Renewables like wind and solar are largely not linked to oil prices. But there are markets where the success of renewables is more closely tied to oil: islands. Or, more specifically, small island developing states, which make up 20 percent of UN member countries. These small island states are dangerously dependent on diesel — causing… Continue reading Despite Low Oil Prices, Small Island Nations Are Still Attractive Markets for Renewables
Meet SolPad. An Integrated Solar-Plus-Storage Solution Fresh Out of Stealth Mode
Sometimes solving a problem requires coming at it with an entirely different perspective. That's how Christopher Estes came to create SolPad — a potentially disruptive home solar solution that launched yesterday after several years of quiet development. Estes is the inventor of a professional audio device called CLASP (Closed Loop Analog Signal Processor) that allows… Continue reading Meet SolPad. An Integrated Solar-Plus-Storage Solution Fresh Out of Stealth Mode
D.light Raises $22.5M for Off-Grid Solar as Energy Giants Take Notice
Nearly two months after solar lantern startup d.light design expanded its pay-as-you-go financing system for solar lanterns and home solar systems, the company has raised $22.5 million in a Series D debt and equity round to help scale that financing solution globally. The company raised $11 million in 2014, a considerable sum at the time… Continue reading D.light Raises $22.5M for Off-Grid Solar as Energy Giants Take Notice
Energy Jobs: DOE, Cathy Zoi, Pegasus, First Solar, GE Ventures, Carlyle Group, Canadian Solar
Elaine Ulrich of the DOE is now on detail at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as a senior policy advisor for energy. At the DOE, Ulrich leads the SunShot balance-of-systems soft-costs team. Cathy Zoi, formerly the CEO of SunEdison Frontier Power, is now CEO of Axess Energy, a firm driving rural… Continue reading Energy Jobs: DOE, Cathy Zoi, Pegasus, First Solar, GE Ventures, Carlyle Group, Canadian Solar
Spillover Can’t Stop Utility-Scale Solar’s Biggest Year Ever
2016 is slated to be the biggest year ever for solar installations in the U.S., even though more than 2 gigawatts' worth of utility-scale solar projects have been pushed into next year. “We’re still going to have the biggest year on record by far, but it’s less than what we were predicting,” said Colin Smith,… Continue reading Spillover Can’t Stop Utility-Scale Solar’s Biggest Year Ever
Top Residential Solar State Markets Experiencing a Slowdown
Last week, GTM Research analysts presented at Solar Power International's Industry Trends Theater. If you missed the presentations or the show, here are a few key takeaways. Top U.S. residential state markets experience slowdown in growth According to GTM Research solar analyst Austin Perea, growth in perennially leading residential solar states like California and New… Continue reading Top Residential Solar State Markets Experiencing a Slowdown
Fuel Cell Car Sales Are in the Toilet—So Toyota Turns to Human Waste for Fuel
Quartz: Toyota Is Using Sewage Sludge to Power Its New Car Hydrogen fuel cell cars could help solve the global warming crisis, but nobody wants to buy them. Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer of the Toyota Mirai, Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell car, calls it a “chicken or the egg” problem: no one wants to purchase hydrogen… Continue reading Fuel Cell Car Sales Are in the Toilet—So Toyota Turns to Human Waste for Fuel
Jinko and Marubeni Bid 2.4 Cents to Supply Solar in Abu Dhabi. How Low Can Solar Prices Go?
Remember when 4-cent solar PV was a big deal? Now it's 3-cent solar — and soon it could be 2-cent solar. In the last few months, developers in different regions of the world have bid for projects at prices below 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. In May, bids from unnamed developers competing for 800 megawatts of… Continue reading Jinko and Marubeni Bid 2.4 Cents to Supply Solar in Abu Dhabi. How Low Can Solar Prices Go?
German Jamison 