Solar Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Solar FlexRack Chosen for 60kW Solar Array at Ohio Advanced Technology Center

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — His initial experience with the Solar FlexRack has convinced another project manager that the innovative rack mounting system for solar panels holds tremendous potential for the future.

Understanding "Beginning Construction" Under Section 1603

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Treasury Department recently issued a series of FAQs in an effort to clarify when projects will be treated as having "begun construction" for purposes of the section 1603 grant. As you may be aware, a project that otherwise qualifies for the grant but is not placed in service before the end of 2010 may still be eligible for the grant if construction on the project is begun in 2009 or 2010 and the project is eventually placed in service before the applicable "credit termination date." The new FAQs address a number of the unanswered questions. However, the framework adopted by the Treasury Guidance and the new FAQs is complex, and there appears to be a considerable amount of confusion among developers about how the "beginning construction" requirement can be met. Therefore, we thought it important to issue this alert.

Renewable Energy Monitoring Systems - the next big thing in residential solar?

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Solectria Renewables Supplies over 10.5MW of Commercial & Utility-Scale Inverters to New Jersey

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Lawrence, MA – September 2, 2010 – Solectria Renewables, LLC, the leading U.S. PV inverter manufacturer, announced today that it will supply 10.5MW of commercial and utility-scale inverters for three photovoltaic (PV) systems in New Jersey in partnership with DCO Energy, an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

CSP developer strategy: Clinching a deal with US utilities

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

CSP Today examines how CSP projects can gain the critical edge over other renewable energy projects vying to sign power purchase agreements with US utilities.

Solar Power Moves Ahead in California

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Turkish Renewable Energy May Feed EU Grid

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Turkey plans to connect to the European electrical grid this month using GE's smart grid technology. The Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEIAS) will now be able to buy and sell power in the European electricity market, hopefully expanding the reliability and availability of energy, especially renewable energy, throughout all of Europe.

Congress, Don't Send the U.S. Solar Industry on an Extended Vacation

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Intertek Opens Solar Thermal Test Lab

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Intertek a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services announces the addition of solar thermal testing capabilities to its Dallas, TX facility. The laboratory, accredited by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC), A2LA and Standards Council of Canada, tests solar thermal equipment to safety and performance standards including SRCC SD 100, CSA F378-87 and EN 12975-1. Compliance to these standards is required for manufacturers to receive SRCC Certification and the ETL Listed Mark for North American market access.

Jigar Shah Speaks on the State and Future of the United States Solar Industry

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Solar visionary, Jigar Shah, will join AltaTerra Research and RenewableEnergyWorld.com on September 23 to discuss the current state of the U.S. solar industry and where he sees the industry heading in 2011 and beyond, in a national and international online conference.

Peace Corps to Tackle Grassroots Energy Issues

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Peace Corps announced late last month that the U.S. Department of State will provide $1 million to fund the program in support of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA). The money will help Peace Corps efforts that increase rural access to energy, mitigate the effects of climate change, and support the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in Central and South American communities.

Top 6 Utility-scale Fast-tracked Solar Projects

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

In June 2009, the Department of Interior announced a fast-track program for renewable energy and transmission projects on public lands under BLM management. The agency designated fast-track projects as those "where the companies involved have demonstrated to the BLM that they have made sufficient progress to formally start the environmental review and public participation process."

CSP cooling options: Workarounds for water scarcity

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

CSP Today speaks to Babul Patel, senior consultant at Nexant Inc., about the cost implication of plant cooling options and how to operate plants effectively under increasingly stringent water restrictions.

International PV experts gather in San Jose Nov 30 –Dec 1 to discuss how to drive down LCOE and boost MW output through improved balance of systems engineering

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

What is the future for utility scale solar? According to recent reports and commitment from utilities in the Southwest and East coast USA, the future is optimistic. SEIA recently announced that utilities' solar megawatts added to the grid grew from 169 MW in 2008 to 279 in 2009, a growth of 66 percent in a year when electricity demand as a whole declined as the result of an economic downturn.

Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Capacity Continues Growing Despite Economic Uncertainty

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Usual suspects Spain and the USA lead the industry with a combined market share of over 90% of projects under construction. New markets open up in MENA, Australia and India where 1.9 GW of CSP have been announced, according to a new report by CSP Today.

Standard Solar Ranks in Top 100 of the 2010 Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Company in America List

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Standard Solar, Inc., a premier full-service developer, integrator and installer of solar electric systems for commercial, government and residential customers, today announced that the company was named to the prestigious Inc. magazine Top 500 Fastest Growing Companies in America list, a compendium of the most entrepreneurial and fastest growing companies in America. Standard Solar ranked 73rd out of 500 and was the highest ranking renewable energy company on the list.

SMA Becomes the First Manufacturer Worldwide to Receive UL Certification for Its Transformerless Inverters

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

SMA Solar Technology AG continues to expand its technological lead over the competition, and has set the course for the increased use of transformerless solar inverters in the United States. The leading manufacturer of solar inverters has become the first company in the world to receive certification from Underwriters Laboratories® (UL) for transformerless inverters. The certification applies to SMA transformerless Sunny Boy 8000TL-US, Sunny Boy 9000TL-US, and Sunny Boy 10000TL-US inverters and was granted as a result of complying with "UL Standard 1741 for PV and Battery-Powered Inverters," which, for the first time includes requirements on transformerless inverters.

Mitsubishi Electric PV modules chosen for landmark solar project at Butte College

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Using solar energy, Butte College in Oroville, Calif., plans to be one of the first colleges in the U.S. to produce more energy than it consumes. While the college has been using solar energy for three years, the board of trustees approved its Phase III solar project which is expected to be completed by May 2011. Butte College will install more than 14,000 Mitsubishi Electric solar modules capable of producing 3,481,920 kWh of clean energy per year. This 2.7 MW DC installation is an addition to the 10,000 solar panels the college already has, making the total system size 4.55 MW DC.

SkyFuel's Parabolic Troughs Are 73% Efficient

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Utility scale parabolic trough solar concentrators harness the sun's energy to make steam for electricity generation. The more efficiently that a trough can harness the sun's energy and convert it to steam, the more electricity it will be able to make.

Grid Energy Storage a $35B Market by 2020

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Coming on the heels of yesterday's announcement that California is moving closer to setting grid energy storage mandates for utilities in the state, today Pike Research released a new report that says the grid energy storage market could reach as much as $35 billion by 2020.