Solar power remains somewhat expensive, but leasing programs can solve this Sunlight is free, but using this resource to generate electricity is still an expensive endeavor. While the cost of photovoltaic technologies has fallen in recent years, the typical cost of an average household solar energy system capable of generating a day’s worth of electricity is comparable to a new vehicle. This is why many consumers rely heavily on leasing programs, which mitigate the upfront costs associated with solar energy and makes this form of clean power more attractive to…
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New solar energy project approved in Minnesota
Solar energy project will bring state’s solar capacity to 140 MW Officials in Minnesota have approved the development of a new solar energy project. The Aurora Solar Project, as it is called, will cost approximately $250 million and will bolster the state’s solar capacity from the current 20 megawatts to 140 megawatts. Minnesota is expected to reach a higher ranking in terms of solar energy, but the state may struggle to establish more capacity because of its relatively unbalanced solar subsidies. These subsidies have been criticized in the past because…
Read MoreImpressive solar energy system sets world record
Australian researchers have developed an ultra efficient photovoltaic (PV) system. According to a report from Live Science, researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have managed to convert over 40% of the sunlight that hits the solar energy system they developed into electricity, which is record-breaking efficiency for a commercial PV system. More than one test proved the technology produced the highest commercial efficiency ever reported. The first time that the solar energy technology was tested outdoors and achieved its record-breaking efficiency status, was during an outdoor test…
Read MoreNew solar energy system to take root in California
California to boast of a new solar energy power plant First Solar, a leading solar energy company, has announced that it has partnered with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources in order to build a new solar power plant in Riverside, California. The new project is one of several similar initiatives that have taken root in California in recent years. Many solar developers have been flocking to the state in order to take advantage of the programs and services offered by the government. These projects are helping the state move…
Read MoreNew solar energy power plant opens in Arizona
World’s largest concentrated solar energy system is now live The world’s largest concentrated solar energy system has been brought online this week. The Solana Generating Station, which was developed by Abengoa, is based in Arizona in the U.S. and boasts of a total capacity of 280 megawatts. Unlike similar solar energy systems, the Solana Generating Station features its own storage system with six hours worth of storage capacity. The energy system is being heralded as a major step forward for the concentrated solar power sector. Concentrated solar power continues to…
Read MoreBrazilian solar energy potential proves attractive to foreign companies
Foreign companies flock to Brazil to tap into solar energy Solar energy is growing at a rapid pace around the world. Much of this growth is being driven by the growing need some countries have to distance themselves from fossil-fuels in order to mitigate any potential impact that climate change may have on the world. Brazil has become one of the most attractive solar energy markets in the world and has been garnering the attention of several companies from other countries that are interested in the Brazilian solar sector. US…
Read MoreSolar energy shows signs of promise in new report
Report highlights investments coming into the solar energy field The Mercom Capital Group, a market intelligence firm, has released a new report concerning venture capital in the solar energy sector. The report suggests that the funding that solar energy has been receiving from private investors has been on the rise over the past year. In the third quarter of 2013, the report shows that some $207 million in venture capital came into the solar energy sector, an increase of over $18 million from the previous quarter. Investors growing more confident…
Read MoreNew solar energy system taking form in Ghana
Blue Energy brings solar energy to Africa Blue Energy, a solar energy developer based in the United Kingdom, has been intimately involved in bringing solar power to Africa for the past two years. In 2012, the company revealed that it was working to build Africa’s largest solar energy system, which would be based in Ghana. Plans for this system are now beginning to show some progress as Blue Energy announces that construction on the project is expected to begin in early 2014. Africa continues to show promise for clean energy…
Read MoreIndia to build largest solar energy system in the world
Indian solar energy project to reach 4,000MW of capacity The Indian government has partnered with several state-owned companies in order to develop the largest solar energy system in the world. The project is set to boast of a total capacity of 4,000 megawatts and will be located in Rajasthan, the western state of India. The country’s interest in solar energy has been gaining momentum in recent years as the strain on fossil-fuels continues to grow. India has been working to embrace clean power for economic and environmental reasons. State-owned companies…
Read MoreSolar energy to help power Israeli Parliament
The Knesset will receive a new solar energy system in 2014 The Israeli Parliament is set to install new solar energy systems on the rooftop of its legislative building, called the Knesset. The legislative building will be one of the first parliaments in the world to generate its own electricity through the use of solar energy systems. This project is expected to begin in 2014 and the photovoltaic modules installed at the Knesset will begin generating power the same year. The initiative is linked to Israel’s overarching interests in renewable…
Read MoreChinese company to bring solar energy to Kenya
China continues to show strong support for solar energy Solar energy has been showing remarkable progress in China in recent years. The country has been showing a great deal of support for various forms of renewable energy in an effort to curb its emissions and mitigate the rising costs associated with fossil-fuels. Solar power has become one of the country’s most favored forms of energy and a domestic solar energy industry has managed to find significant levels of success in many parts of China. While the country is currently renovating…
Read MoreLargest rooftop solar energy system in Europe completed in Germany
Massive solar energy system is now complete in Germany Europe’s largest rooftop solar energy system has been completed in Germany. The system is comprised of more than 33,000 photovoltaic modules and boasts of a total energy capacity of 8.1 megawatts, enough to power 1,800 average homes. The system is located atop the Pfennig Logistics distribution center in the Heddesheim municipality, south of Frankfurt. The solar energy system was developed by Wirsol, which typically builds system of this size on open land and not on buildings. System expected to be connected…
Read MoreUCLA researchers make breakthrough in solar energy
Solar energy breakthrough achieved by UCLA researchers Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) have made a major breakthrough in the field of solar energy. The team has been working on developing a new kind of solar cell that could change the way energy is harnessed from sunlight and open up more efficient options when it comes to tapping into this energy. Researchers have developed a transparent photovoltaic film that may be able to turn nearly any surface into a solar energy collector. Transparent solar cells are gaining…
Read MoreNew solar energy system helps Vodacom save some money
Solar energy holds financial benefits for Vodacom Vodacom, a leading telecommunications company based in Africa, has been making moves to reduce the carbon emissions it is responsible for. The company has been feeling pressure for international governments to do so for some time and has been growing more accommodating of renewable energy in order to curb the emissions it produces. Vodacom is currently involved in a solar energy project that is based at its offices in Cape Town, South Africa, and this project has achieved promising financial success thus far.…
Read MoreSolarReserve looks to build large solar energy project in Saudi Arabia
Company has plans for an ambitious solar energy project in Saudi Arabia SolarReserve, a solar energy developer based in the U.S., has plans to build an ambitious solar farm in Saudi Arabia. Like other countries in the Middle Eastern region, Saudi Arabia is exposed to a great deal of solar radiation year-round. This exposure makes the country an ideal home for solar energy projects and these projects have received a great deal of interest from the Saudi Arabian government recently. The country’s apparent support for solar energy may be good…
Read MoreNew solar energy capacity comes online in the US in April
Solar energy continues to gain momentum in the US Solar energy has been making strong progress in the U.S. in recent years. The country has been focusing on solar energy as a potential avenue throughout which it can abandon fossil-fuels. While this goal may be somewhat lofty and unattainable in the foreseeable future, the U.S. has been showing enough support for solar energy to make this goal feasible, at least. As the U.S. continues to throw support behind solar energy, the country’s capacity continues to grow. 33MW of new capacity…
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