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19 June 2013: Automating Solar PV Installation With Alion Energy's Robots
Alion Energy has officially transformed from its origins in thin-film manufacturing, to now offering a way to significantly streamline utility-scale solar plant construction, using robots.
19 June 2013: Germany Energy Storage Incentive Could Push PV Market Further
As more and more solar is installed and some countries, like Germany, are seeing consumers get an increasing amount of their electricity from intermittent sources, grid storage and batteries are sure to be hot topics at this year’s Intersolar Europe in Munich. Tobias Rothacher, senior manager of renewable energies at Germany Trade and Invest, will
19 June 2013: Are Solar Utilities Obsolete?
Are traditional solar photovoltaic (PV) financing models dead? Are solar utilities dinosaurs, about to become extinct? For utilities, says Dirk Morbitzer, general manager of analysis firm Renewable Analytics, “the old times are gone. Utilities must embrace renewables or suffer the consequences.”
19 June 2013: Residential Solar Projects Insured for Success
Demand for solar residential systems is at an all time high. In 2013, residential solar photovoltaic (PV) installations are expected to grow by 40 percent due to lower pricing and alternative solar financing options, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-in-Review 2012 research report conducted by Solar Energy Industries and GTM Research.
19 June 2013: Japan: Solar's Real Deal?
Japan's solar market is soaring. Spurred by a generous incentive, developers are announcing mega-scale projects, investors are closing deals and manufacturers are placing orders. The nation is fast becoming the industry champion of 2013.
19 June 2013: Optimising Small Wind Inverters
Small wind turbines (SWTs) less than 50 kW are playing a growing role in electricity generation, and are now being deployed in domestic, commercial and agricultural scenarios. The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) predicts that the global SWT market will increase from 95 MW in 2011 to 700 MW in 2020, growth of approximately 25 percent per year. But market share has remained small when compared to domestic-scale photovoltaics (PV).
18 June 2013: Rethinking Solar Array Field Conventions
How strange that the development of many solar array fields has largely become an exercise in massive excavation, grading and stormwater management. This is ironic when we consider that such projects carry the “sustainable” tag. Yet there is a better way. Such terrains can be developed with minimal disturbance to the site footprint, within an existing regulatory framework and with less impact to sensitive environmental features.
18 June 2013: Three Key Features of Los Angeles' New Local Solar Program
Officially launched in January after years of development, a new CLEAN (feed-in tariff) program from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (the city’s municipal electric utility) promises 100 MW of new local renewable energy by 2016. In absolute size, the program will be among the largest CLEAN programs in the U.S., but compared to the siz
18 June 2013: Renewable Energy in Myanmar: Not Just Clean, It’s Necessary
Myanmar is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and a youthful workforce, but with many of its people living in extreme poverty, the newly opening economy is attracting the interest of investors and aid workers alike. In the middle of the fastest growing region in the world, East Asia, Myanmar holds great promise as the next big market. Growth rates have exceeded 5 percent since 2010 when the country released human rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi and held elections, and 8 percent growth rates are within reach. McKinsey analysts estimate that Myanmar could quadruple its GDP by 2030 to US$200 billion.
18 June 2013: Women in Power – It’s a Natural Fit
Women in power — it’s not just a play on words. With all the talk about ‘leaning in’ it’s time to recognize all the women that leaned in, reached back, pulled forward, marched and continued marching for themselves, their families, their industries and their peers. Women in high-profile positions are honored (though the fickle limelight that can shine or glare), and the scrutiny that comes with this honor can be uncomfortable. Brave women march through this fickle limelight because it is important to them to make a difference.