Let the sun shine on

Solar power booms in California, and more Central Valley customers are hopping aboard.

An article in the Fresno Bee Sunday, July 30, 2006 regarding Solahart All Valley Energy Systems and the rising demand for solar electric systems.

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Energy saving begins at home: a Renewable Energy Specialist installs a double dose of solar power at his own house

It's no surprise that professionals working in any renewable energy field are aware of the practical, carbon-saving benefits of installing solar energy in their own homes. For Tony Almond, boss of Planet Energy Solutions, that meant a double dose of solar power – with both solar photovoltaics and solar thermal panels installed at his property in Welwyn, Hertfordshire (UK).

Alanod-Solar Unveils Laser Welding Solar Thermal Production Facility

Alanod-Solar this week, unveiled a high capacity laser welding facility located in North Ridgeville, Ohio. This facility will manufacture and distribute the company's laser welded Miro-Fin absorber fins for solar thermal collectors.

Solar Industry To Hit US $77B in 2015

As the books close on what was a turbulent 2009 for the solar industry, Lux Research said that the solar market will soon see the lopsided supply and demand that characterized much of the last year return to equilibrium. According to the new report Solar's Shakeout: Europe Loses Leadership as China Rises," strong demand growth in Asia and the U.S. will push the market to 9.3 GW in 2010, hitting a dollar value of US $39 billion.

CLEAN ENERGY PATENTS HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2009 -Clean Energy Patent Growth Index

Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. is pleased to announce results for the fourth quarter of 2009 for the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) by the firm's Cleantech Group, along with the year end 2009 results.

MIT Researchers Tip Their Cards

Last week, as part of the 2010 MIT Energy Conference, the institute opened the doors to its energy research projects. Press and other interested parties got a first look at technologies that could one day make renewable energy abundant, cheap and more deployable. These cutting-edge technologies were presented by a handful of MIT faculty and students who showed some innovations in the solar, hydrogen and energy storage areas that are on the road to commercialization.

Australia Revises Renewable Energy Target Plan

On February 26, Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Water Penny Wong, and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change Greg Combet, announced that the government would make changes to the country's Renewable Energy Target plan. Starting in January 2011, the existing scheme will include two parts – the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET).

Salt River Solar & Wind Invites Customers to Go Solar! at the Maricopa County

Salt River Solar & Wind (http://www.saltriverenergy.com) invites customers to bring a copy of their electricity bill to receive a free solar quote from Booth #117 at the Maricopa County Home & Garden Show on March 5th - 7th at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on March 5th – 7th from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Solar Cooling: Proving the Paradox

There is a myth that we must lower our standard of living in order to avoid the effects of climate change but the reality is that alternative solutions do not sacrifice comfort.

Video: Renewable Energy World Conference and Expo A Huge Success

Last week, close to four thousand renewable energy professionals gathered in Austin, Texas to take part in the 7th Renewable Energy World Conference and Expo. Attendees took part in technical tours to places such as the Ercot Control Center and Austin Energy, conference sessions that covered pressing renewable energy topics and walked the show floor where more than 225 exhibitors showed off the latest renewable energy innovations.

SolarWorld Jumps in MENA Solar Market, Opportunities To Grow in 2010

SolarWorld is acquiring a 29 percent stake in the newly founded joint venture Qatar Solar Technologies headquartered in the Emirate of Qatar. The joint venture will establish the first production facility for polysilicon on the Arabian Peninsula. Partners are the Qatar Foundation (70 percent) and the Qatar Development Bank (1 percent).

Tramelton Corporation - Taking the renewable energy challenge!

Tramelton Corporation taking the challenge to deliver high performance and reliable energy solutions to sub-Saharan Africa.

20% DISCOUNT on Earthscan books at ECOBUILD 2010 - March 2-4

Once again Earthscan will be at Ecobuild, the world's biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment, with our unparalleled selection of books available for you to browse and purchase at a 20% discount.

Experts To Gather In San Francisco On May 3-4 To Discuss How To Navigate The Regulatory Hurdles In Solar Project Development Across The US

San Francisco, CA February 25, 2010 – Solar power is fast becoming big business in the US. Whilst stimulus dollars and new incentives have helped the US solar industry stay strong during the worst global recession of a generation, significant red tape and hurdles still need to be overcome in project development in order for the market to realize its vast potential.

Alteris Renewables Launches New Website

Alteris Renewables, the fastest growing renewable energy design and installation company in the Northeast, has launched a new wesbite to better serve its customers and highlight the company's long history in residential and commercial solar and community-scale wind. The Boston-area media firm Captains of Industry was chosen to develop the design and publishing platform.

Excellence in Renewable Energy Award Winners Announced

The Renewable Energy World network of publications, the World's #1 Renewable Energy Network, has announced the winners of the 2009 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards. The awards, which were presented yesterday at the Renewable Energy World Conference and Expo in Austin, Texas, recognize the most cutting-edge projects, people and technologies in the clean energy industry.

Briefing on pyranometers and pyrheliometers

Good quality solar radiation data is becoming increasingly important in the field of renewable energy with regard to both photovoltaic (PV) and thermal systems. This applies in activities such as research and development, production quality control, determination of optimum locations, monitoring the efficiency of installed systems and predicting the system output under various sky conditions.

Greening Deserts for Carbon Credits

Poor farming practices have degraded the world's soils causing them to release carbon that should have stayed in the soil. In the past 150 years soils have released twice as much carbon as fuel burning. Improved farming methods could quickly rebuild degraded land and store enough carbon to offset the damage already done by fuel burning. Dr Rattan Lal of Ohio State University, a leading expert on soil carbon, estimates that the potential of economical carbon sequestration in world soils may be .65 billion to 1.1 billion tons per year for the next 50 years. This is enough to draw down atmospheric CO2 by 50 ppm by 2100. This is a one-time opportunity, however. We must ultimately stop burning fossil fuels.

3TIER Completes REmapping the World™

3TIER® today announced the completion of its REmapping the World ™ initiative, which was launched in March 2008 to address the biggest barrier to global renewable energy adoption – the lack of reliable information regarding resource potential and availability. With today's release of a global solar map and dataset, the company has completed its unprecedented goal of identifying and mapping the world's wind and solar resources using a globally consistent methodology.

Brightsource Offered US $1.4B DOE Loan Guarantee for Ivanpah Project

BrightSource Energy Inc. announced on Monday that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has conditionally committed to provide US $1.37 billion in loan guarantees to support the financing of BrightSource's Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System.

Size of US Solar Market Set to Double as Industry Poised For Growing Investment in 2010

HENRY T. PEREA and BERNADETTE DEL CHIARO: Fresno must lead the way in solar power

(Updated Thursday, June 1, 2006, 9:35 AM)

It is not a question of if, but when solar power becomes a mainstream and competitive energy resource in California. By adopting the right policies today, we can have a great deal of control over how rapidly solar power becomes a commonplace, cost-effective and common-sense solution to many of the threats facing the central San Joaquin Valley including air pollution, global warming and rising energy costs.

To help realize the great promise of solar power, this summer we will ask the City Council to adopt the "Fresno Renewable Energy Rebate Initiative," which would provide up to $2,000 in direct rebates and savings for homeowners who use solar energy.

The goal of this initiative is to make solar energy more affordable while reducing harmful emissions caused by traditional sources of energy. We believe it is essential to promote the next generation of clean energy technologies by providing incentives to those who can benefit the most, homeowners.

Experience over the past 10 years, both in California and worldwide, shows that if we invest now in creating the demand, the solar industry will meet it, and in doing so, will manufacture and install solar systems more cheaply. Since 1998, the cost of solar power in California has dropped 25%. As the solar industry learns how to build more cheaply, demand will increase, creating a "virtuous cycle" that will give solar power a tremendous boost in becoming a major source of clean, homegrown power in the Valley.

In addition to lowering the cost of solar power, incentives to encourage renewable energy will bring other benefits, such as jobs, cleaner air and lowered energy costs. According to the Electric Research Institute, building solar panels instead of fossil fuel power plants will create four to seven times more jobs. Further, for every solar roof, air pollution is reduced by at least one ton every year. Finally, with energy prices on the rise, everything we do to reduce our demand on limited fossil fuels helps lower prices for everyone.

Today, federal and state rebates lower the cost of a typical residential solar system to $10,000. The system pays for itself via lower electric bills in around seven years. Yet much more can be done to make sure that everyone can afford to go solar. Also, more needs to be done to ensure Fresno not only benefits, but becomes a solar leader. Fresno, with its high energy costs, numerous sunny days and stubborn air pollution is a perfect location for solar power.

This is especially true considering the region's unprecedented growth. Every year, more than 4,000 new homes are built in Fresno County. One of the most cost-effective ways to build solar power is to incorporate it into the roof during construction. Many manufacturers today make solar panels that look and act just like shingles, saving material costs and creating a neat, seamless look to the roof.

From a homeowner's perspective, incorporating solar energy panels saves money. According to Environment California Research & Policy Center, an average Valley homeowner using solar energy can expect to net more than $120 a year. Savings can be even higher for homeowners who also invest in energy-efficiency measures like efficient appliances and lights.

The bottom line is that solar power is no longer just for the stereotypical green technology enthusiast. Rather, solar power is ready for everyday California homeowners looking for some relief from rising energy and housing costs and who recognize that independence, especially energy independence, is priceless.

It is for these reasons and many more that the City Council should embrace the Fresno Renewable Energy Rebate Initiative. Imagine if Fresno were the first city in the state to achieve Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's goal of building half of all new homes with solar power. Over the next 10 years, that would mean more than 15,000 solar roofs in Fresno, several hundred new jobs, cleaner air, and more money back in the budgets of Fresno families.

Ultimately, it would mean Fresno can become the nation's premier solar city, "farming" the sky for clean, reliable and pollution-free energy. After all, Fresno was built upon its abundant sunshine and long sunny days. Let's start putting that sun to use, not just on the farm but in growing our city, as well. Let's make Fresno the state's solar power leader.