Category: Solar Energy

University of Vermont Professor Explores ways to Produce Renewable Solar Energy

2016-04-04_1850Solar panels could soon be produced the same way newspapers are: with a printer.

University of Vermont physics professor Matthew White spoke with students and community members Wednesday evening at UV about his innovative solar research that he says has the potential to revolutionize renewable energy.

White and his team of 20 professors, graduate and post-doctorate students from Austria, Japan and the U.S. are working to develop extremely cheap, highly flexible solar cells read more here…

Casting a Shadow on Solar Energy

 

solar-geothermal-power-plant-nevada_350x219According to one economist who continues to shed light on a solar failing solar project, a lack of money is not the reason why it is not delivering.

BrightSource Energy’s Ivanpah solar thermal plant in California has been under scrutiny by economic experts in recent years. Unlike operations that use solar panels to directly convert sunshine into electricity, solar thermal plants use sunshine to heat a fluid to high temperatures and drive conventional turbines. This process at the Golden State facility has been the center of the investigation.

Read more here…

Has Solar Tech Evolved?

Solar energy (r)evolution

Since 1998, the cost of residential and commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has fallen every year by an average of 6 to 8 percent, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Since 2006, the installed cost of solar energy has dropped more than 73%. Once a market dominated by environmental motives, many people are now installing solar PV to save money.

Read the rest here…

Detroit council approves 10-acre solar energy array

The Detroit City Council today unanimously approved a 20-year lease with DTE Energy that will allow the utility to build a 10-acre solar energy array on vacant city-owned land on the west side.

Members of Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration described the project as a catalyst to enhance the neighborhood, along with concurrent plans to use federal funds for nearby blight demolition and a commitment to train residents for “green collar” jobs focused on (read more here…)

Helping to guide through your questions and concerns about Solar Energy This green and unpleasant land: Incredible aerial pictures reveal the true colossal scale of a 150-acre solar energy farm in the Hampshire countryside

  • Only from the air is the scale of newest Hampshire solar energy farm clear
  • Farm was built by local Tory Councillor Daniel Busk on his family property
  • Obtained lucrative permission from his own committee for 150-acre farm
  • The 189,000 panels will generate £2.5million a year supplying electricity 

From the ridgetop lane at Hildon, it is clear the downs across the river on the opposite side of the valley have been transformed – lush green fields and grassland replaced by a shield of unyielding blue.

But it’s only from the air that the true colossal scale of Hampshire’s newest solar energy farm becomes apparent: even from several miles away, it looks like a vast, inland sea.

Less than seven months ago, this newspaper revealed that local Tory Councillor Daniel Busk, chairman of the Test Valley Borough Council planning committee, had managed to obtain extremely lucrative permission from his own committee colleagues for the construction of a 150-acre array of solar panels on land owned by his family trust around his home near Houghton. Read the rest of the article here…

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Will SRP ever see the light on solar energy?

Viewpoints: Salt River Project, the nation’s largest public electrical utility, only gets about 5 percent of its power from renewable sources. That’s not nearly enough.

2016-03-25_2326Salt River Project  has a rich history of providing dependable and affordable electricity to its ratepayers, which number nearly one million accounts and about two million people in metro Phoenix.

The nation’s largest public electrical utility, SRP’s electrical district ended 2014 with a $40 million surplus on just under $3 billion in revenues. Fiscal responsibility, high quality customer service, dependable electrical service and overall sound management are hallmarks (read more…)

PSEG Solar Source Acquires 37.8 MW-dc Solar Energy Facility

2016-03-23_0953The company has invested more than $60 million in the solar facility, which will be named the PSEG San Isabel Solar Energy Center

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE:PEG) recently announced in a press release that PSEG Solar Source has purchased a 37.8 MW-dc solar energy facility from juwi Inc. The solar energy plant is located in Animas County, Colorado, and is PSEG Solar Source’s second project in the state.

The company has invested more than $60 million in the solar facility, which will be named the PSEG San Isabel Solar Energy Center, and is expected to increase…(read the rest of the story here)

China is on an Epic Solar Energy Binge

It’s worth taking a minute to appreciate the sheer scale of what China is doing in solar right now. In 2015, the country added more than 15 gigawatts of new solar capacity, surpassing Germany as the world’s largest solar power market. China now has 43.2 gigawatts of solar capacity, compared with38.4 gigawatts in Germany and 27.8 in the United States

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According to new projections, it seems that trend is going to continue. Under its 13th Five Year Plan, China will nearly (read the rest of the article here).

Cuomo launches solar energy campaigns throughout New York state

2016-03-21_1215Onondaga County is among five counties in central New York state where campaigns to encourage homes, businesses and local communities to install solar energy are currently underway.

The campaigns are part of a recently announced initiative by New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo to install solar energy throughout the state. More than 900 solar projects are currently being carried out through 26 community “Solarize” campaigns, according to a release from Cuomo’s press office.

Thirty-one more “Solarize” campaigns will be announced this spring, per the release (read the release here).

Is Solar Worth it?

Here’s a question: Is solar power worth it?

That kind of depends on where you live.

If you’re in an area that gets lots of sun and doesn’t have lots of extra fees associated with collecting solar energy, and you’re ready to make a long-term commitment to solar — sure! Solar power could be a good way to cut down on utility costs.

But if you’re really wanting to make the switch, the upfront cost of installing panels and getting your home solar-ready can be expensive. The Solar Power Authority estimates the average cost of a 5kW system ranges from around $25,000-$35,000.

And for most people, the payoff period will be at least 10 years and likely closer to 20.

So, why does location make such a difference?

Read the rest of the article here

Solar energy on cusp of real success in Georgia, panelists say

2016-03-19_1325The sun may be starting to shine on solar as a viable alternative energy, but cost and scale continue to be issues, according to a panel brought together Thursday night in Winterville to discuss the solar energy industry.

Drew Bowen of Watkinsville-based Turnsol Energy, a solar energy installation company he operates along with Drew Bowen Electric, a traditional electrical installation firm, told a crowd at the Winterville Depot that a few years ago, solar energy conferences he attended were popular among a core group of jeans-wearing advocates. Now, he said, those conferences are attracting “three-piece suits and tassel loafers … There’s money in solar.”

Read the rest of the article at onlineathens.com