The 3rd Most Read Article of 2012:

More Universities Offering Master's Degrees in Renewable Energy
By Jennifer Runyon, Managing Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Published December 10, 2008 

In an effort to help ease the the pain of jobs losses throughout the state and bolster the work force that will be necessary if the U.S. is going to transition to a green economy, four universities in Ohio are collaborating to offer a Masters degree program in renewable energy.

"Ohio is in the midst of major job losses and is trying to reinvent itself as a tech-based economy. One of those ways is in the area of 'green' jobs," said Kevin Hallinan, director of the University of Dayton's master's program in clean and renewable energy.

Renewable energy companies in Ohio were pleased to learn about the state's first master's program in clean and renewable energy. "We consider this program to be good news for us, the U.S. solar industry and the state," said Carol Campbell, First Solar vice president of human resources.

Read the entire article here.

The 3rd Most Read Blog of 2012:

What Is Holding Back Solar Hot Water in the US?
by Jennifer Runyon

Published May 25, 2012 

Solar hot water has been a commercialized technology for many, many years now. It had its heyday back in the 1980s when it seemed like everyone was putting a system on his or her roof. Even my dad, the ultra-conservative New York City money manager put one on our house in Connecticut when I was a teenager.

Unfortunately, however, the technology wasn’t all that reliable. I remember quite a few lukewarm showers and my parents’ disappointment that the system wasn’t exactly performing like it was supposed to. From those I’ve spoken to, my parents’ experience with solar hot water in the '80s wasn’t all that unique, either.

As Dad always said, (and I’m paraphrasing here) “as soon as the price of oil went down, no one cared about solar anymore.” He finally paid someone to remove the system in the early 2000s. 

But even if my parents stopped caring about solar hot water as soon as the price of oil went down, the passionate solar engineers didn’t stop working to better the technology. And over the last 30 years, the technology has undergone some major improvements.

Read the entire article here.