USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the funding for 244 projects across the United States that are focused on helping agricultural producers and rural small businesses. The projects will help to lower energy consumption and costs using renewable technologies. The funding is part of USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). “As part of President Obama’s “all of the above” energy strategy, …
Solar Efficiency Record Broken
According to Solar Junction, the company has set a world record for energy efficiency for a commercial ready production solar cell. The company says the power conversion efficiency of its photovoltaic cells was measured at 44 percent at 947 suns, surpassing their own record of 43.5 percent at 418 suns set in April 2011. Both records were verified by the National Renewable …
Safety, Health Concern in Offshore Wind
Copenhagen is the home of the upcoming Offshore Wind Health & Safety Summit taking place December 5-6. Sponsored by Wind Energy Update (WEU), the conference wil discuss safety culture, access options and training. With the increase in offshore wind projects, such as the North Sea farm power plant, it will require a larger number of workers. Smart companies, says Wind …
Five Things You Should Know About Solar
Inovateus Solar, based in South Bend Indiana, has proposed five things you should know about solar. The free white paper, “The Good News About Solar: Five Facts You Should Know,” delves in to five areas about solar energy that demonstrates why solar energy should be a part of the energy mix. The five reasons: 1. The U.S. Solar Industry Continues …
Habitat for Humanity Homes Go Solar
Habitat for Humanity has constructed 12-home new affordable housing development in Oakland, California with the aid of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Solar Habitat program. In its sixth year, the Solar Habitat program provides solar power to Habitat homes built in Central and Northern California, and to date 416 solar-powered Habitat homes have been completed. “Today, the City of Oakland celebrates …
Clean Currents Hosts Wind Powered Baltimore Week
Clean Currents, based in Maryland, is hosting Wind Powered Baltimore Week October 15 – 21, 2012 to celebrate Baltimore’s growing community of businesses, non-profits, and homes powered by wind. During the week there will be a series of events and promotions and the official kick-off of the Green Neighborhood Challenge will take place, a program that gives community groups an opportunity …
New Option to Lower Wind Farm Maintenance Costs
With concern over the loss of the Production Tax Credit (PTC), many wind farms are looking for ways to improve efficiency. Mass Megawatts Wind Power says it’s new wind augmentation system allows customers to avoid excessive maintenance issues related to mechanical equipment not having several years of an operational history. The aftermarket accessory, according to the company, utilizes a less …
H-POWER EfW Facility Expansion Completed
The expansion of the H-Power Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facility in Honolulu is complete. The facility is owned by the city of Honolulu and was designed, built and is operated by Covanta Energy. A third boiler was added increasing the facility’s capacity by 900 tons of municipal solid waste per day, with daily capacity is now at 3,000 tons. With the completion …
CEA Releaess New Energy Future Report
A “New Energy Future Report” has been released by the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) that focuses on how the U.S. can achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2020. The report reviews the availability of U.S conventional and renewable resources and the polices that will need to be enacted to develop these resources. The report lays out a plan that incorporates elements of …
Bloomberg U.S. Awarded WindMade Label
The first news organization in the world, Bloomberg, has been awarded the WindMade certification label for its U.S. operations. WindMade is a global consumer label that identifies companies that use wind energy and other renewables that are certified by UN Global Compact and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). To be considered, a company must obtain at least 25 percent of …