Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 1/26/2023 The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is helping to expand the production of photovoltaic (PV) panels in the U.S. and ease the tariff-related tensions regarding the growth of solar electric energy worldwide. The South Korean PV manufacturer Qcells has announced a $2.5 billion expansion of their facility in Georgia … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 5/25/2022 The Biden administration has adopted aggressive climate goals, including decarbonizing the U.S. power sector by 2035. The exponential growth of solar energy installations is widely recognized as a necessary component of achieving these goals. However, the solar industry is now warning of a major slowdown in new installations, including massive … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 4/1/2022 The West Virginia Assembly is on course to debate an education bill that is being dubbed “Don’t Say Solar” by both opponents and endorsers of the landmark legislation. The bill, officially titled LD-F-001-ED, An Act to Protect our Children from Environmental Extremism (PCEE), was introduced in Mid-March by Representative Bernie … Read more
cnbc.com, 8/13/2021. Climate crises across the country — record heat waves, wildfires and flooding — have pushed climate to the forefront of corporate agendas. At the same time, companies are being held accountable for their actions to fix systemic racism at the community level. The two goals may seem distinct, but a new Microsoft renewable … Read more
Taylor Patterson, 4/6/21. Zero energy buildings are the future of sustainable living – be it commercial, industrial, or residential settings. Arlington County, VA embraced this future with the design and construction of their zero-energy public elementary school. The building is powered by over 1,700 solar panels, has a geothermal athletic field that funnels into a … Read more
coloradodaily.com, 10/6/2020. Jack’s Solar Garden LLC, a solar energy company, celebrated the opening of its five-acre, 1.2-megawatt solar panel and agriculture farm Friday near Longmont. Art, music and conversations about renewable energy occurred underneath the farm’s 8-foot-tall panels. The family-owned and operated company has been working on this project for several years. It’s owned by … Read more
greentechmedia.com, June 5, 2020. Buildings were first electrified nearly 150 years ago. So, why is it that “building electrification” is now among the energy industry’s most popular buzzwords? Most buildings run on multiple fuels. They use electricity to power lights, refrigerators and electronic devices. And they consume fossil fuels such as natural gas or propane to power … Read more
This article was originally published on greentechmedia.com on May 15, 2020. Dramatic reductions in the cost of wind and solar have led to optimism that they can be primary contributors to low-carbon electricity grids. But there’s an important obstacle to their profitability: revenue decline. Adding wind and solar to the grid tends to reduce electricity prices during the … Read more
This article was originally published on news.usc.edu on Feb. 27, 2020. On a misty Saturday morning, a giant crane lifted 1,100-pound pallets loaded with solar panels on top of the Galen Center. The heavy lift is a first step toward sustainability for the 14-year-old venue. Unlike many of the University Park Campus’s venerable Romanesque revival … Read more
This article was originally published on energynews.us on 3.10. 2020. A Minnesota couple’s idea for keeping solar panels clear of snow is gaining traction after winning a $50,000 federal innovation prize. Solar panels work well in cold weather, but not as well if they are covered even partially by snow. The tilt of panels helps … Read more