It is estimated 1.4 billion people, largely in developing communities, live without access to grid electricity. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, 90 million primary students are without electricity. And, each year, indoor pollution from dirty fuels results in four million deaths. To address this issue, the creators of Luci, MPOWERD, have partnered with FCB Garfinkel and the composers from Found Objects to …
U.S. Solar Market Hits 2nd Best Quarter Ever
The U.S. solar market has had another record setting quarter. According to the latest edition of U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, the U.S. installed 1,354 megawatts (MW) of solar PV in Q3 2014. The report is released by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and found that installation was up 40 percent over the same period last …
AWEA: Wind Provides Economic, Consumer Benefits
According to a study recently released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), wind energy provides the Southwest Power Pool Region (SPP) with $2.8 billion in societal benefits per year. In 2013, wind energy accounted for 10.8 percent of the electricity produced in this region. “The economic benefits of wind energy in the Southwest Pool” looked at the effect of …
Ormat to Expand Kenya Olkaria III Geothermal Plant
Ormat Technologies has announced they are expanding their Oklaria geothermal energy complex located in Kenya. The company has signed an amended and restated Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited (KPLC). Under the terms of the agreement, Ormat expects to increase the generating capacity of the complex by 24 MW, bringing the complex’s total capacity to …
Navy to Install Solar in Housing Units
Navy and Marine Corps housing units in San Diego, California will be receiving rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems through a purchase power agreement between Lincoln Military Housing and SolarCity. The program will provide solar power to nearly 6,000 homes across 27 privatized neighborhoods, and with pending design and interconnection approvals could generate up to 20 megawatts (MW) of solar energy. …
Lloyd’s Register Energy Unveils Wind Turbine Cert
Lloyd Register Energy has launched a new Wind Turbine Certification IEC 61400 service. The goal of the certification is to help overcome many of the technical, financial and environmental risks associated with turbine design and manufacturing. It will also ensure that the wind turbine is designed, documented and manufactured to comply with design specifications, specific standards and other technical requirements. …
Alstom Opens Wind Turbine Production Plant
Alstom has opened its first offshore wind turbine production plants in Saint-Nazaire, France. On hand for an inauguration event was French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Alstom Chairman and Managing Director Patrick Kron and Alstom Renewable Power Chairman Jérôme Pécresse. The new facilities will manufacture nacelles and generators for the Haliade 150-6MW turbines while the towers and blades will be made …
Walmart Expands Solar Commitment
Walmart is expanding its commitment to solar energy with its announcement that it will install up to 400 new solar projects at stores across the country over the next four years. The company has set goals to produce or procure seven billion kWh of renewable energy by the end of 2020. to roll-out the projects, Walmart named to preferred solar …
Poll: Americans Want More Wind Power
A recent national poll commissioned by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) finds that the majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents want more American-produced wind power; they also back an extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC). The poll found 73 percent of registered voters support continuing the PTC, including 63 percent of registered Republicans, 74 percent of Independents, and …
Massachusetts Offshore Wind Auction Announced
The Department of Interior’s Secretary Sally Jewell along with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Acting Director Walter Cruickshank have announced that more than 742,000 acres of offshore Massachusetts will be offered for commercial wind energy development. The auction will take place on January 29, 2015. “Thanks to the leadership of Governor Patrick and the …