The 139 MW Campo Verde Solar Facility has begun operations in Imperial County, California. The project, acquired by Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, in partnership with Turner Renewable Energy, consists of nearly 2.3 million thin-film modules and is expected to generate enough electricity to power nearly 48,000 homes. “Southern Company is building for America’s energy future – and …
SMUD Announces CSP Project
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a new concentrating solar power (CSP) project let by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). The project will integrate utility-scale CSP technology with SMUD’s 500-megawatt(MW) natural gas-fired Cosumnes Power Plant. The project is supported by a $10 million DOE investment, and the funds will be used to help design, build and test cost-competitive …
Wind Farms in Northern Cape Move Forward
Three large-scale wind energy projects in the Northern Cape, South Africa with a total generation capacity of 300 megawatts is moving forward and on track to be fully operational in mid-2014. A consortium led by global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power has been awarded Preferred Bidder by the Department of Energy in South Africa. The award was made …
Renewable Energy in Mining Industry to Reach $4B
According to a new report, “Renewable Energy in the Mining Industry” the worldwide market for renewable energy systems in the mining industry will grow from $210.5 million in 2013 to $3.9 billion in 2022. Today, less than 0.1 percent of power consumed by the mining industry is generated from renewable energy; yet, mining operations consume enormous amounts of power- as …
Turbines Begin Operation at Echo Wind Park
The first 13 wind turbines at DTE Energy’s Echo Wind Park have been commissioned, with the entire facility set to begin commercial operation by the end of November. The 70-turbine Echo Wind Park in Huron County, Michigan will be operational by the end of 2013 and add another 112 megawatts (MW) to the DTE Energy’s renewable energy portfolio. The wind …
Conergy Begins Third Thailand Solar Project
Conergy is constructing is another large-scale solar project in Thailand with a total capacity of 21 megawatts. This is the third consecutive project for the Bangkok-based Siam Solar Energy 1 Co., Ltd. (SSE1), a subsidiary of Thai Solar Energy Company Limited (TSE). Conergy has closed power plants for SSE1 with a total capacity of more than 70 megawatts since the …
DOE Awards $60M in Solar Projects
Energy Secretary Moniz has announced $60 million in funding to support innovative solar energy research and development. The awards are part of DOE’s SunShot Initiative and will help lower the cost of solar electricity, advance seamless grid integration and support a growing U.S. solar workforce. “The tremendous growth in the U.S. solar industry over the past few years is helping …
Crowdfunding Campaign to Connect Schools to Solar
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has launched a unique crowdfunding campaign to support a new initiative to help schools purchase and install rooftop solar systems. The crowdfunding campaign – a first for NRDC – initially seeks to raise $54,000 through the site Indiegogo to help three to five to-be-determined schools move forward with solar rooftop projects. At least one …
SMUD Enters Space-Time Continuum
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has implemented Space-Time Insight’s geospatial and visual analytics software. According to Space-Time Insight’s, their software facilitates faster and more informed smart grid decisions. The system, which correlates, analyzes and visualizes data in smart grid, distribution, outage, fire and weather systems, is the primary “face” of SMUD’s new Distribution Operations Center. The situational intelligence solution …
Colorado Solar Opportunities Continue to Grow
Three new community-owned solar PV facilities have gone online in Colorado this week. There are now 10 shared utility-scale arrays operating in the state. In addition, Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has an additional 10 facilities, representing nearly 5 MW, are in development. The resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado is now host to two 500 kW community-owned solar facilities that will …