Despite these trends, conventional wisdom holds that a “clean-energy future” is not only possible but looming. Through a combination of energy efficiency and renewable technologies, some argue, we can “solve” the problem of climate change. The case for “we’ve got all the renewables we need” recently received a boost from aNational Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) [...]
April 5, 2013
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The Regulatory Energy Reform Imperative
At their core, electric utility laws grant regulated electric suppliers a monopoly in exchange for a guarantee by the utilities of the supply of reliable power at reasonable prices. However, the time is long past when we should have tackled the challenges of regulating a constantly evolving utility industry, especially since our overreliance on imported [...]
April 5, 2013
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Nevada Utility to Shut Out Coal, Embrace Renewables
The plan calls for 553 megawatts of coal to be replaced with 40 percent renewable energy and 60 percent natural gas. NV Energy must own and operate at least 25 percent of its 600-MW renewable share, and construct or acquire 1,000 MW of natural gas in the next five years, and 1,000 additional MW of [...]
April 4, 2013
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Market Trends: Renewables Growth Shifting from Europe to Emerging Markets
Renewables fund managers, facing slower growth in Europe, are looking to new markets to tap expanding economies and accelerating power demand. While Asia’s biggest emerging nations for clean energy are China and India, others such as South Korea and Thailand are starting to attract more investment. “We’ve seen that several experienced renewable energy developers that Triodos has worked [...]
April 4, 2013
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Risk and Finance in the PV Industry
These headwinds require some examination, however, as they could significantly impact the industry, especially when the 30% investment tax credit expires at the end of 2016, Collectively, they comprise a set of risks that complicate U.S. PV project bankability, including: volatility in the manufacturing sector; module quality issues; uncertain project performance; and, the complexity of [...]
April 3, 2013
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Renewables to Exceed Fossil Fuels in European Generation by 2020
Renewable electricity output capacity will grow by about 50 percent to 512 gigawatts by the end of the decade, Entsoe said in a report published today. Generation capacity using fossil fuels may rise 0.7 percent to 471 gigawatts in the same period. Nuclear production accounts for most of the rest, according to Entsoe’s figures. The [...]
April 3, 2013
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Scope – Not Timing – Remains the Key Issue in EU/China PV Trade War
There was never going to be any doubt that a pre-registration requirement would cause a short-term panic in Europe. But even here, the situation is not so straightforward. It has also come at the same time lower tier Chinese module suppliers are either leaving the PV industry due to overcapacity (and their loss of market-share), [...]
April 2, 2013
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Cloudy Days for a Washington-State Community Solar Effort
The Backbone Campaign’s community solar project was motivated by a generous production incentive offered in Washington State for solar projects installed on public property. Campaign organizer Bill Moyer and many residents of King County, WA, hoped to keep more energy dollars in the local economy by using this incentive to create a community solar project [...]
April 2, 2013
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Latin America Report: Weighing Brazil’s Wind Domestic Content Provision
The new rules, announced in December, could drive up turbine prices by 20 percent or more if companies have to choose local components instead of lowest-cost imports. Bloomberg quotes representatives from Suzlon and Renova Energia that more than half the 13 suppliers operating in Brazil may actually opt out. Another Renova exec suggested suppliers might [...]
April 2, 2013
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Silver City (NM) Installs 1 MW of Solar
The Silver City, New Mexico, wastewater treatment plant will see its 1-megawatt (MW) solar array come online this spring. Affordable Solar, the project owner, began the installation of 4,000 solar panels on the six-acre site in December 2012. Silver City has entered into power purchase agreement with Affordable Solar to buy the generated electricity at [...]
April 6, 2013
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