Electical Contractor

In the ongoing national conversation about the role of clean, alternative sources of power, various measures exist to gauge the success of these industries in grabbing a bigger share of our nation’s total energy consumption.

A recent study by the consulting firm Clean Power Research showed that solar power in New Jersey and Pennsylvania delivers value to the electric grid that exceeds its cost by a large margin, making it a bargain for consumers.

There will always be a little bit of the outrageous in renewable power. Yet, every day, in the realm of energy, what once seemed like the exclusive domain of fantasy becomes an accepted part of our lives.

Energy users and managers in central and eastern Maine who would like to use clean-energy sources can soon benefit from the first ocean energy to reach the electrical grid in the United States. Bangor Hydro Electric Co., which built the interconnection, verified on Sept.

It is often said there is nothing new under the sun. There’s truth in that statement, but it ignores the fortuitous mistake or “Edisonian” moment. Such game-changers are often the result of exciting work being done in labs and promising technology picked up by enterprising startup companies.

As we enter the final month of the presidential election campaign, the political rhetoric remains heated. Among the many issues to be debated, renewable energies and the federal policies that support them will no doubt feature prominently.

Research into photovoltaic (PV) technology, like all renewables, is always striving for greater efficiencies and lower production costs. That quest often creates seemingly unimaginable possibilities. For example, consider solar glass with a view.

The sustainable energy movement is full of surprises. Naturally occurring sources of power are always ready to emerge from the most unlikely global elements.

It’s almost an axiom that new technologies often get their start in the military. Take the Internet.