After a five year absence, Sharp Solar has returned to the top of the solar PV module shipment rankings during the first quarter of 2014, according to the latest findings from the NPD Solarbuzz Module Tracker Quarterly report. According to NPD Solarbuzz, Sharp was the PV industry’s market leader for 45 years — between 1963 and 2008 Sharp Solar Returns To #1 PV Module Supplier Position,...
You’d think that a world-leading renewable energy country like Germany — a country that recently saw about 75% of its electricity production coming from renewables (at noon last Sunday) – wouldn’t need big rallies for renewable energy. Ah, but you’d be wrong. Everywhere renewable energy is growing fast, it is threatening extremely rich energy industries. Money has Now...
Originally published on Shrink That Footprint. By Lindsay Wilson One of the most curious memes that has developed over the last few years is that the US leads the world in tackling carbon emissions. Without as much as a breath this is typically followed by a sentence with the word ‘fracking‘. But if you actually look Has Germany Subsidized The World’s Now-Cheap Solar Power? was originally published...
New York is in a solar state of mind. On the heels of the recent announcement to commit an additional $1 billion to New York solar incentives over the next decade, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) unveiled the next anticipated funding program for large solar systems, over 200 kW in size. This round of funding c...
China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, plans to speed up solar power development, targeting a more than tripling of installed capacity to 70 gigawatts by 2017 to cut its reliance on coal....
The most conspicuous driver of the residential solar industry's growth has been large, national-scale solar installers. Their market share has been increasing, primarily because they offer attractive financing to homeowners. Although all solar installers large and small pretty much install the same equipment, for someone who wants solar on their roof, a "no money down" lease is compelling. But there...
GE’s proposal to acquire French power engineering group Alstom’s power generation business for $13 billion is not a done deal – the French government has said it is conducting a review of the purchase, and may push for Alstom's wind assets to be acquired by state-owned Areva. Germany’s Siemens has also provided a counter-bid while it conducts due d...
The Obama administration is considering cutting greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants by reaching beyond the plants themselves — an unusual approach that could run afoul of anti-pollution laws....
Does nuclear energy deserve a seat at the table alongside renewable energy technologies in weaning us off of fossil fuels and transitioning into a cleaner energy world? A new report published yesterday suggests not only will newer small modular reactor (SMR) technology be at least as expensive as larger reactors, it won't fit the needs of a more flexible grid system, and its development will siphon...
DECC, the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, has unveiled proposals for further reform of the country’s renewable energy support program. The measures include plans for the closure of the Renewables Obligation scheme to new solar PV capacity above 5 MW from 1st April 2015....
Last year Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar vowed that it would be the number one solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider in the global PV industry. The company delivered on that promise, installing 1.1 GW of solar capacity in 2013, up from 516 MW the year before. But 2014 will have a different frontrunner according to new data. Chinese EPC TBEA SunOasis, the number two installer...
Ever wonder where exactly the energy that powers the operations of the world’s major corporations comes from? Which corporations purchase the most renewable energy? Well, if you’re interested in knowing, then the EPA’s new Top 100 list on the subject has got you covered. The list is pretty interesting — not everything matches up exactly Which Corporations Purchase The Most Clean...
Originally published on RenewEconomy. As Tony Abbott prepares to wipe out the remaining institutions supporting the deployment of renewable energy technologies in Australia, the International Energy Association has urged countries to act quickly in the opposite direction, and seek to reverse the respective share of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources by 2050. In its IEA Says World’s Electricity...
Originally published on Gas2. In last week’s quarterly report, Elon Musk admitted that Tesla Model X production might be pushed back. Are the falcon-wing doors holding up the Model X? Or is the extra weight of the Model X and its all-wheel drive system reducing range too much for customer expectations? No doubt, the falcon-wing What’s Delaying Tesla Model X Production? Falcon-Wing Doors? Weight?...
Originally published on SolarWakeup. By Yann Brandt Residential solar is the fastest growing part of the solar market and some of the major players in the sector have been making big moves. Recently, Sunrun acquired the residential division of REC Solar including AEE Solar and SnapNrack while also announcing a partnership with Sungevity. SolarWakeup spoke to Why Sunrun Acquired REC Solar & Is...
Editor’s Note: Aside from the notes in the article below, a few other interesting things jumped out to me. 1) Despite going bankrupt and being delisted from the NYSE, Suntech managed to still make it into the top 15 in 2013! That’s somewhat impressive. 2) The only solar module supplier in the top 10 not Top 15 Solar Module Suppliers Of 2013, Via IHS was originally published on CleanTechnica...
If you’ve ever considered driving your car into a library, it appears that you may be able be able to do so without getting arrested. Hurray! In a somewhat humorous new promo video from Renault, the company’s tiny Twizy EV is shown being driven into a university library in France. Of course the humor is Never Heard Of The Renault Twizy? That’s Because It’s Silent — Funny...
We haven’t checked in on the metamaterials scene in a few months but here’s something that caught our eye. A bigger-than-usual research team spearheaded by Purdue University has developed a new hyperbolic metamaterial that has numerous applications in the optical field, including high efficiency solar cells. While not the only factor in the overall cost Hyperbolic Metamaterials Could Drive...
Improving loan opportunities could boost solar rates where third-party financing is lacking in some states, said Banking on Solar recently. Assembled by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Banking on Solar plans to make progress eliminating roadblocks for banks that want to invest more in solar energy’s potential, and increase their own Banking...
Mars Incorporated has agreed to the construction of a wind farm that will have a generation capacity of a whopping 200 MW. That is enough to cover the electricity usage of its entire US operations! Mars’ US operations comprise 70 sites, including 37 factories and 25,000 associates. The Mars wind farm will be built by Blattner Energy Mars Agrees To Construct 200 MW Wind Farm was originally...