It was another rough week for China's once booming solar manufacturers, who are already reeling from overcapacity and major subsidy drawbacks in the European market.

New Wind Prospecting System in Development at the University of Barcelona

The Faculty of Physics at the University of Barcelona (UB) has developed an innovative wind prospecting system designed to be used in marine environments. The project is based on a hot air balloon which has a module with meteorological sensors and other positioning systems that detect wind strength and direction at all times, regardless of the position of the balloon.

There's Something To Be Said for Having the Right Kind of Singular Focus

Construction at the Youngs Creek powerhouse near Sultan, Wash., was moving along just fine when the day came to install the facility’s turbine. But there was one problem: It wouldn’t fit through the door. The casing on the turbine was too wide, and there was no way to reposition it to squeeze it in. (Left: The Young's Creek powerhouse

Ameresco (AMRC) Misses by 7 Cents: Look to Buy on Any Sell-off

Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) reported first quarter (Q1) earnings this morning, missing analysts' earnings expectations by two-thirds. While Q1 earnings were only 3 cents compared to the 10 cents expected by analysts, the company slightly beat revenue expectations by $600,000 for overall Q1 revenues of $146.6 million.

Germany's Storage Conundrum

Nobody is guaranteeing the success of Germany’s seminal energy revolution, not yet. As good as the timetable looks, there are still a lot of unknowns. One of the big items — but still nowhere near a solution — is creating new storage options for electricity. This is imperative because of the fluctuations inherent in renewable e

Will SolarWorld's Brand be Helped or Harmed by the China Trade Dispute?

When one thinks of the solar trade dispute that has led to a 31 percent-plus tariff on Chinese solar manufacturers, the first brand that comes to mind is SolarWorld, who publicly led the CASM Coalition and filed the complaint. Now that the decision is in, will SolarWorld’s leadership benefit its brand relationship with installers or hurt it?

49.9-MW Hudson Ranch I Geothermal Plant Unveiled in California

EnergySource hosted the unveiling of its 49.9 Hudson Ranch I geothermal plant, now renamed John L. Featherstone Plant ? a geothermal innovator in the Salton Sea area, today in Imperial Valley, California. Commissioned on March 9th, it is the first geothermal plant to go online in the Salton Sea area in 20 years. Recognizing the area's huge potential capacity of reportedly up to two gigawatts, EnergySource expects to start drilling for its 49.9 Hudson Ranch II project this summer and hopes to start construction in 2013.

Will Chinese Solar Module Tariffs Restore Balance to the Industry?

In the quest to "level the playing field," the 31 percent anti-dumping tariff announced Thursday was a good start, said SolarWorld President Gordon Brinser, but even more is needed to bring the industry back into balance.

Apple to Power 3 Data Centers with 100 Percent Renewable Energy

Greenpeace advocates gathered outside of Apple's Cupertino headquarters early this week dressed as iPhones and iPods, declaring their outrage about the company's lack of clean energy use. They projected social media messages from supporters on the side of the building:

Energy Efficiency: What Are the Laggards Thinking?

Why do some states avoid creating policies that encourage consumers and businesses to save energy? What’s the psychology of the laggards? A new report by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy sheds some insight as it examines the states that consistently fall behind in the organization’s annual energy efficien

NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar May 30th & 31st

The Forest's Treasure: A Profitable Solution to Woody Waste

When forests are logged, managed or selectively trimmed so they'll be less susceptible to raging fires, there are usually huge piles of stumps, branches and other wood debris left laying on the ground. Now a group of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle is developing a portable technology to turn these waste piles into treasure troves by converting them into biochar?charcoal made from plant material that can be burned for energy or applied to soils, where it helps plants grow.

Are IT Data Centers Emerging as a 'Killer App' for Green Power? Part 1

Last month, Greenpeace launched a series of coordinated protests at Amazon, Apple and Microsoft locations to draw attention to the companies’ use of GHG intensive fuels in powering their data centers.  The protests were a follow up to their recently released report, “How Clean is Your Cloud,” which criticized the companies fo

31 Percent Anti-Dumping Tariffs Announced for Chinese Solar Panels

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday announced stiff anti-dumping tariffs of around 31 percent on crystalline silicon solar panels imported from China, leading to a new round of concerns on how the duties will impact the growing American solar industry.

Domestic Module Manufacturing: PV Globalization or Political Vote-Seeking?

Despite 2011 having been a particularly challenging year for PV cell and module manufacturers, new small-scale module manufacturing facilities continue to be implemented, especially in emerging markets. In some cases, these companies/facilities are either aligned to local government policies or are implemented purely as diversification strategies. Other examples are joint-ventures between private and government entities. Such JV's are intended to represent "national" centers-of-excellence to serve domestic or regional market demand.

Can the Voice of Solar Shine Brighter?

Solar manufacturers and installers face the same challenge as many business owners: How can a company make time for media outreach as part of their overall marketing strategy? With so many other tasks vying for our time and dollars, making connections with the media, which is one of the best forms of free publicity, is often forgotten about. Why?

Mission Critical: A Clean Energy Call to Arms

They say nothing can get done in Washington, D.C. on the issue of clean energy, which has become a political lightning rod over the last year. With Congress at a high watermark of partisanship, accusations abound on Capitol Hill that American energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and the policies that support them are job killers and a money-wasting hoax on taxpayers. And yet, there's reason for optimism about energy innovation in this country. Why? Because the most powerful force in the world, the U.S. military, is mobilizing on a clean energy mission ? and I believe they're going to win this war.

Rethinking the Role of Government in Cleantech

Another year, another wringing of the hands over tax credits and incentives for clean technology. Lobbyists and vendors in the U.S. are once again singing the blues, calling for continued and expanding government investments in clean technology. At the same time, political challengers continue their Solyndra hootenanny, raking the curren

Five Shining Examples of Renewable Energy Innovation and Investment

Sinking revenues and shrinking policy support may be causing a bit of a haze on the renewable energy horizon, but there's plenty of sunshine trying to peek through if you look hard enough.