For Maryland to reach its Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) by 2030—which requires 50% of electricity sold by utilities to come from renewable sources, with 14.5% from solar in particular—the state will need to...
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), consumption of renewable energy in the United States grew for the fourth year in a row, reaching a record 11.5 quadrillion...
Powerhome Solar, which provides solar energy services for residential customers and business owners in nine states, is working to bring up to 100 jobs to Knoxville, Tenn. The solar energy and efficiency service company...
A grayish-brown haze stretches from one horizon to the other, turning the sun into a bright orange ball, like a sunset at ten in the morning. White flakes of ash drift down from the sky. A lingering smell of smoke gets in our...
According to a recent report by the Department of Energy’s U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “U.S. Shipments of Solar Photovoltaic Modules Increase as Prices Continue to Fall,” sales of solar panels continue to...
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. After all, not long...
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...
If the high installation cost of solar photovoltaics (PV) has been the one thing preventing it from being a completely viable clean-energy alternative, the industry may finally be over that barrier.According to a recent study...
Who says government can’t be run more like a business? The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched an initiative that embraces one of the fundamental principles of market economics. It aims to help the solar industry...
This year will cap an impressive string of environmental feats for one auto manufacturer.Some time before the end of 2012, Volkswagen USA will flip the switch at its manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., and turn on the...
Despite the growing popularity of solar power, the one thing that still casts a long shadow over the technology, and keeps everyone from installing a new photovoltaic (PV) system on their rooftop, is the high upfront cost...
Like all renewables, photovoltaics (PVs) are in a constant state of innovation. Researchers are forever striving for breakthroughs in materials and productivity to help them lower costs and chip away at the historical...
After much technical discussion in Code-Making Panel 4 and an appeal to the NFPA Standards Council, the requirements for a new product involving photovoltaic (PV) installations was inserted into 690.11 in the 2011 National...
Major shifts in human behavior often require kickstarting by big players. When it comes to energy usage, the U.S. Army is well-positioned to create momentum. The Army proactively asserted itself in this realm recently when it...
Innovation and support, both popular and political, have helped make renewables more competitive than at any other time in their history. Still, cost is the biggest stumbling block for businesses and homeowners who want to...
In his New York Times editorial, “Here Comes the Sun” (Nov. 7, 2011), Paul Krugman asserts solar power’s time has come. The Princeton University professor of economics and international affairs writes, “We are, or at least we...
Austin Energy, along with Texas mayors Lee Leffingwell of Austin and Hector Gonzales of Webberville, announced the activation of a 30-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Webberville. The activation marks the first utility...
As a result of growing demand for alternative energy in Illinois and Missouri, Pyramid Electrical Contractors Inc. in Fairview Heights, Ill., and St. Louis, Mo., specializes in solar work by installing photovoltaic panels to...
California has long been a pioneer in renewable technologies, in particular, solar power. But blazing a trail and staying on it are two different things. In this case, the Golden State has managed to succeed at both...
In the ongoing effort to make renewables a more attractive alternative than traditional sources of power, cost continues to place them out of reach for the average American consumer. Policy-makers recognize this dilemma and...
