Tiny Heirloom’s luxury micro homes let you live large in small spaces
Mar 6, 2015: Style isn’t the only thing that’s big in Tiny Heirloom’s luxurious and beautifully detailed tiny homes—the custom base model package starts at a hefty $65,000 price tag. For that price however, clients can expect high-end materials like granite countertops…
The global energy challenge: One billion people have no access to electricity
Mar 6, 2015: More than one billion people world-wide have no access to electricity to cook food or light their homes, despite the technology being in place. A study on options for getting more electrical access has taken place in Bangladesh.
Floating solar-powered Waternest eco-home is nearly 100% recyclable
Mar 5, 2015: The 100-square-foot floating pod-shaped home measures 12 meters in diameter and 4 meters tall. Its curved body is constructed from recycled glued laminated timber and a recycled aluminum hull. The rounded wooden roof is topped by a 60-square-meter photovoltaic…
OneRoof Energy Continues Sales Channel Expansion with Blue Raven Solar
Mar 5, 2015: SAN DIEGO, CA --(eSolarEnergyNews)-- OneRoof Energy, Inc., a residential solar services provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of OneRoof Energy Group, Inc. today announced that Blue Raven Solar has been added to the Company's growing list of sales channel partners. Blue Raven is headquartered in Utah with growing markets throughout northern and southern California, as well as expanding…
GRID Alternatives Joins CPF’s Network of Channel Partners to Finance Solar Projects for Low-Income Homeowners
Mar 5, 2015: SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(eSolarEnergyNews)--GRID Alternatives, the nation’s largest non-profit solar installer, has become a channel partner to Clean Power Finance (CPF) to help more low-income homeowners save money on their electric bills with residential solar. Channel partnership with CPF will help GRID expand the reach of its Solar Affordable Housing Program to hundreds of additional families in…
EnerPlex Surfr™ Battery & Solar Case for the iPhone 6 Now Available
Mar 5, 2015: THORNTON, CO--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Ascent Solar, a developer of state-of-the-art, flexible thin-film photovoltaic modules, integrated into the company's EnerPlex™ series of consumer products, announced today the immediate availability of the company’s Battery & Solar case for the iPhone 6, the EnerPlex Surfr™. The Surfr Battery and Solar case for the iPhone 6 is the first Apple MFi (Made for…
World’s highest LEED-scoring school is powered by D.C.’s largest geothermal system
Mar 5, 2015: Located a few streets down from the U.S. Capitol, the historic Dunbar High School was founded in 1870 as the nation’s first public high school for African Americans. The school was partially demolished in 1977; however, Perkins Eastman used the original…
Gleaming Holy Cross House saves energy with passive design and natural ventilation
Mar 4, 2015: Holy Cross House by Thomas Balaban Architecte is an aluminum-clad home in Montreal, Canada, designed to optimize the use of natural lighting and provide a balanced living space for a family that incorporates contrasting elements. The architects dealt with…
ET Solar Delivers 6.1MW PV Modules to UK's largest Commercial Rooftop Project
Mar 4, 2015: SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(eSolarEnergyNews)-- ET Solar, a leading smart energy solutions provider, announces that it has supplied 6.068MW of PV modules that have been installed on the rooftop of British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) distribution center in the East Midlands of England, at Castle Donington. This is the largest single roof installation for solar in the UK. The project was engineered by…
Cogenra Breaks Through the 400W Module Power Barrier
Mar 4, 2015: FREMONT, CA.--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Cogenra Solar, a manufacturer of innovative, low cost and high reliability PV panels and systems, today announced that its modules have broken two world records, achieving unprecedented power levels using commercially available, unsorted photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and its propriety high-volume Dense Cell Interconnect (DCI) process. By delivering unprecedented…
Sungage Financial and Solar Roof Dynamics Bring Innovative Solar Loan Program to California
Mar 4, 2015: BOSTON, MA & DAVIS, CA.--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Sungage Financial, a financial solutions provider for the residential solar industry, and Solar Roof Dynamics, a value-added solar distribution company that enables roofing contractors to quickly and profitably integrate solar into their businesses, today announced a partnership that will bring Sungage’s solar loan products to Californians. Sungage…
New Solar Panels Are Fully Operational at Kreider Farms’ Chicken Houses
Mar 4, 2015: MANHEIM, PA--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Coinciding with the Lancaster County dairy farm’s year-long celebration of its 80th anniversary, Kreider Farms is pleased to announce that new, energy-efficient solar panels for its four state-of-the-art chicken houses are now fully operational. The $2 million project that began in April 2014 involved the installation of 3,226 solar panels covering 67,000 square…
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions with a more effective carbon capture method
Mar 4, 2015: Trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants and various industries could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the future. But current materials that can collect CO2 -- from smokestacks, for example -- have low capacities or require very high temperatures to work. Scientists are making progress toward a more efficient alternative that could help make carbon capture less energy intensive.
Solar cells to get growth boost, price cut
Mar 4, 2015: Researchers have found that growing a type of film used to manufacture solar cells in ambient air gives it a growth boost. The finding could make manufacturing solar cells significantly cheaper.
Green Building in Cold Climates: Inhabitat Interview with Bernat and Kate of Maison Durable Portneuf
Mar 4, 2015: We've seen many examples of how well green buildings can work in temperate and warm climates, but what about the harsher conditions that can lash homes in rural Quebec? Inhabitat recently had the opportunity to interview Bernat Ferragut and Kate Alvo of Maison…
Researchers discover new material to produce clean energy
Mar 3, 2015: Researchers have created a new thermoelectric material, intended to generate electric power from waste heat -- from a vehicle tailpipe, for example, or an industrial smokestack -- with greater efficiency and higher output power than currently available materials.
Could shrimp shells help make solar power affordable for everyone?
Mar 3, 2015: Researchers from Queen Mary University of London's School of Engineering and Materials Science have used hydrothermal carbonization to create carbon quantum dots for solar cells from chitin and chitosan, chemicals that can easily and cheaply be harvested from…
First in-depth look at solar project completion timelines
Mar 3, 2015: The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has gathered and analyzed data for more than 30,000 solar photovoltaic installations across the United States to better understand how interconnection regulations align with actual project completion timelines. The findings indicate that interconnection process delays are common, and can range from several days to months. Streamlining the application review and final authorization processes can ultimately benefit utilities and solar consumers by reducing the time and cost associated with going solar.
Advancing solar power in Hawaii
Mar 3, 2015: Inverter load rejection overvoltage tests have proven so successful in Hawaii that a testing partner, Hawaiian Electric Companies, has proposed to double its hosting capacity for solar energy.
SunEdison Helps 700 Students Gain Energy Independence
Mar 3, 2015: CHENNAI, INDIA --(eSolarEnergyNews)-- SunEdison, the world's largest renewable energy development company, today announced the installation of a 100 kilowatt (kW) solar system on the premises of the Ramakrishna Mission Students' Home as a part of its Social Innovations mission to bring electricity to 20 million people by 2020. The project will enable the students at the Mission to be more energy…
ET Solar Builds a 9.1 MWp Solar Farm for Hilperton PV in the UK
Mar 3, 2015: MUNICH, GERMANY--(eSolarEnergyNews)-- ET Solar, a leading smart energy solutions provider, announces that ET Solutions AG, its wholly owned turnkey solar energy solutions provider, has completed the construction of a 9.1 MWp ground-mounted solar farm project in partnership with solar energy specialist Hilperton PV. Code named "Marsh Farm", the project is located at Trowbridge in Wiltshire and…
Blend of polymers could one day make solar power lighter, cheaper and more efficient
Mar 2, 2015: Scientists are reporting advances on how to one day make solar cells stronger, lighter, more flexible and less expensive when compared with the current silicon or germanium technology on the market.
Supersonic electrons could produce future solar fuel
Mar 2, 2015: Researchers have taken a step closer to producing solar fuel using artificial photosynthesis. In a new study, they have successfully tracked the electrons’ rapid transit through a light-converting molecule.
These clever backpacks charge your devices with built-in solar power
Feb 28, 2015: Everyone has experienced the frustration of being on the go and needing to use your phone, only to find that it is completely dead. Project Solaire is changing that with these innovative solar backpacks. These simple packs capture sunlight as you go about…
Five mile Hyperloop test track to be constructed in California
Feb 28, 2015: Just two years ago, Elon Musk proposed a new 700mph mass transit solution called the Hyperloop, and now it has taken a big step closer to becoming a reality. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a company inspired by Musk's idea has just signed a deal to…
3D Printed Solar Energy Trees
Feb 28, 2015: Energy Inventions | Future Technology | Photovoltaic Cells | Solar PowerHow would nature do it? Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland may be discovering the answer, thanks to advancing solar and 3D printing technologies. They have developed some very decorative prototypes of what they are calling “energy harvesting trees”. The tiny leaves generate and store solar energy and can be used to […]…
Google investing $300 million in SolarCity to finance 25,000 residential solar installations
Feb 27, 2015: Installing solar panels on your home just makes sense; they turn empty space into green power. One thing stopping some from taking the plunge could be the cost of installing a system, but Google recently announced big plans to help make solar more much more…
Energy use in buildings: Innovative, lower cost sensors and controls yield better energy efficiency
Feb 27, 2015: Buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. Studies indicate that advanced sensors and controls have the potential to reduce the energy consumption of buildings by 20-30 percent.
Panasonic to Introduce Solar-Powered "Green Towers" for Cell and WIFI Service
Feb 26, 2015: NEWARK, N.J --(eSolarEnergyNews)-- Panasonic Eco Solutions will introduce its Green Tower comprehensive energy solution for cellular tower and Wi-Fi hotspot sites at the Mobile World Congress, taking place March 2-5 in Barcelona, Spain. Panasonic and its partner, PowerOasis, will unveil a Lithium Ion-based hybrid power solution, combining Panasonic's powerful Lithium Ion battery and solar…
Solar Powered Full-Scale Demonstration Hyperloop Planned for California
Feb 26, 2015: EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the heels of announcing a public offering and Elon Musk’s offer to build an open source test track in Texas, JumpStartFund’s Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has announced a formal agreement with the developers of Quay Valley, California, to develop an installation of the Hyperloop along a five-mile stretch of the town running alongside the Interstate…
SunEdison To Bring Electricity To 20 Million People By 2020
Feb 26, 2015: BELMONT, CA --(eSolarEnergyNews)-- SunEdison, the world's largest renewable energy development company, today announced an ambitious plan to electrify 20 million people in underserved communities around the world. The initiative will be led by SunEdison Social Innovations, a global group focused on developing new business models and new technologies which make renewable energy in rural…
Vivint Solar Now Offering Residential Solar Leases in Utah
Feb 26, 2015: LEHI, UT--(eSolarEnergyNews)-- Vivint Solar, a leading provider of residential solar systems in the United States, announced today that it is now offering residential solar leases to homeowners in the State of Utah. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah, the company currently employs nearly 1,000 in its corporate offices and plans to hire approximately 60 additional employees on sales, installation and…
PG&E Commits $250,000 for Solar Energy Projects by Local High Schools
Feb 26, 2015: SAN JOSE, CA--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Pacific Gas and Electric announced at today’s We Day California event a $250,000 sponsorship that will provide sustainable energy project opportunities for several local high schools. Students will build portable solar units, share their commitment to sustainability by participating in local projects and have a chance to make a global impact. The solar suitcase…
Magnetic nanoparticles enhance performance of solar cells
Feb 25, 2015: Magnetic nanoparticles can increase the performance of solar cells made from polymers -- provided the mix is right. Adding about one per cent of such nanoparticles by weight makes the solar cells more efficient, according to new findings.
Is the Christian Coalition solar power’s most unlikely new ally?
Feb 25, 2015: A fight over net metering for Indiana solar power users just got a lot more interesting, after the ‘yes’ side took on an unlikely ally–the Christian Coalition of America. The Washington Post reports that head of the Christian Coalition…
Researchers enable solar cells to use more sunlight
Feb 25, 2015: Scientists report progress in photovoltaic research: they have improved a component that will enable solar cells to use more energy of the sun and thus create a higher current.
First Solar and SunPower Plan to Partner to Form Joint YieldCo Vehicle
Feb 24, 2015: TEMPE, Ariz. & SAN JOSE, Calif.--(eSolarEnergyNews)--First Solar and SunPower announced that they are in advanced negotiations to form a joint YieldCo vehicle to which they each expect to contribute a portfolio of selected solar generation assets from their existing portfolio of assets. Upon the execution of a master formation agreement, the parties intend to file a registration statement with…
OnForce Solar Awarded Woodstock Solar Project
Feb 24, 2015: NEW YORK--(eSolarEnergyNews)--OnForce Solar, a leading provider of solar energy systems, announced that the Town of Woodstock, NY has awarded the firm a 650 kW solar project. The planned solar array will be built on 3 acres near the wastewater treatment plant located on state Route 212. OnForce Solar will own the project in its entirety and anticipates investing approximately $2M to install,…
Using 'fuzzy logic' to optimize hybrid solar/battery systems
Feb 24, 2015: A group of researchers in Tunisia and Algeria show how fuzzy logic has helped them create an ideal photovoltaic system that obeys the supply-and-demand principle and its delicate balance. They have now described this new sizing system of a solar array and a battery in a standalone photovoltaic system.
Detecting defects at the nanoscale will profit solar panel production
Feb 24, 2015: New research may lead to major efficiency gains and cost savings in the manufacture of flexible solar panels. The goal is to develop new technologies for the detection, cleaning and repair of micro and nanoscale defects in thin films that are vital in products such as printed electronics and solar panels.
This 3D-printed tree charges smart phones with solar power
Feb 23, 2015: Scientists at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have created a tree prototype that harvests solar power from indoor or outdoor light, and turns it into electricity for powering small electronic devices, including smartphones. The tree, which is 3D…
What Seagulls Can Teach Us About Ecosystems
Feb 23, 2015: Seagulls, they’re everywhere, am I right? Like pigeons, it may be hard for New Yorkers to see them as “wildlife” when they act like such annoying scavengers so much of the time. And because they’re what are known as “opportunistic carnivores”, they tend to hang……
The Benefits of Solar Power (Infographic)
Feb 23, 2015: Environment and Sustainability | Photovoltaic Cells | Solar PowerHome Inspector Bill Barber recently created an excellent infographic that details how solar panels can power homes and help the environment at the same time. According to the infographic, “1 hour of Energy from the Sun = 1 Year of Power for the Global Population”. And as stated, solar power remains the 3rd most important […]…
Sustainability is key at the Bamboo Cottages resort in Vietnam
Feb 20, 2015: Bamboo Cottages, is a family owned, 19-room boutique beach resort located on Phu Quoc Island Vietnam. It was originally established with the goal of positively impacting the local community, by supporting local education and providing jobs, as well as preserving…
Congestion Pricing Is Back, But Is It Better Than Ever?
Feb 20, 2015: Remember the congestion pricing plan that was floated by the Bloomberg administration back in 2008? It had its critics and it had its flaws, and it ultimately died a death in the State Assembly, in no small part thanks to Sheldon Silver’s opposition. But it……
RBI Solar Partnered with Conti on PSE&G Landfill Solar Project
Feb 20, 2015: CINCINNATI, OH --(eSolarEnergyNews)-- RBI Solar has supplied the racking for the 11.18MW-dc Kinsley Solar Farm in Deptford, New Jersey. The solar farm is part of Public Service Electric and Gas Company’s (PSE&G’s) Solar 4 All™ program and covers 32 acres of the closed Kinsley Landfill. Conti Enterprise was the EPC for this landfill project. RBI’s in-house team of engineers worked with Conti to…
SunEdison and GRID Alternatives Announce Major Solar Workforce Initiative
Feb 20, 2015: BELMONT, CA--(eSolarEnergyNews)-- SunEdison, the world's largest renewable energy development company, and the SunEdison Foundation, today announced a $5 million contribution to their philanthropic partnership with GRID Alternatives, the nation's largest non-profit solar installer. Together, the organizations are launching a two-year initiative called RISE to connect the industry's growing demand…
Southern Company subsidiary acquires two Georgia solar projects totaling 99 megawatts
Feb 20, 2015: ATLANTA, GA --(eSolarEnergyNews)-- Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power today announced the acquisition of two photovoltaic (PV) solar projects totaling 99 megawatts (MW) in Georgia – the 80-MW Decatur Parkway Solar Project and the 19-MW Decatur County Solar Project – from Tradewind Energy, Inc. The projects were proposed by Tradewind Energy, Inc. and selected by Southern Company…
Silicon Valley tilt-up office gets amazing net zero retrofit
Feb 20, 2015: As well as providing for its own energy needs with a rooftop solar array, 435 Indio produces zero carbon emissions. As part of its energy-independent design, the office space uses a solar-powered smart lighting control system that adjusts ambient light at…
Hydropower completes greening of Norway
Feb 20, 2015: The Norwegian energy supply can be sustainable by 2030, according to new research, as long as politicians keep their promises, authors say, after analyzing the development potential of the Norwegian energy system to find out how it could be made more sustainable. …