Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

House Armed Services Committee Proposes Ban on Biofuels

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:35:13 GMT

Just one month before the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) in Hawaii, the world's largest international maritime exercise, the biofuels industry has encountered a possible roadblock. The House Armed Services Committee issued its report on next year's Pentagon budget, which inclues a measure that would exclude the development and purchase of biofuels that cost more than traditional fossil fuels.

Solar FIT Fallout: Germany's Environment Minister Forced Out

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:20:48 GMT

The European shake-up continues as Germany's powerful Minister of the Environment Norbert Roettgen was fired Thursday as Chancellor Angela Merkel looks to hold onto power following her party's regional election loss over the weekend.

The $6 Gasoline That Almost Was

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:03:42 GMT

A landmark 2009 study, conducted by researchers at Iowa State's Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, and updated this week for impacts through 2011, found that US ethanol production reduced wholesale gasoline prices by an average of $1.09 per gallon, in 2011.

EGS Takes Geothermal Global

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:15:41 GMT

As ancient as the earth itself, unharnessed geothermal energy most often bubbles to the surface in geological hot spots long known for geysers and naturally-boiling mud pots.

Senate Democrats: Exclude Chinese Solar Panels From ITC

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:46:53 GMT

Two high-profile Senate Democrats introduced a proposal Tuesday that if passed would set domestic requirements on solar installations looking to qualify for the 30 percent Investment Tax Credit.

Lime Energy Strategy Validated by Award from Central Hudson

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:06:33 GMT

Lime Energy (NASD:LIME) has been a star in the very competitive energy services space recently because of its ability to maintain margins in what has been a very competitive environment. While competing small efficiency companies have been closing up shop in the Northeast, Lime has been growing revenues at 30 percent a year, while maintaining a gross margin of around 20 percent.

Discovery of Plant Proteins May Boost Agricultural Yields and Biofuel Production

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Iowa State University discovered a family of plant proteins that play a role in the production of seed oils, substances important for animal and human nutrition, biorenewable chemicals and biofuels.

Pallets of PV: Communities Purchase Solar and Drive Down Costs Together

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:57:03 GMT

Think of it like Costco or Sam's Club for purchasing solar photovolatics (PV). Some savvy folks in Oregon thought it would be a great idea to buy PV in bulk for their neighborhood to get a big volume discount and share the savings with neighbors.

Asia Report: Solar Dumping Announcement Set for May 17

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:56:48 GMT

Seven months after a trade investigation was launched, American solar companies and Chinese solar manufacturers will finally get a clear picture of the challenges ahead.

Saudi Arabia Launches Massive Renewable Program with Hybrid FITs

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

While North America continues to dawdle on the road to the renewable revolution, the conservative, oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proposed one of the most sweeping and massive moves to renewable energy on the planet.

A Review of Arizona's Generous Utility and State Subsidies for Solar Hot Water

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Free Hot Water often highlights California’s generous subsidies for solar hot water installations, but it’s not the only state committed to solar water heating. Arizona’s utilities all offer different — but valuable — solar hot water incentives for both residential and commercial installations. Of course, these are

Europe Braces for a Summer of Hot Solar Debate

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:19:34 GMT

As several debt-addled European Union nations continue to push forward with austerity measures, recent developments show that the political pendulum may be shifting away from drastic spending cuts. If nothing else, those cuts aren't coming easily and the fallout could have drastic implications for renewable energy generation across much of the region.

Solar Woes Continue with Sovello's Bankruptcy Filing

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:55:12 GMT

Sovello has joined a growing roster of solar companies that have filed for bankruptcy over the past year, the German company said Monday. The announcement came after another German solar manufacturer, Soltecture, filed for bankruptcy last Wednesday.

Lots of Solar Power May Reduce, Not Increase, Electricity Prices

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:38:32 GMT

Whether German feed-in tariffs or U.S. tax incentives, opponents of solar rail at its perceived high cost. But a story making rounds this week, "why power generators are terrified of solar," presents a powerful image that may flip this conventional wisdom on its head. Building lots of solar power can actually reduce electricity prices, to the disma

Maxwell Technologies (MXWL): Buy or Steal?

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:32:25 GMT

Confusion reigned following Maxwell Technologies' (NASD:MXWL) earnings call Thursday night. What would be the impact of the company's reduced sales growth guidance on the stocks value?

5 Ways to Act Like a Solar Leader — or Become One

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

I read a bucket of press releases about solar companies every week, and if I’m to literally believe their words, then there are thousands of “leading” solar manufacturers and services in the world. In fact, the word “leading,” “leader,” etc has become so common and overused in press releases that it&rsquo

Hans-Josef Fell, Father of the Feed-in Tariff

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

I dropped by the Bundestag office of Germany’s Green MP Hans-Josef Fell the other day. Fell is a fascinating character and is one of the figures hailed as “the father of the feed-in tariff (FiT)” — Germany’s law that guarantees private producers of renewable energy a fixed, higher-than-market rate for their e

Offshore Wind: Making an American Industry, Part 2

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:48:00 GMT

In the choppy seas of American offshore wind development, calm waters are often followed by stormy skies. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Mid-Atlantic waters off Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. All three states have made some strides in the growing industry, but the path has been anything but clear.

How Enphase Energy is Staying Ahead of Its Microinverter Competitors

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:27:11 GMT

A year after the company outlined an attack plan to hold on to its lead in the microinverter business, Enphase Energy still reigns but is gearing up for a year when competitors plan to ship new models.

From Deserts to Rooftops: Solar's California Battleground

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:43:44 GMT

As California pushes the leading edge of renewable energy adoption in the United States, it's also approaching new legal hurdles that are slowly beginning to define the roles that solar developers and utilities will play in the year ahead.