SolarCity has announced plans to add 12.8 megawatts of new solar generation capacity to provide solar power to an estimated 7,500 military homes at Lend Lease-managed Island Palm Communities throughout the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Military communities include Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Aliamanu Military Reservation, Helemano Military Reservation and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawai’i. The projects …
RES America to Construct Minnesota Wind Farm
RES America Developments Inc., a subsidiary of Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas), will be working with Xcel Energy to construct the 200 megawatt (MW) Pleasant Valley Wind Farm. The project is near Austin, Minnesota, adjacent to the Grand Meadow wind project owned by Xcel Energy. “RES Americas is pleased to once again work with Xcel Energy to provide …
Solar PV Breaks 10 GW Barrier
According to a new report by NPD Solarbuzz, solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the U.S. have broken through the 10 gigawatt (GW) barrier. During the first half of 2013, more than 1.8 GW of new solar PV capacity was installed according to the North America PV Market Quarterly report. “The U.S. has now joined an elite group of maturing solar …
Obama Launches Power for Africa Initiative
President Obama made his first official trip to Africa last week and while there announced his Power Africa initiative, an effort to bring reliable, safe and affordable energy to the country. One Sunrise, Florida-based company has already been working to provide Africans innovative energy solutions: SKYei – formerly SKY Energy International. The company has recently completely a U.S. $5 million …
Hybrid PVT Solar System Successful In Oahu
The SunDrum Hybrid PVT solar system operating at the Inn at Schofield Barracks, a large hotel in Oahu, Hawaii, has returned 25 percent of its installation costs in the first six months of operation. Installed by AllNuEnergy, Inc., the system is expected to break even in less than two and a half years and provide an ROI of more than …
OnStar & TimberRock Partner on EV Solar Charging
OnStar is partnering with TimberRock Energy Solutions to develop advanced EV solar charging technologies. TimberRock uses aggregation software and solar charging canopies with integrated storage to manage the flow of solar power to the electric grid. The project will be the first “real-world” use of OnStar’s Smart Grid solutions. As part of the project, TimberRock will monitor the output of …
State RPS’s Hold Steady
The Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University has released its most recent white paper, “State Renewable Portfolio Standards Hold Steady or Expand in 2013 Session,” as part of its series on legislative policy trends in advanced Energy. The white paper was based on data analyzed in the AEL Tracker dataset. According to the report, at the …
DuPont Expands Technology Center
DuPont is expanding its Silicon Valley Technology Center to include new innovations and collaborations in the energy and electronics industry. The company plans to use the center to further accelerate product and process development, as well as increase application support to customers around the world. “For DuPont, this expansion is about collaborating more closely on developing technological innovations for the …
Wind Farm Costs Stabilizing
According to Wind Energy Update, wind farm projects have indicated that costs have stabilized at around £140 / €160 per MWh and regulators have put forward a challenge that offshore wind should reach a LCOE of £100 / €120 MWh by 2020. An achievement of this goals would maximize the size of the industry. Wind Energy Update further says opportunities …
SolarStrong Provides Solar for Military Families
SolarCity has begun a project to provide solar electricity to more than 500 military homes at Soaring Heights Communities, a lend-lease community, on Holloman Air Force Base in Otero County, New Mexico. The project, expected to provide 3.4 megawatts of generation capacity, is the latest to be announced under SolarCity’s SolarStrong initiative. The project is also part of Lend Lease’s …