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Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) Launches!

Monday, February 6th, 2012

WASHINGTON, Feb 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit working to eliminate energy poverty through the use of solar power, today announced that it is launching “Energy is a Human Right,” a campaign to provide a voice to the nearly 1.5 billion people around the world living without access to electricity and other forms of modern energy. It is also calling upon the international development community and general public to join the campaign by visiting www.EnergyIsAHumanRight.com to show their support for those living in energy poverty, and to learn how they can help provide energy access to assist in their economic, education, health and agricultural development. (more…)

SC Solar Lobby Day! Take Action

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

A letter from one of our owners:

Dear Solar Advocate,
I’d like to first off thank you for all your interest and support for the solar energy industry, especially here in South Carolina over the past few years. We have now reached a pivotal crossroads. The solar industry in SC will either achieve unprecedented growth or continue to take baby steps while we watch our neighbors in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic continue to put themselves leaps and bounds ahead with clean energy policies that have created tens of thousands of jobs in their states. The state senate finance committee is debating house bill 3346, which would increase the state income tax credit for solar investments. This will facilitate projects like never before in SC. With the added incentive, raised tax credit cap and equipment prices at an all-time low, residential and commercial projects alike will offer ROIs that have never been experienced before in SC. (more…)

Lease option increases rooftop solar’s appeal, study says

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Lease option increases rooftop solar’s appeal, study says

Rooftop solar panels are attracting a new demographic of customers who are choosing to lease rather than buy, and enjoying the low upfront costs and immediate savings.

The new third-party-lease business model lets homeowners save money the very first month, rather than breaking even a decade later after an initial investment of $10,000 or $20,000. (more…)

Solar PV Firm Sets New World Record for Solar Efficiency

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Solar PV Firm Sets New World Record for Solar Efficiency

With the World Future Energy Summit taking place in Abu Dhabi this week, US company First Solar has just revealed that it has set a new world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) solar module efficiency.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has confirmed the record, which saw First Solar achieve 14.4pc total area efficiency, bypassing the past record of 13.4pc, which was also set by the company. (more…)

SEIA and the Solar Alliance Merge

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

SEIA and the Solar Alliance Merge

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association for the US solar energy industry, has merged with the Solar Alliance, an advocacy organization committed to establishing solar policies at the state level. Effective immediately, the Solar Alliance will operate under the SEIA brand in an effort to present a unified solar industry voice in all advocacy efforts at the state level. Carrie Cullen Hitt, president of the Solar Alliance, is now Vice President for State Affairs at SEIA, and the Solar Alliance team joins Hitt as part of SEIA’s new department for State Affairs. (more…)

10 Solar Trends to Watch for in 2012

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

10 solar trends to watch for in 2012

It’s an understatement to say solar tech companies have suffered in 2011. The year has been marked by financial losses, layoffs, factory closures, trade complaints and bankruptcies afflicting solar manufactures in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The drama will continue in 2012, and here’s a look at what to expect next year: (more…)

Google Ends the Year with Another Clean Energy Investment

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Ending the year with another clean energy investment

We’ve made a new $94 million investment in a portfolio of four solar photovoltaic (PV) projects being built by Recurrent Energy near Sacramento, California. This brings our portfolio of clean energy investments to more than $915 million. We’ve already committed to providing funding this year to help more than 10,000 homeowners install solar PV panels on their rooftops. But this investment represents our first investment in the U.S. in larger scale solar PV power plants that generate energy for the grid—instead of on individual rooftops. These projects have a total capacity of 88 MW, equivalent to the electricity consumed by more than 13,000 homes. (more…)

IKEA Expands their Solar Commitment in the Southeast

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

IKEA Expands their Solar Commitment in the Southeast

Swedish furniture retailer IKEA has decided to bring solar power to 33 of its 44 stores, distribution centers and office buildings in the U.S. in its latest expansion of an ambitious renewable energy initiative. (more…)

SCE&G completes solar project at Boeing plant

Monday, December 5th, 2011

SCE&G completes solar project at Boeing plant

Cayce-based South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. flipped the switch on the largest single rooftop solar installation in the Southeast during a dedication ceremony last week at The Boeing Co.’s North Charleston plant. (more…)

Solar Trees Installed at GM Tech Facility

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Envision Solar, a San Diego-based renewable energy company, has installed its trademark ‘solar trees’ at General Motors’ Tech Facility in Warren, Michigan. And they look fantastic. The solar tree is an innovative concept that takes advantage of idle space (parking lots, rooftops) to generate energy. Each of those trees pictured above will charge 6 electric cars, as wells as feeding power into the GM facility. (more…)