Ecotech Institute has announced that Patrick Longstreth has been named the school’s new academic dean. Longstreth is responsible for implementing the vision and strategic direction of Ecotech Institute; ensuring student, graduate and employer satisfaction; and making sure all staff at Ecotech Institute meet the high expectations of the school’s students and Ecotech Institute’s parent company, Education Corporation of America. Longstreth …
Wind Turbines to be Certified by IRS
Small wind turbines will now have to be certified by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who has issued Notice 2015-4 providing new performance and quality standards that require certification of small wind turbines. “Small” turbines are classified as those having a nameplate capacity of up to 100 KW and must fit into this category in order to qualify for …
Wind Investments to Top $101B by 2020
Global wind power investments are predicted to rise from $70 billion in 2013 to $101 billion by the end of 2020. The new report, “Global Wind Turbine Value Chain – Production, Market Share, Competitive Landscape and Market Size to 2020,” also finds that installed capacity should rise from around 364.9 GW in 2014 to 650.8 GW by 2020. Although demand …
Are Solar Investments Better Than Stocks?
Investing in a 5 kilowatt solar system may be a better investment than investing in a stock market index fund according to a new report, “Going Solar in America: A Guide for Homeowners Considering Solar PV in America’s 50 Largest Cities,” released by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded study finds that solar is …
Clean Energy Investments Jump
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), clean energy investment rose for the first time in three years in 2014. New funds for wind, solar, biofuels and other low-carbon energy technologies gained 16 percent to $310 billion last year. It was the first growth since 2011, erasing the impact of lower solar-panel prices and falling subsides in the U.S. and …
BioEnergy Bytes
In a move designed to reflect their specialized expertise with solar racks and installations, Daetwyler Clean Energy has shifted its solar brand to DCE Solar. “We believe in all renewable forms of energy,” said CEO Bill Taylor. “Our name shift is about emphasizing our focus on solar instead of the much broader spectrum of different kinds of clean energy which …
BioEnergy Bytes
The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) is pleased to welcome Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP) and Syngenta as new members. Syngenta and QCCP are engaged in a joint venture to develop, license and deploy Cellerate™ — a “bolt on” cellulosic ethanol process technology easily integrated into existing corn ethanol production processes. New orders of clean diesel and diesel-electric hybrid buses by …
Groups Petition Hawai’ian Utility for Solar Support
A coalition of community groups have petitioned the Hawai’i Public Utilities Commission in support of renewable energy such as solar. The group is calling for a completion of the state’s renewable energy goals before it considers approving the purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries by Florida-based NextEra Energy. The coalition includes Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice, Blue Planet Foundation, Hawai‘i PV …
BioEnergy Bytes
IKEA has announced solar energy plans for its St. Louis, Missouri store opening Fall 2015. Panel installation will begin this spring, with completion before the store’s opening, making the project the largest rooftop solar array in the State of Missouri. The store is under construction on 21 acres along Interstate-64 at Vandeventer Avenue, The store’s 259,000-square-foot solar array will consist …
Geothermal Data System Steams Into New Entity
The National Geothermal Data System (NDGS) has been spun off into a new non-profit company: USGIN Foundation, Inc. The company will commercialize the technology and infrastructure at the national and international level. The project was launched through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the grant period ending December 31, 2014. The project was developed by Arizona State …