All Blog Posts (121)

The conversations about big government and government subsidies to renewable energy certainly need to contain considerations of all the fossil fuel subsides around the world.



Fossil Fuel Subsidies Six Times More Than Renewable Energy (Bloomberg):

Fossil-fuel consumers worldwide received about six times more government subsidies than were given…

Dennis Derr found PVPower online. He wanted to build a ground-mounted PV system to power his Acton, CA home. We were running a special on Fluitecnik panels. After a bit of consulting with our head engineer, Chuck VonDrehle, he decided to purchase some.



The system didn’t work at first; the power output was much too low. After several calls to Chuck, PVPower and Fluitecnik were able to work together to provide a solution to Dennis. This is from an email from Dennis:



“Well…

There has been a very rapid expansion in the solar industry. The industry is struggling to cut costs and become more efficient, and some growing pains are inevitable. As the price of solar panels has fallen, consolidation and a few failures have already happen and there will be more. For long-term alternative energy growth this is not all a bad thing.  Hopefully, the strong will survive and become even more efficient. …

At least 773 Megawatts of solar panels will be put on rooftops across America as a result of The DOE’s new $1.4 Billion loan guarantee.  Up to 10,000 jobs will be created in 28 states in what some solar financing experts are calling “a game-changer for distributed solar.”

This massive series of rooftop solar systems, called Project Amp, will take about four years to complete, and occupy about 750 rooftops nationwide.  Bank…

Soltastic! has announced their latest deal, 26% off Tigo energy maximizing systems.  The deal runs until Friday, June 24.

Module maximizer systems have been shown to increase the power output of residential photovoltaic systems by up to 20%, making it a worthwhile investment for both new and existing home solar systems.

Soltastic uses the same strategy as Groupon: get enough people to agree to buy the same…

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced The Rooftop Challenge, a competition that incentivizes collaboration between local governments to decrease the cost of solar power.  As part of the SunShot Initiative, $12.5 million will be…

Al Serra Chevrolet in Grand Blanc, MI has installed a 20kW solar canopy to charge their selection of Chevy Volt electric cars.  Designed and developed by Sunlogics, the Green Zone canopy has 12 charging ports and can charge a Chevy Volt 4,500 times per year.  Sunlogics reports a second canopy is underway at a California dealership.  Original story here.…

Vermont has approved a solar registration plan that allows homeowners looking to put a PV system of under 5kW on their house to bypass a lengthy, expensive permitting process.  According to a study conducted by SunRun, permitting costs nearly $2,500 per residential solar system.  With the new system in place starting in January or 2012, residents of Vermont can expect to save 50 cents per watt on reduced permitting costs.

People…

There are so many Solar Energy Advantages.

Here are some examples of what it has over oil, the world's current number one energy source:

•Solar energy is a renewable resource. Although it cannot be utilized at night or on cloudy days, its availability may be generally relied upon day after day. The solar energy supply will last as long as the sun.

•Oil, on the other hand, is not renewable. It takes millions…

I’d like to take a closer look at exactly how a solar PV system can increase the value of your home.  I’ve mentioned this phenomenon in this article, but I recently read this article, citing…

Every month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration releases an 18-month projection of the energy landscape, focusing mainly on oil prices and trends.  For past month’s summaries have a look at March’s and April’s recaps.

The price of oil blew up for April’s report, but has…

No one is excited unless they are divided

– 311, "Seems Uncertain"

If you’ve been following the solar industry for any amount of time, you’ve no doubt heard of China’s renewable energy progress.  Journalists would like you to believe we’re racing China to energy independence, a competition measured with clean energy investments,…

PVPower is extremely excited to welcome solar expert Chuck VonDrehle to its team.   Before moving to Chicago, Chuck spent 3 years as a PV solar system project manager for Borrego Solar and GRO Solar in California.  He’s one of only a handful of NABCEP certified solar installers in Chicago.  PVPower will use VonDrehle’s wealth of experience and knowledge to assist in the development of SolarBear, an online marketplace that aims to simplify…

Soltastic! has announced the first deal of their brand spankin' new solar group buying program.  From their website:

How’s that for fighting the image of an oil giant?  Chevron has opened a 1MW solar farm on a reclaimed New Mexico landfill – previously filled with mining refuse.  The 20-acre “brown field” was not suited for reforestation, due to soil issues from the mining debris, so Chevron decided to put it to good use and install concentrating…

A law signed today by California governor Jerry Brown will require the state’s utilities to provide a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020.  California’s previous goal was to have 20% renewable energy by 2010, a goal that each of the state’s major utilities failed to meet.

Colifornia joins Maine and Hawaii as the most ambitious states in the country when it comes to renewable energy.  Hawaii plans to have 40% renewables by 2030.  Maine wants 40% renewables by…

Every month, the Energy Information Agency’s Department of Energy releases an updated 18-month energy outlook, focusing on oil prices.  The latest report was released today, clarifying some intriguing trends that could mean big things for solar power and renewable energy.

Gas prices have risen consistently. …

Many states require utilities to provide a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources like solar power.  If a utility is unable to meet these requirements, some states allow utilities to purchase renewable energy credits from individuals or companies who are producing electricity from a renewable source.  More often or not, these individuals are producing excess electricity with photovoltaic…

According to SanFrancisco-based Cleantech Group LLC, clean technology investments totaled $2.57 Billion during 1Q 11.  This total is up 52 percent from 4Q 10 ($1.69 Billion) and up 31 percent from 1Q 10 ($2.28 Billion).  Solar companies led the way with $641 Million of investements, with EV cars ($311…