U.S. needs to explore new strategies for financing solar. Chief among them is getting more private capital into investing in solar. That’s the focus of a new study from...ACORE, Energy, Investment, Looks, Renewable, Scale, Study

Canadian Solar, Samsung partner on solar energy module factory

Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. partnered with Canadian Solar to open a new manufacturing facility in London, Ontario. This plant will bring 200 local manufacturing jobs to London by the end of 2013, as promised in the Green Energy Investment Agreement (GEIA) between Samsung and the government of...Canadian, Energy, factory, Module, partner, Samsung, Solar

Wind resource assessment results: how accurate can we be?

The resource assessment workshop in DublinThe wind is not the same everywhere, every day. It can vary depending on the landscape, the altitude and the climate. A turbine on a mountain in Switzerland will not have the same wind conditions as a turbine on a delta in Italy. Yet for wind energy...accurate, assessment, Resource, Results

Siemens Financing Arm Finds Energy and Infrastructure Market Niche

The ongoing boom in energy and industry infrastructure around the world (and the costly prices of many of these projects) has created a niche for entities like Siemens Financial Services, which can serve as a specialized financial intermediary for getting projects funded and built.
Siemens...epc contractors, Finance, Project Developers, Siemens

Silicon: The Element of Desire

Look around you. Do you have a digital watch on your wrist, a smart car key in your pocket, a cell phone in your hand or a laptop in your briefcase?
We are carrying more and more silicon on us wherever we go.
I didn’t notice the creep into my life so dramatically until recently. And now...botany of desire, crystalline silicon, microelectronics, silicon, solar manufacturing, solar pv

California Grid Operator Asks Geothermal to Help Feed the Duck

California’s 33-percent-renewables-by-2020 mandate is becoming a reality, and the state’s electricity system operator wants the geothermal industry to help keep the grid stable as more generation comes from variable resources.
By 2020, due largely to solar, a graph of the change caused by...California, Geothermal, Operator

DOE and NREL open new smart grid research centre

The new Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) is America’s first facility to help both public and private sector researchers scale-up promising clean energy technologiesThe US Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have announced the creation of a...centre, research, smart

Bankrupt, Bought-Out EV Maker Coda Tries Energy Storage

Nobody wanted Coda’s plug-in electric sedans. Will anyone want its grid batteries?
Fortress Investment Group (FIG) seems to think so. The New York-based investment firm announced this week that it’s going ahead with a plan to turn the bankrupt EV startup’s batteries and energy management...Bankrupt, batteries, better place, byd, coda automotive, coda energy, energy storage, fisker, fortress investment group, grid storage, Investors, johnson controls, lg chem, mitsubishi

Ecomagination ANZ Challenge Winners Set to Develop Renewable Energy Technologies

Cardiff, Wales — During March, several companies focused on developing low-carbon innovations were announced as winners of GE’s first ever ecomagination Challenge in Australia and New Zealand. The five winners, each awarded a total of AUD$100,000, will develop innovative renewable and...Challenge, develop, Ecomagination, Energy, Renewable, Technologies, winners

Bankrupt, Bought-Out EV Maker Coda Tries Energy Storage

Nobody wanted Coda’s plug-in electric sedans. Will anyone want its grid batteries?
Fortress Investment Group (FIG) seems to think so. The New York-based investment firm announced this week that it’s going ahead with a plan to turn the bankrupt EV startup’s batteries and energy management...Bankrupt, BoughtOut, Energy, Maker, Storage, Tries

Ron Binz nominated to replace Wellinghoff as FERC chair

President Barack Obama nominated Ron Binz to serve as the next chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee. If Binz is approved by the Senate, he will replace FERC’s current chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who announced his intent to step down when a successor is found in late May 2013.Binz...Chair, Nominated, replace, Wellinghoff

Nordex Announces Closure of US Wind Power Manufacturing Plant

Nashua, NH — Nordex SE, a German wind energy company that opened a U.S. manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, Arkansas to great fanfare in 2009, today announced the closure of the plant. The company blames uncertainty in the U.S. market largely due to the last-minute (and only one-year)...announces, Closure, Manufacturing, Nordex, plant, Power

Ron Binz Nominated as New US FERC Chair

Tulsa, OK — President Barack Obama nominated Ron Binz to serve as the next chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee. If Binz is approved by the Senate, he will replace FERC’s current chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who announced his intent to step down when a successor is found in...Chair, Nominated

Samsung renewable energy signs manufacturing partnership deal

Samsung Renewable Energy Inc has reached a partnership agreement with Canadian Solar Inc. to open a new manufacturing facility in London, Ontario.The facility will produce solar PV Modules and Medium Voltage Power Stations, and supply Samsung’s Ontario solar projects, including the 100...Energy, Manufacturing, partnership, Renewable, Samsung, Signs

Solar Grows as Part of the Connected Home Offering

When Alarm.com first got into the home energy management fray about three years ago, we speculated that home security companies could have both a first mover advantage and be well positioned because of dealer networks that can leverage existing relationships with customers.
Fast...alarm.com, connected home, energy efficiency, home energy management, one block off the grid, residential solar leasing, vivint

Siemens Financing Arm Finds Energy and Infrastructure Market Niche

The ongoing boom in energy and industry infrastructure around the world (and the costly prices of many of these projects) has created a niche for entities like Siemens Financial Services, which can serve as a specialized financial intermediary for getting projects funded and built.
Siemens...Energy, Financing, finds, infrastructure, market, Niche, Siemens

CPV: Amonix Founder Speaks, Blames VCs, Laments Lack of Supply Chain

It’s tough times for concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar firms. GreenVolts went under and Amonix went quiet after shuttering its Nevada factory and laying off much of its staff last year. SolFocus is trying to sell itself and finding no buyers. Only Soitec seems to be developing new CPV...amonix, concentrating pv, cpv, soitec, solar junction, solfocus

Nordex adjusts structures to local US wind energy market situation

 
Nordex SE announced today that the company will cease nacelle production at its Jonesboro, Arkansas facility after it completes the orders in its current pipeline.The decision was driven by the wind industry’s global overcapacity and the continued uncertainty and instability of the US...adjusts, Energy, Local, market, Nordex, situation, structures

GE, partners to deliver 67 wind turbines to Australian wind farm

General Electric (GE) won a contract with its consortium partner, Downer EDI Limited, to supply 67 wind turbines, build and maintain the $350 million Boco Rock wind farm in New South Wales, Australia. GE will provide $50 million worth of maintenance services over 10 years.The wind farm will be...Australian, deliver, Partners, turbines

Small-scale Anaerobic Digestion: Are Planning Policies Getting in the Way?

As a proven and highly effective way of generating energy from waste, anaerobic digestion offers great potential to farmers for converting waste into biogas that can also be used to generate electricity. It produces a nutrient-rich digestate that can be used as a fertiliser into the bargain. It...Anaerobic, Digestion, Getting, Planning, policies, Smallscale

DNV KEMA releases floating offshore wind turbine standard

DNV KEMA released a new standard for floating offshore wind turbine structures that will help ensure safety and reliability in floating wind turbines.DMV KEMA, the energy arm of DNV, developed the standard to help accelerate the development of floating offshore wind turbines by establishing...Floating, OFFSHORE, releases, Standard, turbine

Obama’s Better Buildings Program Celebrates First Year

Launched last spring, the Obama administration’s Better Buildings Challenge recently reported the summary results of its first year in existence: 7,700 participating structures have reduced energy consumption, on average, by 2.5 percent across the board and achieved savings of...better buildings challenge, efficiency retrofits, energy audits, kohl's, Legrand, president obama

Vestas signs 87 MW Philippines wind energy deal

 Vestas’ new 87 MW order in the emerging wind market of the Philippines made possible through close co-operation with EDC, the Philippines’ leading renewable energy developer.With reference to Vestas Wind Systems A/S company announcement No. 29 of 28 June 2013, today, Vestas received a...Energy, Philippines, Signs, Vestas

L.A. turns on first rooftop solar energy array of feed-in tariff program

Los Angeles officials inaugurated a rooftop solar Feed-in Tariff (FiT) program, enabling building owners to create solar power plants on their rooftops and sell solar power to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) for distribution on the city’s power grid.The LADWP FiT...Array, Energy, feedin, First, program, Rooftop, Solar, tariff, turns

Enel signs $100 million loan agreement to cover renewable power projects

Through its unit Inelec, Enel Green Power signed a $100 million loan agreement with BBVA Bancomer, one of Mexico’s largest banks. Enel has around 197 MW of installed renewable energy capacity in Mexico, with 144 MW coming from wind power and 53 MW coming from hydroelectric power.The loan...Agreement, cover, million, Power, Projects, Renewable, Signs

Chile AM Eolica Sarco to invest $25 million in transmission line

Chilean wind power developer AM Eolica Sarco plans to build a $25 million power transmission line in Atacama region to connect its planned 240 MW plant to the local network, the firm said in its environmental impact declaration for the line.The 220 kV line will stretch 40.4 miles from the Sarco...Chile, Eolica, Invest, million, Sarco, Transmission

Wind resource assessment results: how accurate can we be?

The wind is not the same everywhere, every day. It can vary depending on the landscape, the altitude and the climate. A turbine on a mountain in Switzerland will not have the same wind conditions as a turbine on a delta in Italy. Yet for wind energy developers and investors, knowing as far as...accurate, assessment, Resource, Results

US Charges Chinese Wind Firm With Committing ‘Corporate Homicide’

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has officially jumped into the international corporate espionage dispute between Chinese wind manufacturer Sinovel and American technology provider AMSC.
Yesterday, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman announced that DOJ had charged Sinovel, two Sinovel...Charges, Chinese, committing, corporate, Homicide

CPV: Amonix Founder Speaks, Blames VCs, Laments Lack of Supply Chain

It’s tough times for concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar firms. GreenVolts went under and Amonix went quiet after shuttering its Nevada factory and laying off much of its staff last year. SolFocus is trying to sell itself and finding no buyers. Only Soitec seems to be developing new CPV...amonix, Blames, Chain, Founder, Laments, Speaks, Supply

Portugal to face EU court for energy efficiency failures

The European Commission has referred Portugal to the Court of Justice for failing to transpose the European Union’s energy efficiency of buildings directive.Under this directive, Member States must establish and apply minimum energy performance requirements for all buildings, ensure the...court, Efficiency, Energy, failures, Portugal

U.K. energy department to invest $167 billion in infrastructure

The U.K. Department of Energy & Climate Change plans to invest up to $167.7 billion energy infrastructure investment and support up to 250,000 jobs by 2020.The potential scale of investment, growth and job opportunities available in the energy economy was made clear as cabinet ministers...billion, department, Energy, infrastructure, Invest

Hydro project mentioned in Obama climate plan moves forward

A plan to install a hydroelectric project at the existing Red Rock Reservoir in Iowa is moving forward.President Barack Obama’s Climate Action Plan, a proposal to limit the effects of global climate change, specifically mentions the Red Rock Hydroelectric Plant.The president’s...Climate, forward, hydro, mentioned, Moves, Obama, project

Microsoft Says ‘Computational Demand Response’ Could Lower Data Center Emissions 99%

There are a lot of ways to enable intelligent efficiency and procure more renewables for energy-intensive data centers.
If you’re an internet giant like Apple, Facebook or Google, you could simply invest tens of millions in state-of-the-art facilities.
If you’re a smaller...center, Computational, could, demand, emissions, Lower, Microsoft, response

NRECA welcomes U.S. House oversight on power marketing administrations

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) welcomed the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power holding an oversight hearing on the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs).“We thank Chairman McClintock for holding this timely...administrations, House, Marketing, NRECA, oversight, Power, welcomes

Renewables will trump gas by 2016, says International Energy Agency

The new International Energy Agency (IEA) report sees renewable power as being increasingly cost-competitive with new fossil-fuel generationIn 2016 power from hydro, wind, solar and other renewables will exceed that from gas and be twice that of nuclear says the International Energy Agency (IEA)...Agency, Energy, International, Renewables, trump

Latest renewables news hot off the press - 28/06/2013

• Funds warn EU energy policy is not investment friendlyReuters• UAE: Shaping the global future of renewable energyKhaleej Times• India-Turkey to enhance cooperation in renewable energy Times of India• India and Turkey to enhance cooperation in renewable energy Newstrack Indian•...28062013, Latest, press, Renewables

Solar Grows as Part of the Connected Home Offering

When Alarm.com first got into the home energy management fray about three years ago, we speculated that home security companies could have both a first mover advantage and be well positioned because of dealer networks that can leverage existing relationships with customers.
Fast...connected, Grows, Offering, Solar

Standard Solar to install solar power microgrid

Standard Solar, an installer of solar energy systems, in partnership with Solar Grid Storage, have installed a grid-connected energy storage system co-located with a new photovoltaic (PV) array, creating a commercial scale microgrid.Located at Konterra’s corporate headquarters in Laurel,...install, microgrid, Power, Solar, Standard

ACORE Study Looks at How to Scale Renewable Energy Investment in US

As solar projects are becoming more prevalent in the U.S. and more people are interested in going solar at home and work, the U.S. needs to explore new strategies for financing solar. Chief among them is getting more private capital into investing in solar. That’s the focus of a new study from...ACORE, Energy, Investment, Looks, Renewable, Scale, Study

China Backs Off Shale Gas Targets

China is reconsidering its most recent Five-Year Plan’s target for natural gas because of the challenges in developing shale gas resources, according to a China energy sector source.
“There are just too many risks and no experience for developers to copy,” explained Junda Lin, a...Backs, China, shale, targets

Floating Foundation for Offshore Wind Turbines

Final tank tests conducted at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) as preparation for a full scale GICON® SOF pilot plant installation exceed expectations.The GICON® SOF floating offshore foundation is an exceptional innovation and provides new opportunities for offshore wind...Floating, Foundation, OFFSHORE, turbines

Curious About Permitting a Solar Project? Check out SolarPermit.org

OK, the permitting process for solar projects in the U.S. is not very easy. That’s just one of the reasons why it’s usually a good idea to work with an accredited installer to wrangle the permitting process—above and beyond safety and the assurance that a system is properly installed. But...about, Check, Curious, Permitting, project, Solar, SolarPermitorg

Why India's Trade Policies Hurt the U.S. Solar Industry and Jobs

Today, I testified before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing & Trade on behalf of the American workers and businesses in the U.S. solar industry about India’s restrictive and unfair trade practices.India is a country with some of the best solar resources in the world....Indias, industry, policies, Solar, trade

Demand forecasts slashed again as consumers turn to solar

By Giles Parkinson on 28 June 2013 The Australian Energy Market Operator has again slashed its demand forecasts for the coming year and over the coming decade, as households and business turn increasingly to rooftop solar PV, and as energy efficiency efforts also take bite.The latest AEMO...again, Consumers, demand, Forecasts, slashed, Solar

Wind energy in Mexico: wind farm in Nuevo Leon

Eolica Santa Catarina said its $51 million wind farm in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon started operating.The wind farm uses state-of-the-art General Electric turbines.The wind farm will supply electricity to six cities, including the industrial center of Monterrey, in Nuevo Leon,...Energy, Mexico, Nuevo

Sol Voltaics: GaAs Nanowires For Solar Cells Get $6M

In April we reported on Swedish solar startup Sol Voltaics and its gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires. Today’s news from the firm has it collecting a a $6 million conditional loan from the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA), Sweden’s national authority for energy policy issues. Sol Voltaics also...alf bjorseth, gaas, iii-v, innovalight, nanowires, sol voltaics, solar panels, solar startups

Scifiniti Unstealths With New Thin Silicon Technology and $10 Million in VC

Solar startup Scifiniti, in an exclusive interview, just revealed its technology as well as a $10 million round B for its kerfless solar silicon and materials technology. Funding comes from Alloy Ventures, Firelake Capital Management, I2BF Global Ventures and Peninsula Ventures. Total investment...alloy ventures, crystal solar, firelake, ipv, kerfless wafers, scifiniti, solexel, thin silicon

Skyonic Raises $128 Million to Turn CO2 Emissions Into Baking Soda

The carbon capture industry has been dogged by high costs, plant delays and a contentious debate about its role in the energy mix. At the same time, the broader cleantech sector has suffered from a drop in venture funding after a number of high-profile flops.
So it’s a quite a development...carbon capture and storage, carbon emissions, Climate Change, skyonic, venture capital

Greentech Media Conference Explores the Future of the Utility via Intelligent Analytics

Greentech Media announces the return of its highly successful utility data analytics and software conference, The Soft Grid 2013. The conference will examine the issues and challenges that face utilities, energy providers, hardware and software vendors, and consumers as data generation,...analytics, big data, conference, gtm research, pg&e, soft grid

In California, Building Codes and Demand Response Align

Last year, the California Energy Commission approved its latest version of Title 24, the state’s master building code — a massive 244-page document covering everything from household windows and insulation to factories and skyscraper building management systems. Set to go into effect on...Align, Building, California, Codes, demand, response

Smart Grid Roundup: Of Outages, Maps and Predictions

We’ve got a lot of news on the smart grid front this week, including some updates on the industry-wide push to enlighten more and more distribution circuits and grid control centers via big data analytics.
Take outage management systems (OMS), the workhorse software and dispatch platforms that...abb, Alstom, distribution grid, ge, general electric, gis, grid sensors, oracle, outage management, sacramento, Siemens, Smart Grid, smud, space-time insight, tollgrade

Action on Climate Will Still Be a State Affair

As many who work in cleantech or environmental circles probably noticed, a warm, fuzzy feeling was palpable on Tuesday as Obama wiped the sweat from his brow repeatedly and delivered a long-awaited address about how his administration plans to tackle climate change.
The sentiment was no...actonclimate, carbon emissions, clean energy, Climate Change, climate plan, epa, mlp, reff, reit, renewable investment, rps

A Whole New Way of Thinking About Geothermal

Geothermal is rebranding itself.“Since the first geothermal project in 1905 in Italy, the industry has always positioned itself as baseload and crafted power purchase agreements to maximize that one attribute,” said Paul Thomsen, Ormat Technologies’ Policy and Business Director, at a...about, Geothermal, Thinking, Whole

The 5 Most Interesting Pieces of Obama’s New Climate Plan

After promising to make climate change a top priority in his second term, President Obama has finally rolled out his new plan for action. 
With Congress unable to pass anything substantive on climate change — let alone admit that it’s a problem — Obama explained in his...barack obama, carbon emissions, Climate Change, Congress, executive order, global warming

Top 10 Cleantech Leaders of New York

It’s Energy Week in New York.
If we’ve done our jobs correctly, this list of the top ten cleantech leaders in New York today should inspire both enthusiastic agreement and infuriated disagreement.
The exciting thing about the sector today is that its prizes are up for grabs: riches,...barclays, Canadá, Cleantech, ibm, New York, new york energy week, nyc acre, nyserda

Action on Climate Will Still Be a State Affair

As many who work in cleantech or environmental circles probably noticed, a warm, fuzzy feeling was palpable on Tuesday as Obama wiped the sweat from his brow repeatedly and delivered a long-awaited address about how his administration plans to tackle climate change.
The sentiment was no...actonclimate, carbon emissions, clean energy, Climate Change, climate plan, epa, mlp, reff, reit, renewable investment, rps

Houston Becoming a Green Power Glutton

 
Texas is an energy enigma. It’s oil country, but there’s more wind power in the state than anywhere else in the U.S. It’s sunny, but has been slow to embrace solar on a big scale. And then there’s Houston, a town built on fossil fuels if there ever was one, now...green-e, Houston, nrg energy, reliant energy, renewable energy credits

Silicon: The Element of Desire

Look around you. Do you have a digital watch on your wrist, a smart car key in your pocket, a cell phone in your hand or a laptop in your briefcase?
We are carrying more and more silicon on us wherever we go.
I didn’t notice the creep into my life so dramatically until recently. And now...botany of desire, crystalline silicon, microelectronics, silicon, solar manufacturing, solar pv

A Whole New Way of Thinking About Geothermal

Geothermal is rebranding itself.
“Since the first geothermal project in 1905 in Italy, the industry has always positioned itself as baseload and crafted power purchase agreements to maximize that one attribute,” said Paul Thomsen, Ormat Technologies’ Policy and Business Director, at a...ancillary services, base-load, binary technology, calpine corp, dispatchability, eletricity markets, Geothermal, grid, grid reliability, nuclear coal, ormat technologies, ramp rate, reactive powr, renewables integratiion, songs

Scifiniti Unstealths With New Thin Silicon Technology and $10 Million in VC

Solar startup Scifiniti, in an exclusive interview, just revealed its technology as well as a $10 million round B for its kerfless solar silicon and materials technology. Funding comes from Alloy Ventures, Firelake Capital Management, I2BF Global Ventures and Peninsula Ventures. Total investment...alloy ventures, crystal solar, firelake, ipv, kerfless wafers, scifiniti, solexel, thin silicon

The Energy Gang: Debating the Value of Obama’s Climate Plan

After promising to deal with climate change in his second term, President Obama unveiled a comprehensive climate plan today. But how comprehensive is it? We’ll take a look at the details and debate its potential effectiveness.
We’ll also take a look at the importance of data privacy...barack obama, carbon emissions, Climate Change, climate policy, global warming, international climate talks, jigar shah, katherine hamilton, politics, stephen lacey

Cleantech VC Roundup: Solexel, Enerkem, Blu Homes, Honest Buildings, Amalyst, Vital Farms

The cleantech sector may never see investment intensity like it did in 2008 ($7.5 billion in 350 deals), but there’s still activity and, anecdotally, this reporter is seeing an upswing in investments (it could just be the rush to close deals in advance of the vacation season).
We also see...c3 energy, e.on, enerkem, honest buildings, in-q-tel, iqt, sjf ventures, solexel, vc

Sol Voltaics: GaAs Nanowires for Solar Cells Get $6M

In April we reported on Swedish solar startup Sol Voltaics and its gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanowires. Today’s news from the firm has it collecting a a $6 million conditional loan from the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA), Sweden’s national authority for energy policy issues. Sol Voltaics also...alf bjorseth, gaas, iii-v, innovalight, nanowires, sol voltaics, solar panels, solar startups

Why You Should Come to Our Energy Efficiency Event

Last month we officially launched our energy efficiency channel, which has a heavy focus on the convergence of IT and efficiency — what we call “intelligent efficiency.”As part of that launch, we also created a new one-day efficiency conference in San Francisco on July 29,...avant ee, ayla networks, demand energy networks, digital lumens, enernoc, enlighted, firstfuel, intelligent efficiency, nest, opower, pg&e, prologis, wegowise

Why You Should Come to Our Energy Efficiency Event

Last month we officially launched our energy efficiency channel, which has a heavy focus on the convergence of IT and efficiency — what we call “intelligent efficiency.”
As part of that launch, we also created a new one-day efficiency conference in San Francisco on July 29,...avant ee, ayla networks, demand energy networks, digital lumens, enernoc, enlighted, firstfuel, intelligent efficiency, nest, opower, pg&e, prologis, wegowise

Greentech Media Conference Explores the Future of the Utility via Intelligent Analytics

Greentech Media announces the return of its highly successful utility data analytics and software conference, The Soft Grid 2013. The conference will examine the issues and challenges that face utilities, energy providers, hardware and software vendors, and consumers as data generation,...analytics, big data, conference, gtm research, pg&e, soft grid

Action on Climate Will Still Be a State Affair

As many who work in cleantech or environmental circles probably noticed, a warm, fuzzy feeling was palpable on Tuesday as Obama wiped the sweat from his brow repeatedly and delivered a long-awaited address about how his administration plans to tackle climate change.
The sentiment was no...actonclimate, carbon emissions, clean energy, Climate Change, climate plan, epa, mlp, reff, reit, renewable investment, rps

In California, Building Codes and Demand Response Align

Last year, the California Energy Commission approved its latest version of Title 24, the state’s master building code — a massive 244-page document covering everything from household windows and insulation to factories and skyscraper building management systems. Set to go into effect on...akuacom, Alstom, building codes, buildings, California, demand response, energy efficiency, enernoc, honeywell, openadr, schneider electric, Siemens, title 24, uisol, Utilities

Skyonic Raises $128 Million to Turn CO2 Emissions Into Baking Soda

The carbon capture industry has been dogged by high costs, plant delays and a contentious debate about its role in the energy mix. At the same time, the broader cleantech sector has suffered from a drop in venture funding after a number of high-profile flops.
So it’s a quite a development...carbon capture and storage, carbon emissions, Climate Change, skyonic, venture capital

EU member states must provide stability says EREC

The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) wants member states to provide “predictable and stable legislative frameworks” in order to fulfil EU 2020 renewable energy targetsEREC issued its call for policy stability on the last day of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) just as the Keep...member, provide, stability, states

More can be done for biomass says the REA in response to government energy announcements

The poor settlement for biomass sends a very bad message over the Government’s long term support for this sector says the Renewable Energy Association (REA)The government has announced details of measures it intends to implement in order to keep the lights on in the UK and energy prices down...announcements, Biomass, Energy, government, response

New wave power device promises reliable power plus resilience

The new device sits beneath the surface of the sea where it can still generate power while being protected from powerful storm conditionsA new wave power farm is due to be launched shortly off the coast of Italy near Pisa. The farm will use the R115 150kW wave device currently being developed by...device, Power, promises, reliable, resilience

Whales in court: Australia v Japan in The Hague

Proceedings have just begun in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where Australia is contesting the legality of Japan’s annual Southern Ocean whale hunt. A decision is expected early next year.In 2007 the Rudd Government pledged to explore international legal options to halt...Australia, court, Hague, japan, Whales

Southeast Asian smoke warns of never-ending fires

Look at satellite images from Southeast Asia this week and you will see large areas of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore blanketed by dense plumes of smoke. These smoke plumes have severely degraded ground-level air quality.Extreme air pollution has caused Malaysia to declare a state of...Asian, fires, neverending, smoke, Southeast, Warns

Australian endangered species: Tasmanian burrowing crayfish

Although few people get the chance to meet one, burrowing crayfish rarely fail to catch the imagination. The idea of a little lobster living in a subterranean labyrinth is strange enough to give burrowing crayfish a higher profile than many other invertebrates.The 35-odd crayfish in the genus...Australian, burrowing, crayfish, endangered, species, Tasmanian

The human role in our ‘angry’ hot summer

Today we released a study that shows quantitatively that anthropogenic climate change substantially increased the likelihood of the record-breaking Australian summer of 2013. Indeed, human influences on the climate system increased the chances of our record hot, “angry” summer by more than...angry, human, Summer

Dramatic EWEA public debate on energy future gets down to business

In a European Commission building in Brussels yesterday morning, high-level representatives from business groups, renewable energy, the chemical industry, the gas industry, a health and environment alliance and an MEP battled it out in front of an audience of over 100. The topic was EU energy...business, debate, Dramatic, Energy, Future, Public

Siemens 6 MW direct drive offshore wind turbines

 
DONG Energy has received The Crown Estate’s energy and infrastructure business award for its Gunfleet Sands demonstration wind energy project, the first in the world to test the new, next generation Siemens 6 MW direct drive offshore wind turbines.Testing the reliability, functionality...direct, Drive, OFFSHORE, Siemens, turbines

Acciona Energía will build its first wind farm in Chile

 The Punta Palmeras facility (45 MW), consisting of fifteen AW 116/3000  ACCIONA Windpower turbines, will enter service in December 2014.Acciona Energía will build its first wind farm in Chile to supply the electric power utility Colbún, with which it has signed a long-term power...Acciona, build, Chile, Energa, First

Downer GE Consortium Awarded Boco Rock Wind Farm Contract

 
When all stages are completed, the wind farm will consist of over 100 wind turbines on a site located 10 kilometres south west of Nimmitabel, in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains region.Downer EDI Limited (Downer) announced it had been awarded a contract, with consortium partner GE...awarded, Consortium, Contract, Downer

Vestas wins 99 MW Sweden wind energy order

Vestas is pleased to announce its first order from Rabbalshede Kraft AB. The 99 MW order will supply 33 V112-3.0 MW turbines for two projects – in Årjäng, Värmland; and in Skaveröd, located in Uddevalla.The contract includes turbine delivery, installation, and commissioning; an eight-year...Energy, order, Sweden, Vestas

Indonesia: Mobilizing Investment in Geothermal Energy

Developing countries will need about $531 billion of additional investments in clean energy technologies every year in order to limit global temperature rise to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, thus preventing climate change’s worst impacts. To attract investments on the scale required,...Energy, Geothermal, Indonesia, Investment, Mobilizing

Geothermal and wind energy in Armenia

 
According to preliminary data, wind energy potential makes 5,000 megawatts in Armenia.There is much potential of geothermal energy in Armenia. This potential amounts to 250 megawatts (25% of electricity consumed in Armenia) in Aragatsotn province, the deputy head of Pure Energy NGO Hayk...Armenia, Energy, Geothermal

Renewables energies to surpass gas by 2016 in the global power mix

 
“Renewable Energy Medium-Term Market Report 2013” also forecasts an increase in the number of nations with more than 100 MW of installed PV to 65 by 2018. The report cites falling costs for PV technology, which it says is becoming competitive without subsidies.
Power generation from...Energies, Global, Power, Renewables, surpass

Dramatic EWEA public debate on energy future gets down to business

 
In a European Commission building in Brussels yesterday morning, high-level representatives from business groups, renewable energy, the chemical industry, the gas industry, a health and environment alliance and an MEP battled it out in front of an audience of over 100. The topic was EU...business, debate, Dramatic, Energy, Future, Public

President Obama’s Climate Action Plan

 
There is no question that yesterday’s speech by President Obama was an important step forward for U.S. climate action, less for the specific actions he outlined than for the renewed national focus on the issue.
President Obama yesterday restated his pledge to reduce U.S. GHG emissions...Action, Climate, Obamas, President

Are We Living Through a Fracking Bubble?

On May 24th, J. David Hughes and Deborah Rogers gave a briefing to summarize the findings of two new reports dismantling the myth of a “shale revolution”. We’ve heard about it in the media, on both sides of the political aisle: shale gas and oil are the future of US energy. Indeed, natural...Bubble, fracking, Living, through

Using Technology to Reduce Solar Industry Soft Costs

Soft costs are hindering solar industry growth in the U.S. What people can’t seem to agree on is why this is happening, or what to do about it. In fact, industry professionals haven’t even agreed on a standard definition for the term “soft costs.” Soft costs don’t include hardware like...costs, industry, reduce, Solar, technology, using

All Eyes on Gov. Cuomo as Lawmakers Miss Deadline for NY Solar Bill

The New York legislative session ended this week without lawmakers enacting the long-term solar policy we worked so hard to support — but there’s still plenty of opportunity to get the job done this year. The New York Solar Bill would have enacted a 2.2 GW, 10-year extension of...Cuomo, Deadline, Lawmakers, Solar

Geothermal Searches for Avenues to Build Critical Steam

Reno, Nevada — The teams of geothermal geologists, driven executives and keen marketers assembled in Reno this week for the Third Annual National Geothermal Summit, are easily as optimistic as their counterparts in the solar and wind renewable energy industries, but they perhaps are a tad...Avenues, build, Critical, Geothermal, Searches, Steam

Touring Ivanpah: Photos from an Amazing Solar Project

On Tuesday, I had a chance to tour one of the most exciting cleantech projects around — the 370-megawatt Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System near Ivanpah, California in the Mojave Desert. This project, owned and operated by NRG Energy with technology designed and developed by...Amazing, Ivanpah, Photos, project, Solar, Touring

Touring Ivanpah: Photos from an Amazing Solar Project

On Tuesday, I had a chance to tour one of the most exciting cleantech projects around — the 370-megawatt Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System near Ivanpah, California in the Mojave Desert. This project, owned and operated by NRG Energy with technology designed and developed by...Amazing, Ivanpah, Photos, project, Solar, Touring

Energy sector reacts to Obama climate change plan

Making climate change the centerpiece of his second-term energy policy, President Barack Obama unveiled a package of about a dozen policies his White House said will change the way American makes and consumes energy.In the absence of Congressional action, the president’s energy policy push...change, Climate, Energy, Obama, reacts, sector

Walmart, SolarCity install 10 new solar energy arrays in Maryland

Walmart and SolarCity completed projects at eight Walmart stores and two Sam’s Clubs across the state of Maryland that will generate renewable electricity.The energy produced by the new solar power installations will generate about 4.1 million kWh of electricity annually — enough energy...arrays, Energy, install, Maryland, Solar, solarcity, Walmart

Cleantech VC Roundup: Solexel, Enerkem, Blu Homes, Honest Buildings, Amalyst, Vital Farms

The cleantech sector may never see investment intensity like it did in 2008 ($7.5 billion in 350 deals), but there’s still activity and, anecdotally, this reporter is seeing an upswing in investments (it could just be the rush to close deals in advance of the vacation season).
We also see...c3 energy, e.on, enerkem, honest buildings, in-q-tel, iqt, sjf ventures, solexel, vc

Can SolarCity Scale Energy-Efficiency Services Like Solar Roofs?

What stops a home owner from ordering an energy efficiency upgrade?
Is is cost? Convenience? Confidence in the contractor?
SolarCity, the distributed energy financier and utility, just sent out free software to 16,000 of its customers that lets the homeowner order energy upgrades with “one...admirals bank, cooling, doe, efficiency projects, energy consumption, energy efficiency, heat pump, heating, home energy bills, home energy loan financing, Rebates, Rooftop Solar, software, solar leases, solarcity

The Energy Gang: Debating the Value of Obama’s Climate Plan

After promising to deal with climate change in his second term, President Obama unveiled a comprehensive climate plan today. But how comprehensive is it? We’ll take a look at the details and debate its potential effectiveness.
We’ll also take a look at the importance of data privacy...barack obama, carbon emissions, Climate Change, climate policy, global warming, international climate talks, jigar shah, katherine hamilton, politics, stephen lacey

Sunrun Closes $630M in Rooftop Solar Funding From JPMorgan, US Bank

The third-party ownership of solar, a business model already driving unprecedented growth in the industry, just got a $630 million boost with Sunrun’s announcement of three new funds.“These three funds, closed over the last few months, are for the installation of $630 million in solar...Closes, funding, JPMorgan, Rooftop, Solar, sunrun

Top 10 Cleantech Leaders of New York

It’s Energy Week in New York.
If we’ve done our jobs correctly, this list of the top ten cleantech leaders in New York today should inspire both enthusiastic agreement and infuriated disagreement.
The exciting thing about the sector today is that its prizes are up for grabs: riches,...barclays, Canadá, Cleantech, ibm, New York, new york energy week, nyc acre, nyserda

The 5 Most Interesting Pieces of Obama’s New Climate Plan

After promising to make climate change a top priority in his second term, President Obama has finally rolled out his new plan for action. 
With Congress unable to pass anything substantive on climate change — let alone admit that it’s a problem — Obama explained in his...barack obama, carbon emissions, Climate Change, Congress, executive order, global warming

Some Snapshots of China’s Smart Grid

China is in the midst of a wholesale rebuilding of its power grid, and that’s going to make it the biggest smart grid market in the world someday.
Over the course of this and last year, China has been updating parts and pieces of its future national energy and smart grid plans, as contained...China, cisco, echelon, emeter, five-year plan, general electric, holley, ibm, itron, landis+gyr, Siemens, silver spring, Smart Grid, smart meter, state grid

Houston Becoming a Green Power Glutton

 
Texas is an energy enigma. It’s oil country, but there’s more wind power in the state than anywhere else in the U.S. It’s sunny, but has been slow to embrace solar on a big scale. And then there’s Houston, a town built on fossil fuels if there ever was one, now...green-e, Houston, nrg energy, reliant energy, renewable energy credits

Building a Business Around the Internet of Things

You can’t escape the internet of things.
Multinational conglomerates, old-line manufacturers and Silicon Valley startups are all busy developing applications that will let people reserve street parking, monitor stresses on steel beams, and in general gaining insight into the real world.
LEDs...enlighted, industrial internet, intelligent lighting, internet of things, smart buildings

Latest renewables news hot off the press - 26/06/2013

• Why Obama’s Plan To Accelerate Permitting For Renewable Energy Is A Big Deal Forbes• Big Oil’s Big Lies About Alternative Energy Rolling Stone• Map to renewable energy? Harvard Gazette• Japan’s High-Cost Renewable Energy Curbs Subsidy Impact Bloomberg• 4 Lessons in...26062013, Latest, press, Renewables

SMA Solar honored at Intersolar Europe 2013

SMA Solar Technology AG received the Intersolar award at Intersolar Europe 2013 in Munich.In bestowing the honor, the award jury acknowledged the Sunny Boy Smart Energy from SMA as the best product in the “Photovoltaics” category. The first wall-mounted, mass-produced PV inverter with an...Europe, honored, Intersolar, Solar

IRENA sets plans in motion for African Clean Energy Corridor

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) convened a major international strategy session on 22 and 23 June to discuss the prospects for a Clean Energy Corridor (CEC) to serve the rapidly growing power demand across East and Southern Africa.The Africa CEC brings together more than 20...(IRENA), African, clean, Corridor, Energy, motion, Plans

New York State Assembly approves bill to establish 2.2GW of solar by 2023

The New York Solar Bill was passed by 76 votes to 16 thereby enabling growth in the sector and lowering costsGovernor Andrew Cuomo’s 10-year solar programme was proposed earlier this year and builds on the NY-Sun Initiative, a public-private partnership formed with the aim of driving growth in...approves, Assembly, establish, Solar, state

Romania-ET Solar completes 50MW of PV projects in Romania

ET Solar Group Corp has announced the completion of three PV plants in Romania with a combined capacity of 28MW for Tinmar-Ind S.A (Tinmar). one of the country’s largest electricity suppliers and traders. The three projects combined with 22MW completed for Tinmar in April bring ET Solar’s...completes, Projects, Romania, RomaniaET, Solar

Obama lays out bold plan for US to address climate change challenges

Barack Obama used to bully pulpit of the presidency on Tuesday to lay out a bold strategy for addressing climate change while simultaneous throwing down the gauntlet before his Republican opponents in the Congress over the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.Standing before the Old North building...address, challenges, change, Climate, Obama

IRENA Council advances global renewable energy agenda

Representatives from over 90 countries gathered in the United Arab Emirates on 24 and 25 June to outline a path for the months and years ahead to drive widespread, rapid scale-up of renewable energy worldwide.The fifth Council meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), held in...(IRENA), advances, Agenda, council, Energy, Global, Renewable

‘Invest, divest’: Obama turns climate hawk in plan to cut carbon

Obama delivered a real stemwinder on the moral urgency of cutting carbon pollution (video, transcript below). So of course Politico reports, “Cable news skips Obama’s climate speech.”
The President surprised everyone by bringing up the Keystone XL pipeline, even though aides had said he...carbon, Climate, divest, Invest, Obama, turns

German renewables: A roadmap for the energy transition

It is often claimed that Germany’s energy transition does not have a roadmap, but that’s not completely true. On the one hand, the country, like all EU member states, has a Renewables Action Plan, though that only stretches up to 2020 and does not cover all fields. The Environmental...Energy, German, Renewables, roadmap, transition

Breakthrough US lab could solve renewables-grid integration problem

Grid integration is the million-dollar question for clean energy – as renewables, electric vehicles, and the smart grid scale up, how will they impact reliability?

ESIF exterior rendering via NREL
Well, we now have a million-dollar answer from the Department of Energy’s National Renewable...Breakthrough, could, integration, problem, renewablesgrid, solve

Can we do without the Clean Energy Finance Corporation?

The Opposition has clearly stated its intention to remove the Clean Energy Finance Corporation if it takes government at the next election. Will the Coalition introduce another mechanism to take its place? How will an Abbott Government make sure Australia brings to market the diverse range of...clean, Corporation, Energy, Finance, Without

As Obama talks, a Republican mayor plans world’s solar capital

You didn’t have to go to far down the dial of the AM radio stations in the US on Tuesday in the US to gauge the reaction to Barack Obama’s climate action plan. It seemed that Conservative and god-fearing folk everywhere were accusing him of messing with their minds, the science, the economy,...Capital, mayor, Obama, Plans, Republican, Solar, Talks, worlds

Graph of the Day: Why are energy efficiency certificate prices falling?

Over the last few weeks we have seen a significant reduction in the wholesale price for both Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs) and NSW Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs). The spot VEEC price fell 21 per cent from $17.50 on 17 May to $13.90 on 21 June. The ESC price has fallen even...certificate, Efficiency, Energy, falling, Graph, prices

Obama steps it up on climate – takes on US coal, power plants

It’s taken just over four years for Barack Obama to deliver the climate action plan he had promised as a fledgling president. And he’ll do it the only way that has ever been available to him – by presidential decree.
“As a president, as a father, and as an American, I am here to say we...Climate, Obama, plants, Power, steps, takes

Ocean acidification is chemistry, not conjecture

As a scientist working on the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems, one of my duties is to communicate my work. My main goal is to convince students, citizens, economists and politicians that we need to take urgent action to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. This is not an easy task...acidification, chemistry, conjecture, ocean

AWEA: Statement on the President’s expected climate initiative

“The wind energy industry welcomes the President’s focus on climate action,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, in response to President Obama’s announcement of a major address on addressing climate change, tomorrow afternoon at Georgetown University.“AWEA...Climate, expected, initiative, Presidents, Statement

New wind farm starts in Northern Mexico

Eolica Santa Catarina said its $51 million wind farm in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon started operating.The wind power plant, which has the capacity to generate 45 GW annually of electricity, uses state-of-the-art General Electric wind turbines.The wind farm will supply electricity...Mexico, northern, Starts

Vestas applauds President Obama’s push to combat climate change

In a speech given Tuesday at Georgetown University, President Obama calls for the nation to double its use of renewable energy.President Obama’s plan would cut carbon emissions that cause climate change and endangers public health. His goal is to double the amount of renewable energy permits...applauds, change, Climate, combat, Obamas, President, Vestas

Wind energy development gets huge boost with cost allocation decision

As the wind industry has rapidly grown over the last few years, one of the primary challenges has been transporting our new, low-cost electricity across the country.Our nation’s aging and outdated transmission infrastructure–the structural backbone of our electricity grid–has greatly...allocation, boost, decision, Development, Energy

Gamesa, member of the advisory board of the European Union’s Safelife-X project

The company, the wind energy sector’s sole representative on the board, was selected for the panel of experts for its wind turbine life extension know-how.Gamesa, a global technology leader in wind energy, has been appointed to the advisory board of the SafeLife-X Project due to its knowledge...advisory, board, European, Gamesa, member, project, SafelifeX, Unions

BNDES disburses bridge loans for Alto Sertão II – wind power complex

Renova Energia S.A. (RNEW11), the first company operating solely in power generation from renewable sources listed on the Brazilian stock exchange (BM&FBovespa), reports to stockholders and the market as follows:Today (June 25, 2013) the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) disbursed the...BNDES, bridge, complex, disburses, loans, Power, Serto

Wind energy poised to help deliver on national climate commitment

AWEA welcomes the President’s initiative to proceed with climate actions focused at this time on executive agencies. AWEA supports policies to achieve science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets.U.S. President Barack Obama will unveil his second-term climate change agenda with a view to...Climate, commitment, deliver, Energy, National, poised

DONG Energy to divest onshore wind power business in Denmark

DONG Energy today signed an agreement with the Danish energy company SE and the Danish pension fund PFA under which SE and PFA will acquire DONG Energy’s Danish onshore wind energy business.The aggregate sales price (enterprise value) for the onshore wind business is DKK 760 million...business, Denmark, divest, Energy, onshore, Power

Whitelee wind farm completes expansion

Annual output at Whitelee will be equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 300,000 Scottish households and will prevent the emission of 840,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.IBERDROLA, through its British subsidiary ScottishPower Renewables, has successfully completed the expansion of...completes, expansion, Whitelee

Lithium-ion batteries set to maintain market dominance

The successful commercialization and increased adoption of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) will spark dramatic growth in the global advanced battery market in the near future, says research and consulting firm GlobalData.The company’s latest report*...batteries, dominance, Lithiumion, maintain, market

Enel Green Power opens Talinay wind farm in Chile

The Talinay wind farm, which can generate more than 200 GWh per year and has a capacity of 90MW, was inaugurated in the presence of Chile President Sebastián Piñera and Enel Green Power CEO Francesco Starace.The Talinay wind farm in the region of Coquimbo in Chile was put into service on...Chile, Green, opens, Power, Talinay

Wind energy in Egypt: six new wind farms

 Local and international companies express interest in tender for wind energy projects issued by the government.Twenty four Egyptian and international companies have purchased tender documents for a wind power project to establish six new wind farms, Alborsa has reported.Interested...Egypt, Energy, farms

Protecting Wind Turbines in Extreme Temperatures

As renewable energy sources continue to gain momentum and drive the electrical grid to a more intelligent and reliable source of power, integrating the right components and peripheral systems are essential to reliability. As most renewable systems are located in outdoor and potentially harsh...Extreme, protecting, Temperatures, turbines

Quality, Quality, Quality – It Should Not Be a Minimum Standard

All conferences sell trends – at Intersolar Europe trends included an uptick in prices for modules in advance of the August 6 tariff increase on Chinese modules, self-consumption as the next driver for PV industry growth, utility charges for grid-access as well as the next big market,...Minimum, Quality, Should, Standard

Inside Obama's Climate Change Plan

New Hampshire, USA — Today President Obama spoke at Georgetown University about his plans to broadly address climate change. Ahead of his actual talk, the White House released the gist of what he would propose. The EPA, working with states, industry, and other stakeholders, will establish...change, Climate, Inside, Obamas

China Tops Table for Renewables Investment

LONDON — China is currently the best country in the world for renewable energy investment, while India has the strongest potential for conventional power investors, according to a new report. Published by analysts at PA Consulting, ‘Mapping Energy Investment Potential Around the World’...China, Investment, Renewables, Table

UK Must Do More on Renewables to Hit Carbon Targets, Warns Report

There is a “significant risk” that the UK’s progress on renewable energy generation will not be sustained, according to report out today. Independent body The Committee on Climate Change has warned that “it is essential to provide more confidence to investors that the government is...carbon, Renewables, Report, targets, Warns

Street Charge: Keeping Your Mobile Juiced on the Sun for Free

Goal Zero’s solar chargers and battery backups have been used in some of the toughest environments on earth, places like Everest, and Eric Larsen used the company’s chargers on his recent attempt to bike across Antarctica. But they may be facing their toughest challenge yet — New York...Charge, Juiced, Keeping, Mobile, Street

Sunrun to Utilities: It's Time to Innovate with Rooftop Solar

As the cost of distributed solar, like rooftop solar, continues to become cheaper for home and business owners, utilities are getting worried that distributed solar will hurt their bottom line. Sunrun CEO Ed Fenster says that to thrive, these utilities should take a page from telecom companies,...Innovate, Rooftop, Solar, sunrun, Utilities

Street Charge: Keeping Your Mobile Juiced on the Sun for Free

Goal Zero’s solar chargers and battery backups have been used in some of the toughest environments on earth, places like Everest, and Eric Larsen used the company’s chargers on his recent attempt to bike across Antarctica. But they may be facing their toughest challenge yet — New York...Charge, Juiced, Keeping, Mobile, Street

The One Thing Obama’s Climate Policy Can’t Leave Out

When President Obama unveils his climate policy proposal in the coming days, he should focus on the one key element of successful climate and energy policy.  It’s not about utilities or incentives or numbers, it’s about ownership.Climate-protecting energy policy succeeds when communities...Climate, Leave, Obamas, Policy, Thing

Energy Efficiency & Competitive Secrets

Several corporate leaders have volunteered to reduce energy use 20 percent by 2020 as part of a challenge initiated by President Barack Obama. But that’s not the big deal.The big deal is that they have agreed to publicly disclose how they’re doing it.Factories, data centers, stores and other...Competitive, Efficiency, Energy, Secrets

DOE, NREL to open clean power grid integration center

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) in Golden, Colorado, as the latest DOE user facility and the only one in the nation focused on utility-scale clean energy grid integration.Located at the...center, clean, integration, Power

NREL Drives Toward the Future with Fuel Cell EVs

Efforts currently underway at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are contributing to rapid progress in the research, development and testing of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Building from more than 10 years of support from the Department’s Fuel...drives, Future, Toward

Walgreens stores to deploy 200 solar energy arrays

Walgreens will to build more than 200 new solar power arrays at Walgreens stores in six U.S. states. The drugstore chain will host the installations and solar energy developer SoCore Energy will own, operate and maintain them.Along with SoCore Energy, Walgreens will install the solar projects at...arrays, deploy, Energy, Solar, stores, Walgreens

19 employers join DOE workplace electric vehicle charging initiative

The market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is expanding, according to the Department of Energy. Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. have tripled as Americans purchased more than 50,000 PEVs in 2012 alone.To accommodate this surge in electric vehicle ownership, U.S. employers are joining the...charging, Electric, employers, initiative, vehicle, workplace

GTM Research’s Module Cost Outlook: 36 Cents Isn’t As Low As You Think

GTM Research’s latest update on the future of module manufacturing costs was released earlier this week, and there has been quite a bit of discussion around its findings on solar module cost and its ramifications. Below, we attempt to clear the air around some key points of debate.
Unfounded...gtm research, jinko solar, manufacturing cost, pv, PV Modules, Solar

Hybrid wind, tidal power turbine to be installed off Japanese coast

Tokyo-based Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering Co. will install a hybrid wind power system off the coast of Japan before the end of 2013.The 500 kW Savonius Keel & Wind Turbine Darrieus, or SKWID, is a hybrid system featuring an omnidirectional Darrieus wind turbine and a Savonius...coast, hybrid, installed, Japanese, Power, tidal, turbine

Quebec wind farm dedicated by EDF EN Canada, Enbridge

Enbridge Inc. and EDF EN Canada Inc. dedicated the 150 MW Massif du Sud Wind Project, located in Quebec.The project cost around $340 million and is located in the municipalities of Saint-Luc-de-Bellechasse and Saint-Magloire in the MRC des Etchemins and in the municipalities of...Canadá, dedicated, Enbridge, Quebec

Leading renewables expert helps a major bank to secure a coveted industry award

RBS/NatWest has won the Skills Development Award at the Renewable Energy Association’s annual awards ceremonyMark Newton, partner and head of renewable energy at chartered surveyors Fisher German, has helped RBS/NatWest bank to secure the Skills Development Award at the Renewable Energy...award, coveted, expert, helps, industry, Leading, major, Renewables, secure

Wind energy project could be blocked by proposed county ordinance

The Baldwin County Commission in Alabama is currently looking at an ordinance that would block a proposed 40-turbine wind farm from being built in the county, according to a report from the Alabama Media Group. The ordinance would prohibit any wind turbine that can produce 50 kW or more of...blocked, could, county, Energy, ordinance, project, proposed

‘Show You Care’ by asking for the WindMade Product Label

Finally, after many months of deliberations with technical experts, environmental NGOs and potential user companies, and after various rounds of corporate and public consultations, we’re proud to present the WindMade Product Label.This is exciting news for WindMade. From now on, progressive...asking, Label, Product, WindMade

What is a 'gribble' and why could it produce biomass energy?

Researchers have discovered that a marine wood borer (limnoria quadripunctata) has biological properties that could be useful to the biomass energy and biofuels production industries.Researchers from the United Kingdom, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL),...Biomass, could, Energy, gribble, Produce

Coming (Very) Soon: Obama’s Climate Strategy

The rumors have turned to reports. President Obama will release climate change policy initiatives in the coming weeks, or maybe even next week, according to remarks made by White House senior officials on Wednesday.  
The regulations will focus on on carbon dioxide emissions from existing...Climate, coming, Obamas, Strategy

Easing China's fertiliser habit will have global significance

A joint project between scientists in the UK and China has shown how improved methods of manufacturing nitrogen fertiliser and better use of it by farmers could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by hundreds of millions of tonnes a year.The study’s published results show that fertiliser emissions...Chinas, Easing, fertiliser, Global, habit, significance

Primus Power Wins Energy Storage Project With Bonneville Power and PSE

It’s still early days in large-scale energy storage but the small projects of today are yielding real-world experience with new technology and grid integration.
Primus Power, a VC-funded flow battery startup, chalks up a small win with an R&D contract to deploy its large-scale energy...caes, deeya energy, ed cazalet, energy storage, enstorage, flow batteries, fuel cells, ionex, php, primus power, regenerative fuel cells, rubenius, Smart Grid, utility scale energy storage, zbb

Siemens will shut down solar energy unit

Siemens plans to close down its solar power arm. The company said is has lost some $1.34 billion on the solar energy part of its business since 2011.The company bought Israeli solar energy firm Solel Solar Systems in 2009 for $418 million in an attempt to expand its renewable energy offerings,...Energy, Siemens, Solar

This May Be the Most Innovative Energy Efficiency Financing Tool Yet

The renewable energy credit, or REC, is a staple in the retail energy sector. But fourteen years ago, when the tool was first being crafted, very few people understood its potential.
“I heard consistently that it couldn’t be done. But then we closed our first transaction and we saw...energy efficiency finance, Finance, power purchase agreement

Podcast: Solar Manufacturing Costs, How Low Can They Go?

GTM Research’s latest update on the future of solar module manufacturing costs was released earlier this week, and there has been quite a bit of discussion around its findings on solar module cost declines and their ramifications. In this week’s podcast, we attempt to clear the air...gtm research, podcasts, solar modules

Colorado governor's executive order quashes renewable energy law

Although Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill that would require rural electric cooperatives in the state to produce 20 percent of their power through renewable resources by 2020, the governor also signed an executive order preventing implementation of the law, according to the Greeley...Colorado, Energy, executive, governors, order, quashes, Renewable

Palo Alto Goes Solar, 80 Megawatts at 6.9 Cents per Kilowatt-Hour

The city of Palo Alto could claim the title of being the Heart of Silicon Valley (against the protestations of San Jose, Mountain View, Cupertino, and Menlo Park). The Northern California city is the home of Stanford University, Packard’s garage, a high concentration of venture...city council, feed in tariff, Finance, fit, palo alto, Policy, PPA, Solar, sunpower, Utilities, vc

Minnesota Power hydro dam rehabilitation nears completion

Minnesota Power’s Thomson Hydro Station, capable of generating 72 MW of hydroelectricity, is nearing the end of its restoration, according to the utility. The 106-year-old hydropower asset, located on the St. Louis River, was taken offline June 20, 2012 because of flood damage.The...completion, hydro, Minnesota, nears, Power, rehabilitation

Four companies join up on solar energy, energy storage tech

A group of four companies plans to pool resources and work to develop solar energy storage technology for the military. In time, the technology could be adapted for commercial or residential use.Lincad, Oxis Energy, Pure Wafer and Solutronic are developing a system that combines lightweight...Companies, Energy, Solar, Storage

Energy-Water Nexus Reaching Crisis: Your Bill May Increase to Help Fix the Problem

There are astounding statistics about how much U.S. drinking water is lost due to leaking pipes. There are roughly 240,000 water main breaks per year, and repairs could reach into the trillions of dollars. So how can we use water — and water-intensive energy — more efficiently? Even...duke energy, energy efficiency, tennessee valley authority, Utilities, utility bills, Water

Washington, DC Signs Its First Major PACE Deal for Efficiency and Solar

Late last week, the District of Columbia made a historic announcement of its first-ever financing of a property-assessed clean energy (PACE) commercial energy upgrade project. 
The DC PACE Commercial program provided financing for a $340,000 investment in an affordable multifamily housing...efficiency retrofits, Energy Efficiency Financing, pace, property-assessed clean energy

BPA, PSE, Primus Power work together on energy storage

Primus Power, a provider of grid-scale electrical energy storage, is partnering with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to deliver and support two 250 kW EnergyPods as part of a research and demonstration project under BPA’s Technology Innovation Program.BPA is funding roughly one-third...Energy, Power, Primus, Storage, together

The Liberal-Conservative Non-Divide on Home Energy Efficiency?

Here’s a statistic that may seem counterintuitive to people on either side of our divided political spectrum: saving energy at home is a bipartisan affair.
At least, that’s what Opower says it’s discovered with its latest data-crunching exercise. The Arlington, Va.-based startup released...aclara, analytics, big data, democrats, energy efficiency, energy portal, home area network, honeywell, opower, republicans, Residential, sacramento, silver spring networks, simple energy, Smart Grid

LIPA Faces Call for Federal Investigation

The Long Island Power Authority, the target of multiple investigations in the wake of its poor response to Hurricane Sandy, may soon be facing investigation by federal prosecutors as well.
A special commission appointed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a report (PDF) on Saturday that...Cuomo, federal, hurricane sandy, lipa, long island, New York, outage, Policy, regulators, Smart Grid, storm, Utilities

Smart Homes, Meet Real World

Last month, utility Commonwealth Edison announced the winners of its Smart Home Showcase project, a high-profile (if very small-sample-size) experiment to transform four Chicago-area homes into test beds for solar power, smart appliances, learning thermostats and home energy management...chicago, comed, commonwealth edison, distributed energy, home area network, home energy management, in-home display, nest, smart appliances, Smart Grid, smart home, smart meter, smart thermostat, Solar Power, Utilities

Podcast: Solar Manufacturing Costs, How Low Can They Go?

GTM Research’s latest update on the future of solar module manufacturing costs was released earlier this week, and there has been quite a bit of discussion around its findings on solar module cost declines and their ramifications. In this week’s podcast, we attempt to clear the air...gtm research, podcasts, solar modules

Bristol – the UK’s Solar Capital

Bristol is a city with very big ideas, and having just won European Green Capital status after three to four years of being shortlisted, the city certainly doesn’t intend to rest on its laurels. Kerry Burns of Bristol Solar City talks to REM about the city’s exciting future plans which are...Bristol, Capital, Solar

Obama to unveil power plant emission standards

President Barack Obama is soon to roll out a package of climate change measures, according to numerous media reports. Obama is committing to a plan that would cap greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that already exist.The Obama administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...Emission, Obama, plant, Power, standards, unveil

A Provocative Look at the Utility of the Future

by Phil Davis, Schneider ElectricDemand response continues to teach lessons about customer interaction.Successful implementation requires robust communications with customers, both human and machine, which must be founded on sound data analysis.As utilities and regulators chart the way to...Future, Provocative, utility

Gov. Cuomo announces smart grid funding for New York State

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the availability of $10 million to foster smart grid technologies to will help strengthen New York State’s electric grid to accommodate a diverse supply of power generation sources — including renewable energy. The investment will also enhance grid performance,...announces, Cuomo, funding, smart, state

Senate approves license for American Falls Dam project

Legislation introduced by Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and co-sponsored by Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to provide a license extension for the American Falls Reservoir District No. 2 project passed the U.S. Senate June 20 by unanimous consent.The American Falls Dam Reservoir No. 2 was completed in...American, approves, Falls, license, project, Senate

Cutting renewables support to increase competitiveness is nonsense

Those European countries which have cut support schemes for renewable energy, have – just like Professor Butler writing on an FT blog yesterday – jumped to the wrong conclusion.“Competitiveness is the watchword of the moment. Recession and unemployment are the crises which require...competitiveness, cutting, increase, nonsense, Renewables, support

Electric vehicle ownership costs now comparable to gas vehicles

Consumers who purchase an electric vehicle will find that costs to own the vehicle are competitive with conventional and hybrid vehicles, according to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The study is based pricing for the automotive products for the 2013 model year.The EPRI study...comparable, costs, Electric, ownership, vehicle, vehicles

Plug-in electric vehicle market to sell 3 million per year by 2020

While hybrid electric vehicles have largely been accepted as a part of the general automotive market in many regions, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) remain a new technology facing the challenges inherent in all new markets. Nevertheless, according to a new report from Navigant Research, the...Electric, market, million, Plugin, vehicle

Solexel, SunPower-Backed Thin Silicon Startup, Gets $14.8M in VC

Raising venture capital is never easy.
But imagine raising money for a solar startup — given the current market and past solar VC transgressions, not to mention the flinchiness of the remaining cleantech VCs.
Now imagine raising funding for a solar manufacturing startup amidst a bloodied...ampulse, dag ventures, doe, ecofin, first solar, gentry venture partners, gsv capital, kleiner perkins, northgate capital, oak hill investment management, pv, sigen, Solar, solexel, spirox

Latest renewables news hot off the press - 21/06/2013

• Samsung Reduces Ontario Renewable-Energy Pledge by $1.9 Billion Bloomberg• Doctors urge province to ramp-up renewable energy The Star• RFK Jr.: Renewable energy good for business, nation Boulder County Business Report• Solar and wind to push global renewable energy share to 36% by 2020...21062013, Latest, press, Renewables

Inter-Parliamentary meeting on renewables starts today

Members of parliament from throughout Europe are meeting today, 21 June and tomorrow, 22 June, in Dublin Castle for the 13th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.The intention of the meeting is to demand leadership and more European cooperation on offshore wind...InterParliamentary, Meeting, Renewables, Starts, today

Carbon dioxide emissions hit record high

Worldwide carbon dioxide emissions from power generation hit an all-time high of 31.6 billion in 2012, a 1.4 percent jump from 2011, according to the International Energy Agency.The information was released in a World Energy Outlook Special Report, which noted global carbon emissions continue to...carbon, dioxide, emissions, Record

Coming (Very) Soon: Obama’s Climate Strategy

The rumors have turned to reports. President Obama will release climate change policy initiatives in the coming weeks, or maybe even next week, according to remarks made by White House senior officials on Wednesday.  
The regulations will focus on on carbon dioxide emissions from existing...Climate, coming, Obamas, Strategy

Nevada solar energy project canceled

ENN Mojave Energy canceled its plans to build a solar power project near Laughlin, Nevada after failing to find a buyer for the electricity that would have been produced there, according to a report from the Associated Press.The company, which is a unit of ENN Group, has informed Clark County...canceled, Energy, Nevada, project, Solar

PSO requests proposals for wind energy resources

American Electric Power unit Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO) issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking long-term purchases of up to 200 MW of new wind energy resources.According to the RFP, proposals must rely on wind projects which are in advanced stage of development and capable of...Energy, proposals, requests, resources

AES to provide energy storage facility for PJM market in Ohio

AES plans to bring an additional 40 MW of energy storage resources to PJM Interconnection, which controls the power grid for 60 million people in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S.To be located at Dayton Power and Light’s (DP&L) Tait generating station, just south of Dayton,...Energy, facility, market, provide, Storage

By 2020 the UK Small Wind Turbine Market is Expected to Reach Over 800 MW

The small wind turbines market in the UK is developing at a fast pace. With the implementation of the Feed-in-Tariff policy by the UK government in April 2010, the market has jumped by over 60% in the last one year. With the provision of further incentives, the UK small wind turbine market is...expected, market, reach, Small, turbine

Consumers Energy adding more wind energy

The company has signed a contract with GE to supply 62 wind turbiness for the Cross Winds Energy Park in Tuscola County.The contract calls for GE to provide the turbine units, each with a capacity of 1.7 megawatts (MW) for the Cross Winds Energy Park, scheduled for operation in late 2014. ...adding, Consumers, Energy

Energy storage for ancillary services to pass $3.8 billion in revenue by 2023

Ancillary services, such as frequency regulation and voltage support, are required to maintain safe, reliable, and secure transmission of electricity on the grid. As the technical need for ancillary services grows over the next 10 years, the corresponding demand for energy storage systems that...ancillary, billion, Energy, revenue, Services, Storage

US Home Internet Devices Suck Enough Energy to Power Silicon Valley

Although appliances and consumer electronics are getting more efficient, they still represent about 35 percent of the energy consumed in U.S. homes.
And it’s not just the big appliances using up energy. A 2011 study from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that typical...energy star, green it, internet, internet service providers, modems, natural resources defense council, routers

Nest Told to Modify Thermostat Claims

The self-regulated arm of the advertising industry has recommended that Nest Labs modify or discontinue some of its claims about the Nest programmable thermostat.
The National Advertising Division (NAD) made the suggestions after being prompted by Honeywell. Honeywell also sued Nest last year,...Energy Management, honeywell, nest advertising claims, nest labs, smart thermostat

First Solar and CPF on Arizona’s Solar Net Metering War

First Solar (FSLR) stepped into the net metering fray by supporting Arizona Public Service, Arizona’s dominant utility, against attacks by third-party finance leaders Sunrun and SolarCity. Clean Power Finance followed, arguing solar can benefit utilities.
“The First Solar op-ed...arizona public service, Clean Power Finance, dominion resources, duke, first solar, midamerican energy holdings, Net Metering, nextera energy, nrg energy, Rooftop Solar, solarcity, sunrun, third party ownership, Utilities, utility business model

Ultracapacitors Provide Solar-to-Grid Smoothing in San Diego

We’ve seen a lot of combinations of solar power and energy storage lately, with battery-PV combos promising to help mitigate the issues that arise from connecting solar to the grid. This week saw the launch of a new project aimed at integrating ultracapacitors — the “flash” storage...batteries, California, cpv, distributed solar, energy storage, maxwell, microgrid, pv, san diego gas & electric, sdg&e, Smart Grid, soitec, Solar, solar integration, ucsd