Google Says It Will Run Entirely on Renewable Energy in 2017

Google announced that it has reached 2.6 GW of renewable energy purchased, putting the company on pace to reach 100 percent renewable energy in 2017.

http://csglobe.com/google-announces-plans-run-entirely-renewable-energy/

Tesla and Panasonic expand solar energy deals

Panasonic will invest more than $256 million in a New York production facility of Elon Musk's Tesla Motors to make photovoltaic cells and modules, deepening a partnership of the two companies.

Production at the plant is expected to begin in summer 2017. Tesla and Panasonic plan to eventually build the energy-converting cells and modules used in Tesla's solar glass tile roofs.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/12/27/tesla-and-panasonic-expand-solar-energy-deals/95867696/

Five community solar sites are sold out!

Community solar is a way for City Light customers who can't or don't want to purchase their own solar systems to add solar to the grid and receive the benefits that come with owning solar panels, but at a size and cost that works for them. You don't need to own a system, and you don't even need to own a home.

http://www.seattle.gov/light/solarenergy/commsolar.asp

Solar is Officially Becoming the Cheapest Form of New Electricity

Solar power is now around half the price of coal and gas, making it cheaper than wind energy, and ultimately the cheapest form of new electricity.  Solar power has reached record-low costs in the past. The difference is that past instances were achieved in isolated projects, whereas now we’re talking large-scale implementation.

https://futurism.com/sunny-days-solar-is-officially-becoming-the-cheapest-form-of-new-electricity/

New ways of utilizing solar farms at night to help Utilities

“Solar farms as we know are sleeping in the night and the entire asset remains un-utilized,” says Varma. “This technology adds a tremendous amount of value to that technology and it can actually help utilities solve many of their problems at 1/50th of the cost.” The technology will increase grid stability for preventing blackouts, and to help connect more renewable energy sources like wind turbines.

http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnia-news/2016/12/13/new-technology-awakens-sleeping-solar-farms/

Vanadium Stores Solar Power Efficiently

"The ease with which you can hand electrons to the vanadium and take them away - this is the basis of a very, very stable battery."

Vanadium "redox flow" batteries are indeed stable. They can be discharged and recharged 20,000 times without much loss of performance, and are thought to last decades (they have not been around long enough for this to have been demonstrated in practice).

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27829874

WIND ENERGY VS. SOLAR POWER – WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

When considering a off grid or grid connect power system; the two main choices for renewable energy equipment are wind turbines and solar panels. So which is the superior, wind energy or solar power?  It really depends on your geographical location and energy requirements, but given the substantial investment involved with either option, it’s critical to select the right system for your needs from the outset. For most suburban and rural settings and applications; solar power is usually the best choice...

http://www.energymatters.com.au/components/solar-vs-wind/

The average price of a solar panel has declined by 60% since the beginning of 2011

Solar power systems generate electricity at peak power usage times (during the day) when the value and cost of electricity is the highest. Modern grid-tied home solar power systems can use the cheap rate grid power at night and reduce or eliminate the need for the high rate electrical power during the day.  Home based solar power is a quiet, nearly maintenance free, continuous source of electricity.

http://solarenergy.com/

Analysis Shows That Community Solar Is Competitive in the Vast Majority of the US

Solar power is now more affordable in the United States than at any other point in history. Reductions in the cost of photovoltaic (PV) systems, innovative financing options, and high consumer demand have led to unprecedented levels of solar deployment over the last five years.

In particular, community solar projects are gaining popularity, as they allow the almost half of U.S. households that may not have access to a “solar-ready” roof to take advantage of the sun’s energy and do it at a lower cost.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/new-analysis-shows-national-potential-for-solar-power-in-low-income-communi

Tesla has converted an Entire Island to Solar Power!

The island of Ta’u in American Samoa has been using diesel generators and burning over 100,000 gallons of fuel per year in order to supply its nearly 600 residents with electricity. That’s no longer the case and the island is now virtually energy independent thanks to a new solar and battery installation by Tesla and SolarCity, which is now officially part of Tesla since the merger closed yesterday.

https://electrek.co/2016/11/22/tesla-island-microgrid-battery-solar/

Sweden to scrap taxes on solar energy in 2017

Sweden is set to ditch taxes on its production of solar energy in 2017 in a bid to run entirely on renewable energy by 2040, the government said on Monday.

"This makes fast investments possible," Social Democratic Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson said.

http://phys.org/news/2016-11-sweden-scrap-taxes-solar-energy.html

We Could Power The Entire World By Harnessing Solar Energy From 1% Of The Sahara

The Great Saharan Desert in Africa is 3.6 million square miles and is prime for solar power (more than twelve hours per day).  Now, if we cover an area of the Earth 335 kilometers by 335 kilometers with solar panels, even with moderate efficiencies achievable easily today, it will provide more than 17.3 TW power.  That means 1.2% of the Sahara desert is sufficient to cover all of the energy needs of the world in solar energy. There is no way coal, oil, wind, geothermal or nuclear can compete with this. The cost of the project will be about five trillion dollars, one time cost at today’s prices without any economy of scale savings.  

By the way, note that the cost of a 1 GWe (Gigawatt electric) nuclear plant is about three billion dollars. the cost of 17.3 TW nuclear power will be fifty-two trillion dollars or ten times that of solar even if all the other issues with safety and uranium supply are resolved.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/09/22/we-could-power-the-entire-world-by-harnessing-solar-energy-from-1-of-the-sahara/#6d7291c23e5b

Colorado gives green light to add a lot more solar power

Colorado regulators on Wednesday unanimously approved a sweeping settlement agreement that will change how customers of Xcel Energy Inc. in the state get and pay for their electricity.

The agreement, between Xcel (NYSE: XEL) and 24 of 26 parties in three cases before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, involves adding a massive amount (392 megawatts) of new solar power supplies in Colorado, and testing whether customers will cut their electricity use if prices vary by the time of day or the amount of power consumed.

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2016/11/09/colorado-gives-green-light-to-xcel-s-plan-to-add-a.html

Careers in Solar Power

Clean energy such as solar power is expected to be a key piece of the growing "green economy," and jobs in solar power show great potential for new employment opportunities. Jobs are expected to grow in all the major sectors of the solar power industry: manufacturing, project development, construction, operation and maintenance, and installation.

http://www.bls.gov/green/solar_power/

5 Robots that are Revolutionizing How We Clean Solar Panels

The world’s solar panels need cleaning to maintain efficiency, and it’s not always the most practical thing for humans to be walking about with a bucket and sponge. Take desert solar farms, for instance. Operators need a way to clean the endless rows of solar panels, and it turns out robots are perfectly suited for the job.  

There are tons of startups out there working to build the latest and greatest in solar panel robot cleaners, but we’ve picked out five favorites below.

https://www.revolvesolar.com/5-robots-that-are-revolutionizing-how-we-clean-solar-panels/

Planning a Home Solar Electric System

To help evaluate whether a home solar electric system will work for you, you should consider the following:
Your available solar resource -- do you have clear and unobstructed access to sunlight for most or all of the day, throughout the year?
The system size -- do you have a roof or area large enough to accommodate it?
The economics -- is it worth the investment?
Local permits and covenants -- are there any issues with installing a system?

http://energy.gov/energysaver/planning-home-solar-electric-system

Google Earth images shed light on where solar rooftops make sense

NEW YORK, Oct 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - During his free time on the job as a Google employee, Carl Elkin began tinkering with the company's 3D mapping program, wondering if it could identify rooftops that receive enough sunlight to make installing solar panels worthwhile.

Soon after, a team followed Elkin's lead and designed Project Sunroof. The project website uses Google Earth's high-resolution aerial images to calculate any roof's solar energy potential.

Thousands of lines of computer code analyze factors such as the shade trees cast on a roof, its orientation and local weather patterns, he said.   Project Sunroof then connects users whose roof is suitable for solar panels with companies that install them.

http://news.trust.org/item/20161026225646-fawfb/?source=gep&google_editors_picks=true

Are We Nearing the End of Cheap Fossil Fuel Energy?

A 1987 book revealed the following quote attributed to Thomas Edison, circa 1931:
“We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind, and tide. … I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that. I wish I had more years left!”

85 years after Edison’s famous quote, we are now at a tipping point where “nature’s inexhaustible resources” are finally a competitive source of electric power. Fortunately, we didn’t wait until we ran out of fossil fuels, or had to chop down our fences, before we finally put our money where it belongs.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/10/are-we-nearing-the-end-of-cheap-fossil-fuel-energy.html

Utility-scale solar power is now cheaper than new coal and nuclear power plants.

The lowest wholesale solar price bid from a solar project developer (unsubsidized) is 2.42¢/kWh. That’s cheaper than what new natural gas, coal, or nuclear power can provide practically anywhere in the world.

Even excluding that record-low bid, and not taking into account the large social costs of coal and natural gas electricity, utility-scale solar power is cheaper than new coal, nuclear, natural gas peaking, and IGCC power plants. It is comparable to combined cycle natural gas power plants, but again, that is without taking into account the social costs of pollution from extracting and burning natural gas.

http://cleantechnica.com/2016/08/17/10-solar-energy-facts-charts-everyone-know/

Here's Why Solar Farms Are Booming in the U.S.

Hint: They’re cheap and look like the traditional power grid.

Solar panels on the rooftops of homes might be the most visible, and emblematic, form of solar energy. But it’s the solar panels that make up the sprawling farms built on the ground in remote regions of the U.S., selling energy to utilities and big companies that are driving the boom in the solar industry overall this year.

http://fortune.com/2016/09/12/solar-panel-farms-boom/

Can Solar Farms and livestock co-exist?

Other than war and weather, the biggest problems facing the planet are producing enough food and energy, both consumed at staggering rates by a population growing faster than farmers and fossil fuels can keep up with. Solar farms are certainly helping address the increased energy demands in the U.S. and abroad. Sheep, goats, chickens, hens, turkeys and other smaller species have successfully lived on solar farms in the U.K. for years.

http://innovativesolarfarms.com/can-solar-farms-and-livestock-co-exist/

Utility Scale Energy Storage Idea # 3

Make use of an abandoned quarry by turning it into a pumped "water storage battery".  Many abandoned quarries are deep enough to contain a massive amount of water with stone walls already there!  A pumped water storage battery can store enormous amounts of energy, and release it very quickly.

Separate the quarry into two areas or use two quarries near each other with one at higher altitude than the other. When the Grid has spare electricity, the battery charges by pumping water to the upper quarry. At peak times the water is released through a hydro generator turbine. Peak electricity is more useful and hence more valuable than off-peak electricity.

Powered by electricity, pumped storage batteries produce no smoke and do not require fuel deliveries. Once the quarries have been made water tight and connected with a pipe, a properly maintained facility will work indefinitely.

http://quarrybatterycompany.com/what-we-do.html

Solar Panel Energy System Tutorials, Design Tools, and an Interactive Solar Simulator.

Our tutorials cover Solar Panels, Charge Controllers, Power Inverters, Storage Batteries, AC Generators, Wires & Cables, Meters & Monitors, and more. Complete system wiring diagram examples plus interactive online design tools are also featured with a point and click interface. NOT plain worksheets. No math required! And, don't miss our new Solar Energy Electric Power Simulator where you can test drive a Solar Energy System.

http://www.freesunpower.com/index.php

More Women Wanted In The Solar Industry!

GRID Alternatives is leading a National Women in Solar Initiative to bring more women into the solar industry and support them in their professional advancement. Solar jobs are growing by 20% a year, and women’s voices, talents and leadership are needed more than ever to build a strong and sustainable industry. Join us!

http://www.gridalternatives.org/programs/women-solar-initiative

Utility Scale Energy Storage Idea # 2

Each “train car” is actually a concrete block pushed up the tracks at nearly 20 miles an hour. When released, these would run down the track gain, driving a turbine generating power to the grid, virtually instantly.

http://earthtechling.com/2015/09/novel-energy-storage-leverages-free-gravity/

Utility Scale Energy Storage Idea # 1

Gravity Power is based on the proven principles of pumped storage hydropower.  Gravity Power will sell turnkey plants using patented technology. Activities will include general management, marketing and sales, plant design, project detailed engineering and construction management, pump/turbine motor/generator purchasing, start-up and long term maintenance. Hundreds of megawatt-hours per shaft can be stored with high efficiency, since pump-turbines have low losses and friction is negligible at modest piston speeds.

http://www.gravitypower.net/technology-gravity-power-energy-storage/

Solar Power International Convention, September 12-15, 2016

Las Vegas Convention Center - North Hall & Westgate Hotel Las Vegas, NV.  Solar Power International is North America’s premier business-to-business event for professionals in solar energy and related fields. More than 15,000 solar energy industry professionals from 75+ countries attend.

http://www.solarpowerinternational.com/about/

Solar Roadways prevent snow and ice accumulation

Solar Roadways® (SR) is a modular system of specially engineered solar panels that can be walked and driven upon.  They contain heating elements to prevent snow and ice accumulation.

http://www.solarroadways.com/

Solar Thermal Desalination Now Underway in Water-hungry California

A modest solar thermal desalination alternative now quietly undergoing permitting inland would produce 5 million gallons of water, about one tenth of that of Carlsbad, but at a much lower cost of just $30 million, using a solar distillation process. Thermal desalination is an ideal application for concentrated solar power (CSP), which turns sunlight to thermal energy. Unlike most CSP, which is used to ultimately drive a steam turbine to generate electricity, in solar desalination the steam is used directly in a solar still to simply evaporate out the waste.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/06/solar-thermal-desalination-now-underway-in-water-hungry-cali-fornia.html

Using Solar Power to Drill for Oil?

Glasspoint has landed a deal to build a gigantic 1 GW solar Enhanced Oil Recovery project for Petroleum Development Oman at the Amal West oil field.  The biggest thermal energy user in the world is the oil industry; 98 percent thermal energy, only 2 percent electricity. This is why Glasspoint has focused on Enhanced Oil Recovery, by far the biggest industrial steam market. This solar technology makes the exact temperature steam needed for Enhanced Oil Recovery cheaper than gas partly because it can do that without the costly turbines and boilers of traditional steam generation.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/08/1-gw-solar-sunlight-to-steam-breakthrough-for-csp.html

What's a net-zero energy building?

A net-zero energy building is a building with zero net energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site, or in other definitions by renewable energy sources elsewhere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-energy_building

Extra Large Back Yard? Put it to good use!

SunSource prides itself on our extensive experience in solar energy design and installation and other renewable energy options throughout North America. We design, size and install an assortment of solar systems to help you reduce your energy bills.

http://www.sunsourcehomes.net/p/solar-pv-power-systems-design-installation.html

Why Solar Energy usage is exploding!

At some magical threshold, the price of solar per watt (in orange) hit some tipping point and installation exploded (the blue part), dwarfing anything from the past. And the beauty of having exponential growth on your side is that very quickly, even the current blue spike will look tiny.

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/striking-chart-showing-solar-power-will-take-over-world.html

Geothermal and Solar Companies Collaborate for Super-Efficient Homes

Combining solar energy with geothermal is like a marriage of the power of the sun and the earth’s natural embodied heat energy. Geothermal systems employ the earth’s internal heat for heating and cooling homes, and for hot water.

http://www.greenenergytimes.net/2014/04/15/local-geothermal-and-solar-companies-collaborate-for-super-efficient-homes/

Solar Energy International's Free Online Course!

RE100 is a free course that covers the basics of renewable energy, and is a great introduction for those new to the field, those who are looking to make a career change, or those who just want to learn more about energy from the sun, wind, and water, energy efficiency, and the basics of electricity.  

You won’t emerge as an expert, but you will learn a lot about the different technologies and trends, what situations are more appropriate for one type of renewable energy system versus another,

http://www.solarenergy.org/courses/introduction-to-renewable-energy/

World's Largest Solar Powered Farm

The $2.5 billion project was manufactured by First Solar and consists of nine million solar panels arranged over a massive 9.5 square miles.  The Solar Farm is capable of generating 550 megawatts which is enough to supply power to 160,000 homes and eliminate 377,000 tons of Carbon Dioxide each year.

http://www.techspot.com/news/59006-california-flips-switch-world-largest-solar-power-farm.html

\World’s Largest Solar Energy Office Building

This vast fan-shaped compound in China is the "largest solar-powered office building in the world". Located in Dezhou in the Shangdong Province in northwest China, the 75,000 square meter structure is a multi-use building and features exhibition centers, scientific research facilities, meeting and training facilities, and a hotel - all of which run on solar power.

http://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-solar-energy-office-building-opens-in-china/

Google's Good Ideas Generate Zero Footprint

A better web.   Better for the environment. At Google, we've worked hard to minimize the environmental impact of our services.  If you add in our renewable energy and offsets, our footprint is zero. And we continue to find new ways to reduce our impact even further. Learn more about our efforts below.

https://www.google.com/green/bigpicture/#beyondzero-datacenters

What's better than a cold one underneath the scorching hot sun? A cold one brewed with POWER from the sun!

Here's the top 40 beer breweries worldwide that are using solar (PV) energy to brew their beers.

http://www.solarplaza.com/channels/top-10s/11397/top-40-solar-beer-breweries/

Do the Math: Using physics and estimation to assess energy, growth, options

A common question when discussing solar photovoltaic (PV) power is: “What is the typical efficiency for panels now?”  At 15%, we’re in great shape: it’s plenty good for our needs. Let’s do the math.

http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/2011/09/dont-be-a-pv-efficiency-snob/

Community Solar Power Plant installed on University Land

KALAMAZOO, Mich., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy today announced that it has started operations at its second solar power plant, transforming 8.5 acres at Western Michigan University into a new source of renewable energy for Michigan.  Participants who subscribe to Solar Gardens will receive a credit on monthly bills based on electricity that's generated at Solar Gardens locations. Learn more about Solar Gardens online at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/solargardens.

http://solartoday.org/solar-industry-news-pr-newswire/?rkey=20160815DE68455&filter=2320

Upcycled steel shipping containers holding battery packs converted into Solar Powered Charging Station

Brookyln Bridge Park is upcycling steel shipping containers containing battery packs that have been converted into a Solar Powered Charging Station to power its electric service vehicles, which were purchased versus over gasoline-powered vehicles as per the park’s dedication to sustainability.

The station will also save the park $200,000 in gasoline costs, as well as prevent 530 tons of carbon dioxide emissions that would have been a bi-product of gasoline powered maintenance vehicles

http://inhabitat.com/nyc/nycs-first-solar-powered-ev-charging-station-to-open-at-brooklyn-bridge-park/

Should I go Solar? ... and other answers in pictures!

Home Inspector Bill Barber recently created an excellent infographic that details how solar panels can power homes and help the environment at the same time. According to the infographic, “1 hour of Energy from the Sun = 1 Year of Power for the Global Population”.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/benefits-solar-power-infographic/

The Bright Future of Solar Powered Factories

Solar furnaces can produce temperatures up to 3,500 °C (6,332 °F), enough to manufacture microchips, solar cells, carbon nanotubes, hydrogen and all metals (including tungsten which has a melting point of 3,400 °C). These temperatures can be achieved in just a few seconds .

Solar furnaces not only have the potential to replace fossil fuels for the energy-intensive production of construction materials, chemicals, and high-tech products like microchips and solar cells, but they also offer additional benefits because of their pure combustion and selective heating capacities

http://www.newearth.media/bright-future-solar-powered-factories/

Work program trains unemployed oil and gas workers in solar technology

DENVER —Chris Turek, spokesman for Solar Energy International, said the company has focused on recruiting miners by going to workforce offices, other career transitioning programs and using their own connections with the coal-mining sector. He said the miners’ focus on safety, as well as their experience with mechanics and electrical engineering, can be easily transferred to the solar industry.

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/14/work-program-trains-unemployed-oil-and-gas-workers-in-solar-technology/

Top Solar Contractors

The 2016 Top 500 Solar Contractors list recognizes the contractors coast to coast, in the United States and Canada, who are working hard, growing their businesses and contributing positively to the environment. This fifth edition of the list is our way of saying thank you and congratulations.

We can’t wait for you to flip through this issue, which is packed full of stories and opinions, new companies to the list and veterans. We even feature 38 companies that have appeared on the list all five congratulations to them!

http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2016/07/july-2016-issue-5th-annual-2016-top-solar-contractors/

Norwich Opens Largest Solar and Energy Storage System in State

Norwich, CT – Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) joined U.S Congressman Joe Courtney and other guests for the ceremonial opening the largest solar and energy storage system in the state.

The energy storage system at Mountain Ash Farm is SolarCity’s first project that uses its GridLogic control platform to provide capacity services to a utility. CMEEC will be able to remotely and instantaneously dispatch stored solar energy if there is a disruption or disturbance in the power grid within its territory.

http://patch.com/connecticut/norwich/norwich-opens-largest-solar-energy-storage-system-state

Solar Energy Is Powering New Careers And It Could Be Absorbing Coal Sector Job Losses

With the right incentives, coal industry employees could find the same gleam that their peers in the solar sector now have.  Their premise is that the growth in solar energy employment in the United States over 15 years could offset and absorb the job losses that have occurred in the domestic coal business.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2016/08/12/solar-energy-is-powering-new-careers-and-it-could-be-absorbing-coal-sector-job-losses/?yptr=yahoo#36354f7e7658

How an obscure piece of technology will help put more solar on the grid

Advanced inverters, or smart inverters, are sophisticated versions of the devices long used to convert the direct current output of solar panels into the alternating current used by consumers across the electrical grid. Whereas traditional inverters are programmed to shut off during disturbances on the electrical grid, advanced inverters can continue to operate and even assist in smoothing out an increasingly variable grid.

http://midwestenergynews.com/2016/08/09/how-an-obscure-piece-of-technology-will-help-put-more-solar-on-the-grid/

6 myths about renewable energy blown away

Imagine a world free of oil accidents, coal pollution and nuclear waste. A world where we wouldn’t have to feel helpless in the face of climate change, because we did everything we could to prevent further warming. A world where energy was clean, safe and available for all.

That world is within our reach now.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/energyrevolution/renewable-energy-myths/