Renewable Energy News

The United States solar photovoltaic (PV) industry has grown tremendously in recent years. In 2012, more than 3,300 MW of solar power were installed throughout the United States, with a record 1,300 MW installed in the last three months of the year alone.

The European Commission has now voted on what it called an amicable solution to its solar trade case with China.

While the majority of the solar devices on market today are conventional solar panels that are installed on rooftops or in-field to produce power, there’s a lot of research and effort going into other types of photovoltaic (PV) devices. One of the most exciting areas is invisible photovoltaics. These are devices that you can see through, yet they a

Often when people think of solar energy they immediately think of panels installed on rooftops. Our research team at Sustainable Williamson found some interesting trends that may re-situate the way we think about solar development and the necessity of installing it on rooftops. Our team has found that the paradigm of rooftop installations may be de

Soitec, one of the few remaining active concentrating solar photovoltaic (CPV) manufacturers, announced that it plans to shut down its 40-megawatt (MW) plant in Freiburg, Germany, according to reports from Photon and several German outlets.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz, speaking at the DOE Biomass conference, announced $16.5 million in grants to four projects in California, Hawaii and New Mexico aimed at breaking down technical barriers and accelerating the development of sustainable, affordable algae biofuels.

A pair of hydroelectric power bills now await President Barack Obama's signature after receiving unanimous approval from the U.S. Senate in the waning moments of the current Congressional session.

Thailand has increased its commitment to solar energy investments by 50 percent, pledging to get 25 percent of the country’s total energy demand from renewable sources. The Asian country ranks among a handful of emerging solar markets that are gaining major momentum in the solar industry. As some long-established markets such as Europe slow down, I

Two of the largest oil producers are readying the Middle East’s first big push into renewable energy, planning solar-power plants that will need more than $1.5 billion in financing by the end of 2014.

As the summer heats up, more residents are turning toward the sun for a cool down. By harnessing the sun’s rays, solar panels can be used to generate emission-free electricity to power central air, and solar air conditioning units are gaining popularity for homeowners who aren’t ready to invest in a full rooftop array. Solar awnings can provide sha

In ten short years, hybrids and full electric vehicles (EVs) have gone from quirky granola mobiles to mainstream commuter transportation. Almost every major automobile manufacturer offers some kind of electric vehicle, and sales are increasing steadily. But are EVs a government-subsidized fad, or the future of economically sound road transportation? And does rooftop solar make sense as the energy source for your car?

Power REIT (NYSE:PW) recently announced that it had closed on a deal to buy approximately 100 acres of land leased to the owners of more than 20 MW of solar projects near Fresno, CA. This will be the company’s second solar transaction and increases the share of its revenue from solar to 21 percent. These two solar transactions put PW well on its way to becoming the nation’s first REIT to get most of its revenue from renewable energy. The balance of its revenue comes from leasing its railroad property. Whiile not renewable energy, rail is also a green asset in that transport by rail is much more fuel efficient than the alternative: trucking.

Deepwater Wind New England is the winner of the first competitive lease sale of renewable energy in U.S. federal waters, pledging approximately $3.8 million for two sites in an auction yesterday (July 31) by the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

Despite our growing industry’s best efforts, solar power remains unavailable to hundreds of communities across the country. The simple question is: Why? The answer lies in two words: soft costs. The soft costs of solar installations refer to the costs of customer acquisition, which includes permitting, inspection, interconnection, third party-finan

SunPower Corp., the second-largest U.S. solar manufacturer, is selling panels as fast as it can make them and is seeking ways to expand production capacity in anticipation of increasing global demand.

Prices for solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters will fall sharply in 2013 under fierce global competition for market share, new analysis has found, while this competition will encourage innovation.

While we weren’t looking, a major new market has developed and could be the next big thing for clean energy in the U.S. — it’s the market for green bonds. Especially exciting are the bonds being promoted by Green America, Clean Energy Victory Bonds. Another Investment Opportunity for the 75 Percent Clean Energy Victory Bonds (CEVBs) aren’t availabl

The U.K., the world’s largest offshore-wind market, pledged funds to increase jobs in the industry sevenfold in a bid to spur economic recovery.

A proposed onshore wind farm development in Sutherland, Scotland has been substantially reduced in size following an environmental impact consultation.

New software has been developed which has been designed to improve current studies for estimating onshore and offshore wind production, and which may be applied throughout the whole operational life of such facilities, its developers say.