solar

If we needed more evidence that the Obama administration thinks utility-scale renewable energy projects on public lands are a political winner, we got it on Tuesday.The White House put out an announcement that the approval process for seven big proposed solar and wind energy projects on public lands in the West “will be...[read more]

Every once in a while, I pay my respects to the art of green design. In an industry where each and every one of your clients and colleagues are looking for the latest and greatest, you have to take notice of innovation. The Solar Decathlon is a major venue for this type of innovation. Put on the by the US Department of Energy, the Decathlon showcases the best home designs from universities all around the world.[read more]

Last week’s Solar Exchange East was hosted in the heart of the Southeast U.S.A. – North Carolina. The state’s own Governor Bev Purdue is fond of saying “Green is Gold” in regards to her stance on renewable energy sources in the state. And the event, taking place at North Carolina State University in the capitol of Raleigh, focused...[read more]

I have written about One Block Off the Grid before.  I am a big fan of this group.  I was thrilled to get this email yesterday: "I’m so thrilled to let you know that One Block Off the Grid has launched 2,170 new solar group discounts in 34 new states. Check out the map: http://1bog.org/nation The way it works is that whenever...[read more]

Heavy rain, snow, flooding, and tornadoes have damaged or destroyed towns and cities across the United States this year. But how can communities devastated by severe weather turn tragedy into an opportunity to sustainably rebuild? When that town is Greensburg, Kansas, it returns to its pioneer roots and creates a self-sufficent community. In "Starting from Scratch," energyNOW! correspondent Lee Patrick Sullivan looks at how Greensburg residents used the destruction of their city as an opportunity to literally live up to the town's name.[read more]

At 325 sq ft, this small off-grid building on the Oregon coast serves as a guest house and a writing studio all wrapped up in a single, small green house. Designed by Obie Bowman, a Sonoma County, CA architect, the basic structure and materials were influenced by the main house on the property which was constructed a few years earlier...[read more]

Our country’s effort to support renewable energy is still in its early stages of development and ripe for adjustment. The maturing of the renewable industry can positively affect job growth, technological innovation and increased efficiency, but there are a number of ways we can be doing those things, even within the umbrella of...[read more]

Thursday was encouraging, as the Austin City Council voted 7-0 to continue negotiations with Gemini to build what would be the largest solar power plant in the U.S., a 30-megawatt plant in Webberville.Encouraging because today Austin put goals first, and economic efficiency arguments (which are greatly lacking in street-cred. these days...[read more]