Posts tagged solar

SmartReads: Week of May 11

This was a big week in general news, but it was just as big of a week in green news! This is our longest SmartReads to date, so we hope you’ll find plenty of great reads, from improvements in solar financing to the top green gifts for Mother’s Day. Share your favorite green articles with us on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN ENERGY

New York Times: Solar Installers Offer Deals, Gaining Converts – Jay Nuzzi, a New Jersey state trooper, had put off installing solar panels on his home here for years, deterred by the $70,000 it could cost. Then on a trip to Home Depot, he stumbled across a booth for Roof Diagnostics, which offered him a solar system at a price he couldn’t refuse: free. [May 9, 2012]

AOL Energy: Shining a Light on the Cost of Solar Installations – As the number of US solar installations soars, installers and developers are seeking opportunities to provide the clean power to institutional clients at rates that will attract financing, supply electricity at below retail rates, and still make a profit. [May 10, 2012]

New York Times: Few Seize on a U.S. Bond Program Backing Green Energy – With the country reeling in 2008 from the financial crisis, Congress created a special program to help struggling local governments finance clean energy projects. Under the initiative, cities and counties could sell bonds to pay for a new wind farm or energy efficient windows at City Hall, and the federal government would help pick up the tab. [May 7, 2012] 

Washington Post: U.S., India glimpse a bright future together in solar power – There are few places in the world where the opportunity for solar power is more blindingly obvious than India. There are also few industries where the possibility of collaboration between India and the United States is more tantalizing. [May 10, 2012]

Department of the Interior: Salazar ‘Flips the Switch’ on First Large-Scale Solar Energy Project on Public Lands to Provide Power to the Grid – As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above approach to energy, today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar “flipped the switch” on the Enbridge Silver State North solar project, the first large-scale solar energy facility on U.S. public lands to deliver power to American consumers. [May 7, 2012]

Baltimore Business Journal: Johns Hopkins University adds solar panels on seven buildings – Johns Hopkins University has launched its first solar energy initiative, adding about 2,900 solar panels on seven buildings across its Baltimore campuses. [May 7, 2012]

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The Hill: Republican to revive lightbulb war – A House Republican is planning in the coming weeks to revive the GOP offensive against federal lightbulb efficiency standards. [May 7, 2012]

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

USA Today: U.S., German makers agree on electric-car charging – Major U.S. and German automakers have agreed on a common electric-car charging standard that will speed the recharging of batteries in as little as 20 minutes. [May 7, 2012]

The Detroit News: Tesla to deliver first Model S electric by June – Tesla Motors Inc. said Wednesday it is on schedule to deliver its first Model S electric vehicle by next month — and disclosed it will exhaust its $465 million Energy Department loan within six months. [May 9, 2012]

New York Times: The Battery-Driven Car Just Got a Lot More Normal – CRITICS of electric vehicles say they are too expensive and lack sufficient driving range. But I wonder if those gripes would disappear if the E.V.’s on sale weren’t so — let’s not mince words — homely. I adore my all-electric Nissan Leaf, but its wide rear end, bulging headlights and odd proportions evoke a Japanese gizmo aesthetic that doesn’t necessarily appeal to mainstream American car buyers. [May 6, 2012]

New York Times: Thoughts From a Week in the Ford Focus Electric – Driving the 2012 Ford Focus Electric for a week gave me an opportunity to mull some questions about how a purely electric vehicle ought to behave and look. [May 4, 2012]

GENERAL GREEN

SmartPress: Green Green Gifts For Mother’s Day – Since we did Green Gadgets For Dad on Father’s Day, we thought it only fair to provide some green gift ideas for Mom this Mother’s Day. Share your own green gift ideas with us on Facebook! [May 8, 2012]

SmartReads: Week of May 4

SmartReads is a weekly summary of all the latest clean energy and energy efficiency news. Send us your tips on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN & RENEWABLE ENERGY

SEIA: New Study Shows US Solar Energy Could Employ Hundreds of Thousands of Americans by 2020 – A new independent research report released today by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, found that solar energy is following the same path to commercialization as other traditional energy sources spurred by federal incentives. [May 1, 2012]

Think Progress: Three Charts That Illustrate Why Solar Has Hit A True Tipping Point – A new report from the prominent global consulting firm McKinsey shows why solar photovoltaics have hit a tipping point. [April 30, 2012]

Forbes: Morgan Stanley Backs $300 Million Fund To Install Residential Solar – Clean Power Finance – a San Francisco startup that offers software tools and financing to solar installers – Morgan Stanley’s MS Solar Solutions Corp, Zions Bancorporation and solar installer Main Street will create MySolar, a lease program to finance up to $300 million of rooftop solar arrays for homeowners in California and Arizona. [May 3, 2012]

Los Angeles Times: SolarCity makes IPO plans – SolarCity Corp., a Bay Area solar panel developer and installer whose chairman heads Tesla Motors Inc., is planning an IPO. The San Mateo company’s intention to go public come as other alternative energy firms are backing away from similar growth plans, even after the industry reported record growth last year. [April 30, 2012]

AWEA: AWEA U.S. Wind Industry First Quarter 2012 Market Report – During the first quarter of 2012, the U.S. wind industry installed 1,695 megawatts (MW) across 17 states. This brings cumulative U.S. wind power capacity installations to 48,611 MW through the end of March 2012. [May 3, 2012]

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Green Biz: How EVs are changing driver behavior: 7 lessons from 24 million miles – In the world of electric vehicles, nothing attracts as much speculation or disagreement as the debate over exactly how EV drivers behave. [May 1, 2012]

AOL Energy: Ford Powers into Electric Car Business – If it’s true that it takes a crisis to force change then the US car manufacturing sector understands this better than anyone. Detroit has undergone a renaissance in the wake of the global economic and financial meltdown, broadening their offerings to include more fuel efficient passenger vehicles, hybrid models and electric cars. [April 30, 2012]

GENERAL GREEN

KEYT: America’s Next Eco-Star Has Roots in Santa Barbara – A Santa Barbara woman receives a major, national title and comes back home to share her success story, and her vision for the next generation. Katie Romanov won the title of ‘America’s Next Eco-Star’ in a contest sponsored by SmartPower, a non-profit in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Energy Department. [April 28, 2012]

National Defense Industrial Association: Panetta Touts Pentagon Investments in Green Energy – The Defense Department sees climate change and rising oil prices as national security concerns, and intends to play a leading role in the nation’s energy future, said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. [May 3, 2012]

SmartReads: Week of April 13

SmartReads is a weekly summary of all the latest clean energy and energy efficiency news. Send us your tips on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN ENERGY

Huffington Post: America’s Pastime and Its Clean Energy Future – Baseball is back and the outfield has never looked so green! [April 10, 2012]

Yahoo! News: US grabs lead over China in clean energy race – The United States has regained the lead in the clean energy race, investing $48 billion last year to surpass China, which held the world’s top spending spot since 2009, said a study Wednesday. [April 11, 2012]

Pew Report: Global Clean Energy Investment a Record $263 Billion in 2011 – Global clean energy finance and investment grew to $263 billion in 2011, a 6.5 percent increase over the previous year, according to new research released by The Pew Charitable Trusts. [April 11, 2012]

Arizona Republic: Arizona’s solar energy plans vex military – A solar tower nearly twice the height of the Empire State building. Hundreds of spinning 200-foot-tall wind turbines. A 500-mile high-voltage power line from central New Mexico to southern Arizona. Those are among the projects the renewable-energy industry sees in Arizona’s future. [April 7, 2012]

SmartPlanet: How is the US Air Force adapting to renewable energy? – For fuel-consumptive industries, the shift to renewable energy can be an expensive process — one that requires extensive planning, investment, and occasionally battles in the political arena. [April 11, 2012]

The Guardian: Windfarms do not cause long-term damage to bird populations, study finds - A major new study has quashed fears that onshore windfarms are causing long-term damage to bird populations, but found new evidence that some species are harmed when windfarms are built. [April 12, 2012]

Bloomberg: Wind Power Seen Surging as Custom Barges Cut Set-up Costs – Offshore wind-power producers from Dong Energy A/S to RWE AG (RWE) are building custom ships at record rates to reduce the cost of the technology that’s three times as pricey as electricity from coal plants. [April 10, 2012]

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

New York Times: Real-Time Data to Reduce Electric Use – WHEN Max Dunn walks through his kitchen in San Jose, Calif., he often glances at the home energy monitor that sits on the countertop. The monitor resembles a car’s GPS device and connects wirelessly to the home’s power meter. [April 10, 2012]

Treehugger: How Smart Meters Transform Our Relationship to Energy - From a DIY remote to turn off any TV to the notion of outlawing standby buttons on electronics, we’ve seen plenty of novel ways to cut back on pointless use of energy. But how much do we actually spend on energy that is literally doing nothing for us? [April 6, 2012]

GAS PRICES

LA Times: Higher gas prices cause less public anger this time – Gas prices have soared about 15% in the last six months, hitting $3.94 a gallon on average nationwide, and $4.29 in California. [April 6, 2012] 

SmartReads: Week of April 6

SmartReads is a weekly summary of all the latest clean energy and energy efficiency news. Send us your tips on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN ENERGY

Arizona Republic: APS to use state land for solar plant - The Arizona State Land Department will earn $10 million during a 35-year lease for its first solar power plant, a Yuma project that will power Arizona Public Service Co. [April 4, 2012]

NREL: Solar Leases Attracting New Demographic – The sun is shining on homeowners in less affluent neighborhoods who are discovering they can afford solar energy after all — by leasing rather than buying the panels on their roofs. [April 3, 2012]

Grist: Blown away: Wind power growing faster than other top electricity sources – A new picture is emerging in the U.S. power sector. In 2007, electricity generation from coal peaked, dropping by close to 4 percent annually between 2007 and 2011. Meanwhile, wind-generated electricity grew by a whopping 36 percent each year. [April 4, 2012]

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Bedford-Katonah Patch: 66 Local Leaders Take Action to Reduce Emissions and Save Homeowners Money – The Northern Westchester Energy Action Consortium (NWEAC) hosted the 2012 Regional Leadership Summit, bringing together an influential group of more than 200 municipal and community leaders for an evening dedicated to advancing regional sustainability initiatives. [March 31, 2012]

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Green Car Reports: Plug-In Car Sales Soar In March, Led by Chevrolet Volt - Car sales overall continued their upward trend last month, but sales of plug-in cars soared in March to more than 3,800 units. The bulk of those sales came from a resurging Chevy Volt, which logged its highest-ever single-month sales figure. [April 3, 2012]

GAS PRICES

NPR: Oil Scare Turns FedEx On To Energy Efficiency – The rising cost of oil isn’t just a hit to the family budget. Businesses are hurt, too. Few are more affected than firms like FedEx. [April 2, 2012]

POLITICO: Gas prices fuel congressional campaign rhetoric – President Barack Obama isn’t the only candidate who has to worry about gasoline price spikes. Take a look at members of Congress and their challengers, who are going all out to express concern about the plight of American motorists — often with personal stories of their own sticker shock. [March 30, 2012]

GENERAL GREEN

Huffington Post College: Green Lethargy Among College Students? Not So Fast! by SmartPower’s Brian F. Keane - As we begin Earth Month, it would seem that we’re seeing conventional wisdom turned on its head. I’m talking, of course, about the widespread assumption that college students are spearheading the renewed green movement across our nation. [April 6, 2012]

Bloomberg: Buffett Says Shortcuts on Environment Can Risk Profits – Warren Buffett, the billionaire chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said companies won’t last if they fail to consider the impact of their businesses on the environment. [April 2, 2012]

Southern California Public Radio: NBA tips off Green Week 2012 – NBA Green Week is the latest initiative in the NBA’s ongoing push for sustainable lifestyle changes. [April 3, 2012]

GreenBiz: Just Undo It: Nike, NASA partner on waste innovation challenge – Nike is joining with NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of State to identify 10 “game changing” innovations that transform waste systems in both developed and developing countries. [April 2, 2012]

The New York Times: On Facebook, Some Friendly Energy Rivalry – So, would you stop washing your clothes in warm water if your best friend tried doing it in cold and said her jeans were coming out clean? Would you be more likely to weatherize your house if your college roommate said that it had cut her heating bill by 30 percent? And if your mom got one of those power strips that turn off devices that suck electricity in the middle of the night, would you do the same? [April 3, 2012]

SmartReads: Week of March 23

SmartReads is a weekly summary of all the latest clean energy and energy efficiency news. Send us your tips on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads. 

CLEAN & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Huffington Post: Top 10 Green Spring Cleaning Tips by SmartPower’s Brian F. Keane – Since we survived winter — if you can call it that — and have already begun the transition to spring, I wanted to share some of my favorite green, spring cleaning tips. And of course, with Saint Patrick’s Day just behind us… what better time to be green? [March 19, 2012]

AOL Energy: Wall Street Speaks On Renewable Energy: Focusing On Fundamentals – As some of the most tempting government financial incentives begin to fade from the renewable energy space ahead of deadlines at the end of 2012, bankers and project developers specializing in renewable energy projects are reworking their models. [March 20, 2012]

New York Times: Obama’s Energy Blitz – After taking heat over gasoline prices, President Obama visits a photovoltaic plant in Nevada and oil fields in New Mexico to underline his “all of the above” energy policy. [March 21, 2012]

Bloomberg: Solar 15% Returns Lure Investments From Google to Buffett – U.S. solar developers are luring cash at record rates from investors ranging from Warren Buffett to Google Inc. (GOOG) and KKR & Co. by offering returns on projects four times those available for Treasury securities. [March 19, 2012]

GAS PRICES

NPR: What’s Making Americans Less Hungry For Gasoline? - The price of gasoline keeps rising for Americans, but it’s not because of rising demand from consumers. [March 22, 2012]

Huffington Post: U.S. Oil Drilling May Not Improve Gas Prices, Study Says – It’s the political cure-all for high gas prices: Drill here, drill now. But more U.S. drilling has not changed how deeply the gas pump drills into your wallet, math and history show. [March 21, 2012]

GENERAL GREEN

Politico: ‘Global Warming’ Gets A Rebranding – Shhhh! Don’t talk about global warming! There’s been a change in climate for Washington’s greenhouse gang, and they’ve come to this conclusion: To win, they have to talk about other topics, like gas prices and kids choking on pollutants. [March 21, 2012]

MSNBC: Could This $30 Million Green Tower Be the Future of World Cities? – An office building that lasts 250 years with no monthly electricity or water bills? It may sound like an environmentalist’s pipe dream, but it will soon be a reality, say the builders of what they hope will be the biggest office tower in the nation that produces as much water and electricity as it consumes. [March 20, 2012]

EPA Names Top Green Power Purchasers

For stats on the country’s largest purchasers of clean energy, look no further than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s latest listing of Top Green Power Purchasers.

Once again, department store chain Kohl’s leads the Retail Top 20, with Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Starbucks, and Staples rounding out the top five spots. Perhaps not surprisingly, the U.S. Department of Energy leads the federal government in green power purchasing, with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. EPA not far behind. 

Among higher education institutions, the University of Pennsylvania takes first place, getting 48 percent of its energy from solar and wind (including a percentage of on-site generation). And the City of Houston, TX, leads the Top 20 Local Government pack, with 35 percent of its energy coming from wind.

More on the lists, from the EPA’s announcement:

EPA’s Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,300 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Overall, EPA’s Green Power Partners are using more than 22 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of more than 1.9 million average American homes.

Check out all the lists on the EPA website.

Obama’s Top 5 SOTU Energy Quotes

President Obama’s State of the Union address included several strong statements on America’s energy future. The president didn’t shy away from the opportunity to tout his successes and ask for more. 

“Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it,” Obama said. 

Here at SmartPower, we support the president’s message that a diversified approach toward a clean economy is both ideal and achievable. Environmentalists may have cringed at Obama’s remarks about oil and natural gas development, but if we are to ever get to the point where we can rely only on cheap, clean and renewable sources, we must acknowledge that it requires a thoughtful transition with a varied approach.

The following is a list of our top 5 energy quotes from last night’s State of the Union address, starting with this “all-of-the-above strategy”:

1. ”With only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.”

This is important. In order to make the smoothest transition possible to a clean economy, we must be aware of prices and jobs. Renewables are already seeing victories in both of these regards — the falling price of solar indicates a promising future for cost-competitiveness and increased development (JOBS). But we must not be distracted by industry blunders like Solyndra. Just as the president said, “some companies fail”:

2. “Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. … I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.”

If the United States is to become an industry leader, it has to step up and lead. Right now, we are in the race, but we are feeling the heat from China and Germany — both with strong innovation and manufacturing in clean energy resources. If we are not going to cede the wind, solar or battery industries to either of these countries, then we must learn from them. We must commit ourselves to the promise of clean energy.

3. We’ve subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that never has been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits. Create these jobs.

This is the commitment to the promise of clean energy that we must make. We must even the playing field and invest as much in the clean energy industry as we do in fossil fuels. As Obama makes clear, it’s not about the politics. It’s about this country’s future as an innovator and leader:

4. The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven’t acted. Well, tonight, I will. I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes. And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history - with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.

This administration is willing to act. In fact, it already has. The Department of Defense isn’t wasting any time developing a renewable energy strategy that addresses issues of cost and security. Because when it comes down to it, it’s all about costs:

5. The easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.

We’ve saved the best for last. President Obama used this remark to make a point about cutting businesses’ energy costs by making building efficiency upgrades. Yes, it’s true that we can lower businesses’ energy bills by more that $100 billion with simple upgrades, but it’s also true that homeowners have just as much, if not more to save. 

Clean energy and energy efficiency haven’t moved to the forefront of the global energy discussion because they are expensive. It’s just the opposite.

In the not-so-far future, the day will arrive when we have an energy portfolio comprised of renewable, reliable, clean and cheap energy. If we act now, we will see this day sooner than later.