Driven by small-scale solar, global clean energy investments rise in Q1'14
SNLGlobal investment in clean energy rose nearly 10% in the first quarter of 2014, to $47.7 billion, due mainly to strong investments in small-scale solar in countries like Japan and the U.S., Bloomberg New Energy Finance said April 16.
Solar grows, with government help
MarketplaceThe White House announced new initiatives to support more solar development this week. But the Department of Energy’s inspector general cast a cloud, with a report slamming a $68 million loan guarantee gone wrong—shades of the Solyndra failure. However, solar has actually been growing by leaps and bounds. It provides a little less than 1 percent of U.S. electricity— enough to light more than two million households. Other numbers sound even more impressive.
Georgia solar business booming
The Augusta Chronicle Georgia’s 225-percent increase in jobs related to the solar-energy industry is the highest in the nation as it plays catch-up to other states. The jump comes largely from a combination of prices and Georgia Power’s program to add solar-generating capacity, according to Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association.
World Must End 'Dirty' Fuel Use - UN
BBCA long-awaited UN report on how to curb climate change says the world must rapidly move away from carbon-intensive fuels. There must be a "massive shift" to renewable energy, says the study released in Berlin. It has been finalised after a week of negotiations between scientists and government officials...
Energy Investors Are An Uncertain Kitten
BloombergGlobal investment in renewable energy last year declined for the second year in a row. Even worse: For the first time since renewables became plausible, growth in new capacity slowed. "Is this the clean-tech crash?" asked Michael Liebreich, chairman of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, to start his keynote at the group's annual summit in New York. In a word: No.
U.S. Senators Call On Obama Administration To Settle Solar Trade War
Solar ServerWarning of damage to the U.S. solar industry, seven U.S. senators have sent a letter to the Obama Administration calling for a negotiated settlement instead of tariffs on imports of Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) products. The seven include Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mi) and Committee Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wa). The seven state that leadership from the administration is needed to prepare a long-term settlement...
Vermont Expands Net Metering Program with Utility Support
While battles rage with utilities taking on both solar customers and businesses around the country, Vermont has quietly expanded its net metering program by nearly four-times without so much as a skirmish.
Celebrating The 60th Anniversary Of The First Practical Solar Cell
Sixty years ago on April 25, 1954, Bell Laboratories demonstrated to the world one of the most significant breakthroughs ever recorded in the history of solar energy and of electricity – the first solar cell capable of converting enough sunlight into electricity to generate useful amounts of power.
Sun Shines on Students at Solar Go-Kart Races
Geraghty Anne Ellis is 15 and doesn't yet possess a driver's license, but Saturday she was zipping around FGCU's campus with no fear of being pulled over by police.
OneRoof Energy Expands Solar Leasing Program to Massachusetts
California solar services provider OneRoof Energy has begun offering residential solar leases to homeowners in Massachusetts.