Feb 07, 2012 07:00AM

What Happened to Lake Delhi Dam?

Record rainfall, faulty gates and inherent design issues contributed to the July 2010 breach of Iowa's Delhi Dam, investigators found. The overtopping caused the earthen embankment to erode and eventually emptied Lake Delhi, causing millions in property damage.

Feb 06, 2012 01:20PM

Germany Invests in Hydrogen Technology for Renewable Storage, Vehicles

The tanks look like they could hold propane, gasoline or any other form of conventional energy.

Feb 06, 2012 09:03AM

NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar February 8th & 9th

Feb 06, 2012 08:08AM

Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2012: 10 Percent More than Other Top-10 lists

Maybe it was because Seeking Alpha did not carry my annual list of 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2012 this year, but no one seems to have noticed that there were actually 11 stocks in the list. Call it the Spinal Tap of top-ten lists.

Feb 06, 2012 07:00AM

Solar Fred's 7 Keys to Why People Share Marketing Materials on the Web

What triggers you to press one of those share buttons above, or email this post — or any website link — to a colleague or friend? Think about it. Because the keys to knowing why people share things are the keys to so-called "viral" solar marketing. Before we get to why we share, let's talk about how we used to share and how we share

Feb 06, 2012 06:55AM

Asia Report: India Sees 52 Percent Rise in Investments

The year 2011 may be remembered in clean energy circles as the moment when India became a major player across several industries.

Feb 03, 2012 09:41AM

Clean Energy: How Much Hot Air?

NewScientist’s January 28 issue is likely to unsettle clean energy advocates — but it is worth the read. The cover article, “Power paradox: Clean might not be green forever,” posits that even renewable energy can warm the planet, and eventually change climate, if we continue to ratchet up power production to serve our ever

Feb 03, 2012 09:36AM

Suntech, DuPont to Collab on Solar Backsheets, Supply Chain

It's easy to think about modules as singular units of power output, but the reality is that they are a collection of diverse components, each with influence over the end system's total cost and performance. For DuPont, its focus is of course on the materials side, from metallization pastes used to form contacts on the solar cell, to backsheet materials that protect the panels themselves.

Feb 03, 2012 07:30AM

DOE's Untold Impact on Solar

The Obama Administration's $60 billion Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) for renewable energy is considered a failure because of Solyndra, Beacon Power, and potential 2012 bankruptcies. What is not well known is that 75 percent of the program's deployed funds went to relatively low risk power plants that will catapult the U.S. to a leadership role in the utility-scale solar sector. This is hardly the hallmark of a "failed program." The program is akin to Shakespeare's King Henry V, who said as a delinquent Prince: "I'll so offend as to make offense a skill, redeeming time when men think least I will."

Feb 03, 2012 07:01AM

Wind Power to the South: AEP Contracts to Lower Electricity Costs

In a series of deals the investor-owned utility says is good for consumers' wallets, American Electric Power subsidiary Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) recently signed long-term power purchase agreements for a total of 358.65 MW of capacity from wind projects in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Feb 06, 2012 09:03AM

NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar February 8th & 9th

Feb 06, 2012 08:08AM

Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2012: 10 Percent More than Other Top-10 lists

Maybe it was because Seeking Alpha did not carry my annual list of 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2012 this year, but no one seems to have noticed that there were actually 11 stocks in the list. Call it the Spinal Tap of top-ten lists.

Feb 06, 2012 07:00AM

Solar Fred's 7 Keys to Why People Share Marketing Materials on the Web

What triggers you to press one of those share buttons above, or email this post — or any website link — to a colleague or friend? Think about it. Because the keys to knowing why people share things are the keys to so-called "viral" solar marketing. Before we get to why we share, let's talk about how we used to share and how we share

Feb 06, 2012 06:55AM

Asia Report: India Sees 52 Percent Rise in Investments

The year 2011 may be remembered in clean energy circles as the moment when India became a major player across several industries.

Feb 03, 2012 09:36AM

Suntech, DuPont to Collab on Solar Backsheets, Supply Chain

It's easy to think about modules as singular units of power output, but the reality is that they are a collection of diverse components, each with influence over the end system's total cost and performance. For DuPont, its focus is of course on the materials side, from metallization pastes used to form contacts on the solar cell, to backsheet materials that protect the panels themselves.

Feb 03, 2012 07:30AM

DOE's Untold Impact on Solar

The Obama Administration's $60 billion Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) for renewable energy is considered a failure because of Solyndra, Beacon Power, and potential 2012 bankruptcies. What is not well known is that 75 percent of the program's deployed funds went to relatively low risk power plants that will catapult the U.S. to a leadership role in the utility-scale solar sector. This is hardly the hallmark of a "failed program." The program is akin to Shakespeare's King Henry V, who said as a delinquent Prince: "I'll so offend as to make offense a skill, redeeming time when men think least I will."

Feb 02, 2012 01:23PM

Miasolé Claims 17 Percent Efficient CIGS Device, 14 Percent In Production

Miasolé says it has created a 17.3 percent "champion" thin-film copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) solar photovoltaic device, results obtained in its own labs and not (yet) independently verified.

Feb 02, 2012 08:02AM

Experts Predict End of Month for Ontario FIT Review Update

By late February the renewable energy industry should have direction from the Ontario government on some of the major changes ahead for the province’s landmark feed-in tariff program. “I am hoping we will have an announcement then with the megawatt (MW) targets and pricing, then new rules and contracts in March, and application processi

Feb 02, 2012 08:00AM

If Solar is Contagious, Can Utilities Help Spread the Bug?

You may have heard it before, but it is worth mentioning again: In residential communities, solar is contagious. But a recent study, "Peer Effects in the Diffusion of Solar Photovoltaic Panels," conducted by Bryan Bollinger of the NYU Stern School of Business and Kenneth Gillingham of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, published in December sheds some new light on the phenomenon.

Feb 02, 2012 07:37AM

Executive Roundtable: The Future of Utility-Scale Renewables

Renewable energy in the United States is at a crossroads. With several federal tax grants set to expire by the end of 2012, utilities are trying to decide if the falling prices of solar and wind technology makes renewable energy competitive enough to invest in despite vanishing federal aid.

Feb 06, 2012 01:20PM

Germany Invests in Hydrogen Technology for Renewable Storage, Vehicles

The tanks look like they could hold propane, gasoline or any other form of conventional energy.

Feb 06, 2012 08:08AM

Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2012: 10 Percent More than Other Top-10 lists

Maybe it was because Seeking Alpha did not carry my annual list of 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2012 this year, but no one seems to have noticed that there were actually 11 stocks in the list. Call it the Spinal Tap of top-ten lists.

Feb 06, 2012 06:55AM

Asia Report: India Sees 52 Percent Rise in Investments

The year 2011 may be remembered in clean energy circles as the moment when India became a major player across several industries.

Feb 03, 2012 07:01AM

Wind Power to the South: AEP Contracts to Lower Electricity Costs

In a series of deals the investor-owned utility says is good for consumers' wallets, American Electric Power subsidiary Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) recently signed long-term power purchase agreements for a total of 358.65 MW of capacity from wind projects in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Feb 02, 2012 12:11PM

Offshore Wind One Step Closer to Reality in the Mid-Atlantic

Today the Obama administration moved forward with plans to develop the enormous offshore wind energy resources along the Mid-Atlantic coast, using a "Smart for the Start" approach designed to expedite the siting process while incorporating strong environmental protections.

Feb 02, 2012 07:37AM

Executive Roundtable: The Future of Utility-Scale Renewables

Renewable energy in the United States is at a crossroads. With several federal tax grants set to expire by the end of 2012, utilities are trying to decide if the falling prices of solar and wind technology makes renewable energy competitive enough to invest in despite vanishing federal aid.

Feb 02, 2012 07:00AM

Understanding Wind Farm Exposures and Managing Risk

Wind energy is becoming one of the most widely used sources of renewable energy. In fact, according to the American Wind Energy Association, the wind energy industry has added more than 35 percent of all the new power generating capacity since 2007. As the industry grows in popularity, new developers continue to enter the market, and existing developers may likely expand their investments in wind farms.

Feb 01, 2012 10:05AM

Latin America Report: Energy Summit Headed to Rio

Twenty years ago, international leaders descended on Brazil to lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the Kyoto Protocol. This summer, a 20-member United Nations panel will once again head to Rio de Janeiro with an even more ambitious agenda.

Feb 01, 2012 09:51AM

China Set to Vigorously Develop Green Economy

Due to growing urbanization and resulting environmental threats, China has invested nearly US$50 billion annually into its renewable energy sector since 2009. China's five-year investment in environmental protection is on track to reach 3.1 trillion yuan (US$454 billion). By 2015, its environmental protection industry is expected to top 2 trillion yuan (US$317 billion).

Jan 31, 2012 02:55PM

Project Roundup: Slew of Wind Projects Go Online

With developers having made their final end-of-year push through the last day of December, the January ritual of announcements concerning new projects entering commercial operation and new PPAs kicking in continued this week.

Feb 06, 2012 01:20PM

Germany Invests in Hydrogen Technology for Renewable Storage, Vehicles

The tanks look like they could hold propane, gasoline or any other form of conventional energy.

Feb 06, 2012 06:55AM

Asia Report: India Sees 52 Percent Rise in Investments

The year 2011 may be remembered in clean energy circles as the moment when India became a major player across several industries.

Feb 02, 2012 07:37AM

Executive Roundtable: The Future of Utility-Scale Renewables

Renewable energy in the United States is at a crossroads. With several federal tax grants set to expire by the end of 2012, utilities are trying to decide if the falling prices of solar and wind technology makes renewable energy competitive enough to invest in despite vanishing federal aid.

Feb 01, 2012 10:05AM

Latin America Report: Energy Summit Headed to Rio

Twenty years ago, international leaders descended on Brazil to lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the Kyoto Protocol. This summer, a 20-member United Nations panel will once again head to Rio de Janeiro with an even more ambitious agenda.

Feb 01, 2012 09:51AM

China Set to Vigorously Develop Green Economy

Due to growing urbanization and resulting environmental threats, China has invested nearly US$50 billion annually into its renewable energy sector since 2009. China's five-year investment in environmental protection is on track to reach 3.1 trillion yuan (US$454 billion). By 2015, its environmental protection industry is expected to top 2 trillion yuan (US$317 billion).

Feb 01, 2012 07:47AM

A Low-cost, Low-risk Path to Meeting U.S. Biofuels Targets

Nine years from now, in early 2022, the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard will have reached its intended target, 36 billion gallons of biofuel blended into the U.S. domestic auto and truck fuel supply.

Jan 31, 2012 10:07AM

Evaluating Institutional On-site Clean Energy

Earlier this month, I attended EUCI’s Utilizing Clean Power Development Conference in Philadelphia.  The conference attracted a variety of large institutions (hospitals, municipalities, universities, etc.), developers, and financers to discuss the opportunity and challenges surrounding deployment of on-site renewable energy.  Instit

Jan 31, 2012 09:37AM

Integrating Anaerobic Digestion Into Our Culture Part 2: Stats, Reality and the Future

North America is at an inflection point in managing organic materials. Just as paper, metal and plastics were the darlings of the recycling industry a couple decades ago, our society is defining a new relationship with organic materials: one that harnesses the full carbon, energy and nutrient potential of organics. In order to help shape that new relationship, industry leaders are cultivating North America's awareness and understanding of anaerobic digestion's features, benefits and potential role in society.

Jan 30, 2012 10:36AM

Operation Sustainability: U.S. Military Sets Ambitious Environmental Goals

With personnel nearly the population of Chicago and a fleet of over 500,000 aircrafts, vessels, and vehicles, the U.S. Department of Defense is a massive and energy-hungry institution.

Jan 30, 2012 08:13AM

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs ? From Community Fuels

In New York, the expected release dates for the Obama Administration's Bioeconomy Blueprint came and went, leaving Novozymes and Bloomberg New Energy Finance's "Moving Towards a Next-generation Ethanol Economy" report, released this month, as the most intriguing assessment of the job-creating potential of an expanded bioeconomy. In this case of this report, BNEF focused on the potential for ethanol production from agricultural residue.

Jan 31, 2012 10:07AM

Evaluating Institutional On-site Clean Energy

Earlier this month, I attended EUCI’s Utilizing Clean Power Development Conference in Philadelphia.  The conference attracted a variety of large institutions (hospitals, municipalities, universities, etc.), developers, and financers to discuss the opportunity and challenges surrounding deployment of on-site renewable energy.  Instit

Jan 30, 2012 11:13AM

Kyocera to Launch Solar With Li-Ion Battery Storage for Homes in Japan

A big energy-related disaster doesn't just leave horrible marks on people's lives; it also can propel better and quicker policy and technology adoption. Kyocera on Monday said it plans to start selling a system that pairs solar panels with lithium-ion batteries for the residential market in Japan starting this summer.

Jan 24, 2012 07:00AM

Viewpoints from the Board Room: Interview with Voith Hydro CEO and President Kevin Frank

Kevin Frank was named chief executive officer and president of Voith Hydro Inc. in November 2010. Frank discusses technology, policy and the factors driving the hydropower market.

Jan 16, 2012 08:42AM

When We Struggle, We Learn

If there was one key takeaway from the most recent RenewableEnergyWorld.com and Solar Power-gen webcast it was that the year ahead will be difficult for large-scale solar power development due to poor access to capital, an uncertain policy landscape, the pending trade case against China and module prices that are too low to support a healthy indust

Jan 16, 2012 07:00AM

Solar Fred Solar Marketing Tip: What If We Sold Residential Solar Like Cars?

While solar is making steady progress towards the main stream, it ain’t there yet. Many consumers are still suspicious of solar because it’s unfamiliar. They’ve seen panels and solar homes in pictures, but it’s not like buying or selling a car… or is it? Making analogies to something familiar can be very helpful fo

Jan 10, 2012 04:36AM

Tackling the Renewable Energy Transmission Tiger - Is There Hope? Is There Help?

Building transmission to accommodate utility-scale renewable energy generation in the U.S. is seen as essential by much of the renewable energy industry. But can it be justified? Doing so will necessarily involve constructing some of the longest stretches of wire ever undertaken in this country. Much of the best wind and solar resource is located quite distant from the load. Ultimately, thousands of miles of huge power lines will have to be built. It is not illogical to ask whether investment in such massive infrastructure "costs too much and provides too little." It is also not illogical to answer "no," not if the value proposition is laid out appropriately and a well crafted policy and regulatory approach can be established that effectively addresses the issues.

Jan 03, 2012 03:50AM

Clean Energy Expert Tam Hunt: Rapid Clean Energy Growth Inevitable

At Scaling Green, we periodically attempt to highlight some of the brightest, most up-and-coming stars – key industry players, thinkers, etc. - in the cleantech world. Today, we feature Tam Hunt, the “managing member of Community Renewable Solutions LLC, a renewable consulting and project development company focused on community-

Dec 27, 2011 07:00AM

Interview with the President and CEO of Hydro Green Energy LLC

Michael P. Maley is the newest member of the executive team at Hydro Green Energy LLC, a developer of low-head hydropower projects. Maley discusses the company's technology, its business strategy and his decision to jump into the hydropower business.

Dec 19, 2011 07:00AM

Solar Fred's Top 5 Solar Marketing Wishes for 2012: Build Solar Communities

Welcome to Solar Fred’s 3rd annual Solar Marketing Wish List for the coming year.  If you haven’t granted my last two years worth of wishes, take another shot: Here’s 2010 and 2011. For 2012, the theme is focusing your marketing on building solar communities. And when I say “communities,” I’m not just tal

Dec 12, 2011 10:09PM

California Struggles To Embrace TRECs

With the implementation of AB32, many solar advocates are hoping that the California TREC program will boost solar development the way SREC markets have in the country’s fastest growing solar markets on the East Coast. After much delay, the TREC, or tradable REC or unbundled REC program, finally launched on December 10th, allowing utiliti

Jan 31, 2012 10:07AM

Evaluating Institutional On-site Clean Energy

Earlier this month, I attended EUCI’s Utilizing Clean Power Development Conference in Philadelphia.  The conference attracted a variety of large institutions (hospitals, municipalities, universities, etc.), developers, and financers to discuss the opportunity and challenges surrounding deployment of on-site renewable energy.  Instit

Jan 16, 2012 08:42AM

When We Struggle, We Learn

If there was one key takeaway from the most recent RenewableEnergyWorld.com and Solar Power-gen webcast it was that the year ahead will be difficult for large-scale solar power development due to poor access to capital, an uncertain policy landscape, the pending trade case against China and module prices that are too low to support a healthy indust

Jan 10, 2012 04:36AM

Tackling the Renewable Energy Transmission Tiger - Is There Hope? Is There Help?

Building transmission to accommodate utility-scale renewable energy generation in the U.S. is seen as essential by much of the renewable energy industry. But can it be justified? Doing so will necessarily involve constructing some of the longest stretches of wire ever undertaken in this country. Much of the best wind and solar resource is located quite distant from the load. Ultimately, thousands of miles of huge power lines will have to be built. It is not illogical to ask whether investment in such massive infrastructure "costs too much and provides too little." It is also not illogical to answer "no," not if the value proposition is laid out appropriately and a well crafted policy and regulatory approach can be established that effectively addresses the issues.

Dec 12, 2011 08:36AM

Baby Steps in Climate Negotiations are Still Steps in the Right Direction

I wasn’t able to attend the [frustrating] climate change talks in Durban, South Africa this year, although I would have loved to. South Africa is an incredible place to visit. I say the talks are frustrating because they always seem to go the same way. The European nations and some smaller countries attend the meeting armed with serious data

Dec 02, 2011 10:34AM

Renewable Energy Groups Seek 1603 Extension; Analysts Offer Hope for Life After the Grant

This week more than 750 large companies, small businesses and organizations sent a letter to Congress calling for a one-year extension of the Department of Treasury's Section 1603 Program.

Nov 01, 2011 06:00AM

Electric Vehicle and Lithium-ion Battery Investing For Imbeciles

In their 1969 bestseller "The Peter Principle" Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull quoted a Latin-American student named Caesare Innocente who lamented, "Professor Peter, I'm afraid that what I want to know is not answered by all my studying. I don't know whether the world is run by smart men who are, how you Americans say, putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." After watching the events of the last few weeks, I think most of my regular readers would agree that the imbeciles are clearly steering the ship.

Oct 27, 2011 10:43AM

Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards: Nominate Now!

Get ready to celebrate the industry's achievements. At RenewableEnergyWorld.com, we are ready to accept nominations for the Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards. These awards recognize the best companies, people and projects in the North American renewable energy industry.

Oct 27, 2011 06:43AM

Japan's Tipping Point

Most of you in the renewable energy world probably don't know me yet.  This is my first blog here, so let me introduce myself.  I write books for a living (a sort of living).  In 2010, I published a book on public health (Inside the Outbreaks), and as a follow-up, I concluded that the overarching threat to the world's public health t

Oct 27, 2011 05:00AM

In Australia, Can Renewable Energy Get Over the Tea Party Blues?

"It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things." Niccolò Machiavelli Australia’s government is trying to initiate a new era of clean energy and facing such powerful opposition that some renewables companies th

Oct 26, 2011 08:06AM

Obama Cleantech Stimulus: Bad Policy, Bad Politics and Bad for Cleantech

The Solyndra debacle is no surprise to this cleantech venture capitalist. The inherent conflict between trying to get money out of the U.S. Treasury as quickly as possible to stimulate the economy and, at the same time, have government agencies that are ill-suited at making business decisions do just that was nothing other than a recipe f

Feb 07, 2012 07:00AM

What Happened to Lake Delhi Dam?

Record rainfall, faulty gates and inherent design issues contributed to the July 2010 breach of Iowa's Delhi Dam, investigators found. The overtopping caused the earthen embankment to erode and eventually emptied Lake Delhi, causing millions in property damage.

Feb 06, 2012 06:55AM

Asia Report: India Sees 52 Percent Rise in Investments

The year 2011 may be remembered in clean energy circles as the moment when India became a major player across several industries.

Feb 02, 2012 07:37AM

Executive Roundtable: The Future of Utility-Scale Renewables

Renewable energy in the United States is at a crossroads. With several federal tax grants set to expire by the end of 2012, utilities are trying to decide if the falling prices of solar and wind technology makes renewable energy competitive enough to invest in despite vanishing federal aid.

Feb 01, 2012 10:05AM

Latin America Report: Energy Summit Headed to Rio

Twenty years ago, international leaders descended on Brazil to lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the Kyoto Protocol. This summer, a 20-member United Nations panel will once again head to Rio de Janeiro with an even more ambitious agenda.

Feb 01, 2012 09:51AM

China Set to Vigorously Develop Green Economy

Due to growing urbanization and resulting environmental threats, China has invested nearly US$50 billion annually into its renewable energy sector since 2009. China's five-year investment in environmental protection is on track to reach 3.1 trillion yuan (US$454 billion). By 2015, its environmental protection industry is expected to top 2 trillion yuan (US$317 billion).

Jan 31, 2012 07:35AM

Run-of-the-River Hydropower Goes With the Flow

In recent years, run-of-the-river hydropower projects have emerged as a viable, low-impact alternative to existing large-scale projects. Run-of-the-river facilities use conventional hydropower technology to produce electricity by diverting river flow through turbines that spin generators - before returning water back to the river downstream.

Jan 30, 2012 06:43AM

Asia Report: DOC Extends Solar Trade Case Deadline to March 2

Solar players on both sides of the Pacific have been warily anticipating the Feb. 13 deadline when the Department of Commerce was set to announce whether it would impose duties on solar cells and modules coming in from China.

Jan 26, 2012 08:37AM

Dark Clouds Threaten German Clean Energy Ambitions

During the fourteen years that I've lived in Switzerland, the Germans have been the world's staunchest supporters of green power and alternative energy. Their aggressive development of wind power was breathtaking, as was their warm embrace of photovoltaic power.

Jan 25, 2012 12:39PM

Under Pressure: Startup Company Turns Water into Power

When Frank Zammataro thinks about water pressure, he sees an opportunity to create electricity. Zammataro, 53, is President and Co-Founder of Rentricity?a New York City energy company that has discovered a new way to tap into the excess pressure in water-treatment plants, reservoirs, and factories to help power our water infrastructure, which consumes four percent of America's electricity.

Jan 25, 2012 07:33AM

Smart Grid Initiatives Address Cyber Security, Renewable Energy Intermittency

Securitizing renewable energy networks from cyber-attacks is not complicated by their oft-cited operational headache of intermittency, but rather by their separation from a utility's control system, said smart grid executives at the Gridwise Global Forum in Washington, DC in early November. Though renewable intermittency adds to the challenge of stabilizing a grid, the forum revealed new evidence of real-world smart grid load shifting that continues to chip away at the tired argument that renewable energy cannot successfully integrate into a legacy grid.

Feb 06, 2012 06:55AM

Asia Report: India Sees 52 Percent Rise in Investments

The year 2011 may be remembered in clean energy circles as the moment when India became a major player across several industries.

Feb 02, 2012 07:37AM

Executive Roundtable: The Future of Utility-Scale Renewables

Renewable energy in the United States is at a crossroads. With several federal tax grants set to expire by the end of 2012, utilities are trying to decide if the falling prices of solar and wind technology makes renewable energy competitive enough to invest in despite vanishing federal aid.

Feb 01, 2012 10:05AM

Latin America Report: Energy Summit Headed to Rio

Twenty years ago, international leaders descended on Brazil to lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the Kyoto Protocol. This summer, a 20-member United Nations panel will once again head to Rio de Janeiro with an even more ambitious agenda.

Feb 01, 2012 09:51AM

China Set to Vigorously Develop Green Economy

Due to growing urbanization and resulting environmental threats, China has invested nearly US$50 billion annually into its renewable energy sector since 2009. China's five-year investment in environmental protection is on track to reach 3.1 trillion yuan (US$454 billion). By 2015, its environmental protection industry is expected to top 2 trillion yuan (US$317 billion).

Jan 30, 2012 06:43AM

Asia Report: DOC Extends Solar Trade Case Deadline to March 2

Solar players on both sides of the Pacific have been warily anticipating the Feb. 13 deadline when the Department of Commerce was set to announce whether it would impose duties on solar cells and modules coming in from China.

Jan 26, 2012 08:37AM

Dark Clouds Threaten German Clean Energy Ambitions

During the fourteen years that I've lived in Switzerland, the Germans have been the world's staunchest supporters of green power and alternative energy. Their aggressive development of wind power was breathtaking, as was their warm embrace of photovoltaic power.

Jan 26, 2012 07:15AM

Accelerating Geothermal Growth Through DOE Initiatives

The U.S. geothermal power industry is poised for a bit more rapid growth now that the U.S. Department of Energy's geothermal development program is maturing with demonstration-stage pilots. This acceleration of growth also will be spurred on by an increasing number of municipalities and utilities that are turning to geothermal as an alternative energy option for either renewable mandate or investment reasons, industry executives say. While the U.S. geothermal power market is still somewhat tepid in comparison to the international market, U.S. technology exports will help U.S. companies weather the wait for a more rapid domestic market expansion.

Jan 25, 2012 07:33AM

Smart Grid Initiatives Address Cyber Security, Renewable Energy Intermittency

Securitizing renewable energy networks from cyber-attacks is not complicated by their oft-cited operational headache of intermittency, but rather by their separation from a utility's control system, said smart grid executives at the Gridwise Global Forum in Washington, DC in early November. Though renewable intermittency adds to the challenge of stabilizing a grid, the forum revealed new evidence of real-world smart grid load shifting that continues to chip away at the tired argument that renewable energy cannot successfully integrate into a legacy grid.

Jan 23, 2012 08:03AM

Asia Report: China Has Strong Words Over U.S. Wind Trade Investigation

So far, the complaint by American wind tower manufacturers against their competition from Asia has mirrored the solar industry petition filed in October.

Jan 18, 2012 01:00PM

Latin America Report: Critics Urge More Solar, Wind, Geothermal in Chile

Chile is built for renewable energy. The seemingly unending coastline that runs the length of its boundary is prime real estate for wind development, and eventually the offshore wind projects, that could power the cities found along its spine. The nation's solar resources, especially in the northern regions, are among the best in the world. And its place along the ring of fire means its geothermal potential is vast, yet untapped.