Grist | Topics | 82 Results

RESULTS		Results 51 – 75 of 82
Page:1 2 3 4
Headline	Author	Published	Section
Shiny Happy People Utility will pay for solar on Habitat for Humanity houses in California		21 Sep 2007	News
Posted at 4:57 AM on 21 Sep 2007 Recognizing that solar electricity is a good investment in the long run but a bit spendy up front, utility Pacific Gas and Electric has agreed to pay for solar power on some 65 houses built by Habitat for Humanity in northern and central California next year. PG&E will donate about $1.2 million for panels and installation; low-income residents will see radically reduce ...
Topics: California, energy, environmental justice, news, placemaking, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Residential solar PPAs On buying solar electricity, not panels	Adam Browning	19 Sep 2007	Gristmill
One of the biggest hurdles to going solar is the large up-front costs. That's why solar power purchase agreements (PPAs in wonk-speak) have been so popular. With this model, a third party designs, installs, and owns a system on your roof. You simply sign a long-term contract to buy the output on a kWh basis. You avoid the need for financing, and shift performance risk to the service provider -- you only buy what the system produces. Check out this article for more. ...
Topics: energy, energy at home, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

The solar power you don't hear about Solar thermal power deserves more attention, due to its lower cost and relative ease of storage	Joseph Romm	30 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Solar thermal power is back! Solar thermal gets less attention than its sexier cousin -- high-tech photovoltaics -- but has two big advantages. First, it is much cheaper than PV. Second, it captures energy in a form that is much easier to store -- heat -- typically with mirrored surfaces that concentrate sunlight onto a receiver that heats a liquid (which is then used to make steam to drive a turbine). Back in the 1980s, Luz International was the sole commercia ...
Topics: California, energy, renewable energy, solar thermal power, solar voltaic power, Spain (all these topics)

'If you were really green, you would have walked here' Is Burning Man living up to its Green Man intentions?	Judith Lewis	29 Aug 2007	Gristmill
The headline refers to a sign that appears as you drive (or as I drove, in a huge white pickup truck) into the Playa at five miles an hour, and it's not a bad summary of the enviro discussion here at Burning Man. How can you really be green at an event you have to drive hundreds of miles to, mostly through desert, with all your heavy crap in the car? Where will all those plastic water bottles end up? Is there such thing as a petroleum-free camp? What about all those Zip ...
Topics: art, ecological footprint, energy, green living, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

On the Ball: Obscure football edition Ball-kickers power stadiums with renewables	Sarah K. Burkhalter	28 Aug 2007	Gristmill
And you thought by 'football' in my title I meant football? Pssh. I do love me some obscure European soccer news. So with no further ado: Scottish soccer team powers its stadium floodlights with wind power! Swiss soccer team has the world's largest stadium-integrated photovoltaic system on the roof of the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf Bern! Heh heh. Wankdorf.
Topics: energy, green living, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, sports, wind power (all these topics)

Make your own wind and solar power systems DIY renewable energy projects	Joseph Romm	24 Aug 2007	Gristmill
So you want some do-it-yourself climate solutions. Popular Science is the place to go. The magazine details how, for $300, you can build a vertical wind turbine (pictured below) for your home in about three days. It will generate 50 kilowatt-hours per month, which might be about 10 percent of your electricity use, depending on the size of your house and how efficient you are. You can also download plans at windstuffnow. Or maybe you want something a tad bit ...
Topics: energy, innovation, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, wind power (all these topics)

Coal myths They're still common, but they make no sense	David Roberts	20 Aug 2007	Gristmill
A little while back I praised Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for opposing new coal plants in his home state. Now he's clarified his position: he opposes new coal plants anywhere in the world. Word. One grumpy note. Look at this: Michael Yackira, president and chief executive officer of Sierra Pacific Resources, said his company 'respectfully disagrees' with Reid's position. His company is seeking approval to build one of the plants. 'We believe what ...
Topics: business, coal, energy, Harry Reid, politics, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, wind power (all these topics)

Algeria ...	David Roberts	13 Aug 2007	Gristmill
... sets out to become the Saudi Arabia of solar energy.
Topics: Algeria, energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

More on thin-film solar It's coming soon	David Roberts	01 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Technology Review has an article on thin-film solar, mostly focusing on First Solar. This stuff is very, very close to competitive with conventional solar panels and on a clear path to being competitive with traditional fossil-based electricity sources. It's an exciting time. Speaking of solar excitement: A team at the Univ. of Delaware has just broken the previous world record for solar cell efficiency. The previous record was 40.7% efficiency, held by the Defense A ...
Topics: energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, tech (all these topics)

Solar energy, volatility, and the grid No surprises here, please	Kristina & Jason Makansi	01 Aug 2007	Gristmill
The electricity grid doesn't like surprises. Sudden voltage spikes or sags do not a healthy grid make. So proponents of large-scale solar and wind are working to create tools to smooth over volatility issues, so these generating resources can be integrated seamlessly onto the grid. If we're going to be in a position to rely on more solar and wind power and use these to replace significant amounts of power generated from coal, the grid planning and dispat ...
Topics: electricity grid, energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, wind power (all these topics)

Interview with thin-film startup Nanosolar CEO Interesting stuff on the hottest new green tech	David Roberts	30 Jul 2007	Gristmill
I've been waiting for a good excuse to link to Earth2Tech, an interesting new project from internet legend Om Malik's GigaOm family of blogs. It's focused on clean tech startups, which as we all know are the hot new thing. I've also been waiting for a good excuse to post something about thin-film solar, which is hopping right now. Shell and Honda, which are big-timers in solar, both recently dropped their crystalline silicon programs and switch to full-time thin-fil ...
Topics: business, energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, tech (all these topics)

PG&E to buy 550 MW of concentrated solar from world's largest CS plant Solar has arrived	David Roberts	24 Jul 2007	Gristmill
Pacific Gas & Electric is buying 550 MW of concentrated solar. It's one of the biggest solar purchases ever, from what will be the world's biggest concentrated solar plant. The company is trying to conform to California's mandate that it get 20% of its power from renewables by 2010. According to Mr. [Fong] Wan [VP for energy procurement], about 12 percent of P.G.& E.'s electricity today comes from renewable sources, divided somewhat evenly among wind, biom ...
Topics: business, California, energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Free money We want some	Adam Browning	20 Jul 2007	Gristmill
Hmmm. This is interesting. Seems that American Express is running a contest, and the winning project gets $5 million. I mention this for two reasons: out of civic duty, and because our project is in the running for five million freakin' dollars. We are currently about 1,200 measly votes from making it to the next round. The project, "Harvest the Sun," is a collaboration of Vote Solar and the Center for Resource Solutions, and would go toward our work ...
Topics: energy, renewable energy, shameless self-promotion, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Who says solar is expensive? DIY solar	Adam Browning	19 Jul 2007	Gristmill
DIY Solar. Love it. Just don't let your homeowner's association see it. In other news, at the American Solar Energy Society conference in Cleveland last week, First Solar -- the same First Solar that recently announced the sale of $1.28 billion worth of modules -- gave a presentation in which they announced that based on current cost curves, they will be selling around $1.25/W in the 2010-2012 time frame. That, friends, is cheap solar. If the industry can continu ...
Topics: energy, energy at home, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Solar sale Better than the redhead	Adam Browning	27 Jun 2007	Gristmill
So you want to get in on the solar boom, but don't have the cash to buy a manufacturing plant. What to do, what to do ... I know! Why not try the same place that got you a date with the redhead on the bus, your last apartment, and your '79 Mercedes that you'd run on biodiesel if you could ever get the damn thing to turn over? Yes, Craigslist. They are having a sale on triple junction thin-film amorphous PV manufacturing plants. Give it a shot. Maybe it will work ...
Topics: energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, websites (all these topics)

Pay for the Rays On solar funding	Umbra Fisk	20 Jun 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I have been looking high and low regarding ongoing tax credits and incentives for solar installations on private residences. I may be looking for something that doesn't even exist, but the rumors certainly do. Is there some website I can confer with to see if there really is such a thing? I have already received the initial installation credit, but, as I said, I have heard of new tax laws regarding ongoing, slowly decreasing ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, green living, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Solar power goes to Congress A hearing before the Science Committee	David Roberts	19 Jun 2007	Gristmill
There's a hearing on solar power today in the House Science Committee. Sounds like they're focusing on concentrating solar power and thermal storage -- smart. Note this: [Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Vice-Chair] Rep. [Gabrielle] Giffords expects to soon introduce "The Solar Energy Research and Advancement Act of 2007" to address issues in solar research, education, and training not covered by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. These include a r ...
Topics: energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Volt Early, Volt Often On installing solar power		11 Jun 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I live on Long Island, N.Y., and am interested in getting solar power for my home. I am not sure, however, if that is viable in this area. Do you have any recommended reliable sources that I can reference? There is just so much confusing information in the marketplace. Thanks, Rick Port Washington, N.Y. Dearest Rick, Don't thank me until you've tried my recommendations in the marketplace. Solar power to the people. Photo: ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Thin Is In On thin-film solar panels	Umbra Fisk	06 Jun 2007	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I read that thin-film solar panels are now being produced on a wider scale. I always hear that they can be sandwiched into window glass, but are there any companies that are actually using the technology in architectural products? How does thin film compare to the traditional PV panel? Jen Oakland, Calif. Dearest Jen, Thin films compare well to the traditional photovoltaic panel, and are commercially available in such fo ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, energy, innovation, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Solar's inevitable dominance Don't fight it	David Roberts	16 May 2007	Gristmill
Energy wonk Robert McLeod has long post filled with statistics and graphs, arguing a simple point: if historical trends continue, solar power is going to dominate. Soon. (You'll recognize this as substantially similar to the argument made by solar booster Travis Bradford.) If you're into statistics and graphs, read the whole thing. If not, here are some good excerpts: Photovoltaic cells are not like any other method humanity uses to collect and use energy. Exis ...
Topics: energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Amish solar The Amish dig it	David Roberts	14 May 2007	Gristmill
The Amish affinity for solar says something essential about the difference between fossil and renewable fuels. Not quite sure I know how to put it into words, though.
Topics: energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

The sun in Spain falls mainly on the concentrated-solar plant in Seville Man, that's the worst headline ever	David Roberts	04 May 2007	Gristmill
Here's a short but fascinating BBC story about a ginormous (11MW, with plans for expansion) concentrated-solar power plant in Seville, Spain -- the first commercial concentrated-solar plant in Europe. Hundreds of mirrors reflect sunlight at a single point at the top of a tower, where the heat boils water for stream that drives a generator. I'd only quibble with one thing: Is it true that this power is three times more expensive than power from conventional sources ...
Topics: energy, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, Spain (all these topics)

Kossacks Goin' new school	Adam Browning	02 May 2007	Gristmill
Old school Cossacks: thundered off the steppes in bloodthirsty hordes, fearsome warriors, rumored to tuck ears of enemies under saddleblankets in lieu of provisions during raids. New-school Kossacks: more tippety-tap than thundering, not so much with the ear eating, fearsome and effective in rallying support for renewable energy. HR 550 is the largest, most important piece of solar legislation ever introduced in the U.S. Here is a story about how they are making ...
Topics: energy, legislation, politics, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Wasserman gets it right But does he have to use the word 'solartopia'?	David Roberts	29 Mar 2007	Gristmill
This short piece from Harvey Wasserman gets pretty much everything right -- and by "right" I mean, "in agreement with me." My only quibble is that he spends too much time bashing nukes, and bashing them for the wrong reasons (wrong effective-messaging-wise, not necessarily substance-wise). I'd prefer he bash them because they're more expensive and less flexible than R&E, not for the well-hashed-over waste issue. But that's a quibble. Here's t ...
Topics: Congress, energy, nuclear power, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

The Best Damn Solar Show, Period U.S. renewable advocates say their power is bigger and better		01 Nov 2006	Daily Grist
The Best Damn Solar Show, Period U.S. renewable advocates say their power is bigger and better If America has to resort to renewables, we're gonna do it in butt-kickin' style. Yesterday, Arizona approved rules that would require a 15 percent renewable-energy mix by 2025, pending certification from its attorney general. "Move over California," said utility commissioner Kris Mayes. &qu ...
Topics: Arizona, energy, news, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Page:1 2 3 4		Results 51 – 75 of 82

Stories About: energy AND renewable energy AND solar voltaic power