Politics in the Zeros

New solar concentrating dish technology being tested by IBM could be disruptive technology, it’s that promising. The High Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal system will be able to concentrate the power of 2,000 suns while delivering fresh water and cool air wherever it is built. This includes using excess heat for desalination, which makes this ideal for [...]

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BrightSource just cancelled a proposed solar thermal plant due to uncertainties surrounding transmission lines, costs, and the time involved in making changes to plans. They wanted to change their Hiddens Hills construction plans in Inyo County CA to include molten salt heat storage so the plant could generate electricity even when the sun isn’t shining. But this [...]

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Solar panels covering water irrigation canals make huge sense. The solar panels slow water loss from evaporation by shielding the water from direct sun and produce power, generally in areas where there is lots of sun. This really needs to be done in California, where water is sent for hundreds of miles in uncovered canals, [...]

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It get baking hot in Lancaster CA in the summer. The city got clobbered when real estate collapsed and is reinventing itself as a renewable energy hub and showcase. The city council has now mandated that new homes have solar panels installed on them. The solar power can be aggregated, homes can share power. This [...]

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Mosaic lets you to invest as little as $25 in solar power projects in the US with an average expected rate of return of about 4.5%, which certainly beats savings accounts. They’ve funded eleven projects so far, totaling $1.1 million. Payments go directly into your checking account each month. They charge a modest 1% in fees. This [...]

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Over 3 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic were installed last year in the US, a new record. Prices are dropping sharply too. By the end of 2012 there were 7.2 gigawatts of PV and 546 MW of concentrating solar power online in the US. This is certainly a major and welcome jump but a little perspective [...]

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Trade wars are generally futile and counter-productive. The US and China are already escalating their solar trade war. Now the US has filed suit with WTO against India’s domestic requirements for solar. There are more than 10 solar trade disputes now ongoing at both a domestic and international level, notes Solarbuzz senior analyst Michael Barker. [...]

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The Department of Commerce raised tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports with a 31% levy, supposedly to prevent dumping. However, much of the polysilicon that China uses to create those solar panels comes from the States. China may retaliate by raising tariffs on that silicon, raising prices on solar panels worldwide, and igniting a green [...]

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Watch Germany’s green revolution on PBS. See more from Need To Know. Germany is united on their goal of eliminating fossil fuel and moving towards renewable energy. By contrst, here in the States, we continue to argue endlessly about everything including renewable energy and still have no offshore wind. Further, no major politician in Germany [...]

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A Pew Research report, Innovate, Manufacture, and Compete, says the US is starting to lose it when it comes to energy, cleantech, and renewable energy. Ever-changing government policies make it difficult if not impossible to make plans more than a year into the future for those wanting to build renewable energy sites or improve the [...]

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