This one-day course outlines the formal inspection of a photovoltaic system to ensure that the PV system installation conforms to professional, legal, and regional and regional electrical and mechanical standards. In this course, participants will become familiar with applicable codes and standards that ensure that system mounting and attachments, electrical calculations, grounding, labeling, and documentation meet existing codes.
This course can be taken as part of a four-day progression along with PV 207 PV System Commissioning and Decommissioning and PV 307 PV System [...]
This two-day training is designed for photovoltaic and solar thermal instructors interested in offering a site assessment training program at their institution whic meets the requirements for the MREA Site Assessment Certificate. Participants will work as a large group to review teacing materials and resources related to site analysis, customer interview, site evaluation, system placement, shading analysis, financial analysis, and site assessment reports. Successful completion of this course, the submission and mentoring of two practice site assessments, and a passing grade on the [...]
SolarTech, a non-profit industry consortium, will be hosting a webinar on May 24th at 9AM PT / 12PM ET to highlight the benefits of the Solar Energy Estimate (SEE) Report. The SEE Report is an industry-standard way of communicating key PV system performance projections and system information in a consistent and clear manner. The goal of the SEE Report is to reduce consumer confusion by offering a service similar to the Federal government’s new-car MPG rating system.
This webinar will cover a basic introduction to [...]
SenatorsBob SmithandStephen Sweenyrecently introduced New JerseySenate Bill 1925. The bill proposes to amend New Jersey’s current solar Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements in an attempt to help stabilize theoversuppliedSREC market. The bill is currently in draft form and is scheduled to be heard by the New Jersey Environment and Energy Committee on Thursday, May 17, 2012.
Based on the information presented below, the proposed version of S1925, while increasing the near term solar RPS requirements, will [...]
The fact that these facilities continue to receive government support would suggest that many policymakers remain fixated on domestic solar manufacturing, despite the chronic oversupply that currently exists within the upstream segment of the PV value-chain. Moreover, many of these projects are funded as a means of local “job creation,” despite the fact that modern module fabs are not particularly labor intensive compared to downstream PV system requirements.
Such manufacturing “support” policies are being implemented globally. For example, within South America, there are manufacturing [...]
In its preliminary determination, the DOC set duties at 31.14 percent for Trina, 31.22 percent for Suntech and 31.18 percent for other Chinese solar manufacturers that chose to participate in the investigation. The companies that chose not to participate were hit with a 250 percent tariff. The tariffs will be retroactive and be applied to panels that were shipped from as far back as about the middle of February 2012.
A final determination must still be made, and the tariff rates can still be [...]
Local installers without a large PR and marketing staff simply don’t know where to begin. Or maybe they submitted a few pitches to the bigger markets and, after being ignored, decided publicity efforts weren’t worth the time. Or maybe they just feel that promoting to local and regional markets places like your local Patch site or print newspapers doesn’t yield enough eyeballs to make it worthwhile.
While Congress fumbles, the Department of Defense (DoD) has identified our fossil fuel dependence as a national security threat which exposes our country to increased vulnerability both at home and abroad. The Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines have all set aggressive goals lower energy demand, utilize new renewable fuel sources, and develop energy generation, storage, and transmission technologies that will allow military installations to function more reliably and expeditionary forces to perform more effectively. Not only that, but the DoD has unequivocally determined [...]
Another year, another wringing of the hands over tax credits and incentives for clean technology.
Lobbyists and vendors in the U.S. are once againsinging the blues, calling for continued and expanding government investments in clean technology. At the same time, political challengers continue theirSolyndra hootenanny, raking the current administration for how it spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
One cant help but wonder whether its time for a different tune when it comes to government involvement in cleantech.
Theres no doubt that everything from solar to biofuels are under assault from legislative halls to the comment boards. And while there are still gains being made, theyre not always evident.
As the renewable energy industry faces another tumultuous week with hearings on Capitol Hill, a highly awaiting trade ruling by the Department of Commerce and intense debate across Europe, we thought we spend the day wrestling up some of the other developments that could bear fruit once the clouds pass.
In this two-hour course, participants will get started by creating a new perspective on what it means to truly interact with your garden and why it’s a good idea to start saving your own seeds or organizing a few neighbors into a seed saving club. Learn about viable seed types, harvesting techniques, seed storage, spacing, and much more.
This course will give you a great start into saving seeds from vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
This class focuses on how to effectively sell SMA products. It is oriented to a sales audience but includes useful information for anyone interested in selling the SMA product line. Topics include features and benefits of SMA products, technology differences, central vs. string inverters, solar system return on investment and the benefits of being a Sunny Pro Club member.
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The International Geothermal Energy Showcase will be widely attended with over two-hundred industry leaders, foreign diplomats, financiers, government officials, embassies, congressional staffers, law firms, multilateral companies, and the geothermal industry at large expected. Past events have welcomed participants from over 20 different countries, over 20 U.S. Government agencies and leading international institutions.The Showcase will highlight international geothermal projects, policies, and development in top international markets.The program for the event seeks to highlight how government policies work to support geothermal energy development.This year, the event will [...]
The 3rd Annual Solar Maghreb congress returns to Casablanca for 2012. With lots having happened in the international solar markets and the regional political stage since the 2011 meeting, the 2012 congress has much to report.
Well organized conference with high quality content – Amman Chamber of Commerce
With preparations well underway, the most established congress to focus exclusively on the North African solar markets will once again feature an unparalleled speaker line up of government representatives, investors, CEOs and Directors of the worlds top [...]
The exclusions, however, do not eliminate all alternative fuels. Congressmen also recommended the exemption of the Defense Department from previous restrictions that prevent federal agencies from buying fuels that are more polluting than conventional fossil fuels. This would allow the military to use the Fischer-Tropsch method, which generates gas to liquid fuel from coal and natural gas and also emits more carbon than burning refined crude oil.
The House is beginning deliberations on the Pentagon Budget Bill, H.R. 4310, today. The White House has [...]
Roettgen had become the face of Germanys shifting energy policy and he was seen by many as a possible successor to Merkel. He was replaced by Peter Altmeier, a trusted member of Merkels inner circle.
Roettgen had been deputy chairman of Merkels Christian Democrats, but he stepped down from that post following Sundays landmark defeat in the populous and influential state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Yep, thats $143 billion saved for U.S. public last year, which has seen gasoline prices sharply rising for years a savings that averages $1,225 per year, per US household.
But, more starkly, lets talk about pain at the pump.
That cost of gasoline, which famously reached $5.39 per gallon this past year at a D.C. gasoline station near the White House, could have topped out at nearly $6.50 per gallon, using the research findings, adding a few pennies for the added margin and percentage-based [...]
Although such conventional shallow geothermal power has heretofore been harnessed with varying degrees of success, EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) is capable of engineering a circulating energy-producing reservoir of hot water and steam as much as 10,000 feet beneath the surface. In fact, EGS could eventually be used on a global scale to tap into an almost endless energy supply from which to generate electricity.
By some projections, the world’s total reliance upon geothermal energy could, within a decade, climb from its present production low [...]
Significant new electricity transmission capacity will be necessary to access the best large-scale wind and solar resources, yet the biggest buzz and the most investment in the utility industry surrounds smart grid technologies at the distribution level. At present, smart grid technologies such as demand response, virtual power plants, and microgrids represent revenues of over $3.8 billion. The technology that dominates the smart grid renewable energy integration market revenue picture today is microgrids, capturing more than $3 billion in economic activity or 81% of the [...]
This five-day photovoltaic technology intensive institute is designed for instructors looking to gain experience with utility interactive and battery-based solar electric systems. Participants will advance through lecture, site assessment, hands-on installation, and design work that covers the MREA course content for PV 101, PV 201, PV 205, and PV 301.
Course Instructors:
TBD
Pre-requisites:
Participants must be affiliated with an active solar training program in the Midwest.
Required Materials:
Pen or pencil Paper Calculator Personal safety glasses Text, Photovoltaic Systems Text, [...]
Participants in this course will learn about the basics of biofuels, including ethanol, B100, and used cooking oil, among others. Participants will learn about oilseed production and how they can use biofuels to fuel vehicles, generators, and everything in between.
The proposed legislation from Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Charles Schumer of New York comes on the same week that the Department of Commerce is expected to make a preliminary determination on an anti-dumping tariff on panels coming into the United States from China. If illegal dumping is found, the new tariff would be added to the countervailing tariff that was already implemented to offset subsidies coming from the Chinese government. The latest ruling is expected to be announced on [...]
Recently, Lime sold off due to an earnings miss arising from a big write-off and less than expected revenues in the companysCommercialand Industrial (CI) division. This was the buying opportunity I was waiting for since I first wrote about the Lime last October.
Central Hudson Award
The stock has not yet recovered, but todays announcement of theaward of Central Hudsons (NYSE:CHG) direct install program may change that.
Scoring a rare scientific hat trick, the researchers identifiedthree related proteins in thale cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) that regulate the metabolism of fatty acids, chemical components of all cell membranes and vegetable oils. They dubbed these fatty-acid binding proteins FAP1, FAP2 and FAP3.
The findings, reported May 13 inNature, may lead to the development of improved crops yielding higher qualities and quantities of oils, helping to address growing demands for food and fuel and the consequent environmental pressures on the world’s ecosystems.
Arizonas utilities all offer different but valuable solar hot water incentives for both residential and commercial installations. Of course, these are in addition to the Federal governments 30 percent Investment Tax Credit.
APS (Arizona Public Service)
Service area: The APS service area covers a large part of the state, including parts of Phoenix, parts of [...]
SolarWorlds American operation led the filing of the complaint in October, making the case that Chinese manufacturers were getting an unfair level of subsidies from their government and they were then illegally dumping those products into the American market. The first phase of the ruling came down in March, and in that the Department of Commerce found an illegal level of subsidies. However, it preliminarily set the tariffs at between 2.9 and 4.73 percent.
So they created the Solarize campaign, which over the last three years has helped Portland add “[more than] 1.7 MW of distributed PV and [establish] a strong, steady solar installation economy.” In fact, so successful was the Portland model that several other communities started their own Solarize campaigns, including Washington State; Massachusetts; Vermont; San Diego, California; and multi-city campaigns from One Block Off the Grid and GroupEnergy.
All of the great details, including how to set up your own program, are laid [...]
In typical Saudi fashion, where everything from oil fields to opulence is done on a colossal scale, the proposed renewable program is gargantuan.
Starting from zero, the Kingdom plans to install a staggering 54,000 MW of renewable-generating capacity during the next two decades.
For comparison, the United States, with more than ten times the population of Saudi Arabia’s 27 million inhabitants, operates about 50,000 MW of solar panels and wind turbines.
