Featured Blogs - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Fracking and Solar: Friends, Foes or the Bridge to Clean Energy Adoption?

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:17:00 GMT

Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has been widely criticized by environmentalists who cite concerns with water pollution and methane leakage from this high-volume method of extracting natural gas. However, the burning of natural gas is undoubtedly better for the planet than the burning of coal. Some experts are now saying that — toxic chemicals an

Solar Under Assault Again in Louisiana

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A slew of bills introduced in Louisiana’s legislature this year were challenging the state’s solar incentives. At least one of which, House Bill 705 to gradually phase out the state’s solar and wind tax credits by 2020, has moved forward. While that bill might make some sense, other bills, like a bill to eliminate tax credits immediately, seem to b

China Solar Update: Trina Improves, Suntech Scores Extension, Beijing Awaits EU Tariff Decision

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:36:06 GMT

Several news bits from the solar sector show more signs of stabilization after a 2-year-old downturn, even as an ongoing trade war looks set to escalate. The big picture in these news bits does seem to reflect some cautious optimism returning to the sector after the prolonged downturn due to massive oversupply. But that turnaround remains very tent

Efficiency New Brunswick Cuts Geothermal Energy Incentives

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:21:00 GMT

Throughout Canada, energy efficiency retrofit grants have helped stimulate the geothermal industry and have made geothermal heat pumps more popular than ever before. The introduction of these substantial financial incentives on both a provincial and federal level have been a boon for the geothermal industry and the energy efficiency retrofit indust

SolarCity Sues Treasury Over 1603 Payments

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

In an interesting turn of events, solar third-party ownership company SolarCity is suing the Treasury Department in Federal Claims Court, alleging that it received less than expected from the now defunct 1603 Treasury Grant Program. This follows the Treasury investigation of SolarCity over whether or not it correctly valued the solar arrays the com

Finland's New Energy Solutions

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

You may not know much about Finland, but you certainly know the powerhouse technology company that became a household name across the globe and drove the nation’s economic expansion through the 1990s-2000s. Nokia generated a quarter of Finnish economic growth from 1998-2007, prompting a new term, ‘the Nokia effect’, to describe economic development

Electricity Loss and Theft: Who Pays?

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

We fret about turning off the lights to save pennies on energy. Meanwhile, electricity worth billions of dollars gets lost or stolen on the world’s power grids every year. In industry jargon, the problem is known as ‘line loss.’ A certain amount of electricity generated by a power plant never makes it to the consumer — or at least the paying consum

8 Vivid Charts – 8 Reasons for a Solar Energy Standard in Minnesota

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A conference committee is resolving differences between House and (much weaker) Senate versions of a solar energy standard in Minnesota today. Here's eight graphic reasons why the state should go for solar as aggressively as it can. This post originally appeared on ILSR’s Energy Self-Reliant States blog. 8 Vivid Charts – 8 Reasons for a Solar Ene

Springtime for Tesla

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:42:52 GMT

In my past couple blog posts, I've written about the electric car market and inventor Nikola Tesla , but I'd be remiss if I didn't take a moment to talk about Telsa Motors and the very big waves the company has been making lately. Tesla is having a very, very good May so far. Stock prices raised eyebrows on Wall Street, the company turned its first

Energy Expert Predicts Solar Could Upend Major Utility in California on Price

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:09:00 GMT

Based on the falling costs of solar and rising electric prices, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), one of the largest utilities in the country that serves northern California, may not be able to compete with residential solar soon. That’s according to a recent piece at think tank, The Energy Collective by energy expert Douglas Short, President of Exas

Solar Fred's Guide to Positive Yelp Solar Installer Reviews

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:43:00 GMT

Whether you're in the solar business or any consumer-facing business, you can’t ignore Yelp today or in the foreseeable future. First of all, it won't ever go away, and it's only getting stronger. In fact, it’s even more important now in the age of “Siri,” Apple’s voice-activated concierge for the iPhone. If someone asks Siri, “Who are the best sol

Anti-Solar Bill in North Carolina Moves Forward Despite Opposition

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

A contested bill in North Carolina that would repeal the state’s renewable portfolio standard is moving forward despite what appeared to be committee that voted against it. The bill was moved out of the Senate Finance Committee by State Senators Bill Rabon and Bob Rucho, both Republicans, who co-chair the committee. The senators held a voice vote o

Microgrids: Coming or No?

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

You know that experience, when you buy a new car, and suddenly you see the model everywhere? Since Superstorm Sandy I’ve had the equivalent experience with the term ‘microgrid.’ Policymakers and thought leaders in the U.S. Northeast started talking microgrid in earnest shortly after the October 2012 storm leveled swaths of their region. Lately, the

EU Solar Tariffs: Time for China to Address Concerns

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:31:11 GMT

I’ve been trying to avoid writing about the latest punitive tariffs for Chinese solar panels that look set to come from the European Union this week, since the story has dragged on for more than a year now and the outcome was almost inevitable. But that said, it would be a bit remiss of me not to write at least something on this latest move, which

Solar Mosaic Fills the Gaps for Solar-Free Solar Industry People — Like Me

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

I know a lot of passionate people in the solar industry who don’t actually own a solar system, and I’m one of them. On the surface, that may appear hypocritical when you make a living telling people how affordable solar is. “If it’s so affordable, why don’t you own it?” they ask. When you explain that it’s (currently) not physically possible to own

The Making of a New Midwestern Solar Energy Standard

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, a solar energy standard moved one step closer to passage in the Minnesota state legislature, with an innovative new approach to financing solar power. It’s a powerful first step for what would be one of the more robust policies to support distributed, local solar power in the country. The policy has three key pieces, outlined below. A S

Bill to Expand Renewables in Rural Colorado Awaits Governor's Signature

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

It looks like Colorado is set to expand the amount of renewable energy in the state once again now that Colorado Senate Bill 252 passed Colorado’s House of Representatives. The bill passed through the House on Monday, April 30 and was passed again by the Senate. It now heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s (D) desk. The bill would expand the amount of

Report Anticipates 220 New Gigawatts of Distributed Solar Generation by 2018

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A recent Navigant Research report anticipates that the world will add 220 new gigawatts of distributed solar photovoltaics by 2018 as solar comes into parity with other energy sources, creating $540.3 billion in revenue in the process. That’s a significant jump in the amount of solar that is currently installed throughout world, which the European

Nigeria: Renewable Energy Opportunities Blossoming

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Just like any country, Nigeria in the 21st century faces enormous challenges, and one of its most crucial is power. Nigeria has been confronted with incessant electricity problems ranging from power generation to its transmission and distribution. The main sources of its electricity are gas and hydropower, but for many decades, homes, businesses an

Popularity of Solar Incentives in Colorado Bring Xcel, SEIA, COSEIA Together

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

It seems that just about every year in Colorado, Xcel Energy’s Public Service Company of Colorado’s Solar*Rewards program is too popular for its own good. The incentive program for small-sized solar installations in its service area is once again fully subscribed. In an attempt to make sure that more of Xcel’s residential and small business custome