A group of Democratic senators may seek to halt stimulus funding for wind-energy projects over concerns that the program is subsidizing jobs overseas. The dispute was prompted by a proposed wind farm in West Texas, whose investors planned to use Chinese-made turbines and seek a $450 million stimulus grant. The senators insist that stimulus funds… Read more »
Can you visualize local parking lots with solar powered stations for recharging your plug-in hybrid vehicle? Could you visualize owning a renewable energy home that produces more power than it uses? These dreams are possible, but there is a need to act soon if we want to join the energy revolution that is repowering much… Read more »
Suntech Power Holdings Co. (NYSE: STP) announced fourth-quarter results on Thursday that were better than expected, beating the street and sending shares up nearly 6 percent in premarket movement. The solar energy company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $49.9 million or 27 cents per share, 16 cents better than the analyst estimate of 11 cents per… Read more »
A solar energy-focused offshoot of the Kyocera Group has announced its intent to begin manufacturing solar energy modules at their San Diego-based facility in the hopes of serving a growing demand for clean and renewable energy sources. Kyocera Solar, which has its operating headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona and serves thousands of customers around the world,… Read more »
Screen printing leader DEK Solar has revealed a range of technologies designed to provide advanced support for specialist photovoltaic applications. In addition to the dedicated PV1200 and PV3000 solar platforms, DEK’s specialist platforms meet the requirements of diverse PV challenges – from large-scale production to flexible or non-standard substrates. As a global technology leader with… Read more »
The European Commission’s ‘Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ published today contains grid and market commitments that will boost the growth of wind energy in Europe, says the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). Smart growth and sustainable growth are two of the three priorities put forward by the European Commission for the… Read more »
The orders include the supply of 139 MECASOLAR trackers (1.5 MW) for the island of Crete manufactured in the company’s factory in Thessaloniki. § In the first of the contracts, PROINSO will supply 900 kW of modules and SMA inverters for solar photovoltaic projects in Crete, developed by the Greek company Hellas ADIVA.§ The second… Read more »
The POWER-GEN Europe conference and exhibition is the foremost event for the European power industry. The three-day event continues to provide an unequalled programme of strategic, technical, keynote and plenary sessions, along with over 450 exhibitors and a diverse range of companies and services on show. Held on the 8th-10th June 2010 at RAI, Amsterdam,… Read more »
The European Commission today allocated over €903 million to electricity interconnection projects as part of its broader European Economic Recovery Plan, injecting new impetus into long standing electricity grid development plans within the EU. Nine projects received funding, including the vital France-Spain interconnection, which has been planned for a long time. “Despite the importance of… Read more »
In a landmark announcement the Indian Finance Minister, in his annual Budget speech, put forward the proposal of setting of National Clean Energy Fund which would be constituted through tax lieved on coal usage in the country. The quantum of tax would be INR 50 per ton of coal used, which would generate an annual… Read more »
Senator Tom Carper and other lawmakers are trying to bring offshore wind energy to their states. The bill would give the industry longer production and investment tax credits all the way until 2020. The senators say offshore wind production can create hundreds of jobs. In Delaware, the company NRG Bluewater Wind says 1,200 temporary jobs… Read more »
New US wind power generation is likely to be lower in 2010 than the record level seen last year with growth in installed capacity resuming in the second half of the year, the head of wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy’s US operations said on Wednesday. “I am pretty bullish on late 2010 and certainly 2011… Read more »
George Monbiot’s attack on solar energy and the government’s “cash-back” solar photovoltaic (PV) market-building scheme paints a distorted picture of the industry I work in, and government policy towards it (Are we really going to let ourselves be duped into this solar panel rip-off?, 2 March). First, Monbiot gets the workability of solar wrong. He… Read more »
In May 2008, SGS was assigned a contract to conduct Project Certification services for Borkum West II offshore wind farm. Project Certification provided by SGS enables wind farm owners to obtain necessary approvals and meet international and local standards. Offshore wind farms incur many risks and challenges due to a variety of external factors such… Read more »
Shares of Sustainable Energy Technologies (STG.V) rose by more than 20 percent early on Tuesday after it announced a tie-up with the solar unit of German engineering giant Robert Bosch [ROBG.UL]. Sustainable Energy, a small Canadian solar energy company, and Bosch Solar Energy (BSLRF.PK) will jointly market Bosch thin-film photovoltaic modules with Sustainable’s Sunergy inverters… Read more »
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited has announced that it has entered into a sales agreement to provide green energy to SunDurance Energy for much of the next year. Under the agreement, the New Jersey-based SunDurance will receive more than 10 megawatts of photovoltaic solar energy modules over the first three quarters of 2010. Liansheng… Read more »
America is in danger of falling behind Asia when it comes to wind energy production. And the chief of General Electric says that is jeopardizing this country’s energy future. Business Week reports that in remarks to the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Conference near Washington, DC, General Electric Co. chief Jeffrey Immelt said America must not give… Read more »
China will step up efforts to promote the development of its wind power industry so as to make full use of its wind resources, said Zhang Guobao, director of the National Energy Administration, yesterday. China’s installed wind power capacity is only 22 million kilowatt, far less than its wind energy resources of about 2.6 billion… Read more »
More than 5,000 MECASOLAR trackers installed in the Grupo OPDE photovoltaic solar farms in Spain have endured with great strength over the weekend of 26 and 27 February, the winds that swept the Iberian Peninsula from north to south caused by the explosive cyclogenesis and which reached speeds of up to 200 km / h… Read more »
SunPower Inc. and Toshiba Corporation have entered into an agreement that will help the Japanese electronics company unveil a new solar energy-based undertaking to begin the new decade. As part of the strategic supply agreement between the two companies, Toshiba will order 32 megawatts worth of high-efficiency solar panels that will be manufactured by SunPower… Read more »
Although concentred solar power (CSP) generation is probably better known, solar thermal (ST) collectors employ a much lower level of technology and convert far more of the sun’s energy into useful heat, according to a new market analysis. The report “Solar Thermal Power Report” by ReportBuyer describes solar thermal energy technology in its various applications,… Read more »
A Chicago-based energy company wants to erect 100 wind turbines in southern Brown County: 54 in Morrison, 22 in Holland, 20 in Wrightstown, and four in Glenmore. There’s concern the 400-foot turbine towers could interfere with the county’s plan to erect a series of 911 radio towers. While emotions run high between landowners and families… Read more »
Incentive pays for 30 percent of home photovoltaic projects Xcel Energy announced Monday the launch of incentives for Minnesota electricity customers to install solar panels on top of their homes and businesses. The Minneapolis-based utility’s Solar*Rewards program, designed to encourage solar energy growth in the state, includes a one-time payment of $2.25 per installed watt… Read more »
The three new inverters in the SolarMax TS series have rated capacities of 50, 80 and 100 kilowatts and work in the MPP range of 430 to 800 Volts. The devices are highly compact and are better protected against dirt than their predecessor models in the SolarMax C series. In addition, Sputnik’s developers have succeeded… Read more »
India proposed on Friday a small tax on production of coal to raise millions of dollars for a National Clean Energy Fund that could help the world’s fourth biggest polluter to shift to a low-carbon economy. India’s growing economy has huge potential to shift to a low-carbon future, given that about 500 million Indians, or… Read more »
Pune-based energy and environment solutions’ provider Thermax is gearing up to tap incentives offered in the Union Budget for renewable energy, water and wastewater treatment. The company is planning a strong foray into solar, biomass and geothermal sources of energy, said M S Unnikrishnan, managing director and chief executive. He said the company had initiated… Read more »
In the spirit of friendly competition for a good cause, the European Union reported that it will meet its goal of instituting 20 percent renewable energy by the year 2020. While some countries like Denmark, Bulgaria and Belgium will fall short of their production goals, other nations like Estonia have exceeded their targets considerably. A… Read more »
Australia’s largest energy retailer, AGL Energy Ltd (AGK.AX), revived plans to build a major wind farm on Monday, after the government vowed to increase investment security in the sector. AGL said the Macarthur wind farm, previously estimated to cost A$800 million ($716 million), will be constructed in a joint venture with New Zealand’s state-owned generator… Read more »
An offshore North and Baltic Sea electricity grid could be in place within 10-15 years, but its development is being slowed by political and regulatory differences between countries bordering the North and Baltic Seas, according to a report published by the OffshoreGrid consortium. The European Commission-funded consortium – made up of eight organizations* – stated… Read more »
Oldcastle Precast, Inc., the leading manufacturer of precast concrete, polymer concrete, and plastic products in the United States, showcases their innovative patent pending precast ballasted footings for solar panel mounting. The patent pending footing designs are used for solar power systems that utilize Photovoltaic (PV) technologies such as fixed tilt, single axis, or dual axis… Read more »
Australia’s top operator of renewable energy assets, AGL Energy Ltd. (AGK.AX), will shelve up to A$1 billion worth of planned investments in wind energy, citing uncertainty in the government’s climate change policies. AGL said on Friday the government’s current rebates for small renewable technologies, such as solar water panels and heat pumps, had flooded the… Read more »
Federal regulators have received leasing proposals from two Virginia companies seeking to develop offshore wind farms capable of supplying clean energy to hundreds of thousands of homes. Apex Wind Energy Inc. is proposing to lease 116,000 acres for an undetermined number of wind turbines with the potential to generate up to 1,500 megawatts of power…. Read more »
Government of UK has planned to craft Britain a center of green manufacturing, for which it won a major accolade from plans which will begin the job hunts. The authority in command, has decide to create a plan for a green manufacturing hub in Britain which has been promoted, when the same got unleashed with… Read more »
A Chinese solar energy company is proposing to build a solar-panel plant in Austin, investing $20.7 million and creating more than 300 jobs. In return, the city of Austin is proposing to give the company an 80-percent break on property taxes on the plant and equipment. Yingli Green Energy, the U.S. subsidiary of a large… Read more »
The biggest boat to be powered by solar energy, left, has been displayed in Germany before it begins preparations to circumnavigate the globe. The 31m (100ft) by 15m catamaran, PlanetSolar, has been developed to be silent and clean, its Swiss-based maker said. The ship will be able to travel at a top speed of 15… Read more »
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Community of European Shipyards’ Association (CESA) are calling on the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the building of new ships to serve the expanding offshore wind energy market over the coming years. EWEA and CESA urge the European Commission to develop programmes… Read more »