Nineteen up-and-coming companies have been picked to participate in a program to showcase sun power at next month’s Solar Power International. The Start-Up Alley Challenge held on Wednesday, October 23 during SPI ’13 in Chicago, is the culmination of the show’s new Start-Up Alley, a new, featured show floor area at the solar meeting. Start-Up Alley Semi-Finalists: Mike Dershowitz, President …
Solar Group Looks to Head Off US-China Trade War
A pending trade dispute between the U.S. and China could hurt solar power in both countries, but an industry group believes it has a plan to head off the problem. This story from Bloomberg says the Washington-based Solar Energy Industries Association has floated a proposal to eliminate tariffs on solar gear, as well as putting together a fund with contributions …
India’s First Green Building Features Solar
Swadeshi Civil Infrastructure has completed the installation of a 930-kilowatt (kW) SunPower solar system on the rooftop of the Indira Paryavaran Bhavan building in New Delhi, India. The solar panels were selected in part due to the relatively little amount of rooftop space for the solar panels. The building is India’s first net zero building. Its design emphasizes conservation featuring …
Tanzania to Transform Energy Sector
The Republic of Tanzania is set to transform its energy sector. The country received an endorsement from Climate Investment Funds (CIF) of an investment plan which will help the country to scale-up the development of its renewable energy resources. The plan is designed to transform the country’s energy sector, shifting from its increasing dependence on fossil fuels and climate-sensitive hydro …
Natural Power Expands Operations
Rt Hon Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, recently opened Natural Power’s newly expanded ControlCentre at their global headquarters, The Green House, located in the foothills of Rhinns of Kells in rural Dumfries and Galloway. The company’s NP/ControlCentre (previously known as WindCentre) is a 24/7/365 operational control room, providing site management services round the clock for …
California Stays Strong on Solar
California is staying strong on solar with the passage of Assembly Bill 327, authored by Assembly Member Henry Perea (D-Fresno). The legislation helps ensure that the rooftop solar industry can continue to grow and create jobs across California. In addition, AB 327 addresses several important residential electricity rate design issues. According to The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC), AB 327 …
US Navy Battery Testing Facility Goes Solar
The Battery Innovation Center in Newberry, Indiana, adjacent to the US Navy’s largest battery testing and research base, is the home of an isola solar power carport developed by renewz sustainable solutions. The solar charging carport system is the first energy lab in the country to feature Silfab solar panel technology. “The completion and deployment took just a matter of …
Global Solar PV Module Installations to Increase
According to a new report, “Solar PV Modules – Market Size, Annual Production, Average Price, Competitive Landscape and Key Country Analysis to 2020,” solar module installations saw a significant increase from approximately 1.4 GW in 2006 to 29 GW in 2011, but the industry has started to move away from the initial spur. GlobalData’s latest report finds that the growth …
Renewables Top 14% of Electrical Generation
According to the latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) “Electric Power Monthly” renewable energy sources provided 14.20 percent of the country’s net electric generation during the first half of the year (through June 30, 2013). During the same period in 2012, renewables accounted for 13.57 percent of net electrical generation. In addition, the report found that non-hydro …
Army Awards Solar Contracts
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, working with the Army Energy Initiatives Task Force (EITF), awarded Multiple Award Task Order Contracts (MATOC) to a group of 22 solar technology contractors. Solar is the second of four technologies being awarded under the $7 billion Renewable and Alternative Energy Power Production for DoD Installations MATOC. The …