Month: January 2010

Wind industry says yes to regional initiatives, but final aim is a European single market by 2015

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has welcomed the publication of the European Energy Regulators (ERGEG) draft strategy on the role of Regional Initiatives towards a single energy market in Europe. “Regional Initiatives are a very good step forward, but the final aim remains the creation of a single European market for energy, which should… Read more »

Michigan’s foray into wind energy is faltering as orders for turbines lag

Data released Tuesday by the American Wind Energy Association show that Michigan’s efforts to diversify into wind energy face some significant headwinds Orders for new wind turbines have slowed dramatically and the state lagged far behind others last year in the installation of wind turbines, the association’s report shows. And any hope that production of… Read more »

Umwelt-Sonne-Energie Completes 1.9 MWp Solyndra Panel Project in Belgium

Solyndra, Inc., a manufacturer of innovative cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) systems for commercial rooftops, today announced that Umwelt-Sonne-Energie GmbH (USE Projects), an authorized reseller, has completed the largest collective Solyndra project to date. The project consists of 1.9 MWp of generation capability installed on 10 rooftop sites in Belgium owned by a large international food retailer…. Read more »

Fidelis Energy to Attend PV & Solar India Expo in Mumbai

Fidelis Energy Inc. (PINKSHEETS: FDEI) (“Fidelis” or the “Company”) wishes to advise that Company management will be in attendance at the 1st International Conference and Exhibition on Photovoltaics, Solar, Thermal, Solar Architecture, Equipment, Materials and Systems at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai, India, during March 4-6, 2010. Fidelis Energy executives will meet to discuss the… Read more »

7,000 Watt Solar Installation provides green and economic solutions for local resident

Hamlin Energy Solutions, a division of Hamlin Companies, furnished and installed 52 Uni-Solar 136 photovoltaic panels for a historical property, Morey Residence, in Durham, NC. This 7,000 watt solar power rooftop system is estimated to generate approximately 10,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy each year, and 200 carbon free megawatt hours over 20 years. Rajendra… Read more »

Intel expanding solar installations

Intel has contracted for new solar electric installations at its sites in Oregon, Arizona, California and New Mexico. The new installations will generate approximately 2.5 megawatts of clean solar energy. About 800 kilowatts of the total will be generated at Intel in Oregon, adding to a 100 kilowatt electric photovoltaic system at Intel’s Jones Farm… Read more »

Conference over claims wind farms are health risk

Claims that wind turbines cause health problems will be discussed at a conference in Cardiff later. “Wind turbine syndrome” was dismissed last year by a panel of experts, commissioned by the American and Canadian Wind Energy Associations. They said headaches, nausea and panic attacks “were more likely associated with annoyance to low sound levels”.Environment Minister… Read more »

Governors See Jobs on the Path to Clean Energy, Efficiency

President Obama gives his State of the Union address tonight, and some supporters of the shift to clean energy worry that the troubled U.S. economy and high unemployment will overwhelm any attention he might want to give climate change. Sen. John Kerry, who has been leading the Senate drive for climate legislation, urged the president… Read more »

Spanish company plans New Mexico solar plant

A Spanish company plans to invest $1 billion to build a large solar energy production plant in New Mexico. Gov. Bill Richardson joined Wednesday with executives of GA-Solar and its parent company, Gestamp Corp., to announce the photovoltaic solar plant. It will cover 2,500 acres near Santa Rosa in eastern New Mexico. The plant will… Read more »

Canadian Solar inks 60 MW supply deal with Fire Energy

Chinese solar-cell maker Canadian Solar Inc’s (CSIQ.O) said it had agreed to supply 60 megawatts of photovoltaic modules to Spain’s Fire Energy Group in 2010. Fire Energy, a system integrator, said it will promote Canadian Solar’s PV products in Spain, Germany and Italy. Initial shipments started this month. Wednesday’s news comes a day after the… Read more »

N.Y. Gov. Paterson at ESF to Announce Solar Energy Initiative

N.Y. Gov. David Paterson visited SUNY-ESF today (Jan. 27, 2010) to announce a major energy initiative that would lead to the installation of up to 100 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems at public buildings throughout the state. Paterson said the photovoltaic arrays would be installed in schools and government buildings by 2014, increasing by five… Read more »

Ted Turner, utility CEO set sights on the sun

When it comes to their positions on energy and the environment, Ted Turner and Southern Co. Chief Executive David Ratcliffe seem as compatible as Felix and Oscar of “Odd Couple” fame. The latter shared an apartment, though; the media mogul and the utility executive are going into the solar energy business together. On Tuesday Turner… Read more »

Nd Wind Energy in Top 10

North Dakota has been at the top of many lists. And recently, the state was added to yet another one. The American Wind Energy Association names North Dakota as one of the top ten wind producing states in the country. P-S-C Commissioner Tony Clark says it a pretty remarkable accomplishment for the state. Nearly ten… Read more »

Is clean tech China’s moon shot?

The global race to develop clean technology is not just about who can build the best solar parks or wind farms. It is also shaping up as a contest between Chinese-style capitalism and the more market-oriented approach fancied by the United States and Europe. The question comes down to this: will China’s highly capitalized command-and-control… Read more »

State designates wind-energy zones in Thumb area, west Michigan

State regulators have designated a region in the Thumb area of Michigan and a west Michigan region as those likely to be most productive for wind energy. In designating the “wind energy resource zones,” the Michigan Public Service Commission said the primary zone is a region that includes parts of Bay, Huron, Saginaw, Sanilac and… Read more »

Michigan looks to wind energy

Operations at a 2,000-acre wind farm in Cadillac, Mich., are meeting the electricity demands of roughly 2,000 homes, Michigan utility Detroit Edison said. Anthony Earley, chairman at Detroit Edison’s parent company DTE Energy, said the wind farm fit within Michigan’s vision for a clean energy future. “We’re focused on finding clean, cost-effective new sources of… Read more »

Pursue wind energy wisely

For years, the interest in harnessing wind power has grown in Iowa to the point where our state is looked upon as a national leader in that alternative energy source. Recently, Iowa surpassed California to claim second-in-the-nation status in wind energy capacity, trailing only Texas. Large wind farms in rural areas have become a familiar… Read more »

Public supports ambitious scheme for micro-scale renewable energy: poll

The public overwhelmingly support a much more ambitious scheme to push renewable energy for homes and communities, a new poll shows today ahead of a key government announcement next week. Government officials are putting the finishing touches to plans to boost the take-up of renewable energy in Britain – which is the lowest in Europe… Read more »

How stimulus saved renewable energy

On a mountain top 80 miles northeast of Bangor, Maine, in country where houses and gravel pits are mere pinpricks on a map green with forest, Paul Gaynor is making stimulus work. Gaynor, chief executive of First Wind, is using $40 million in federal funds to help build a wind farm that will produce enough… Read more »

Intel’s Folsom campus is set to go solar

Intel Corp.’s Folsom campus is targeted to have the largest of eight new solar power systems the company plans to install in four states. Intel announced Monday that it has new contracts for generating approximately 2.5 megawatts of solar energy at new solar power projects in California, Oregon, Arizona, and New Mexico.Intel spokesman Mark Pettinger… Read more »

Solar Spending in Germany May Suffer With Power Cuts

Q-Cells SE, Solarworld AG and competing solar-energy companies face a dimmer outlook for investment and jobs as the German government considers cutting subsidized power prices. Lower rates may reduce profit for panel makers and strip Germany of its title as the largest market for photovoltaic panels, said Karl Kuhlmann, chief executive officer of S.A.G. Solarstrom… Read more »

Wind power a viable, but unreliable source of energy in quake shattered Haiti

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister is eyeing the potential for wind power along Haiti’s coastline as part of the effort to improve the earthquake ravaged country’s capacity for power production. Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Monday technology will be an important element of rebuilding in Haiti after its infrastructure was devastated in the Jan. 12… Read more »

Texas wind energy company picks Clovis for plant

A Texas-based wind energy company has chosen Clovis for its venture into wind farm operation and turbine manufacturing. Officials at Vert-I-Go, a subsidiary of Plano, Texas-based Abundant Energy, say they expect the New Mexico plant to produce 60 jobs by 2013. Vert-I-Go has reached a preliminary agreement with Clovis officials to purchase six acres south… Read more »

Looking for work? Think green

Looking for work? You might consider “green jobs.” The term has been a buzz word the past few years, but according to a state report there were 8,169 “green-collar jobs” in 2008. Green-collar jobs can be found in construction, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, agriculture and many other sectors of the economy, according to the report issued… Read more »

Wind and sun create puzzle for power grid

Populations continue to swell. Cheap energy begins to fade. And rising oceans swallow urban lands. Such problems demand solutions to the current path of energy, according to scientists, business leaders and politicians who gathered at a recent public forum at UNC-Chapel Hill’s William and Ida Friday Center. But it’s still unclear what alternatives are viable,… Read more »

China Wind Power accelerates clean-energy project in Heilongjian

China Wind Power International Co Ltd, which was listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange, said in an update on its project pipeline in Du Mon County, Heilongjiang Province, including its Sino-Danish project, has been identified by the Heilongjiang Province Development and Reform Commission as one of the key development areas in the province. China Wind… Read more »

Cape Wind’s fate unclear, even in Obama’s hands

After eight years of review, the future of a controversial wind farm off Cape Cod now rests in what would seem to be friendly hands – an Obama administration that’s pledged to make the U.S. “the world’s leading exporter of clean energy.” But it’s tough to tell if Cape Wind’s prospects just got better or… Read more »

Days of McMansions dwindle as builders seek to economize

Think of it as the shrinking American dream. What’s out: Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, two-story foyers and deluxe bathroom features like multiple showerheads in the master bathroom.What’s in: Smaller homes with lots of natural light, storage and energy efficiency features that save money and don’t cost too much. “There’s no more ‘la-dee-da, green is wonderful,”… Read more »

Solar energy initiative launched

The King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology (KACST) on Sunday launched a major national initiative to produce desalinated water and electricity at a much cheaper rate – less than a riyal for a cubic meter of water and 30 halalas per kilowatt/hour. Prince Turki bin Saud bin Muhammad, vice president of KACST for research… Read more »

PPG Introduces Revolutionary ‘Thin film’ Wind Turbine Blade Coating System

PPG Commercial Coatings today launched its advanced “thin-film” HSP-7401 Polyurethane Primer and AUE-50000 Series Polyurethane Topcoat wind turbine blade coating system. The coating system is designed specifically for wind turbine blades and uses a thinner build to reduce labor, material use and weight while providing unparalleled adhesion, erosion resistance and flexibility protection properties. PPG technical… Read more »

DEK and Heller announce state-of-the-art drying technology for solar cell metallization

DEK Solar and Heller Industries have unveiled the results of a recent collaboration; a pioneering drying system that enhances the state-of-the-art PV3000 metallization line even further. The alliance between the market-leading screen printing and thermal technology specialists has enabled a significant breakthrough in solar cell production, incorporating precise thermal control, improved VOC management and reduced… Read more »

Obama Gives $2.3B In Tax Credits to Solar & Wind Energy

President Barack Obama last week announced the award of US $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits. One hundred eighty three projects in 43 states will receive that funds that are meant to help create tens of thousands of jobs through the domestic manufacturing of advanced clean energy technologies including solar, wind… Read more »

NStar chief not sold on Cape Wind

The head of one of the largest utilities in Massachusetts is not sold on the state’s largest wind power project.NStar chief executive Thomas May said yesterday that although he believes in alternative energy, he’s not counting on the proposed Cape Wind project. Cape Wind, which has been supported by the Patrick administration, would place wind… Read more »