Boston Goes Solar

Joanna Schroeder

The Boston/Dedham Commerce Park is the new home of the largest rooftop solar array in the City of Boston. The 974 kilowatt capacity solar project was completed by FireFlower Alternative Energy in partnership with First Highland Management & Development and spans 12,000 square feet. The solar system to produce enough electricity to “fuel” approximately 65 percent of the building’s energy …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Solar

What Do Orca Whales and Solar Have in Common?

Joanna Schroeder

What do Orca whales and solar energy have in common? Nothing until now. Canadian Solar Solutions has donated solar modules to power the OrcaLab Whale Research Centre, on a remote island off the British Columbia coast near Alert Bay. OrcaLab has been recording the Johnson Strait whales for more than four decades. Founder, Dr. Paul Spong and his wife Helena …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Environment, Solar

New Wind Turbine for Low Wind Sites

Joanna Schroeder

Northern Power Systems has launched two new wind turbine models specifically designed for low wind sites. The NPS 60-23 and the NPS 100-24 are based on the NPS 100-21 platform, but according to the company, leverage product features that produce higher energy capture in low winds while reducing the noise profile of the turbine. To date, more than 20 of …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Wind

CEC Debuts First Community-Owned Solar Project

Joanna Schroeder

The Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has cut the ribbon on the first community-owned solar array resulting from the Community Solar Garden Act. The 2010 Colorado legislation was sponsored by Representative Clair Levy as a means to encourage locally-produced clean energy. The Boulder Cowdery Meadows Solar Array was built on 3.5 acres of land located in South Boulder County and the …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Solar

Abengoa to Construct Cogeneration Plant in Texas

Joanna Schroeder

Abengoa has been selected by Rentech Nitrogen Partners, L.P.to construct a cogeneration plant in Texas. The project will require an investment of approximately US$30 million and will create approximately 50 construction jobs. Abengoa will carry out the engineering, design and construction of the cogeneration plant under a lump sum turnkey contract (EPC) over 18 months. The cogeneration plant is expected to …

Electricity, Energy

FREIF Adds Two Mexican Wind Farms to Portfolio

Joanna Schroeder

The First Reserve Energy Infrastructure Fund (FREIF I) of First Reserve and Renovalia Energy have announced the expansion of their Renovalia Reserve joint venture with the addition of two wind power plants in Southern Mexico. The investments diversify the Renovalia Reserve portfolio beyond Europe into North America and nearly double the power capacity of the wind farm assets worldwide. Financial …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, International, Wind

Mosaic Releases Large Solar Project for Investment

Joanna Schroeder

Mosaic, an online marketplace that connects investors to high-quality solar projects, has released its largest solar project to date with $700k in investment opportunities. This is the company’s second project in its Golden State Series, a $100 million series of solar investments available to residents of California. Mosaic’s first offering, a $153,000 project for a charity in San Diego, sold …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Solar

Facebook Blows Into Iowa with the Wind

Joanna Schroeder

According to a story from Radio Iowa, Jay Parikh, vice president of infrastructure engineering for Facebook, was in Altoona, Iowa earlier this week to officially announce they will be constructing a 476,000 square-foot data center. One of the reasons cited for the social media giant to choose Iowa: it’s commitment to renewable energy including wind energy. Parikh said the company …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Wind

Ski Area Powered by Renewables

Joanna Schroeder

It’s spring and most people are tired of the snow, but not Berkshire East, who has completed a solar installation that enables the Massachusetts family ski run area to be powered entirely from onsite renewable energy. The year-round resort recently developed a 500kW solar tracker farm that will produce 700,000kWh annually. The solar farm will supplement a 900kW wind turbine …

Alternative energy, Electricity, Energy, Solar, Wind

Enhanced Geothermal System Changing Energy Future

Joanna Schroeder

Ormat Technologies, the U.S. Department of Energy and GeothermEx have successfully produced 1.7 additional megawatts from an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) project inside an existing wellfield in the U.S. –the first EGS project to be connected to the electricity grid. Using subsurface technologies, research and development teams stimulated an existing sub-commercial injection well resulting in a 38 percent increase in …

Electricity, Energy, Geothermal