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
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.
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
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.
Seven months after a trade investigation was launched, American solar companies and Chinese solar manufacturers will finally get a clear picture of the challenges ahead.
While North America continues to dawdle on the road to the renewable revolution, the conservative, oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proposed one of the most sweeping and massive moves to renewable energy on the planet.
Confusion reigned following Maxwell Technologies' (NASD:MXWL) earnings call Thursday night. What would be the impact of the company's reduced sales growth guidance on the stocks value?
In the choppy seas of American offshore wind development, calm waters are often followed by stormy skies. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Mid-Atlantic waters off Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. All three states have made some strides in the growing industry, but the path has been anything but clear.
Positioned between the affluent of Martha's Vineyard to the east and the well-heeled of The Hamptons to the west, Block Island has always been more of a casual paradise, a place for blue collar workers to make summertime memories and sea-loving residents to enjoy the solitude of the other three seasons.
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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?
I read a bucket of press releases about solar companies every week, and if I’m to literally believe their words, then there are thousands of “leading” solar manufacturers and services in the world. In fact, the word “leading,” “leader,” etc has become so common and overused in press releases that it&rsquo
Carbon emissions have been the buzz of the power industry over the last couple weeks since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the first proposed carbon standard for new coal-fired power plants. In carbon-conscious Europe, renewable energy has already been instrumental in helping to slash carbon emissions. So how might renewable energ
I love finding guerrilla marketing examples on YouTube. Unfortunately, I rarely find ones that are related to solar. Bummer. Nevertheless, it’s always great to get inspired, and below is a wonderful model that you might be able to adapt…if you’re willing to push that button.
Watch this video first, and then we’ll discuss
March was a volatile month for clean energy, with many of my picks reporting earnings. My 11 picks were down 4 percent on average since my last update (March 1st to April 5th), compared to a 9 percent decline in the Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW), while the broad Russell 2000 index was flat. The hedged portfolio (see the original article for details) lost 5 percent.
The first quarter of 2012 was the best of times for shareholders of companies that are developing and manufacturing cheap energy storage products like lead-acid batteries, but the worst of times for shareholders of pure-play lithium-ion battery developers. The following table tracks stock price performance in the energy storage and electric vehicle sectors for the first quarter of 2012 and for the twelve months ended March 31st.
It’s been almost a year since the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) in the Philippines filed the Feed in Tariff (FIT) to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for approval of the rates. The Energy Regulatory Commission's actions for the past two days indicate that this time it could pass.
On Tuesday, the National Renewable Energy
Last Tuesday, March 13, Congress failed to act to renew the 1603 Treasury Grant program, and that’s not only a loss for the entire solar industry, but other renewables too.
Some may see 1603 as a program that only benefits large scale solar, but 1603 indirectly benefits the residential solar community, as well as solar thermal, and all other
A recent check of the California Solar Initiative’s database reveals that there are currently 2,244 rebate-eligible solar PV installers in California. And on the solar hot water side? Only 374!
That lack of competition for solar water heating services in a huge state like California is startling. Despite the recent — and generous &mdas
DOE announced on March 1 that up to $6 million will be available this year to collect and analyze valuable performance and durability data for light-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Projects selected will gather data from next-generation FCEVs as they are operated in real-world conditions. The goal is to identify ways to lower costs, improve fuel cell durability, and increase overall vehicle performance.
Pop quiz: Without checking your website or business plan, what’s your solar company’s mission statement? You have 10 seconds…..and…failure. Useless. Meaningless. But it shouldn't be, and I'll tell you why in a bit.
So, why have a mission statement if you and other employees can’t clearly say what the mission is? E
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
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.
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
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.
Seven months after a trade investigation was launched, American solar companies and Chinese solar manufacturers will finally get a clear picture of the challenges ahead.
While North America continues to dawdle on the road to the renewable revolution, the conservative, oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proposed one of the most sweeping and massive moves to renewable energy on the planet.
Confusion reigned following Maxwell Technologies' (NASD:MXWL) earnings call Thursday night. What would be the impact of the company's reduced sales growth guidance on the stocks value?
In the choppy seas of American offshore wind development, calm waters are often followed by stormy skies. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Mid-Atlantic waters off Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. All three states have made some strides in the growing industry, but the path has been anything but clear.
No form of energy really emits zero emissions, and that's a point that's both missed by casual advocates and overstated by strident critics.
Positioned between the affluent of Martha's Vineyard to the east and the well-heeled of The Hamptons to the west, Block Island has always been more of a casual paradise, a place for blue collar workers to make summertime memories and sea-loving residents to enjoy the solitude of the other three seasons.
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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.
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.
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?
I read a bucket of press releases about solar companies every week, and if I’m to literally believe their words, then there are thousands of “leading” solar manufacturers and services in the world. In fact, the word “leading,” “leader,” etc has become so common and overused in press releases that it&rsquo
Carbon emissions have been the buzz of the power industry over the last couple weeks since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the first proposed carbon standard for new coal-fired power plants. In carbon-conscious Europe, renewable energy has already been instrumental in helping to slash carbon emissions. So how might renewable energ
I love finding guerrilla marketing examples on YouTube. Unfortunately, I rarely find ones that are related to solar. Bummer. Nevertheless, it’s always great to get inspired, and below is a wonderful model that you might be able to adapt…if you’re willing to push that button.
Watch this video first, and then we’ll discuss
March was a volatile month for clean energy, with many of my picks reporting earnings. My 11 picks were down 4 percent on average since my last update (March 1st to April 5th), compared to a 9 percent decline in the Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW), while the broad Russell 2000 index was flat. The hedged portfolio (see the original article for details) lost 5 percent.
The first quarter of 2012 was the best of times for shareholders of companies that are developing and manufacturing cheap energy storage products like lead-acid batteries, but the worst of times for shareholders of pure-play lithium-ion battery developers. The following table tracks stock price performance in the energy storage and electric vehicle sectors for the first quarter of 2012 and for the twelve months ended March 31st.
It’s been almost a year since the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) in the Philippines filed the Feed in Tariff (FIT) to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for approval of the rates. The Energy Regulatory Commission's actions for the past two days indicate that this time it could pass.
On Tuesday, the National Renewable Energy
Last Tuesday, March 13, Congress failed to act to renew the 1603 Treasury Grant program, and that’s not only a loss for the entire solar industry, but other renewables too.
Some may see 1603 as a program that only benefits large scale solar, but 1603 indirectly benefits the residential solar community, as well as solar thermal, and all other
A recent check of the California Solar Initiative’s database reveals that there are currently 2,244 rebate-eligible solar PV installers in California. And on the solar hot water side? Only 374!
That lack of competition for solar water heating services in a huge state like California is startling. Despite the recent — and generous &mdas
DOE announced on March 1 that up to $6 million will be available this year to collect and analyze valuable performance and durability data for light-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Projects selected will gather data from next-generation FCEVs as they are operated in real-world conditions. The goal is to identify ways to lower costs, improve fuel cell durability, and increase overall vehicle performance.
Pop quiz: Without checking your website or business plan, what’s your solar company’s mission statement? You have 10 seconds…..and…failure. Useless. Meaningless. But it shouldn't be, and I'll tell you why in a bit.
So, why have a mission statement if you and other employees can’t clearly say what the mission is? E