Eden Project installs UK’s first employee-owned solar plant

The Eden Project Biomes taken late at night

New solar array in Cornwall hopes to make the case that renewable energy is not just for well-off householders

A new 50 kilowatt PV array at the Eden Project has just become the UK’s first employee owned renewables installation. Ebico, the Witney-based social enterprise that is the UK’s only not-for-profit electricity supplier, lent money to a new company that put 200 panels on the roofs of some of Eden’s storage buildings. Employees are now able to buy shares in the new business and the proceeds of this unique offer will be used to pay back Ebico. Savers putting in as little as £200 each will share in the feed-in tariff income for the next 25 years. Returns are projected to be over 10% per year for small investors. … Continue Reading

Apple To Construct USA’s Largest End-User Owned Solar Farm

Apple's server-farm will now be powered by solar in its surrounding 100-acres

After rumours swirled for months, Apple has confirmed it will be constructing a 20MW solar farm.

Apple revealed the first details on its plans not in a press release, but in its Facilities Report – 2012 Environmental Update (PDF) published yesterday.

To help meet the energy needs of its new data center in Maiden, North Carolina; Apple says it is “building the nation’s largest end user–owned, onsite solar array” on 100 acres of land surrounding the data center. … Continue Reading

Millions To Benefit From Low Cost Solar In Asia And Africa

Solar Investment Opportunities For Senegal Are Slow But Improving

Millions of impoverished people in some of the world’s poorest countries will soon have access to low-cost solar power after a deal was struck last week between solar provider ToughStuff and the Business Call to Action (BCtA) network.

The deal will see up to 33 million people living in poverty in Africa and Asia supplied with low-cost solar panels and solar battery packs. … Continue Reading

US Tribal Nations To Benefit From Renewable Energy Funding

image via Sacred Power Corporation

The Department of Energy (DOE) is bankrolling $6.5 million in clean energy projects on Tribal Lands; which U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu says will allow Native American tribes to advance renewable energy within their communities by “assessing local energy resources and developing and deploying clean energy technologies.” … Continue Reading

Turbines off NYC East River Will Power 9,500 Homes

Verdant Power turbines on shore in Roosevelt Island, NY (Credit: Verdant Power)

As part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project, 30 turbines are being installed along the strait that connects the Long Island Sound with the Atlantic Ocean in the New York Harbor. The project, led by Verdant Power, Inc., is the first ever commercially licensed tidal energy project in the United States. The turbines are scheduled to be fully installed by 2015 and will use the flow of the East River and tides to generate 1,050 kilowatts of electricity—enough to power 9,500 New York homes. … Continue Reading

Global Wind Energy Grew 21% in 2011: Report

The global wind industry installed more than 41,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity in 2011, a 21% increase in global installed capacity, according to a report released on February 7 by the Global Wind Energy Council. This brings the total installed capacity globally to more than 238,000 MW. About 75 countries worldwide have commercial wind power installations, with 22 of them already passing the 1 gigawatt (GW) level. New markets in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are driving the market, the report said.

China has solidified its position as global market leader, with a cumulative capacity of more than 62,000 MW, despite having faced a challenging year. The U.S. wind sector rebounded from a tough 2010 with installations of more than 6,800 MW in 2011. Canada reported a record year in 2011, surpassing the 5,000 MW mark. See the Global Wind Energy Council press release.

President’s 2013 DOE Budget Seeks $2.27 Billion for Efficiency, Renewables

The President's FY 2013 EERE budget will continue to support wind energy and other renewables. Credit: Vestas

President Obama on February 13 released his Fiscal Year 2013 DOE budget request to Congress, which proposes $27.2 billion. For the DOE’s Office Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the President requested $2.27 billion, reaffirming the Administration’s commitment to an energy future that is cleaner, less expensive, and full of new jobs. … Continue Reading

DuPont and Yingli Green Energy Enter $100 Million Strategic Agreement

What better place than the Sun to obtain our energy from

WILMINGTON, Del., - DuPont and Yingli Energy (China) Company Limited (“Yingli China”) have signed a $100 million strategic agreement for photovoltaic materials aimed at accelerating the adoption of solar energy to address one of the world’s biggest challenges – reducing dependence on fossil fuels.  Yingli China is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (“Yingli”), a leading solar energy company and one of the world’s largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers. … Continue Reading