solar energy news Archives > Page 2 of 49

South Australia plans to build a new concentrated solar energy system

August 17, 2017August 15, 2017 Angie Bergenson

Government awards contract for new energy system to SolarReserve The South Australia government has awarded a contract for a new solar energy system to SolarReserve. Per the contract, the company will be responsible for the development of a 150 megawatt solar thermal power plant that will be built near Port Augusta. The project will take advantage of concentrated sunlight in order to generate heat and electrical power. The new solar energy system could help resolve some of South Australia’s problems with reliable power. State continues to support clean energy in…

India installs more solar energy capacity in first half of 2017 than it did in all of 2016

August 16, 2017August 15, 2017 Alicia Moore

Solar energy continues to experience dramatic growth India’s solar energy capacity is growing more quickly than expected. During the first half of this year, the country installed some 4,765 megawatts of new solar capacity. By comparison, approximately 4,313 megawatts of solar capacity was installed throughout the whole of 2016. The country has begun investing aggressively in solar energy in order to combat climate change and take advantage of emerging economic opportunities. This has led to a significant increase in India’s solar capacity. Large-scale projects account for majority of newly installed…

New tariffs could be trouble for the solar energy sector

August 15, 2017August 14, 2017 Bret Williams

Senators come together in order to fight new tariffs Several senators have come together to express concern regarding potential trade penalties targeting imported solar energy technology. The International Trade Commission is set to determine what tariffs should be levied on solar imports later this year. The federal agency intends for the tariffs to help embolden the domestic solar energy market. Currently, many companies in the United States must compete against foreign companies that offer inexpensive solar panels and other technologies. These foreign companies have been bringing their solar products to…

New hydrogen production record set by NREL

August 11, 2017August 9, 2017 Stephen Vagus

New Hydrogen Production Record - Bullseye

National laboratory sets a new production record Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States have set a new record with a novel hydrogen production process. This process was developed more than a decade ago and involves converting sunlight into hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be used by a fuel cell system to generate electricity. In 1998, NREL set a record in converting sunlight into hydrogen using this process. Now, scientists have revisited the process in order to improve it, setting a new efficiency record. Technological…

Solar energy sector prepares for total eclipse in the US

August 10, 2017August 9, 2017 Tami Hood

Eclipse will have a major impact on solar power production Several solar energy companies are preparing to suffer the impact of a total solar eclipse that will cross the United States later this month. The eclipse will make its way from Oregon to South Carolina, with the moon casting a shadow that is 70 miles wide. This will effectively halt all solar energy production along the path of the eclipse. Solar power production is expected to be cut by some 9,000 megawatts during the eclipse, which is approximately the same…

Ikea to begin offering solar energy products in the UK

August 8, 2017August 7, 2017 Alicia Moore

Ikea is bringing solar panels to its UK stores Retail giant Ikea has plans to break into the solar energy market. The company has announced that it will begin selling solar panels and energy storage systems at its stores in the United Kingdom. These products will be sold alongside similar solutions provided by Solarcentury, a solar energy company based in the UK. Ikea is the latest in several retailers that have begun to offer solar panels and related services. These retailers are benefitting from the growing demand for clean energy,…

New solar energy system is taking form in Annapolis

August 3, 2017August 1, 2017 Angie Bergenson

Annapolis will soon have a new, large-scale solar energy system A new solar energy system is set to be built in Annapolis, Maryland. The system will be called the Annapolis Renewable Energy Park and will be developed on 80 acres of land. The project is being developed on a once active landfill, which has been repurposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides believes that the new project will have a positive economic impact and may lead to new opportunities for students interested in solar energy. Project to…

Solar energy company receives funding from the Department of Energy

August 1, 2017July 31, 2017 Tami Hood

P4P Energy wins $1 million in funding from the SunShot Initiative P4P Energy, a company that specializes in solar energy, has won $1 million in funding from the SunShot Initiative. The initiative is part of the Department of Energy’s ongoing effort to promote clean power. Through this program, the federal government provides funding for a wide range of solar energy projects. These projects are meant to bolster the adoption of solar energy, which has become a very popular form of clean power throughout the United States. Company to use funding…

Solar energy is thriving in North Carolina

July 31, 2017July 31, 2017 Stephen Vagus

North Carolina has become a leading solar energy market North Carolina has taken a leading spot in terms of solar energy generation in the United States. Since 2007, the state’s solar energy production has been growing at an accelerated rate. The state is also becoming more energy efficient, taking advantage of new storage solutions and using the electricity it does generate more effectively. North Carolina is on track to become third largest producer of solar energy this year, making the state a very attractive market for energy developers. Solar capacity…

D.C. program aims to expand access to solar energy

July 27, 2017July 26, 2017 John Max

Sunrise in Washington D.C. - Solar Energy

Low-income families to take advantage of solar energy through new program A new program has been launched in the District of Columbia. Mayor Muriel Bowser suggests that the new program will help low-income families take advantage of solar energy. The program aims to install solar panels on nearly 300 homes throughout the D.C. area. This may allow low-income families to save approximately $600 a year in energy costs. These families would benefit from the electricity generated by the solar panels, which would also help reduce emissions in D.C. by a…

China’s solar energy industry to increase production of solar panels

July 24, 2017July 20, 2017 Bret Williams

Solar panel manufacture to increase by 25% this year China’s solar energy industry is poised to become yet more active throughout the remainder of this year. The industry has already established significant momentum in 2017, but manufacturers and developers are not ready to rest easy. The solar energy industry is expected to produce 25% more solar panels this year than in 2016, according to Wang Bohua, secretary general of the country’s solar industry association. Notably, production is set to increase significantly due to foreign demand, much of which is coming…

Entirety of US could be powered by solar energy, according to Elon Musk

July 19, 2017July 18, 2017 John Max

A small part of the country could use solar panels to generate all of the country’s electricity Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and chairman of SolarCity, believes that the entirety of the United States can be powered by a 100 mile by 100 mile track of land equipped with solar energy systems. Musk outlined this vision during a meeting with the National Governors Association. According to Musk, the land needed for this endeavor can be found in Nevada, Texas, or Utah. These three states have extensive tracks of open…

DOE to invest $46 million into the solar energy sector

July 18, 2017July 17, 2017 Angie Bergenson

Solar Energy Investment - Sunshine and coins

Solar energy projects to receive funding from the SunShot Initiative The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that it will be investing $46 million into 48 solar energy projects throughout the country. The investments will be made through the SunShot Initiative. The program is meant to provide support for solar energy projects in an effort to bolster the adoption of clean power. For years, the SunShot Initiative has driven innovation in the solar sector by providing adequate support for ambitious projects. Program aims to make solar power cost competitive by…

Scientists develop a new, highly efficient solar cell

July 14, 2017July 13, 2017 Tami Hood

New solar cell is capable of collecting nearly half of all direct sunlight it receives Scientists from the George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science have designed a new solar cell that may be one of the most efficient of its kind. The prototype solar cell is comprised of several cell stacks that are incorporated into a single device. According to researchers, the device is capable of collecting nearly all of the energy potential from the solar spectrum. Researchers note that the solar cell is capable of converting…

Startup launches windows capable of producing solar energy

July 6, 2017July 6, 2017 Tami Hood

Physee offers another way to take advantage of solar energy A startup called Physee is looking to provide businesses and homeowners with a way to harness the power of solar energy using only their windows. The company has designed windows that are affixed with solar cells, allowing them to collect incoming sunlight and convert it into electricity. These windows are meant to help buildings become energy neutral and reduce their consumption of electricity produced through the consumption of fossil-fuels. Solar windows are already providing electricity to Rabobank Physee suggests that…

Solar energy set to become one of the world’s leading forms of power

July 5, 2017July 6, 2017 Alicia Moore

Report highlights the future prospects of solar energy Solar energy is poised to play a major role in the world’s power supply in the coming years. A recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that both wind and solar energy will supply more electrical power to the world than other forms of energy by 2040. Solar, in particular, may experience an economic boom in the near future, largely due to its growing popularity and the falling price of photovoltaic technology. Solar and wind are becoming less expensive than coal…

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