Feb 9, 2010 (9 hours ago)
As the world continues its quest to use less fossil fuels, the latest possible solution comes from the most unlikely of sources: the tobacco plant. This latest news comes from the University of California, Berkeley. It will be nice to see tobacco used for something other than lung cancer. This new discovery is based [...] Posted in: Biofuels , PhotoVoltaics , Solar Power
Feb 8, 2010 (18 hours ago)
Legislation passed in 2008 requires Massachusetts utilities that buy and distribute power to sign contracts with renewable energy suppliers. The goal is to increase clean energy sources and decrease the state\'s reliance on greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels. The effects of that legislation are now being felt as several utilities openly seek long-term power purchase agreements [...]
Feb 8, 2010 (19 hours ago)
Imagine going to the refueling station by entering your garage. Honda Motors is trying to make that notion a reality with the announcement of its new Honda Solar Hydrogen Station, an all-in-one electrolyzer and compressor that provides 0.5 kg of hydrogen over 8 hours. That will enable a fuel cell electric vehicle to handle trips [...]
Feb 8, 2010 (21 hours ago)
The importance of a clean energy economy was visited time and again in President Obama\'s State of the Union address. With such strong support coming from the White House, we here at SunRun are very excited about what 2010 will bring for solar. SunRun\'s president, Lynn Jurich, spoke to Fox Business on Thursday about the future of the solar energy sector, as well as the hundreds of green jobs the solar industry has been able to create. Not only has home solar become an affordable option for millions of homeowners, but it has also been able to create clean, permanent jobs. According to research, for every six homes that goes solar, a green job is created — and that\'s not including the other jobs created down the supply line. And these are jobs created within the nation – here and at present. Watch the Fox Business clip to hear more about green jobs, federal subsidies, and the future of solar.
Feb 8, 2010 (1 day ago)
Japanese newspapers are reporting that Toyota is getting ready to recall the Prius Hybrid line because of faulty breaking system. The announcement is expected today and will include a recall of at least 300,000 vehicles. This is the responsible thing to do and could save lives. The company is headquartered in Toyota Japan and the townspeople are said to be \"reeling.\" Story at the New York Times .
Feb 7, 2010 (2 days ago)
Scientists in Germany have succeeded in developing a method for treating the surface of nanoparticles which greatly improves the efficiency of organic solar cells. The researchers were able to attain an efficiency of 2 percent by using so-called quantum dots composed of cadmium selenide. These measurements, well above the previous efficiency ratings of 1 to 1.8 percent, were confirmed.
Feb 6, 2010 (3 days ago)
Date: 2010-02-05, 10:06PM EST Reply to: job-ed4mw-1588197600@craigslist.org Local established commercial and residential company looking to hire several positions. Experience required. Please send resume. We offer benefits and total coverage health insurance. Location: Atlanta Compensation: 70,000-100,000 Principals only. Recruiters, please don\'t contact this job poster. Please, no phone calls about this job! Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
Feb 5, 2010 (4 days ago)
JIASHAN, China, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- ReneSola Ltd (\"ReneSola\" or the \"Company\") (NYSE: SOL) (AIM: SOLA), a leading global manufacturer of solar wafers, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009 before the U.S. markets open on Wednesday, March 10, 2010. ReneSola\'s management will host an earnings conference call on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 8 am U.S. Eastern Standard Time / 9 pm Beijing/Hong Kong time / 1 pm Greenwich Mean Time. Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows: U.S. / International: +1-617-614-3473 United Kingdom: +44-207-365-8426 Hong Kong: +852-3002-1672 Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call. The passcode is \"ReneSola Call.\" A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following number until March 17, 2010: International: +1-617-801-6888 Passcode: 81970616 Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of ReneSola\'s website at http://www.renesola.com
Feb 5, 2010 (4 days ago)
ATLANTA, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aaron\'s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) will donate two solar-powered electric systems, arriving in Haiti today and valued at $100,000, in support of Haiti relief efforts through ACORP, Aaron\'s Community Outreach Program. Through ACORP, Aaron\'s associates have donated thousands of hours of associate time to community service projects in more than 1,700 cities across the U.S. and $6.8 million in goods and services donations. The solar-powered systems, designed by Sundance Solar Designs, LLC, will provide enough power to sustain two medical centers and 34 treatment tents. According to Spencer Smith, the Aaron\'s franchise owner heading up the project with Sundance Solar, the lack of fuel to run generators in Haiti already has created a significant issue for medical professionals trying to administer treatment. Smith, a franchise owner of 21 Aaron\'s stores, and his employees, donated $50,000 while Aaron\'s, Inc. corporately donated an additional $50,000 through the ACORP program. \"American companies and individuals have offered support to Haiti on a massive scale, and Aaron\'s is proud to be a part of that effort,\" said Ken Butler, Aaron\'s, Inc. Chief Operatin..
Feb 5, 2010 (4 days ago)
Jack Johnson is a well-known musician and environmentalist. His charm, endearing wisp of a voice, barefoot mentality and tireless environmental activism continue to inspire youth to clean up our beaches and protect our oceans. Johnson\'s eye toward sustainability is growing a bit wider as he and his band work hard in Hawaii on his sixth [...]
Feb 5, 2010 (4 days ago)
GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green Solar Finance announced today that it has been awarded a professional services agreement by SunDurance Energy to assist the company in securing project financing for its solar clients. Green Solar Finance will develop a project finance program for SunDurance Energy to offer clients a favorable cost of capital from selected capital sources. SunDurance Energy will provide more compelling project financing options to clients by establishing long term relationships with financing sources. The objective of the partnership is to seamlessly integrate the financing process into the designing and building of solar power solutions. “We are pleased to partner with Green Solar Finance to enhance our customer service offering with real time pricing and structuring,” said Al Bucknam, CEO of SunDurance Energy. “Green Solar Finance will provide the project finance expertise to accelerate the growth of our company by adding this strategic element to our core business of developing, designing, building and operating solar power solutions.” David McGann, CEO of Green Solar Finance said “SunDurance Energy‘s deal flow and megawatt-scale focus provide a perfect p..
Feb 5, 2010 (4 days ago)
BELTSVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SunEdison, North America’s largest solar energy services provider and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR), has activated the first phase of its 16-megawatt solar farm in Davidson County, N.C. The first phase of the project represents 4 megawatts of generation capacity and is comprised of more than 14,000 solar panels that will generate over 6 million kilowatt hours of electricity in the first year of operation. Duke Energy is buying the farm’s entire output under a 20-year contract. Over those 20 years, the farm will generate 115 million kilowatt hours of electricity – enough to power 10,000 average homes for one year. It also will offset more than 225 million pounds of carbon dioxide that otherwise would have been emitted from a traditional coal-burning power plant. “This first phase represents a major milestone in our overall plan to develop 16 megawatts of solar energy at this site,” said SunEdison President Carlos Domenech. “Having financed and completed this initial installation, we have mobilized resources for the next phase of the solar farm.” The farm is one of several North American utility-scale power plants that SunEdis..
Feb 5, 2010 (4 days ago)
They say war makes for strange bedfellows, a saying more true with every war and conflict fought. And now a new war is upon us – one much larger and potentially much more tragic, a war that has no fronts and no trenches to hide in. Climate change, despite two wars in the Middle East [...]
Feb 5, 2010 (4 days ago)
Green power start-up are winning the favor of investors lately. They promise a shorter quicker path to profitability than some more traditional industries. Solar power focused start-ups are the winner in the new green eco -investor stakes with biofuels , wind, and smart grid related businesses fighting for attention and money. A company I posted about a while back \" Solyndra \" filed an IPO in December of \'09. They make cylindrical solar panels which are cleverly designed and if things go well with investors they could be a major player in the green energy sector of the market. Read about investors going gaga over clean green technology at the Wall Street Journal.
Feb 5, 2010 (5 days ago)
SunRun\'s newest Colorado customers, Bert and Kendra Prospero, were featured in today\'s Denver Post as the first Coloradans to hold a home solar lease. Interested in installing home solar panels, the Prosperos had been deterred by the high upfront cost. This all changed when they learned of SunRun\'s solar lease program, which has allowed the Prosperos to go solar for $1,000. With a SunRun solar lease, homeowners can skip the costs, avoid the hassles associated with owning solar panels, and cut right to the chase: saving energy and money. Check out today\'s Denver Post article to learn more about the Prospero\'s journey into home solar and affordable home solar leasing programs!
Feb 4, 2010 (5 days ago)
Is your home perfect for solar? Not sure? Take SunRun\'s new solar quiz to check if your home has solar potential! Select your roof pitch and level of shade, enter your ZIP code, and find out if your home makes the grade. // Get the Your Solar Grade widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox ! Not seeing a widget? ( More info ) Chances are that if you didn\'t know your home was ready for solar, your friends and family won\'t either — make sure to share the home solar quiz with them by installing the widget on your blog, Facebook page, or website. Home solar electricity is a great way for you to save money and support clean energy so don\'t wait to see if your home\'s ready. For a more accurate assessment of your home\'s solar potential or to learn more about solar energy across the nation, visit SunRun\'s new Solar Calculator and Map . ]]>
Feb 4, 2010 (5 days ago)
In central France lies Poitiers, a city rich in Roman architecture and medieval history. Modern building in Poitiers is constructing a new sort of history, however, an energy-efficient, solar-powered and potentially profitable history. Sipea, a local non-profit builder of social housing in the city, is installing solar electricity at its headquarters to sell back to [...]
Feb 4, 2010 (5 days ago)
Here at CalFinder Solar, we focus mainly on residential solar power, and for good reason. Solar energy is chock-full of benefits for homes, humanity and the earth as a whole, and will definitely play a primary role in the coming transition to renewable power. But the issue of intermittency, a significant disadvantage for solar power [...]
Feb 4, 2010 (5 days ago)
Smart control units that learn householders\' energy habits and provide immediate feedback on consumption could give home energy savings of up to 20 percent without compromising comfort.
Feb 4, 2010 (6 days ago)
New Jersey has the second largest number of solar homes in the United States, and there are more than a few New Jersey solar installers to choose from. In fact, if you search ‘New Jersey Solar Installers\' on Google, you\'ll find over 12 million results! Finding the best one could take you a lot of time and effort. When SunRun came to New Jersey in January, we chose two of the best installers in the state to partner with so that you wouldn\'t have to do the work. We\'re proud to introduce our partners, Mercury Solar Systems and Trinity Solar, two of the very best installers in the state. Mercury Solar Systems , is one of the leading solar integrators on the East Coast with operations in New Jersey, New York (including Long Island), Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The company designs and installs solar electric and solar thermal energy systems for the commercial and residential marketplace and to date has installed over 1,000 solar systems totaling several million watts of energy. Mercury\'s dedicated team of engineers, solar installers, electricians, and project managers deliver the highest quality turnkey service to its growing customer base. Mercury Solar Systems is a subsidiary ..
Feb 3, 2010 (6 days ago)
In a world concerned with sustainability, building homes that reflects that vision is of the utmost importance. Certification in green building will certainly become a necessity for architects and contractors well into the future. Solar Energy International (SEI) is now offering an online course (you can take it anywhere!) in green building techniques that qualifies [...]
Feb 3, 2010 (6 days ago)
For most of its history, the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain has been dominated by the electronics industry. But an upstart solar industry has recently burst onto the scene, causing a sharp rise in silicon production while simultaneously changing the face and focus of a global industry. For 40 years, the broader semiconductor industry has found [...]
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
CHENNAI, India and HOPLAND, California, February 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sify Technologies Limited, (NASDAQ National market: SIFY), a leader in enterprise data services and consumer Internet with global delivery capabilities; and Solar Living Institute (SLI), a US-based, non-profit organization that promotes renewable energy and sustainable living through quality education and training programs, announced today the launch of their first online training course titled \'PV Design and Installation Training\'. The course, developed for the US market and currently in English, shall soon be translated and localized for markets across the globe including India, China, and Latin America. John Schaeffer, Chairman of the SLI Board and Founder, said, \"It gives me great pleasure that we are taking a big step toward making this planet cleaner and greener. For over 15 years, the Solar Living Institute has been offering our PV Design and Installation training at our 12-acre sustainability center in Northern California. We are happy to take another stride in our journey toward sustainability not only by going \"paperless\" but also by encouraging people to learn more and travel less, saving fossil..
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
FORT COLLINS, Colo., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEIS), today announced that it has been awarded the second-phase contract for a newly expanded 6 MW solar plant installed at Aerojet\'s corporate headquarters in Sacramento, CA. The Solaron PV inverters were selected by Solar Power, Inc. for the expansion because of their industry leading efficiency ratings, as well as their ability to deliver maximum power and lowest LCOE (Levelized Cost Of Energy). Dr. Hans Betz, chief executive officer of Advanced Energy, noted, \"This expansion demonstrates the major strides that leading energy companies are making in accelerating the deployment of renewable energy solutions. Advanced Energy\'s industry-leading technology and comprehensive support services have enabled us to provide compelling benefits to our customers in the commercial and utility markets.\" After the successful commissioning of the original 3.6 MW site in November, Solar Power, Inc. announced a 2.4 MW expansion, bringing the total capacity of the site to 6 MW. The expansion is expected to be completed in April 2010, and will make the Aerojet site the single largest industrial installat..
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
DALTON, Ga., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest commercial solar array in the state was just commissioned in Dalton, GA. USFloors, a nationwide leader in sustainable flooring, installed a 144.48 kW solar array on their facilities. USFloors President Piet Dossche explained, \"The array is expected to more than cover the energy needs for our green building, producing enough energy to power 14 homes. As part of USFloors\' ongoing sustainability mission, we have more than quadrupled the amount of solar energy we provide to the community.\" The array covers approximately 14,500 square feet, and is visible from I-75. By producing solar power on site, USFloors is able to take advantage of excellent Government and Utility benefits; a 30% Federal Grant, a 35% State Tax Credit and accelerated depreciation. North Georgia EMC pays USFloors a premium for the solar power that it generates. Ownership of power provides business owners with the opportunity to hedge against dramatic cost increases, and carries strong financial benefits. The system was installed by Alpharetta based United Renewable Energy, LLC. William Silva, President of United Renewable Energy LLC, added that \"USFloors continues to sh..
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recurrent Energy, an independent power producer and a leading developer of solar power projects, today announced it has signed agreements with Southern California Edison (SCE). The utility will buy 100 percent of the power from three of Recurrent Energy’s California solar projects. Recurrent Energy will build and operate the solar power systems, located in Kern County and San Bernardino County, which have a combined peak output of 50 megawatts of DC power (MWDC). The projects are expected to be completed in early 2013. “These projects are a great example of the potential for distributed-scale solar to deliver significant quantities of power on relatively short timeframes,” said Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy. “Distributed-scale solar has an important role to play in helping to meet near-term renewable energy goals. This is a clear validation of our approach to developing and marketing solar power in California.” The three solar photovoltaic ground-mounted power systems, two in Kern County (6 MWDC and 22 MWDC) and one in San Bernardino County (22 MWDC), are sited on private land leased by Recurrent Energy and construction is expected to begin in..
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
VICTORIA, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Docks and wharfs throughout French Polynesia are now being illuminated with EverGEN™ solar LED lighting from Carmanah Technologies (TSX:CMH). This unique installation is the result of a government initiative to increase safety and security and significantly reduce operational costs at key marine facilities throughout the Polynesian Islands. Providing illumination for both commercial shipping and local fishing activities, over 100 EverGEN solar LED lights will be installed in remote locales that have been without lighting until now. The systems are also replacing existing solar lighting units in other areas. The installation of Carmanah technology was motivated by a desire to improve the safety and security of facility operations with a flexible and reliable lighting solution. Carmanah’s extensive experience with solar LED technology, along with a continued investment in research and development efforts provided the customer with confidence in the performance and continued reliability of the EverGEN systems. “It is thrilling to see our EverGEN solar LED lighting chosen for an installation that covers such a widespread geographic region,” ..
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
FREMONT, Calif.--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Solyndra Inc., a manufacturer of innovative cylindrical photovoltaic systems for commercial rooftops, announced today that John Gaffney will join the company as its Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and General Counsel. Mr. Gaffney will lead Solyndra’s legal and corporate development activities and will report to Chris Gronet, Chief Executive Officer of Solyndra. Most recently, from January 2008 to December 2009, Mr. Gaffney was an Executive Vice President at First Solar, Inc. where he led the legal, corporate development, sustainable development and environmental affairs departments. Previously, Mr. Gaffney practiced law for over 20 years at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where he became a partner in 1993 and advised numerous corporate and institutional clients on merger, acquisition and capital markets transactions. Mr. Gaffney holds a B.A. from The George Washington University and a J.D. and an M.B.A. from New York University.
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
MONROVIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Soliant Energy™, the leader in concentrated solar energy systems for commercial rooftops, today announced that Marco DeMiroz has joined Soliant Energy as chief operating officer and chief financial officer, reporting to Terry Bailey, chairman and CEO. In his new position, DeMiroz will have responsibility for finance, company administration, government and industry initiatives, and other operations including new factories that the company might need as it moves into an expanded manufacturing phase. DeMiroz will also assist Bailey with various strategic initiatives for Soliant. “We are thrilled to have Marco join Soliant in this new permanent and full time role that is essential to our future growth and success,” said Bailey. “Marco previously served Soliant as interim CEO and special advisor to the company and, as I’ve gotten to know Marco over the past few months, I’ve found his proven background in finance, operations and management to be of immense value to Soliant as we continue to raise capital, ramp-up our manufacturing and take advantage of growth opportunities.” “As Interim CEO I was able to evaluate the Soliant technology and market opport..
Feb 2, 2010 (7 days ago)
The Department of Energy has announced another $12 million in funding for solar technology research and development. The funds will go to four separate projects working intently on solar photovoltaics (PV), with all four working in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado. The goal is to facilitate the transfer of cutting-edge [...]