Solar Energy Stories March 26
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced yesterday that it intends to “cut the cost of solar energy by 60% within the next 10 years, in addition to nearly $128 million in funding to lower costs, improve performance, and speed the deployment of solar energy technologies.”
Solar Energy Stories December 9, 2020
Construction of the Erath solar project in Erath County, Texas, southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth, kicked off today. The 10-megawatt community solar farm is expected to be completed in February 2021. It’s not a huge project by any means, but any new solar farm is good news.
Texas is already a US leader in wind, and now it’s rising in the ranks in solar. But is the state really making an impact on boosting US green energy? What about within the global context?
Solar Energy Stories December 4, 2020
Researchers at the UK’s Lancaster University studied a crystalline material — a solid material with parts such as atoms, molecules, or ions that are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure — and discovered it has properties that allow it to capture solar energy. The energy can be stored for several months at room temperature, and it can be released on demand in the form of heat.
Solar Energy Stories December 3, 2020
Vote Solar, the Coalition for Community Solar Access, and solar provider Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) conducted a study that found that if just a quarter of US households were powered by local rooftop and community solar and storage, Americans would benefit financially and environmentally overall in a very big way.
Solar Energy Stories October 7, 2020
Global climate- and green-tech accelerator Elemental Excelerator just announced its newest cohort of 19 tech companies it said would be “ground-breakers and market-makers.” Here are five up-and-comers in Cohort 9 in the green-tech energy, mobility, and climate change sectors.
Solar Energy Stories September 16, 2020
Net metering allows residential and commercial customers who generate their own electricity from solar power to sell the electricity they aren’t using back into the grid. That saves money on electric bills.
But electric companies perceive that they make less money as a result, and they’re not so keen on that. So in Florida, utilities want to roll net metering back — and there’s a hearing about it tomorrow.
Solar Energy Stories April 6, 2020
Imagine parking your EV, pushing a button, and a solar EV-charging cover automatically unfurls to protect your car and add a few miles of range. That’s exactly what a French company that produces thin-film photovoltaics and a French EV startup created. While still in the prototype phase, and presented in a goofy video, the idea is maybe not as far-fetched as it first seems.
Solar Energy Stories February 27, 2020
Electrify America, the Volkswagen subsidiary, announced today that it’s investing $2 million in solar-powered EV charging stations in rural California. The investment in charging stations that are not tied to the electrical grid will expand access to EV charging opportunities for drivers in rural areas.
Solar Energy Stories October 7, 2019
Kenya’s first green bond raises $41.45 million
Kenya has gotten its very first green bond. Stanbic Bank in Kenya, who arranged the deal, announced the arrangement. It has raised $41.45 million (4.3 billion Kenyan shillings), according to the bank. The bond will be used to build climate-resilient student accommodation in Nairobi.
Solar Energy Stories November 15, 2016
Total, the major French multinational oil and gas company, announced today a $300 million investment to install about 200 MW of solar capacity at 5,000 gas stations around the world. The investment is being presented as a way for Total’s operations to reduce its carbon footprint, but what if its the first step to convert the gas stations into electric vehicle charging stations? expand full story
