Installed Capacity

obama biden solar

China will overtake Germany as the world’s solar leader this year based on cumulative installed capacity, and the United States is likely to move up a spot to No. 4. But China and the U.S. are big countries, and when you take population into consideration, the solar leadership picture changes – a lot. Here are the… Keep reading →

HUSUM 2012 Wind Energy Trade Fair

Global growth in renewable energy sources – especially wind and solar PV installations – continues to break records while the installed capacity of these systems steadily increases. Wind and solar power still account for a small share of the overall power generation mix, but the growth of these energy sources continues to impress analysts and… Keep reading →

Schwarzenegger Tours Solar Panel Roof Of A Sam's Club

Now it’s solar’s turn. Just as wind energy has used reports of industry success as a platform to argue for a production tax credit extension, the U.S. solar industry is now playing the investment tax credit card, saying record-breaking growth – 6.2 gigawatts (DC) installed in 2014, a 30 percent increase over 2013’s total, according… Keep reading →

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Future is a race between renewables and gas; the former likely to prevail in the long-run  For the first time in history, more new renewables were added to the US installed capacity in 2014 than any other form of generation. According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Office of Energy Projects, renewable energy sources… Keep reading →

Germany Invests Heavily In Solar Energy

Peak solar & wind power production in Germany are considerably lower than installed capacity   The EU Commission recently unveiled new regulations for the period 2014 to 2020 to gradually phase out support for renewable energy technologies. In a press release the commission stated the guidelines are intended to “promote a gradual move to market-based support… Keep reading →

Wisconsin Lawmakers To Debate Bill That Would Cripple Wind Energy In State

Long known for its boom or bust tendencies, the U.S. wind energy industry outdid itself in 2013. Capacity additions fell off a cliff, dropping more than 90 percent from 2012 and hitting their lowest level in a decade – but by the end of the year, new projects were under construction at a record-breaking clip.… Keep reading →

2013 World Solar Challenge: Street Parade

The U.S. solar industry celebrates its 40th anniversary this Friday, and there is a lot to celebrate. Costs are at an all-time low, and solar is now competitive with traditional electricity generation sources in over half of the world’s markets. We are transitioning from the hobbyist phase of Solar 1.0 into the true commercialization phase… Keep reading →

Post-Flare Loops Erupt From Suns Surface

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 →