California Leading US Clean Energy Revolution


gg75 300x200 California Leading US Clean Energy RevolutionClean Edge’s third annual State Clean Energy Index, released today, provides the industry’s most comprehensive and objective analysis of how all 50 states, and the individuals, businesses, and organizations that operate there, compare across the clean-energy spectrum. According to Clean Edge’s assessment and ranking of more than 70 different indicators in technology, policy, and capital, the top 10 states in the nation this year are California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado, New York, Illinois, New Mexico, Vermont, and Minnesota.

Clean Edge managing director Ron Pernick said,“Against the backdrop of partisan attacks and general inaction within Congress, the state-level scene shows a diversity that crosses political boundaries and regions. The next decade will determine which nations, states, and cities lead in clean tech, and our State Index provides critical insights on the dramatic shifts and best practices that are leading the way within the U.S.” Key market indicators tracked by Clean Edge via its State Clean Energy Index subscription service include total electricity produced by clean-energy sources, hybrid and electric vehicles on the road, clean-energy venture and patent activity, and policy regulations and incentives. The 2012 State Index paints an important and insightful picture of the U.S. clean-energy landscape. For example; California’s clean-energy venture capital dollars in 2011 exceeded the total of all the other 49 states combined. The number of registered hybrid cars in the U.S. grew to nearly 2 million while all-electric vehicles neared the 50,000 registered-vehicle milestone. Six states, twice as many as last year, now generate more than 10 percent of their utility-scale electricity from wind, solar, and/or geothermal.

An executive summary of this year’s State Index is available. The executive summary provides a glimpse at topline findings from the State Clean Energy Index report, the centerpiece of a larger advisory subscription service. Along with access to the full State Index report – containing detailed Index results, comprehensive data tables, and individual state report cards – subscribers receive custom presentations, clean-tech company database access, and advisory hours.

Solar Powered Electronics

Intersolar North America Focusing Energy Storage


article 0 135187BA000005DC 778 634x509 300x240 Intersolar North America Focusing Energy StorageIntersolar North America will feature a close look at advanced energy storage and its impact on renewable energy generation. Intersolar North America, the premier solar industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities in the U.S. solar market, returns to San Francisco July 9-12, 2012 for its fifth year. Co-located with SEMICON West, the event is expected to draw approximately 900 exhibitors and more than 22,000 registered visitors from more than 80 countries to provide a true global perspective of the solar industry.

This year, Intersolar North America features a new special exhibit that promotes innovative energy storage technologies. PV Energy World, located in the Moscone Center, North Hall will offer expert presentations on energy storage and grid integration. The informative exhibits and display boards will stimulate discussion among visitors. As the North American solar industry matures, energy storage has emerged as a key technology to optimize renewable energy generation. Storage enables greater flexibility for the power grid, thus accelerating the deployment of affordable solar energy.  The successful commercialization and integration of new energy storage technologies promises to help boost the capacity of solar projects, ease concerns over grid strain and bring more large-scale plants online.

JLin 225x300 Intersolar North America Focusing Energy StorageJanice Lin, Executive Director of the California Energy Storage Alliance said,”Energy storage offers the solar industry the opportunity to bring several goals to fruition, including faster grid interconnection, more precise timing of output, fewer curtailment and imbalance penalties, and the potential to secure valuable new revenue from wholesale ancillary services and capacity markets. Advanced 
energy storage is poised to have a huge, positive impact on the solar industry in California and  beyond, and the storage industry is very excited to see Intersolar North America cover this formative topic in such depth at this year’s conference and on the exhibition floor.”PV Energy World is supported in part by the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), an advocacy coalition committed to expanding the role of energy storage to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy.  CESA counts storage technology manufacturers, renewable energy component manufacturers, developers and system integrators among its members, and this year marks the first time Intersolar will partner with CESA.

Manitoba Hydro Place LEED Platinum

Solar Gets Net Metering Support In California


santa monica 300x298 Solar Gets Net Metering Support In California By Annie Carmichael We won! Thanks to the 60,000 of you who showed support for net metering, California will continue to be increasingly powered by the sun.

Yesterday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted to give more Californians access to net metering credit for solar power. The 5-0 vote will protect this important solar consumer right for tens of thousands of California homes, schools, businesses and public buildings.
Net metering makes sure solar customers get fair credit on their utility bills for the valuable clean power they put on the grid for others to use (watch this  video to see how net metering works). This important solar policy has already delivered tremendous benefits to California: supported 25,000 solar jobs, driven $10 billion in private investment in the state’s clean energy industry, given thousands of homeowners, schools, water districts, industrial users, and cities control over their electricity bills, and installed 2 natural gas plants worth of valuable peak solar power generation that our utilities won’t have to build and you won’t have to fund.

There is still work to be done to iron out the details of the long-term net metering program so that solar can continue to shine – and we hope you’ll continue to help us along the way.

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Saudi Arabia Going Solar With $109 Billion Investment


riyadh museum built environment f230611 2 300x240 Saudi Arabia Going Solar With $109 Billion InvestmentIf you thought solar energy was just a passing fad and not really a serious contender for supplying power for an energy starved world, think again. The revelation that Saudi Arabia has announced a $109 billion plan to create a solar industry that will generate a third of the nation’s electricity within two decades, could silence many skeptics. When the world’s largest source of oil goes solar that should wake everybody up!  The Saudi Arabian Market would provide significant opportunities for the Solar Industry. “We are not only looking for building solar plants,” Maher al-Odan, a consultant at the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, said in a recent interview. “We want to run a sustainable solar energy sector that will become a driver for domestic energy for years to come.” Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, hopes to have 41,000 megawatts of solar capacity by 2032 said al-Odan. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance the nation trails Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates with only 3 megawatts of solar installations.

Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on the Solar Industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Solar Industry and provides equity research on Trina Solar Limited TSL +1.93% and JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd.Trina Solar Limited is a leading manufacturer of high quality modules and has a long history as a solar PV pioneer since it was founded in 1997 as a system installation company.

JA Solar Holdings is a leading manufacturer of high-performance solar power products. The company sells its products to solar manufacturers worldwide, who assemble and integrate solar cells into modules and systems that convert sunlight into electricity for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power generation. Five Star Equities provides Market Research focused on equities that offer growth opportunities, value, and strong potential return.

Topaz Solar Farms The Worlds Largest To Date


green jobs debate 300x200 Topaz Solar Farms The Worlds Largest To DateLess than two weeks after its official groundbreaking ceremony, MidAmerican Solar and First Solar, Inc. marked another milestone at Topaz Solar Farms, located in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. On Wednesday, the first solar panel was installed on what is the largest solar project under construction in the world. When complete, the 550-megawatt AC project will include nearly 9 million photovoltaic panels.

To mark this significant event, the first solar panel was installed by Greg Abel, chairman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, and Walter Scott, Jr., who serves on the boards of directors for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and MidAmerican.

“The installation of this first solar panel is more than symbolic,” said Paul Caudill, president of MidAmerican Solar. “It represents nearly five months of hard construction work put in by a dedicated crew of craftspersons and on-site supervision, a large majority of whom live in the local area. They are helping us achieve our goal of safely and reliably delivering energy to our customer, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, all while adhering to our core value of respect for the environment.”The Topaz project will create approximately 400 construction jobs during its three-year construction period; will generate nearly $417 million in local economic impact, the majority of which will be generated during construction; and will provide California with renewable electricity. The Topaz project will provide enough energy to power approximately 160,000 average California homes.

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Solar Decathlon Gets $1 Million For Great Park XPO


lydlw3 b78905934z.120120125144235000g3c1524sd.2 300x225 Solar Decathlon Gets $1 Million For Great Park XPOAt their meeting on May 17, 2012, The Orange County Great Park Corporation Board approved an agreement with the United States Department of Energy that provides a $1 million grant to host the Solar Decathlon 2013 at the Great Park. The agreement establishes a two-phase planning and implementation process that also includes the staging of the first ever multi-day exposition set for October 3-13, 2013, dubbed the XPO: Clean+Renewable+Efficient Energy Exposition.

“We are excited to host the Solar Decathlon and XPO at the Great Park,” said Beth Krom, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation Board. “Today’s action allows us to move forward on developing plans for this international event that will bring worldwide attention and economic development to the Great Park and the region and raise public awareness about the benefits of clean energy and energy conservation.”Under the first phase of the agreement, the Great Park accepted $375,000 from the United States Department of Energy for the planning and development process. This planning phase includes event programming and sponsorship planning as well as a finalized site plan that shows the location of the Solar Decathlon Village, where 20 collegiate teams will showcase their solar-powered houses.

The Solar Decathlon challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost effective, energy-efficient and attractive. The winning house best embodies affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence while also providing optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. The XPO, featuring the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013, will showcase technology, products, arts, education and business opportunities that arise from clean and renewable energy generation and efficient energy use. Both events will occur simultaneously October 3-13, 2013.