The geothermal industry’s efforts to grab a bigger slice of the growing renewable energy pie met with some success in 2014, though that wasn’t reflected in the United States, where questions remain as to when – or if – geothermal might become more than a relatively small, regional player. Previewing its latest annual report, the… Keep reading →
No doubt the Energy and Utilities industry has witnessed increasing complexity and significant challenges in recent years, centering around compliance issues, competitive pricing pressures, and business continuity. These issues, amongst others, will remain the focus for Board and Management’s corporate strategy and 2014 planning meetings around the world. Looking back on year 2013, and ahead… Keep reading →
A look at customer ratings of SolarCity, Verengo Solar, Vivint Solar, REC Solar and Sungevity The solar industry term “customer acquisition” is a euphemism for “convincing people to spend money.” The top solar installers have tens of thousands of potential customers who have expressed interest in solar. But turning those leads into purchases can be… Keep reading →
The US power sector is just beginning to understand the extent of the challenge it faces in replacing a retiring workforce, and to take steps to address it. But even if utilities manage to fill vacant positions, it remains to be seen how smoothly they can integrate a new generation of workers, and how long… Keep reading →
The U.S. is not the clear, go-to nation for energy manufacturing. But it’s no longer the nation that businesses automatically leave when it comes time to scale up innovations to commercial production, said Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council, and it’s critical that the U.S. seize the opportunity that presents. Speaking to the… Keep reading →
Upstream oil and gas capital costs declined in the first nine months of this year, but this likely precedes another move upward, according to consultancy IHS. The cost of building upstream oil and gas facilities dipped slightly – by less than 1% – between the first and third quarters of 2013, representing the first decline… Keep reading →
More efficient technology combined with low costs and good wind resources are making wind cost-competitive with some of the cheapest forms of fossil energy in the Midwest. “In the Midwest, we’re now seeing power agreements being signed with wind farms at as low as $25 per megawatt hour,” said Stephen Byrd, Morgan Stanley’s Head of… Keep reading →
Solar poised to challenge wind’s historical dominance According to a newly released report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), 2013 is expected to become the first year in which solar PVs beat wind in terms of megawatts of new installed capacity on a global level. It is a remarkable feat for solar energy, which is… Keep reading →
The solar industry has been very hot. Record amounts of new solar capacity have been installed over the past two years. The accelerating pace of adoption of solar panels for distributed generation (installed at the point of use, rather than sold into the power grid) and the downward trend of module prices have created exuberance… Keep reading →
DG Energy Partners’ new project valuation model, which lets developers conduct their own first-run economic analysis, is the latest in a suite of products designed to bridge the gap between solar projects and the financing they need to move forward. The model, currently in its beta, or first version, is a web-based interface that gives… Keep reading →
