Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 3 April 2013

NC could lose solar lead as neighbors promote development

Apr 2, 2013 - As North Carolina legislators consider ending some of the state’s incentives for solar energy development, legislators and utilities in neighboring states are increasing their efforts to attract it.

Mike Whitson of PCGSolar Inc. in Davidson says the two factors could leave the state losing its edge as the solar leader in the Southeast.

The Solar Energy Industries Association says North Carolina ranks fifth in the nation for the amount of solar capacity installed in 2012. It projects that the state will rank fourth this year. read more>>>

S&T's Solar Village to house microgrid project

April 2, 2013 - Four solar homes built by students at Missouri University of Science and Technology will soon become home to an experimental microgrid to manage and store renewable energy. The houses, all past entries into the Solar Decathlon design competition, make up the university's Solar Village.

In its initial phase, the project involves Missouri S&T students and researchers, along with representatives from utility companies, the Army Corps of Engineers and several Missouri businesses. The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of small-scale microgrids for future use. read more>>>

Dog House Solar Powered Exhaust Fan - For the Dog Palace and almost any other Dog Houses (Google Affiliate Ad)

Growing Green Economy Lacks Women, Despite Higher Earnings and Lower Wage Gap

Apr. 2, 2013 - New research by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) provides the first ever state-by-state estimates of women's share of green jobs in the United States, and finds a smaller wage gap in the green economy overall. While women hold about half all jobs in the country, they hold only three out of ten (29.5 percent) jobs in the growing green economy, and their underrepresentation is particularly marked in jobs expected to grow the most.

In 33 states, women in green jobs earn at least $1,000 more per year for full-time year-round work than women in the overall economy. read more>>>

Exeter Leading the Way in Region's Green Economy

March 30, 2013 - There is something about Exeter that has been capturing the attention of green-minded people all over New Hampshire. Distinguished from the surrounding coastal towns, Exeter is a town committed to building a local economy where local businesses thrive over major conglomerates and chains.

“Exeter has increasingly had more businesses integrate sustainability into their business operations,” says Laura Mackay, owner of Acorn Organic Salon. “We love the chance to inspire other businesses to make the changes and to come to us with questions about the environmental initiatives we have at Acorn.” read more>>>

Solar Powered Attic Fan (Google Affiliate Ad)

60 per cent of public wants Government to do more for green economy

28th March 2013 - Nearly 60 per cent of the UK public believes the Government should invest more in the green economy, a new poll finds.

The UK public would like to see the Government promote both strong climate policy and economic recovery, according The Carbon Brief, an online climate and energy resource funded by the European Climate Foundation. It found that 41 per cent believe the two need not be mutually exclusive, but 31 per cent believe that the economy should take precedent over environmental policy until the economy has recovered. read more>>>

Completion of Molten Salt Solar Receiver sets Milestone in Nevada Solar Project Construction

SolarReserve's U.S. developed technology represents leading solar thermal technology worldwide; integrated energy storage provides reliable and zero-emissions electricity, day or night

Apr. 2, 2013 - SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of large-scale solar power projects, today announced completion of the assembly of the molten salt receiver panels that sits on top of the 540 foot solar power tower for its 110 megawatt (MW) Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant located near Tonopah, Nev. Utilizing the most advanced solar thermal technology worldwide, the Crescent Dunes Plant will be the nation's first commercial-scale solar power tower facility with energy storage and the largest power plant of its kind in the world.

"With more than 450 construction workers currently on site, the project is on course to bring American innovation to fruition," said Kevin Smith, CEO of SolarReserve. "The energy storage capability of this technology solves the problem of intermittency typical of other renewable energy sources. read more>>>

270 gallon Pond Kit w/Solar Light (Google Affiliate Ad)

Orlando Shared Solar Program Sells Out in 6 Days

April 2nd, 2013 - Do customers still want solar even if they can’t put it on their own house? From Orlando, the answer is a resounding Yes! Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), the municipally owned utility serving one of Florida’s largest cities, launched its Community Solar Program in March. Within six days, all 400kW were fully subscribed, and OUC had received another 300kW+ worth of applications.

OUC Renewables Manager Jennifer Szaro is scrambling to line up more solar projects to bring into the program to meet customer demand. “We never dreamed it would sell out in six days,” she said. read more>>>

Schindler Introduces World’s Most Advanced Elevator that can be Powered Exclusively by Sunlight

2013.04.02 - Schindler introduced the world’s most advanced affordable, solar-powered elevator system today, a trailblazing technology that underscores the company’s dedication to developing innovative, sustainable solutions for urban mobility challenges.

Inspired in large part by its partnership with the revolutionary Solar Impulse project, the zero fuel airplane aiming to fly around the world propelled only by solar energy, the Schindler Solar Elevator is a hybrid system designed to supply from up to 100 percent of the elevator’s power needs from rooftop solar panels and a proprietary Hybrid Energy Manager (HEM) that stores the solar energy in batteries until needed. read more>>>