SEIA applauds negotiations between EU, US, China

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 1:11 (Solarserver)

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington DC, US) has applauded news of a negotiated settlement to end the United States' and the European Union's ongoing solar photovoltaic (PV) trade dispute with China, in response to media reports of international trade talks. Read more

Investment guide “Photovoltaics in Chile” published

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 12:39 (Solarserver)

Solarpraxis AG (Berlin, Germany) has published the new investment guide “Photovoltaics in Chile” in cooperation with Eclareon and law firm Dominguez, Ossa, Lon (DOLM). The publication provides country-specific information on legal and political frameworks, permitting procedures, site acquisition and project finance, as well as purchasing and disposing of rights of ownership for project or fully completed parks. It also offers practical advice on business development in Chile. Further investment guides for France and Mexico will be presented at the associated Investment Workshops on June 6th and 7th, 2013, in Berlin. Read more

Hanergy acquires Engensa

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 8:35 (Solarserver)

Hanergy Holding Group (Beijing, China) has acquired Engensa Ltd. (London, UK) for an undisclosed sum. Engensa states that this is the first time that a vertically integrated solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer has moved directly into the UK's residential PV market. This follows on Hanergy's 2012 acquisitions of thin-film PV manufacturers Solibro (Thalheim, Germany) and MiaSole (Santa Clara, California, US). Engensa CEO Toby Darbyshire will remain as co-CEO of Hanergy Solar UK Ltd (London, UK), along with co-CEO Dr. Toby Ferenczi. Read more

Cox installs 3.7 MW of PV projects in Massachusetts, Rhode Island

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 22:02 (Solarserver)

On May 13th, 2013, Cox Enterprises announced the completion of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects at its Manheim and Cox Communications subsidiaries. Located in North Dighton, Massachusetts, the Manheim New England project includes a 3 megawatt (MW) ground mount installation and 509 kilowatt (kW) roof installation. Read more

Chevron to build 3.1 MW PV plant in Lemoore, California

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 21:58 (Solarserver)

On May 14th, 2013, Chevron Energy Solutions announced it will develop a 3.1 megawatts (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in City of Lemoore, California. The PV system will generate electricity to power domestic water wells, a wastewater treatment plant, the Cinnamon Municipal Complex, Police Department, and several other facilities throughout the city. Read more

Order Focus: KACO supplies Enerparc with 540 Powador PV inverters

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 16:32 (PV-Tech)

KACO new energy sales have reached the equivalent of 34MW since the company started supplying major PV project developer Enerparc with utility-scale PV inverters. Read more

U.K. Delays Smart Meter Rollout by a Year on 'Challenge'

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.K. postponed its mass installation of "smart" energy meters by a year as suppliers struggle with design glitches and testing is delayed. Read more

Suntech reaches new forbearance agreement on convertible notes

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 12:21 (Solarserver)

Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) has reached a new forbearance agreement with the holders of the majority of its 3% convertible notes which were due March 15th, 2013. Under the new agreement, bondholders agree not to exercise their rights under the notes until June 28th, 2013, as the second forbearance agreement reached on the notes. Suntech is currently undertaking a number of restructuring initiatives. Read more

SNEC 2013: JA Solar and DuPont tout new ‘Cypress’ solar module

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 11:23 (PV-Tech)

The latest iteration of JA Solar’s ‘Cypress’ solar module was revealed during SNEC in Shanghai this week. Read more

AEG Power Solutions inverter revenues boom as polysilicon orders collapse

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 8:34 (Solarserver)

AEG Power Solutions BV (Zwanenburg, The Netherlands) has released results for the first quarter of 2013, reporting a 15% year-over-year increase in revenues to EUR 91.9 million (USD 118 million), at an EBITDA margin of 9.2%. AEG experienced a 251% year-over-year increase in revenues in its Renewable Energy Solutions – Solar division, driven by the sale of 240 MW of inverters for nine solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Eastern Europe. This more than offset the fall in revenues from AEG's power controller business. Read more

Lux Research: Solar PV market to grow to USD 155 billion in 2018

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 15:26 (Solarserver)

Lux Research (Boston, Massachusetts, US) has released a new report which predicts that the global solar photovoltaic (PV) market will grow 10.5% annually to USD 155 billion in 2018. Read more

Chinese court rules against LDK's attempt to collect from Canadian Solar

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 15:19 (Solarserver)

A province-level court in China has dismissed a request by LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) to enforce a USD 40.1 million arbitration award against Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Canada). Read more

Welsh solar installer goes bust

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 14:47 (Solarpowerportal)

Cardiff-based solar panel installation firm PV Solar Solutions has entered administration and ceased trading. Read more

US mediates in EU-China solar trade spat

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 13:47 (PV-Tech)

US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has expressed its support for US government’s role as mediator in negotiations between the European Union and China to resolve anti-dumping case against Chinese manufacturers. Read more

Canadian Solar wins wafer supply lawsuit against LDK Solar

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 12:19 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar has won a court case relating to an alleged breach of contract concerning its wafer supply contracts with LDK Solar. Read more

Powerway supplies mounting system for 3MW Chilean PV system

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 11:29 (PV-Tech)

Powerway Renewable Energy has signed a contract with an unnamed Chilean company to supply mounting systems for a 3MW solar power plant in Chile. Read more

JA Solar’s sales booming in Japan as Europe wanes

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 10:56 (PV-Tech)

Higher than guided product shipments, notably to higher average selling price (ASP) regions such as Japan, supported a significant drop in quarterly losses at JA Solar in the first quarter of 2013. Read more

PV Crystalox may sell Bitterfeld polysilicon plant

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 10:26 (Solarserver)

PV Crystalox Solar PLC (Abingdon, UK) has temporarily suspended plans to dis-assemble its polysilicon production in Bitterfeld, Germany, after an offer by local management to take over the plant and its obligations in return for a cash payment. PV Crystalox' board expects to be able to return GBP 0.0725 per share to shareholders, but is not yet able to confirm timing or mechanism of return. The company also predicted that it will ship 75-85 MW of silicon wafers in the first half of 2013, a 30% increase over a year prior. Read more

UK to double grants for solar thermal under the RHPP

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 10:21 (Solarserver)

The UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced that it will double grants to homes installing solar thermal systems to GBP 600 (USD 920) under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) program. Grants to other renewable heat technologies under the RHPP will also be doubled. The move was enthusiastically received by the Solar Trade Association (STA, Milton Keynes, UK), which had conducted a renewable heat campaign. Read more

Thai solar thermal market grows 20% in 2012

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 8:22 (Solarserver)

The Thai solar thermal market grew 20% in 2012 to 22,660 square meters of collector area, continuing a trend of rapid growth over the last four years, according to estimates by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). 13,000 square meters of this new capacity was supported by the nation's DEDE subsidy program, with another 9.660 square meters estimated by GIZ. Thailand's industrial solar thermal sector grew dramatically in 2011 to 39% of collector area. Read more

Out of the Shell: Oil Giant's Big Biofuels Ambitions

Tuesday, 5.14.2013 - 16:22 (Renewable Energy World)

In this era of "repeal the RFS" efforts from API, would you be surprised that Shell regards the US Renewable Fuel Standard as "one of the more effective frameworks out there"? Read more

Rebuttal: What Determines CO2 Neutrality in Bioenergy Combustion?

Thursday, 5.9.2013 - 19:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The recently released research in Geophysical Research Letters suggests that if 10 percent of the world's energy needs were fulfilled by biofuels from dedicated crops then the consequence would be that global greenhouse gas levels would increase. The foundation of their model is that deforestation, in order to make room for energy crops, eliminates CO2 absorbing forests. They also note that the increased release of nitrous oxide from fertilization will have GHG effects. Read more

MLPs and REITs Back in the Spotlight: Will Washington Finally Level the Playing Field?

Thursday, 5.9.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In our book Clean Tech Nation, which came out late last year, Clint Wilder and I offered up a Seven-Point Action Plan for Repowering America. One of our main action items was "Leverage Proven Investment Tools from the Oil, Gas, & Real Estate Sectors." Namely, level the investment playing field by opening up master limited partnerships (MLPs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) to clean-energy projects. Read more

Makeover Puts CHARMM Back in Biofuels Business

Monday, 5.6.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Biofuels scientists are asking more complex questions about how molecules spin, bond, and break when enzymes attack plants — all in the name of quickening the process of turning biomass into fuels for the sake of cleaner air and better energy security. Read more

Clariant Looks to Biofuel as Older Assets Lined Up for Disposal

Thursday, 5.2.2013 - 16:04 (Renewable Energy World)

Clariant AG said it's prepared to take on a partner and help fund a second-generation bioethanol plant to prove the effectiveness of its biotechnology and compete against Royal DSM NV and Novozymes A/S. Read more

Biofuel Pioneer Forsakes Renewables to Make Gas-Fed Fuels

Wednesday, 5.1.2013 - 17:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Alan Shaw, the chemist and executive who led a six-year effort to turn inedible crops into fuels to displace gasoline, has renounced the industry he helped pioneer and decided the future instead lies with natural gas. Read more

DOE Selects Four Pilot Projects for Military Drop-in Biofuels Development

Wednesday, 4.24.2013 - 16:19 (Renewable Energy World)

After a tumultuous year of opposition and rebuttals from members of Congress, the U.S. biofuels industry was able to maintain support from the more-than-willing U.S. military. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the next phase of development plans last week – it granted $18 million to four biorefineries to develop pilot-scale drop-in biofuels projects to meet military specifications for jet fuel and ship diesel. Read more

Report: US electrical grids can maintain reliability with 50% renewables

Tuesday, 4.23.2013 - 11:46 (Solarserver)

The Civil Society Institute (Washington DC, U.S.) has released a report which finds that US electrical grids can maintain reliability while integrating roughly 50% wind, solar electric, hydro and biomass generation by 2050. “Meeting Load with A Resource Mix Beyond Business as Usual” by Synapse Energy Economics Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.) also found that these changes, with increased energy efficiency, would result in USD 83 billion in savings over 40 years. Read more

Oil Firms Break Promise on Biofuels as Chevron Defies California

Thursday, 4.18.2013 - 16:43 (Renewable Energy World)

Chevron Corp. helped write the first-in-the-nation rule ordering reduced carbon emissions from cars and trucks. Its biofuels chief spoke at the ceremony where California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the executive order in 2007, the same year the oil company pledged to develop a gasoline replacement from wood. Read more

Vilsack, LaHood Sign "Farm to Fly" Biofuel Agreement

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In Washington DC, at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is extending for five years its agreement to work with the Federal Aviation Administration and other partners to help develop a viable biofuel for the aviation industry. Read more

No Easy Fix for Broken Wind Turbine at US High School

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

It's status quo for the Portsmouth High School wind turbine. On Monday night, town planner Gary Crosby informed the Town Council that negotiations ceased with two possible developers interested in fixing or replacing the 336-foot-high turbine, which has been broken since June 2012. Read more

Brazil Auction Rules May Boost Price of Wind Power 15%

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Prices for wind energy in Brazil, currently the lowest in the world, may rise at least 15 percent due to government policies designed to make the nation's power grid more reliable. Read more

Suzlon Energy No Longer Top Indian Wind Turbine Supplier

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 16:34 (Renewable Energy World)

Suzlon Energy Ltd. ceded its position as India's top wind-turbine supplier in the year ended March 31 for the first time in at least a decade, according to figures from an industry group. Read more

Two Conversations the Wind Energy Industry Must Own, And Soon

Friday, 5.10.2013 - 16:00 (Renewable Energy World)

One of the strongest messages that came out of this week's AWEA Windpower event in Chicago was the urgent need for more unity in the wind industry's message, delivered to and embracing everyone from legislators to the finance community to the general public. And two key parts of that unified front, agreed multiple speakers, must be underscoring the wind industry's true "clean" position vs. other energy sources, and mending fences and reestablishing ties between the wind and environmental communities. Read more

With More Wind Energy, PJM Could Save Customers $7 Billion per Year

Friday, 5.10.2013 - 15:48 (Renewable Energy World)

The PJM Interconnection could save its customers $6.9 billion if it more than doubled the amount of wind energy it currently plans to build. This is according to a study by Americans for a Clean Energy Grid and Synapse Energy Economics. Read more

German Scientists Use Offshore Wind Farms to Replenish Lobsters

Friday, 5.10.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

German scientists are betting that offshore wind farms can help replenish the North Sea's fledgling lobster population. Read more

Beyond the PTC – Wind Energy's Future

Thursday, 5.9.2013 - 15:20 (Renewable Energy World)

At Wind Power 2013, the big question on many minds in the wind industry is what will the market look like if and when the production tax credit expires? Wind power experts tried to answer that question at the event held in Chicago this week. Read more

New AWEA Leadership Urges Strategy, Unity for US Wind Industry

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:53 (Renewable Energy World)

Kicking off the AWEA Windpower 2013 event in Chicago, the new leadership of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) took to the stage and underscored a five-point plan to build a viable and sustainable industry centered around developing a unified message backed by personal contributions. Read more

GE Contracts 1 GW of Wind Turbines Post-PTC Extension

Monday, 5.6.2013 - 16:44 (Renewable Energy World)

After the extension of the Production Tax Credit on January 1, 2013, GE (NYSE: GE)'s renewable energy unit said it has signed 1 GW of U.S. wind turbine orders as of May 6. GE also debuted its newest wind turbine product during the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)'s Windpower 2013 conference and exhibition in Chicago. Read more

Farmer- and Family-Owned Wind Power Rises in Iowa

Friday, 5.3.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Iowa ranks third in installed wind power capacity in the U.S., it's 5,500 megawatts behind only Texas and California (and much higher per capita).  But like many windy places, the turbines sprouting from the Iowa prairie are often owned by multinational corporations, taking advantage of the local resource and sending the electricity revenue out of Read more

Are Run-of-River Hydroelectric Systems Ready to Ride US Currents?

Thursday, 5.16.2013 - 15:17 (Renewable Energy World)

Reaping renewable energy from un-dammed portions of great American rivers like the Mississippi, Ohio, or even the Columbia is an idea that has been bandied about for decades. Read more

IHS: Hiked module prices could result in more Chinese bankruptcies

Wednesday, 5.15.2013 - 14:48 (PV-Tech)

Preliminary anti-dumping duties could increase PV module prices by 45% in June, further dampening an already demoralised European solar industry says a new report from market analysts at IHS. Read more

Three Ways to Increase Hydropower Efficiency and Revenues

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Recently, the Department of Energy conducted a study with the Electric Power Research Institute on quantifying the value of hydropower, based on a 3 year examination of the Western Electric Coordination Council region. Read more

Buffett's MidAmerican Plans $1.9 Billion of Wind Farms in Iowa

Friday, 5.10.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A unit of Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. plans to invest $1.9 billion to build additional wind farms in Iowa that would increase its wind generating capacity in the state by about half. Read more

European Commission’s anti-dumping tariffs will damage UK large-scale sector, says STA

Thursday, 5.9.2013 - 13:12 (Solarpowerportal)

UK trade body the Solar Trade Association (STA) has said it is “very disappointed” by the European Commission’s proposals to impose between 37.2% and 67.9% tariffs on Chinese solar module manufacturers. Read more

Proinso supplies first PV plant in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Thursday, 5.9.2013 - 8:09 (Solarserver)

Proinso SL (Fustiñana, Spain) has supplied SMA Sunny Central SC800 CP XT inverters to a newly commissioned 5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a territory of India. This is the first grid-connected PV plant in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Proinso supplied the inverters via Cirus Solar, its strategic partner for the Indian market. The company notes that it has supplied 55 MW in PV materials to the Indian market to date. Read more

Proinso supplies inverters for first grid PV project on Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 13:36 (PV-Tech)

Proinso, a supplier of PV equipment, has delivered 5MW worth of inverters for installation at, it claims, the first on-grid solar project on the India-owned Andaman and Nicobar islands. Read more

EU Debate Over Climate Change Policy Could Dampen Renewable Energy Growth

Monday, 5.6.2013 - 15:39 (Renewable Energy World)

Europe's program to halt climate change is in disarray with lawmakers in the region expressing concern the drift is undermining the planet's most significant effort to combat global warming. Read more

MidAmerican, SunPower Begin "Major Construction" at Antelope Valley

Monday, 4.29.2013 - 21:24 (Renewable Energy World)

MidAmerican Solar and SunPower have begun "major construction" at the Antelope Valley Solar Projects (AVSP), two co-located megasolar projects totaling a combined 579 megawatts (AC) generation capacity that MidAmerican bought earlier this year for $2+ billion. Read more

Ethiopia to Get Chinese Funds for $1 Billion Hydropower Line

Monday, 4.29.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Ethiopia will receive funds from China for a transmission line valued at $1 billion that will bring electricity from a hydropower plant to the capital, Addis Ababa according to a government official. Read more

The Finnish hydrogen Roadmap: Hydrogen to Join Electricity in Ending Traffic Pollution

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Global expectations for hydrogen are currently sky-high. Transport applications stand at the threshold of commercialisation, while ahead lies an investment boom in the hydrogen distribution network. The changeover to hydrogen based on natural gas would already mean a potential saving of billion in Finland's balance of payments. If hydrogen could then be produced from domestic renewable raw material, our car and bus traffic would eventually be practically self-sufficient and leave a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The above was revealed in the Finnish hydrogen roadmap published recently. Read more

The Finnish Hydrogen Roadmap: Hydrogen to Join Electricity in Ending Traffic Pollution

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Global expectations for hydrogen are currently sky-high. Transport applications stand at the threshold of commercialisation, while ahead lies an investment boom in the hydrogen distribution network. The changeover to hydrogen based on natural gas would already mean a potential saving of billion in Finland's balance of payments. If hydrogen could then be produced from domestic renewable raw material, our car and bus traffic would eventually be practically self-sufficient and leave a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The above was revealed in the Finnish hydrogen roadmap published recently. Read more

Verizon to Invest $100 Million in U.S. Solar and Fuel Cells

Tuesday, 4.30.2013 - 19:49 (Renewable Energy World)

Verizon Communications Inc., the second-largest U.S. phone company, plans to spend $100 million on solar systems and fuel cells to power 19 U.S. facilities. Read more

Verizon launches US$100 million solar and fuel cell energy project

Tuesday, 4.30.2013 - 17:43 (PV-Tech)

US communications company Verizon Communications has announced plans to invest US$100 million in a solar and fuel cell energy project which aims to generate enough electricity to power 19 of its facilities in the US. Read more

Hydrogenics to install 1 MW hydrogen energy storage system in Hamburg, Germany

Thursday, 4.11.2013 - 20:54 (Solarserver)

On April 8th, 2013, Hydrogenics Corp. (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) announced that it has received a contract to install a 1 megawatt (MW) hydrogen energy storage system to be deployed in the City of Hamburg, Germany. The energy storage system will employ advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology for production of the hydrogen, using excess power generated from renewable energy in the region, primarily wind, Hydrogenics states. Read more

Breakthrough in Hydrogen Fuel Production Could Revolutionize Alternative Energy Market

Friday, 4.5.2013 - 18:25 (Renewable Energy World)

A team of Virginia Tech researchers has discovered a way to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant, a breakthrough that has the potential to bring a low-cost, environmentally friendly fuel source to the world. Read more

Sun Shines on Old Idea to Make Hydrogen

Monday, 11.5.2012 - 17:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Back in 1998, when gasoline prices were $1.03 per gallon, John Turner of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) dropped jaws all over the energy world by demonstrating that he could use sunlight to extract hydrogen from water at a remarkable 12.4% efficiency. Read more

Electronics and PV production technology: Optomec wins new customers for aerosol jet systems in two research labs

Friday, 7.27.2012 - 16:39 (Solarserver)

On July 25th, 2012, Optomec (Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.) announced that it has sold its Aerosol Jet deposition systems to each of CEA Liten (France), Innovation Lab (Germany) and the University of Sheffield (U.K.). The Aerosol Jet deposition systems are used for the development of next-generation technologies for electronic sensors and displays, 3D conformal electronic devices, fuel cells and solar cells, and other emerging printed electronics applications. Read more

Solid state hydrogen storage program to support solar power plants in Puglia, Italy

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

A consortium of 7 partners supported with ?13.8 million in financing from European Commission?s Seventh Framework Programme for European Research and Innovation are to build a solid state hydrogen storage plant designed to balance power supply and demand of renewable energy installed in the Puglia region of Italy, which employs around 3.5GW of solar, wind, and biomass energy resources. Read more

AC Transit starts fueling buses with hydrogen made from solar-powered electrolysis

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 21:33 (Solarserver)

On April 13th, 2012, AC Transit (Emeryville, California, U.S.) and a coalition of regional transit partners serving 7 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area announced the newest hydrogen production and dispensing station in Emeryville to fuel the latest generation of zero-emission fuel cell buses operating throughout the region. The hydrogen to fuel the fleet is produced in part by solar-powered electrolysis. Read more

Senate Committee Passes Geothermal Leasing Measure

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 16:28 (Renewable Energy World)

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met Thursday, May 16th, to vote on a series of measures that included S. 363, The Geothermal Expansion and Production Act. The legislation was sponsored by Senator Wyden (D-OR), and co-sponsored by Senators Murkowski (R-AK), Begich (D-AK), Crapo (R-ID), Risch (R-ID) and Merkley (D-OR). Read more

Efficiency New Brunswick Cuts Geothermal Energy Incentives

Wednesday, 5.15.2013 - 16:21 (Renewable Energy World)

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 Read more

US, Australian Companies Taking Giant Steps for Global EGS Geothermal

Monday, 5.6.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The 1-MW Habanero pilot plant now producing electricity in South Australia near Innamincka is a big step for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The company operating it, Geodynamics, has made some remarkable discoveries at the site that contribute to its value for the EGS world. Read more

Geodynamics Seeks Partners after Origin Energy Exits Geothermal Venture in Australia

Friday, 5.3.2013 - 13:50 (Renewable Energy World)

Geodynamics Ltd., an explorer seeking to produce geothermal power from hot underground rocks, is starting a search for new partners to develop its project in central Australia after Origin Energy Ltd. decided to pull out. Read more

NYC Mayor Signs Legislation to Study Geothermal Feasibility

Monday, 4.29.2013 - 15:34 (Renewable Energy World)

Mayor Bloomberg has signed legislation that will require the Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability to study geothermal energy resources and the feasibility of developing them in New York City. The bill was sponsored by Council Members Gennaro, Garodnick, Brewer, Fidler, Gentile, James, Koppell, Lander, Mark-Viverito, Palma, Williams, Arroyo, Levin, Dromm, Van Bramer, Barron, Eugene, Greenfield, Jackson, Richards, Halloran and Ulrich. Read more

Breathing Life Into US Geothermal: First EGS Project Feeding Power to Grid

Monday, 4.15.2013 - 21:39 (Renewable Energy World)

A major challenge for the geothermal industry is reducing the risk of its exploration and drilling phase – there is a 40-60 percent chance that each $5-7 million well is ultimately deemed unproductive. But that statistic may soon change. In what many in the industry are calling a game-changer, the nation's first enhanced geothermal system (EGS) to supply electricity to the grid came online last week. ORMAT's Desert Peak 2 project is producing an additional 1.2 megawatts (MW) of power to its existing nearby power plant. Read more

Iceland First in Europe to Sign Free Trade Pact with China, Offers Geothermal Expertise

Monday, 4.15.2013 - 16:39 (Renewable Energy World)

Iceland became the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China in a bid to sell its expertise in geothermal energy to the $7.3 trillion Asian economy. Read more

Nevada Renewable Energy Roundtable: Barriers to Geothermal Development and Future Prospects

Friday, 4.12.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Nevada's alternative energy sector has seen a plethora of hills and valleys in recent years. From federal funding challenges to educating the general populace about alternative energy, the sector has seen its share of challenges. Recently, executives representing various alternative energy interests throughout the state met at the Reno offices of City National Bank to discuss these issues and the future of alternative energy. Read more

Geothermal Energy Capacity Expected to More Than Double by 2030

Friday, 4.12.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Geothermal energy capacity will more than double by 2030 as developing economies including Indonesia, Chile and Kenya take advantage of natural resources, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Read more

The Next Challenge for Geothermal: Turning the Corner Towards Private Investment

Wednesday, 4.10.2013 - 18:49 (Renewable Energy World)

Early this year, the U.S. geothermal industry caught a rare win with the passage of a PTC provision that allows projects to qualify for the tax credit as long as they are "under construction" by the end of the year. Many had been hopeful that the provision would help kickstart geothermal development in the U.S. Today, however the industry is still waiting for a clear definition of what "under construction" means, which is making it difficult for investors to feel confident enough to pull the trigger on new projects. Read more

Personal touch persuades farmers to back renewables, says survey

Tuesday, 5.21.2013 - 12:48 (Solarpowerportal)

Farmers are more likely to install renewable energy projects on their land if they have face-to-face meetings with industry experts, according to a survey published yesterday. Read more

Defra and DECC launch EU environmental policy review

Monday, 5.20.2013 - 17:43 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) are seeking UK businesses and organisations’ views on European Union environmental policy. Read more

BT inks 100% renewable agreement with Npower

Monday, 5.20.2013 - 17:09 (Solarpowerportal)

BT will source all its electricity from renewable sources after signing an agreement with Npower. Read more

RHPP payments to double following industry lobbying

Monday, 5.20.2013 - 15:40 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced that payments for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme have been significantly increased as of today. Read more

Shinsei Bank provides loan for 40MW worth of Japanese PV projects

Monday, 5.20.2013 - 12:38 (PV-Tech)

Japan’s Shinsei Bank has signed a project financing agreement with Japan Renewable Energy to provide a ¥10 billion (US$97 million) loan to fund the development of 40MW worth of PV projects. Read more

Which? survey reveals Green Deal home buyer concerns

Monday, 5.20.2013 - 12:12 (Solarpowerportal)

Prospective home buyers are wary of purchasing properties with a Green Deal loan attached to it, according to a survey by consumer watchdog. Read more

North Carolina definitively defeats effort to repeal renewable energy policy

Monday, 5.20.2013 - 7:42 (Solarserver)

A bill to repeal the US state of North Carolina's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Standard (REPS) has stalled in a committee of the North Carolina House of Representatives, failing to win the support of some members of the Republican Party. A companion bill, S 365, has stalled in the Senate Commerce Committee, after being passed out the Senate Finance Committee through a questionable vote. Both bills failed to meet the May 16th, 2013 “cross-over” deadline for this session of the legislature, and thus are dead in the water. Read more

EU Should Scrap Energy Subsidies to Fight Warming, Poland Says

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 17:36 (Renewable Energy World)

The European Union should scrap fossil fuel and renewable energy subsidies and set a target to cut oil imports to remain the leader in the fight against global warming, according to Poland's environment minister. Read more

Breakdown: Penetration of Renewable Energy in Selected Markets

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The penetration of renewable energy into the electricity supply mix has been much in the news recently. During the first quarter, Portugal generated three-quarters of its electricity with renewable energy. Meanwhile, in Germany, one-fifth of all electricity was generated with renewables, most of that from new sources of renewable energy, such as wind and solar. And recently, at a conference in San Francisco, attendees heard calls for generating not just 100 percent of electricity supply with renewable energy, but far more — 200 percent to 300 percent of generation — in order to meet the need for heating, cooling, and transportation as well. Read more

Empower Energies installs four PV arrays for General Motors

Friday, 5.17.2013 - 13:00 (PV-Tech)

Empower Energies, a renewable energy company, has completed the installation of four PV arrays at the General Motors Warren Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan, US. Read more

Springtime for Tesla

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 18:42 (Renewable Energy World)

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 Read more

Antaris Solar constructs second solar carport for GÖDE Group

Wednesday, 5.8.2013 - 13:42 (PV-Tech)

Antaris Solar has constructed a second solar carport for GÖDE Group at its headquarters in Waldaschaff, Germany. Antaris Solar is the PV arm of the GÖDE Group. Read more

Another Electric Car Maker Loses Power

Thursday, 5.2.2013 - 20:23 (Renewable Energy World)

After selling just 100 units of its product, electric car manufacturer Coda Holdings has filed for Chapter 11 in a Delaware bankruptcy court. Coda Automotive's only vehicle was its Coda Car, an all-electric sedan with four doors and a battery pack. The company has its headquarters in Los Angeles. Coda Cars have an EPA-rated battery range of about 8 Read more

Where Are All the Electric BMWs?

Tuesday, 2.5.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

One way or another, Germany of the future will have hushed autobahns traveled by millions of purring electric cars and e-car recharging hubs as ubiquitous as gas stations are today. Yet, of the one million e-cars that Chancellor Merkel insists will be on Germany?s roads in 2022, there are only 5,578 today. Germany?s e-cars are still in the factory. Read more

Do EVs Make Good Cents or Sense?

Thursday, 1.3.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

David Herron of Torque News stated in his article ?60 kWh Tesla Model S rated at 208 mile electric driving range by EPA:  ?The 85 kilowatt-hour Model S, $77,400 for 265 miles range, or $292/mile of range. The 60 kilowatt-hour Model S, $67,400 for 208 miles range, is $324/mile of range. The other electric cars cost a lot more per mile of driving ran Read more

Australian government begins new trials for smart energy; announces funding for solar career paths

Saturday, 11.24.2012 - 16:10 (Solarserver)

The Australian Government announced a series of innovative trials aimed at giving consumers more control over their energy use are set to begin in Newcastle and the Upper Hunter region, Australia. The trial will be run by EnergyAustralia in a partnership with Ausgrid. The trials are part of the Australian Government's AUD 100 million (USD 104.1 million) Smart Grid, Smart City project. Read more

Battery Maker A123 Systems Files for Bankruptcy

Tuesday, 10.16.2012 - 18:28 (Renewable Energy World)

A123 Systems Inc., the electric car battery maker that received a $249 million federal grant, filed for bankruptcy protection after failing to make a debt payment that was due yesterday. Read more

A123 Surges on China Grid-stabilization Contract

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 20:58 (Renewable Energy World)

A123 Systems Inc., a U.S. maker of lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, surged the most in a month after winning a contract to supply a 2-megawatt system to China's Ray Power Systems Co. to help regulate grid frequency. Read more

?Eco Park? solar car port given green light

Wednesday, 7.11.2012 - 13:18 (Solarpowerportal)

Poole-based renewables specialist, H2Eco, has launched an all-new solar car port system designed and manufactured in Dorset. The ?Eco Park? is an integrated parking solution which combines an architectural car parking canopy with a solar photovoltaic system. Read more

One, Two, Three Uses for A123's New Batteries

Tuesday, 6.26.2012 - 15:40 (Renewable Energy World)

A123 Systems? (NASD:AONE) announcement of a new battery technology able to operate at both extremely high and low temperatures has the headline writers dreaming of cheaper electric cars. Read more