Renewable Energy News

According to the lunar calendar the year of the dragon came to an end on February 9, 2013. A "dragon year" which only takes place every 12 years is characterized by numerous significant events usually initiating/causing profound fundamental changes for the society, economy, and politics. This general belief or superstition certainly holds true as far as the deployment of solar in China in the coming years is concerned, because 2012 was indeed very eventful, since nearly almost every month an official announcement was made, designed to shape the future course of China's solar development in the short, medium, and long term.

In his State of the State address a few weeks ago, Gov. Jerry Brown indicated his intention to "make California again a leader" in, among other things, renewable energy and state-of-the-art efficiency.

In many ways, Jamaica is the ideal solar market.  It enjoys semi-equatorial sunshine all year round.  The island nation  also has extremely high grid-utility prices, making solar energy an attractive option for homeowners and businesses  looking to reduce costs.   And lastly, the country suffers from a devastating trade imbalance in which the energ

Cumulative global installed solar PV capacity has topped the 100-gigawatt (GW) milestone, according to preliminary numbers from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). Roughly 30 GW worldwide was connected to the grid in 2012, about the same as in 2011; there could be another 1-2 GW added to that 2012 total once final numbers come out in May.

Industry leaders and experts were all positive concerning the future of Hainan province's electric vehicles market at the 2012 Global New Energy Vehicle Conference (GNEV) held in Boao and Haikou, two cities in Hainan province, China in January. Experts highlighted the challenges and opportunities of making the province an electric vehicle demonstration island, and said further research in tandem with favorable government policies is necessary.

Forecasting PV market demand in European countries has at times been particularly challenging. Complications include demand being largely policy-driven, the lack of market caps, and downstream channels being adept in shifting high inventories rapidly to the end-market when motivated to do so. During the past two years however, means of forecasting end-market PV demand have improved considerably. The methodology can in fact be seen as an evolving process, and PV market demand in Greece can be used to explain these points.

The East African hotbed called the Rift Valley is already validated in the global geothermal sector by successful operations in Kenya and beyond nearby borders, and is poised to be one of the fastest growing and sustained geothermal markets in the world in the coming decades.

Preliminary rankings of global wind installation capacity show something not seen in 12 years: longtime market leader Vestas looking up at someone else.

Over the last year, the New York market has emerged as a solar hot spot. Several state and local incentive programs have been adopted or expanded, and the state now ranks 12th in terms of solar installed capacity, according to the most recent U.S. Solar Market Insight Report. Positive momentum continues in the state, and 2013 will be an even more p

With solar trade tensions still high between the US and China, now there's another front in the competitive global solar marketplace -- the U.S. has formally filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization over portions of India's National Solar Mission that spell out domestic content requirements.

A stripped-down wind-energy proposal backed by Maryland's governor and gaining support in its legislature may be the first step in creating a network of offshore turbines and sub-sea cables spanning the U.S. Atlantic coast.

German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler stepped up demands for extra cuts to subsidies for wind and solar power providers, aggravating a clash with his Environment Ministry Cabinet colleague over the nation's energy overhaul.

Suddenly everyone knows about Germany’s solar power dominance because Fox Newsheads made fools of themselves, suggesting that the country is a sunny, tropical paradise.  Most media folks have figured out that there are some monster differences in policy (e.g. a feed-in tariff), but then latch on to the “Germans pay a lot extra” meme.  Germans do, a

Technological advances, particularly in onshore wind power, have moved the wind sector onto a more level playing field, making it competitive with traditional energy sources. More expert engineers are being employed to develop next generation technology, like larger offshore turbines (6 MW - 10 MW), and turbines capable of operating at much lower wind speeds inland, for example.

The District of Columbia Council once again expressed its support for the solar industry by recognizing and eliminating one of the potential barriers to building solar in the District. In December, 2012, the DC Council approved and enacted legislation that would allow for solar energy systems to be exempt from the personal property tax. The Energy

A few weeks ago, I checked my stats here on Renewable Energy World and was surprised to learn that I’d crossed the million page view mark.* Wow! And thanks for reading.   Former REWorld editor Stephen Lacey first noticed my work on SolarPowerRocks.com, where I started my solar social media career. Renewable Energy World was just starting this blog

Rules to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from operating U.S. power plants will be a boon for companies willing to invest in clean energy, said Carol Browner, a former Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Germany’s environment minister Peter Altmaier has unexpectedly proposed cost-sharing measures to lower the consumer burden of the Energiewende. Yet as he's designed it, no one will line up behind the plan. Such politicking will likely backfire in the long run. After months of waffling, Altmaier unexpectedly opened the election year debate over the

National Grid recently announced their 2013 enrollment schedule and pricing for Rhode Island’s feed-in tariff program, also known as Distributed Generation Standard Contracts. The program was created by an act of the same name in June 2011. In aggregate, it calls for a total of 40MW in new renewable energy procurement by 2014, with 10MW slated for

Engineers working at the Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF) enjoy a stunning view of the Denver skyline. However, some days the view includes Denver's 'brown cloud' — air pollution caused in part by vehicle emissions. While disheartening, the brown cloud helps the engineers focus on future technologies that will drastically reduce — and ultimately eliminate — those emissions.