Renewable Energy News

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/8/body-eu-solar-tariffs-time-for-beijing-to-address-concerns.jpg" /pI’ve been trying to avoid writing about the latest punitive tariffs for Chinese solar panels that look set to come from the European Union this week, since the story has dragged on for more than a year now and the outcome was almost inevitable. But that said, it would be a bit remiss of me not to write at least something on this latest move, which /p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/8/body-new-russian-renewable-energy-source-development-measures-to-overcome-obstacles.jpg" /pHopes for Renewable Energy Source Development Measures (RESDM) in Russia's renewable power sector are high: if adopted and properly implemented, it will boost the renewable sector that is plagued with underfunding, often differing regional and federal legislation, other short-comings or simple ineffectiveness./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-solar-mosaic-fills-in-the-gaps-for-solar-free-solar-industry-people-like-me.jpg" /pI know a lot of passionate people in the solar industry who don’t actually own a solar system, and I’m one of them. On the surface, that may appear hypocritical when you make a living telling people how affordable solar is. “If it’s so affordable, why don’t you own it?” they ask. When you explain that it’s (currently) not physically possible to own/p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/9/body-brazil-may-favor-gas-over-wind-to-fulfill-world-cup-energy-demand.jpg" /pBrazil, the second-biggest producer of hydroelectricity, is seeking to increase the use of fossil fuels after the worst drought in 50 years depleted reservoirs, underscoring a limit to renewable energy./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/8/body-cleaner-energy-warmer-climate-the-possible-consequences-of-expanding-biofuels.jpg" /pThe growing global demand for energy, combined with a need to reduce emissions and lessen the effects of climate change, has increased focus on cleaner energy sources. But what unintended consequences could these cleaner sources have on the changing climate?/p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/8/body-solar-thrives-in-sunny-maine-a-conversation-with-dana-doran-kennebec-valley-community-college.jpg" /pDana Doran, Director of Energy Programs at Kennebec Valley Community College (ME), found his way to KVCC in 2007 to head up fundraising efforts for the college. A former high school history teacher and basketball coach, Dana felt KVCC was a good fit for his interest in energy and education./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/8/body-when-will-solar-batteries-become-economical.jpg" /pIt's always the same problem: You save energy but the electricity bills are still getting more expensive. Luckily, there is a solution: Solar power can be generated in Germany for 12 cents per kilowatt hour. In contrast, utilities currently charge an average of 25 cents for domestic electricity. What better reason to invest into your own photovoltaic system? Solar storage systems can increase on-site consumption by up to 70 percent. They absorb surplus solar power and pass on the energy as required — expensive grid power is hardly necessary. This makes the systems very attractive for consumers: According to an EuPD Research survey, almost 90 percent of solar operators are already thinking about buying an additional storage system./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-a-marriage-proposal-between-1366-and-japans-tokuyama-for-efficient-solar-wafer-tech.jpg" /pSilicon wafer startup 1366 Technologies said it's teaming up with big Japanese silicon producer Tokuyama for a research and development deal that should boost 1366's sales after it starts mass production./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-first-solar-to-lay-off-150-employees-in-north-america.jpg" /pArizona-based First Solar Inc. said Monday the company is playing to lay off 150 North American workers over the next few weeks as it restructures its global operations, according to a report from The Arizona Republic./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-eu-china-solar-trade-war-entering-endgame.jpg" /pA report indicating the European Commission has decided to recommend duties on Chinese solar panels appears to usher in the final stage of the European/Chinese version of solar trade wars./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-new-awea-leadership-urges-strategy-unity-for-us-wind-industry.jpg" /pKicking off the AWEA Windpower 2013 event in Chicago, the new leadership of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) took to the stage and underscored a five-point plan to build a viable and sustainable industry centered around developing a unified message backed by personal contributions./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-the-finnish-hydrogen-roadmap-hydrogen-to-join-electricity-in-ending-traffic-pollution.jpg" /pGlobal expectations for hydrogen are currently sky-high. Transport applications stand at the threshold of commercialisation, while ahead lies an investment boom in the hydrogen distribution network. The changeover to hydrogen based on natural gas would already mean a potential saving of billion in Finland's balance of payments. If hydrogen could then be produced from domestic renewable raw material, our car and bus traffic would eventually be practically self-sufficient and leave a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The above was revealed in the Finnish hydrogen roadmap published recently./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-the-need-for-reliable-solar-power-at-sea.jpg" /pIn light of recent at-sea power failures on major cruise liners, smaller vessels are tuning into the need to ensure their own systems are dependable and won't strand crews and passengers at sea. Reliable and efficient power is vital on any size or type of boat or ship, but it's too often overlooked in efforts to keep costs down. Installing power redundancy and marine-grade power systems safeguards boaters from discomfort, danger and marred reputations that can result from on-board power outages./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-fforde-on-feed-in-tariffs-literary-use-of-feed-in-tariffs-comes-of-age.jpg" /pFeed-in tariffs, the terminology at least, has come of age. The term can now be found in a prolific English novelist's most recent book. Jasper Fforde's use of the words in fiction is an open acknowledgment that the term and the idea it conveys have become mainstream in the English language./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/6/body-bill-to-expand-renewables-in-rural-colorado-awaits-governors-signature.jpg" /pIt looks like Colorado is set to expand the amount of renewable energy in the state once again now that Colorado Senate Bill 252 passed Colorado’s House of Representatives. The bill passed through the House on Monday, April 30 and was passed again by the Senate. It now heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s (D) desk. The bill would expand the amount of /p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/7/body-the-making-of-a-new-midwestern-solar-energy-standard.jpg" /pLast week, a solar energy standard moved one step closer to passage in the Minnesota state legislature, with an innovative new approach to financing solar power.  It’s a powerful first step for what would be one of the more robust policies to support distributed, local solar power in the country. The policy has three key pieces, outlined below. A S/p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/6/body-ge-contracts-1-gw-of-wind-turbines-post-ptc-extension.jpg" /pAfter the extension of the Production Tax Credit on January 1, 2013, GE (NYSE: GE)'s renewable energy unit said it has signed 1 GW of U.S. wind turbine orders as of May 6. GE also debuted its newest wind turbine product during the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)'s Windpower 2013 conference and exhibition in Chicago./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/6/body-eu-debate-over-climate-change-policy-could-dampen-renewable-energy-growth.jpg" /pEurope's program to halt climate change is in disarray with lawmakers in the region expressing concern the drift is undermining the planet's most significant effort to combat global warming./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/6/body-ten-clean-energy-stocks-for-2013-april-update.jpg" /pWhile the sun was shining on most clean energy stocks in April, my ten clean energy picks for 2013 (introduced here) got relative showers. The Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW) was up a sunny 14.1% for April to 19.6% for the year, rising quickly past my picks, which inched up a relatively meager 0.7% to 7.5% for the year so far. Meanwhile, the broad universe of small stocks gained 2.6% for a year to date gain of 15.1%, as measured by my benchmark the iShares Russell 2000 Index (IWM)./p

img hspace="10" vspace="5" align="left" src="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com//assets/images/story/2013/5/6/body-green-energy-is-good-for-nigeria.jpg" /pJust like any country, Nigeria in the 21st century faces enormous challenges, and one of its most crucial is power. Nigeria has been confronted with incessant electricity problems ranging from power generation to its transmission and distribution. The main sources of its electricity are gas and hydropower, but for many decades, homes, businesses an/p