Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 1 April 2013

House bill threatens NC solar boom

March 30, 2013 - Last year Republicans in the General Assembly, as part of a bill on coastal management, tried to decree how high global warming may make the seas rise.

Now several GOP lawmakers are trying to stop the sun.

It’s not as dramatic as freezing ol’ Sol in his daily passage, but it could end the state’s impressively successful efforts to harness the sun as a source of energy.

Solar power is booming in North Carolina. As The News & Observer’s John Murawski reported last Sunday, the state ranks fifth in the nation for solar energy production and is projected by the Solar Energy Industries Association to move up to fourth place this year. In 2012, North Carolina had more utility scale solar projects (21) than any state in the nation. read more>>>

Worldwide Microgrid Market Will Surpass $40 Billion in Annual Revenue by 2020, Forecasts Navigant ResearchM

1 April 2013 - With dozens of pilot programs having been launched globally, the microgrid market is moving into full-scale commercialization. Driven by falling costs for solar photovoltaic systems and the easing of prohibitions against the operation of distributed generation assets during times of grid stress, the adoption of microgrids will accelerate as awareness of – and confidence in – the platform’s capabilities grows. According to a new report from Navigant Research, revenue from deployments of microgrids will be just under $10 billion in 2013, rising to more than $40 billion annually by 2020. read more>>>

Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel Charger (Google Affiliate Ad)

The Food Industry Goes Green To Save

March 30, 2013 - Changes in food transportation, disposal, and diversity are affecting companies at every level of doing business, according to The Green Economy’s latest magazine.

Corporations, including Intel, Novo Nordisk and Aramark, are changing to meet the needs of a diverse workforce. Food manufacturers, like Ocean Spray Cranberries, are partnering with competitors to lower costs and emissions when shipping products from coast to coast. read more>>>

Green Economy Snapshot: Prototype Equipment Design

March 27, 2013 - This morning I was fortunate to take part in a Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Industry Tour of Prototype Equipment Design, right here in Vic West. This locally-owned business employs 15 people with impressive skills and an inspiring pride in their work and their company.

Prototype Equipment Design creates ... you guessed it... prototypes, of machined metal or plastic parts as well as circuit boards. They typically do the first small runs of products as engineers are fine-tuning things. They also create specialized parts for the navy, including nuts and bolts for the Canadian navy's submarines. read more>>>

Renewable Energy Creeper Body Suit (Google Affiliate Ad)

Obama-backed green automaker Tesla Motors turns a profit

04/01/13 - Tesla Motors, a federally backed producer of high-end electric cars, says it’s making money.

The company announced late Sunday that it became profitable in the first quarter of 2013 after better-than-expected sales of its Model S sedan.

Tesla said it sold more than 4,750 Model S sedans in the first quarter, up from the prior forecast of 4,500. read more>>>

False picture on renewable energy

March 30, 2013 - A seismic shift occurred in the U.S. electric power industry this January. For the first time since the federal government began tracking new power plants, renewable energy sources - biogas, solar and wind - accounted for 100% of generating capacity added that month.

This milestone does not please fossil fuel interests, who are alarmed over the prospect of losing market share to clean energy. To reverse this trend, they have launched a national campaign involving the planting of so-called studies in selected states that falsely demonize renewable energy.

One such report, prepared by Beacon Hill Institute, a Massachusetts think tank that is openly hostile to pro-renewable energy policy, surfaced in Wisconsin last week. read more>>>