James Montgomery's Articles

New Mexico Solar Deal Details Point to Parity -- and Pain

Unusually public details about a newly signed solar project deal in New Mexico raise some interesting questions about the purchasing power of solar energy, how close it's getting to grid parity -- and just how much pressure is on upstream suppliers to...

1366 Technologies Opens New Factory, Paves Road to Cheaper Solar PV

Continuing the crusade to lower solar manufacturing costs, this week 1366 Technologies officially opened its new manufacturing site in Bedford, Mass., a 42,000 square foot facility with 25-megawatt capacity. The site just across the road from fellow solar...

Solar Cell Efficiency Round-Up: Thin Film Closing the Gap with Silicon

A flurry of new solar-cell efficiency records — including a quiet surprise — are putting thin-film solar PV technologies tantalizingly close to silicon rivals.

Brightsource Mothballs Rio Mesa Solar Thermal Project, Refocuses on Pipeline

Brightsource's 500-megawatt Rio Mesa solar thermal project is being shelved after multiple delays, but the company is forging ahead with two similar projects that are further along in development. A Brightsource spokesperson confirmed the power purchase...

How Ready Are Europe's Grids for Solar PV Interconnection?

A consortium of European solar groups has updated its data looking at project development processes across Europe, offering a comparative analysis of which countries have the "smartest" processes for PV developers to get projects running and feeding into...

Latin America Report: Canadian-Led Consortium Taps Solar Power from Ecuador

A consortium of renewable energy developers led by Canadian firms Solexica Energy Corp., JCM Capital, and Radical Energy Inc. has signed a 20-year concession agreement with CONELEC (Consejo Nacional de Electricidad) to purchase electricity generated by...

Inside MENA Countries' Solar Energy Plans

A new report from GTM Research and the Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA) examines which countries in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region expect the most growth for solar energy.

PTC Extension Means Big Business After All, Says First Wind

The "fiscal cliff" deal passed by Congress over the holidays preserved the federal production tax credits (PTC) for wind-powered energy generation projects that begin construction during 2013 (a key tweak of the language).

Chile Approves 3.1 GW of Solar PV Projects

A tally of renewable energy projects approved and in development in Chile illustrates the promise of one of the industry's top emerging markets.

Mosaic Plants Crowdfunding Flag for Solar Projects

Memo to residents in California and New York, and investors across the U.S., seeking both profits and a green energy cause — you can now take a stake in a renewable energy project and get returns that are competitive with more conventional investment...

James Montgomery

James Montgomery

Jim is Associate Editor for RenewableEnergyWorld.com, covering the solar and wind beats. He previously was news editor for Solid State Technology and Photovoltaics World, and has covered semiconductor manufacturing and related industries,...

Total Access Partners

Growing Your Business? Learn More about Total Access