Microsoft buys first wind PPA in green push
Microsoft has announced it has signed a 110MW PPA with RES for a project in Texas, following Facebook and Google into wind power.
The 110MW Keechi wind farm, located 70 miles northwest of Fort Worth, will power a Microsoft data centre in San Antonio, Texas. It follows the company's announcement last year that it planned to become carbon neutral.
Construction of Keechi will begin early next year and will use Vestas 2MW turbines. The PPA is for 20 years.
This is Microsoft's first move into wind energy. In doing so it is following a path set by Google, which has bought around 570MW of wind power in Texas alone. It had also invested and bought wind farms elsewhere in the US.
SunPower Buys Greenbotics for Solar Panel Washing Robots
SunPower Corp. (SPWR), the second-largest U.S. solar manufacturer, bought Greenbotics Inc., maker of robots that clean panels to increase the amount of power they can generate.
The robots clean dirt and dust off of photovoltaic and solar thermal arrays and cut water use by 90 percent, San Jose, California-based SunPower said today in a statement. Terms of the deal, the seventh acquisition SunPower has done since it was formed, weren’t disclosed.
SunPower plans to use the systems at projects it develops, especially in the western U.S., the Middle East and Chile, as an alternative to pressure washers and sprayer trucks. The robots will cut water use, save money and boost annual energy yield in dry, dusty regions by as much as 15 percent, according to the release.
“It’s half the cost of normal cleaning,” SunPower Chief Executive Officer Tom Werner said in an Nov. 1 interview. The technology, which he likened to a Roomba vacuum cleaner, “is one we can scale.”
Solar Power International 2013: Start-Up Alley Challenge
10 finalist companies presented their ideas on the last day of the Solar Power International 2013 (Oct. 23).
Solar Decathlon 2013 - Final Results
Here are the results of the competition for 2013.
Residential-scale power generation
Residential-sited fuel cells are now becoming an option for consumers, with growing interest and big sales being made primarily outside of the United States.
Are corporations becoming energy responsible?
Major corporations here and abroad are reevaluating their energy usage and looking for ways to run their facilities with green energy in an effort to save the planet.
Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Is It A Viable Technology?
In a world committed to reducing carbon emissions CCS offers a helping hand but not a definitive one. It may offer a partial answer for the rest of this century, but governments are unlikely to provide the needed funds for large-scale deployment.
The Current State of the International Solar Power Industry
U.S. solar PV companies need to find a way to work together with international PV companies, especially those in Mainland China & Taiwan.
Solar Energy Index Outperforms S&P in Q3 2013
Lincoln International's Renewable Energy Group is pleased to present the latest Q3 2013 Solar Energy Stock Index Report, which tracks relevant solar company metrics in this growing industry.
Renewable Energy Opportunities and Challenges in Pakistan
Solar opportunities exist in Punjab province, wind opportunities exist in Sind and Baluchistan province, Coal opportunities exists in all provinces, Hydro opportunities exist in north of Pakistan and Bio-energy exists in all provinces.
Solar Sector Shines on Energy Storage
There is no doubt that PV is becoming a primary source of energy but only when integrated with long duration energy storage.
Wind energy tax credit likely over, but effect may not hurt like before
Dec. 31 is a curious date for Texas wind energy producers.
That's when transmission services providers expect to energize the last power lines built under the state's $7 billion Competitive Renewable Energy Zone initiative, the long-running effort to connect windy West Texas to the state's energy-thirsty big cities. The 3,600-mile project has been credited with spurring even more investment in Texas, the country's wind power leader.
But 2013's last day is also an ominous one for wind folks. It's the expiration date of the federal Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit, the fate of which has driven booms and busts in the industry. The multibillion-dollar credit, which Congress passed in 1992, helps wind stay economically competitive with other energy sources, including low-priced natural gas. Without it, the industry can't keep pace, even as production costs fall.
Last year, as the credit neared its demise, Congress extended it as a part of a last-minute budget package, but only for a year. This year, with Congress focused on finding a way to turn the government back on and pay its bills, lawmakers have yet to draw up a proposal for the credit, making a swift renewal increasingly unlikely.
So how would Texas wind power fare if the 2.3-cent-per-kilowatt-hour incentive lapsed? That would depend on how long the credit is unavailable, observers say. But for a couple of reasons, the effect probably won't be as harsh as in past uncertain times.
Jeff Clark, executive director of the Austin-based Wind Coalition, said he's not too worried about the ticking clock. “There's a lot of projects in the pipeline right now,” he said.
The 202-megawatt Baffin Wind Farm, in Kenedy County, is one project that's depending on the tax credit. However, owner and developer Iberdrola Renewables LLC isn't concerned.
How $5M Will Help A Startup Tackle The Emerging Energy Storage Market
A California energy storage startup has raised $5 million to fund projects that it will sell to businesses under long-term contracts, a model that resembles the leases that have made rooftop solar installations popular.
Stem plans to use the money from Clean Feet Investors to finance up to 15 megawatts of lithium-ion battery systems. Stem is targeting hotels, chain stores, fast restaurant and light industrial companies, said Prakesh Patel, vice president of capital markets and strategy at the startup.
Stem is one of a growing number of energy storage system and service providers that are gunning for California as their primary market. The state last week passed the country’s first mandate that will require its utilities to buy energy storage to help them manage the growing amount of solar and wind electricity that flows into the grid.
Investors such as Clean Feet Investors will be the first wave of money managers who are willing to take big risks. Given that the energy storage market is so new, major banks are watching to see whether various types of storage equipment will deliver the promised performance over time and how money can best be made. Right now, many of them aren’t so willing to invest in what they consider to be unproven technologies.
The new fund enables Stem to market to a broader set of customers. Businesses would sign contracts in which they pay a monthly fee for using the energy storage and Stem’s software, which collects and analyzes onsite energy use and other data in order to control how frequent and how much the electricity should flow in and out of the batteries throughout the day. FULL ARTICLE:
First public auction for solar energy rights on federal lands draws no bids
Federal officials are trying to figure out why the Bureau of Land Management's first-ever auction of public land for solar-energy development failed to attract any bids.
According to the Denver Post, no bidders showed up for the first auction for three parcels of land in Colorado's San Luis Valley, even though five solar development companies had expressed interest in the land.
Three parcels covering 3,700 acres in so-called solar-energy zones were offered on Thursday. The bureau has created 19 zones for large solar projects in six Western states, encompassing nearly 300,000 acres, the newspaper reported.
"We are going to have to regroup and figure out what didn't work," Maryanne Kurtinaitis, the renewable-energy program manager for the BLM's Colorado division, told the Denver Post. "It is always tough to be the first out of the chute. This is a learning experience."
Industry officials attributed the auction's failure to uncertainties about the solar energy market and federal regulations.
Ken Johnson, a spokesman for the Solar Energy Industries, told the Post that financing large-scale solar projects remains a challenge for the industry.
Unique National Clean Energy Credentialing Alliance Created, Uses Solar Power International as Launchpad
In response to groundbreaking growth in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, a group of highly respected, nationally accredited credentialing organizations announces the formation of a unique Clean Energy Credentialing Coalition (CECC). The Coalition was announced in conjunction with Solar Power International 2013 (SPI '13), the solar energy industry's most powerful, comprehensive educational conference and product exhibition, being held at Chicago's McCormick Place, October 21 - 24. The newly-formed group joins together organizations to demonstrate and promote the collective importance of third-party quality assessment, and the value it brings to building strong and competent renewable energy and energy efficiency markets.
The Coalition is creating a campaign to build awareness of the value of credentialing - particularly as a distinguishing tool for consumers, energy incentive programs, employers and industry. A quality credential is a mark of excellence that can boost consumer confidence in renewable energy and energy efficiency professionals, products and programs.
The goal of the campaign is to educate, enlighten and elevate interest in the benefits associated with clean energy credentialing - from consumers and educators, to manufacturers and government decision makers.
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