Although the price of solar has dropped over the years, the up-front cost of installing a residential solar PV system — on average $7,000 to $10,000 after the federal tax credit and CPS Energy rebate — can still be prohibitive. … Continue reading →
The chemical makeup of wastewater generated by “hydrofracking” could cause the release of tiny particles in soils that often strongly bind heavy metals and pollutants, exacerbating the environmental risks during accidental spills, Cornell researchers have found. Previous research has shown … Continue reading →
When Wes Kennedy started engineering solar systems in the mid-1990s, he pretty much had one integration option: batteries. At that time, Kennedy designed and installed systems for Jade Mountain, a Colorado-based distributed energy retailer that eventually merged with Real Goods … Continue reading →
Brundage Management Co. has accepted the Bill Sinkin Solar Award for the company’s work in advancing the adoption of solar energy in San Antonio. San Antonio-based Brundage installed 825 kilowatts of solar energy systems on 11 of the company’s A-AAAKey … Continue reading →
Like many consumers, David Polstein had already done much to reduce energy use in his large Victorian home in Newton, Mass. He replaced his appliances with energy-efficient models, installed better heating and put in new insulation. But he was unable … Continue reading →
CPS Energy has dropped its proposed fees for solar customers — either for the time being or altogether. The utility detailed the proposal for the City Council last week, with council members raising concerns about whether the fees would discourage … Continue reading →
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “India is to be found not in its few cities, but in its 700,000 villages.” Though that may at one time have been true, it is no longer the case. With about 30 country dwellers moving … Continue reading →
This map shows how little space we’d need to power the entire world with solar panels. The area in the red box is about 25,000 square miles, slightly larger than the state of West Virginia. The small red square shows … Continue reading →
First, Randy Ross bought a Chevrolet Volt. Faced with the need to charge his car and eager to cut his utility bill, he installed solar panels on the roof of his Pleasanton, Calif., home. Now Ross, 61, has taken the … Continue reading →
Barclays recently downgraded the U.S. electricity sector. That’s right, the whole sector. It’s now listed as “underweight,” meaning that if you were to hold a full portfolio of bonds for the U.S. economy, you might want to be a bit … Continue reading →
Barclays recently downgraded the entire U.S. electric utilities sector to "underweight" on the threat posed by widespread adoption of solar-storage. These systems allow homeowners to use rooftop solar panels and a battery to cut all but the figurative emergency backup … Continue reading →
BlackRock, the world's biggest fund manager, has teamed up with London's FTSE Group to help investors avoid coal, oil and gas companies without putting their money at risk. In a sign that a global campaign against fossil fuels is entering … Continue reading →
2014 is predicted to be a breakout year for solar financing, as the industry eagerly pursues finance innovations. Many of these methods aren't really new to other industries, but they are potentially game-changing when applied in the solar industry. Not … Continue reading →
A free special report Greentech Media is pleased to present a special report on “intelligent efficiency,” a new paradigm emerging in the market based on information awareness and data analytics. We present the first chapter of our report below. For … Continue reading →
If we are to make the transition to a renewable resource based economy, we need to do a better job of measuring the sustainability of our organizations, cities and nations. In an excellent article published in 2002 entitled "Using Sustainability … Continue reading →
The energy efficiency retrofit of the Empire State Building had the makings of a great story right from the start. Visionary building owner Tony Malkin, in an effort to revive the 2.7 million-square foot New York landmark, assembled a team … Continue reading →
In state capitals across the country, legislators are debating proposals to roll back environmental rules, prodded by industry and advocacy groups eager to curtail regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gases. The measures, which have been introduced in about 18 states, … Continue reading →
Net zero energy buildings are becoming more mainstream as technologies and processes improve, and renewable energy becomes less costly. Increasingly, innovators are focusing on how to take existing buildings to net zero. Whether for new or existing buildings, getting to … Continue reading →
This interactive map illustrates the coming of cost-competitive solar based on a comparison of the unsubsidized cost of solar electricity with retail electricity prices of all 3100 utilities in the United States. The numbers on a state indicate the number … Continue reading →
SAN ANTONIO – A new report ranks San Antonio 6th in the nation for the amount of solar installed, and provides a first-of-its-kind comparative look at the growth of solar in major American cities. The Environment Texas Research and Policy … Continue reading →
