Report: Forget Stocks, Invest In Solar Panels
From ThinkProgress: A new study by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center finds that in all but 4 of the 50 largest cities in the U.S., installing a fully-financed 5 kilowatt solar panel system makes more financial sense than investing in a popular stock market index fund. Further, the same system would beat the costs of buying energy from local utilities in 42 of those 50 cities.
“(S)olar is now not just an option for the rich, but a real opportunity for anyone looking to take greater control over their monthly utility bills and make a long-term, relatively low-risk investment,” concludes the study which was done under funding by the U.S. Department of Energy.
A key qualifier in this good news study is that the benefits of installing residential solar photovoltaic systems are greatest when homeowners finance the systems (at an assumed annual interest rate of 5 percent) rather than buying them upfront. And the study does not investigate the availability of such loans. The study finds that in upfront purchases of solar, residents in just 14 out of the 50 largest U.S. cities would pay less for electricity than if they buy from their local utility. That upfront investment would be a better investment than the broad stock market index fund in 20 of the 50 cities. Cont'd....
Reflections from Breakthrough Marine Energy Trials
The marine power plant Deep Green has now been producing electricity for more than a year, and Minesto's founder and CEO Anders Jansson shares his experiences from the trials in this article.
Solar Market Predictions for 2015
IHS Technology analysts top 10 predictions for the 2015 global photovoltaic (PV) market
Training Program for Military Veterans to Maintain Growing Solar and EV Infrastructure
Rather than focus on any one particular technology, the EFST training course educates the participants about the common technologies and service requirements that touch multiple markets, most notably the solar and electric vehicle charging equipment infrastructure.
Case Study - 28kW Custom Carport in Frederick, MD
The PV Racking clamp-free rail was a great solution for this carport, as it helped to eliminate rain water leaking through the arrays in comparison to a traditional clamp-based system.
Upcoming Tradeshow, Conference & Exhibition Summary
March, April, May 2015
2015 promises to be another banner year for the Renewable Energy Industry. Solar and Wind will continue to grow and Energy Storage will continue to dominate the conversation. April offers up some great Energy Storage events here in North America and Europe.
Gov. Brown's renewable energy plan could boost solar, wind industries
Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal this week to significantly boost the amount of energy California derives from renewable sources could reinvigorate the state's utility-scale solar and wind industries, as well as launch another land rush in the Mojave Desert.
In his inaugural address, Brown didn't say how the state's Renewables Portfolio Standard could be raised to 50% by 2030 — the previous benchmark was 33% by 2020 — but his commitment was clear:
"This is exciting, it is bold, and it is absolutely necessary if we are to have any chance of stopping potentially catastrophic changes to our climate system," the governor said.
He also outlined a plan to reduce petroleum use in cars and trucks by 50% and double the energy efficiency of new buildings in the state.
The reverberation was instantaneous.
"Is it significant? Absolutely. Will it stimulate the market? Absolutely," said Jerry R. Bloom of the Los Angeles law firm Winston & Strawn, who guides renewable energy developers through the financing and permitting processes.
REBOUND IN CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENT IN 2014 BEATS EXPECTATIONS
World clean energy investment rebounded strongly in 2014, boosted by demand for large-scale and rooftop solar photovoltaics on the back of its greatly improved competitiveness, and by the financing of a record $19.4bn of offshore wind projects.
Authoritative annual data, published today by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, show that global investment in clean energy was $310bn last year. This was up 16% from a revised $268.1bn in 2013, and more than five times the figure of $60.2bn attained a decade earlier, in 2004, albeit still 2% below the all-time record of $317.5bn reached in 2011[1].
The jump in investment in 2014 reflected strong performances in many of the main centres for clean energy deployment, with China up 32% to a record $89.5bn, the US up 8% to $51.8bn (its highest figure since 2012), Japan up 12% to $41.3bn, Canada up 26% at $9bn, Brazil up 88% at $7.9bn, India up 14% to $7.9bn, and South Africa up 5% at $5.5bn. Europe, despite the flurry in offshore wind, was a relative dull spot overall, investment there edging 1% higher to $66bn.
U.K. And Germany Smash Wind Power Records
The United Kingdom blew past previous wind power records in 2014 while Germany generated a record amount of electricity from wind in December, setting the stage for 2015 to bring more industry growth across Europe. Exactly how quickly it grows, however, is contingent upon several political and regulatory decisions to come.
Using statistics from the U.K.’s National Grid, the trade association RenewableUK found that wind generated enough electricity to power just over 25 percent of U.K. homes in 2014 — a 15 percent increase from 2013. Wind turbines provided 9.3 percent of the U.K’s total electricity supply last year, a 1.5 percent boost from 2013.
“It’s great to start 2015 with some good news about the massive quantities of clean electricity we’re now generating from wind,” said RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Maf Smith.
In December, Germany generated more wind power, 8.9 terawatt-hours, than in any previous month. According to the IWR renewable energy research institute, this record will be overtaken in 2015 as more offshore wind farms come online.
Renewable Energy Roundup
The world will need as much capacity as it can get from all fuel sources to satisfy the demand of growing populations.
Maintaining Optimum Battery Power Levels During the Winter Months
Knowing how your batteries operate in cold weather conditions can greatly help you keep track of your battery packs' health, and more importantly allow you to maintain your power needs when you need it most.
9 Things You Need To Know About 2014 And Beyond
It's an exciting time to be in the solar industry, both for what we've accomplished in 2014 and what we will accomplish in the coming year.
Aarsleff Goes Green with Modern Hybrid Power
Clayton Power made it possible for Per Aarsleff to both go green and reduce costs by clever implementation of mobile hybrid power systems based on lithium technology.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide used for energy storage products
Because the materials involved are inexpensive and the fabrication is simple, this approach has the potential to be scaled up for production at commercial levels.
Top 5 Innovations of the Decade in Renewable Energy
According to TMR, the global green energy market will reach a value of USD 831.99 billion by 2019.
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