Renewable Energy News

Performance, cost and efficiency issues associated with bearings com­monly used in today’s wind turbine gearbox high-speed output and intermediate shafts can be addressed with a bearing type for wind turbine gearboxes called the locator bearing, which offers an alternative solution.

The wind-turbine market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa will shrink this year and next after economic growth slowed and governments scaled back subsidies, Make Consulting said.

The last few weeks have been busy ones on wind turbine sound, with new developments continuing to cast doubt on anti-wind groups' claims.Perhaps the most telling is a new study from Canada's Pembina Institute, looking at wind farm complaints (or rather, the lack of wind farm complaints) in the province of Alberta, where some of the earliest wind farms in Canada were installed.

We hear a lot about the need to balance variable renewables with gas or energy storage, in order to integrate them into the grid. But this week Europe’s solar sector has called for market rule adaptations that would allow solar photovoltaic (PV) installations themselves to offer balancing services to transmission system operators.

Japan approved almost 19,000 megawatts of non-residential solar applications by the end of the 2012 fiscal year, as part of the nation’s incentive program for clean energy started in July that year.

Going solar keeps getting cheaper, but most of the cost savings have come from less expensive solar panels.  “Soft costs,” like permitting and inspections, are a rising share of the cost of a solar installation.  Several years ago, these permits could increase the cost of a residential solar project (then around $8.00 per Watt) by 5-10% , highlight

Last week, technology billionaire Elon Musk revealed his ideas for "hyperloop," a speculative new mode of high-speed transportation. The system would propel car-sized compartments through low-pressure tubes (like pneumatic tubes once used to move mail through office buildings) at 1,000 km/h.

The U.S. Armed Forces, for a variety of reasons, has been at the leading edge of change when it comes to renewable energy deployment in government, spurred by statutory federal government renewable energy and energy efficiency targets. Faced with enacting sharp and deep cuts as a result of sequestration, U.S. military leaders are ramping up recruiting efforts nonetheless, aiming to strike up partnerships with private-sector renewable energy project developers.

Indian regulators rejected a cut in solar tariffs paid to generators, in a landmark decision for the country, after developers said it would stall investment.

China's solar industry may revive this half as consumption grows abroad and local demand takes off, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.

Watching Apollo in action in its dedicated darkroom in the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) in Ispra, Italy, puts a whole new sizzle on PV calibration: shutters slowly swing open revealing an array of 11 zenon lamps while several feet ahead a curtain draws aside. The air conditioning system provides the soundtrack, which is on at full blast to ensure temperature stability. The Apollo AAA large-area steady-state solar simulator (from Taiwan’s All Real Technology Company, the only one currently in use in Europe) is one of several new simulators at ESTI’s facilities, inaugurated this June following a €3 million refurbishment.

Mass production of wind turbines (on an industrial scale) is a relatively young industry (less than a decade old) and, as such, robust operational data is hard to come by. It is not uncommon for experts to rely on anecdotal data to manage predictive maintenance (what component is likely to fail, on which turbine, and how to avert it). Inadequate documentation, for example the lack of maintenance comments recorded on completed work orders, and inconsistent review of comments provided, is a systemic problem.

Vivint Solar’s residential solar leasing program just got a big vote of confidence, a $200 million vote of confidence. The Utah-based company, an offshoot of home services company Vivint, is the latest company to create a large fund to support third-party ownership for residents, making it easier for homeowners to go solar with little up front cost

China’s determination to reduce its carbon footprint and increase electricity production in rural areas is good news for the nation’s wind power market, according to a new study.

Mitsubishi Corp. (8058), a Japanese trading company, acquired 50 percent stakes in two solar power stations in France from EDF Energies Nouvelles SA.

The hunt is on for technologies that use carbon dioxide and non-potable water since they are available in such tantalizing abundance. So, lets dig into one of the most interesting ways to make renewable fuels to appear in a month of Sundays.

It’s one of those mixed bags. Colorado’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, which does business in the state as Public Service Company of Colorado has filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to extend its Solar*Rewards program, which is good. But at the same time it would gut its support of rooftop solar by reducing the amount it pays

If you haven’t heard the big solar news, a Washington Post reporter has confirmed from an anonymous source that the Obama Administration is finally following through with Secretary Chu’s promise to put solar panels back on the White House. Anyone who’s followed this Solar Fred blog on Renewable Energy World knows that getting solar on the White Hou

Photovoltaic (PV) microinverters, traditionally used in smaller rooftop solar installations, are being used in a 2.3-MW commercial rooftop installation in Ontario, Canada, supplier Enphase Energy has announced. The installation is the largest commercial rooftop project under the province’s feed-in tariff (FiT).

I bet you didn't know that on cool days there is heat that can be extracted from the air. Even better, you can get heat from ground water or underground sources. And you don't have to be in a volcanically active area. Heat pumps are basically air conditioners that run in reverse — but they are designed to extract heat from the air, water or ground (cooling these heat reservoirs in the process).