Santa and his reindeer have a lot to navigate on Christmas Eve. But with the growth of solar panels on roof tops, Guelph Hydro Inc. has thought it best to send a brief note to Santa and his reindeer to advise them about how best to navigate the solar photovoltaic panels that are being installed on their roof. Once the …
Book Review – The Burning Wire
Ecoterror has made it into mainstream fiction. OK, so its been there for a while but it made it into the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Jeffrey Deaver. (I know it’s a shocker, but I actually read for fun too). His latest book, the Burning Wire, focuses around an ecoterrorist who uses electricity from an East Coast …
What Do Oil Spills, Education & The Volt Have in Common?
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is far from over and but when it is, just what do you do with all that waste? In the case of the oil-soaked, plastic absorbent booms that floated in the Gulf of Mexico, they are ending up as parts for the Chevy Volt. This according to General Motors who is telling …
Stability Returns to Global R&D Funding
According to an analysis performed by Battelle Memorial Institute and R&D Magazine, the global research and development (R&D) outlook for 2011 will be more stable and positive and is emerging from one of the worst recession eras in recent times. With this in mind, R&D managers are prepared to see moderate, but sustainable growth and more global competition for resources …
Solar Industry Celebrates Passage of Tax Package
“With bipartisan leadership from Senators Cantwell, Feinstein, Ensign and LeMieux, the Senate made clear today that it is serious about protecting American jobs,” said Rhone Resch, the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) yesterday after the Senate voted to pass the one-year extension of various tax incentives that fall under the Department of Treasury Section 1603 …
New Mexico to Get Plethora of Solar
A five-solar site project broke ground today in New Mexico, when completed will provide residents of Lea and Eddy counties more than 112 million kilowatts hours of solar energy per year. The 54 MW photovoltaic solar project will be spread out over five separate sites and will help utility provider Xcel Energy meet the state’s renewable portfolio standard that requires …
TVA Adds More Wind to Portfolio
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is adding more wind energy to its growing renewable energy portfolio. It has contracted with Horizon Wind Energy LLC in Iowa to supply 44 megawatts of wind energy per year by 2012. Horizon will supply TVA with electricity generated by 50 Vestas 1.65-megawatt turbines at Horizon’s Pioneer Prairie wind farm in Howard and Mitchell counties. …
Geological Society of America Unveils Solar System
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is now powered by solar. This month the building began offsetting about 35 percent of its energy use with its new 65 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar energy system. The solar system will provide the company’s headquarters with 88 megawatt hours per year of energy. This project is one of three renewable energy projects planned …
Investments in G-20 Clean Power Projects Could Top $2.3 Trillion
Private funds have been difficult to secure in the U.S. for clean energy programs for the past year; however, on a global scale, private investments in G-20 clean power projects could total more than $2.3 trillion by the end of this decade alone. This figure was released as part of a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts this month: …
Exelon Completes John Deere Renewables Purchase
Exelon Corporation today announced that the previously announced acquisition of John Deere Renewables has been completed. The acquisition of Deere’s wind energy business gives Exelon 36 wind projects in eight states that will now be called Exelon Wind, a division of Exelon Power. The projects amount to 735 operating megawatts of clean, renewable energy – enough to power 160,000 to …