Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Tesla Motors Repays DOE Loan 9 Years Early

Jeff Postelwait, Associate Editor, Electric Light & Power — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:25:00 GMT

U.S. electric vehicle maker Telsa Motors has paid back its 2010 loan awarded by the Department of Energy. Following payments made in 2012 and earlier in 2013, the May 22 payment of $451.8 million repays the full loan amount with interest.

Re-Igniting America's Solar Impulse

Tom Weis — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:37:00 GMT

First came the Wright Brothers. Then it was Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis. In 1990, Eric Raymond made aviation history to much less fanfare with the first solar airplane crossing of the United States. Now it is Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg making history by flying across America in SOLAR IMPULSE, a 100

Rumors of US-China Trade Settlement Talks Fuel Solar Stocks

Doug Young — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:45:00 GMT

If short-term traders really have hijacked the sector, which seems probable, it would mark a relatively big setback for stocks that were once popular among aggressive longer-term investors who liked the strong prospects of solar energy. Of course that doesn’t mean that serious investors will never return to the sector if it ever manages to stabiliz

Warning Scotland Against Independence: Renewables Will Suffer, Says Ed Davey

Kelvin Ross, Deputy Editor, Power Engineering International — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:31:00 GMT

UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey has warned that Scotland will damage its standing as a prime mover in renewable energy if it votes to become independent.

Geothermal Energy Interests Growing Steadily in Japan

Chisaki Watanabe, Bloomberg — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Japanese companies are renewing their interest in geothermal energy after the March 2011 nuclear crisis shut down reactors for safety checks and the introduction of an incentive program for clean energy encouraged investment.

Protecting Eagles While Working to Guide Wind Development

Katie Umekubo, Western Renewable Energy Project Attorney, NRDC — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Recent reports of eagles being killed by wind turbines have stirred up a lot of emotion and controversy and understandably so.

EVs: Geely Revs Up, BYD Enters Hong Kong

Doug Young — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Let’s start with a look at the latest news from Geely, which has announced that Liu Jinliang has left his older role as head of the company’s car sales to focus exclusively on developing its EV business. (company announcement) In a bid to ease concerns that the move might represent a demotion, Geely is quick to add that Liu will retain his role as

Despite Fears, New Renewables Are Not Bankrupting California

Susan Kraemer, Correspondent — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Until recently, the potential rate impact of all the new contracts for renewable energy being added to meet California's Renewable Portfolio Standard since 2006 has been a matter of some concern. According to the Division of Ratepayer Advocates in early 2012, an estimated $20.8 billion will have been spent in California on contracts for new renewable generation by 2020, and the rate impact was a big unknown.

US Said to Be in Talks With China, EU to Settle Solar Energy Trade Dispute

Brian Wingfield and Mark Drajem, Bloomberg — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:44:00 GMT

The Obama administration is engaged in preliminary talks with the European Union and China to settle a dispute over trade in solar-energy equipment and avoid a conflict among the world’s largest economies, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Outlook for US Energy Independence Gaining Confidence

Power Engineering Editors — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:33:00 GMT

A survey conducted by the KPMG Global Energy Institute shows that a majority of energy executives believe the U.S. can reach energy independence by 2030. The survey also showed a decrease in the number of executives who believe the U.S. will never gain energy independence.

Wind Potential – All About the Data

Amy Malloy — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:40:00 GMT

When it comes to the deployment of wind power, data plays an important role in the design and operations of a wind farm. Is there enough wind? Where should the turbines be placed? How will the placement of turbines impact performance? Are the turbines in need of maintenance? Data collected from technologically advanced monitoring devices answers th

Creating Awareness: Geothermal for a Sustainable Future in New York City

Mark Franks — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:25:00 GMT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called ground source heat pumps the “most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available.” Geothermal heat pumps or exchangers, also known as geo-exchange, require no fossil-fuel burning on-site, use 70 percent of their energy from Earth’s renewabl

Argentina: Understanding the Political and Economic Risks of Solar Energy Development

Mark Bissegger, ClearSky Advisors — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:57:00 GMT

At a first glance, it would appear that Argentina has all of the characteristics of a solar market still in its infancy yet poised to take-off at any moment. Combined, a strong policy framework, demonstrated political willpower, an excellent solar resource and a growing demand for energy all appear to provide the necessary conditions for Argentina to become a major growth opportunity within the Latin American market.

Marine Life Unhindered by Offshore Wind Farm, Study Says

Tildy Bayar, Associate Editor, Renewable Energy World — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Renewable energy consultancy Natural Power has published the results of a post-consent ecological study, called the Marine Environment Monitoring Programme (MEMP), that monitored marine life on a UK offshore wind farm. The study has been ongoing since 2007.

3 Engagement Strategies for Solar Installers to Be “Liked” on Facebook with Graph Search

Tor 'Solar Fred' Valenza — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Facebook’s new Graph Search is still in a testing phase right now, but it will launch sitewide in the coming months. And when it does, your solar company had better be “liked” by your customers. What is Graph Search? Very simply, it’s an internal Facebook search engine that will allow your potential customers to search Facebook for people, places,

Renewable Energy Research Initiative Launched in UK

Kelvin Ross, Deputy Editor, Power Engineering International — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A new inquiry investigating the role of renewable power generation in the UK’s future energy mix has been launched.

Poll: 87 Percent of Illinois Voters Want More Renewable Energy

Carl Levesque, AWEA — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Wide majorities of likely Illinois voters believe it is important that the state maintain its commitment to increase its use of renewable energy and support legislation that would achieve that goal by fixing the state's broken renewable portfolio standard (RPS) law, according to a Zogby poll released this week.

Wind Turbine Lubrication and Maintenance: Protecting Investments in Renewable Energy

Justin Martino, Associate Editor, Power Engineering — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Like any other piece of major equipment in the power industry, wind turbines represent a large investment for the companies that rely on them to generate both electricity and revenue. Unlike gas turbines or boilers in coal-fired power plants, however, wind turbines present some unique challenges.

Don't Miss The Great Solar Debate: Where Does the Global Solar Industry Stand? Click Here to Register!

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:35:00 GMT

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/RenewableEnergyWorld/events/the-great-solar-debate-where-does-the-global-solar-industry-stand

French and German Ministers Call for 2030 Renewable Energy Targets

Phillippa Jones — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:25:00 GMT

Writing in France’s prestigious centre-left daily newspaper Le Monde, Peter Altmaier, the German environment minister, and Delphine Batho, his French counterpart, underlined the need for a 2030 renewable energy target and highlighed the importance of renewables in transforming the European economy, improving energy security and reducing greenhouse