Nicholas Brown, Author at Ecopreneurist

Indiana Exceeds 50 MW Of New Solar Installations For Second Consecutive Year

April 13, 2015

Solar power is making huge gains in places that are naturally conducive to drawing energy from the sun, like California, Texas, and Arizona. A state like Indiana doesn’t seem like the kind of place where solar power would be making major inroads, but for the second year in a row the Hoosier State has exceeded 50 MW of installed solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Indiana added 59 MW of solar electric capacity in 2014, more…

Colorado Utility To Bring Solar Power To Low-Income Families

April 8, 2015

Community Solar

Solar power was once associated with the wealthy and privileged, but plummeting costs have some analysts predicting price parity with coal and natural gas within the next decade. But one Colorado co-op utility isn’t waiting that long, breaking ground on a new solar power farm that will provide clean electricity to low-income families, and it could help cut their electricity bills by as much as 90%. SolarEnergy.net reports that the 25 kWh solar farm can provide enough electricity for the…

SunEdison Launches Energy Saver Plan In The UK

March 30, 2015

The cost of installing solar panels on your home has never been lower, but the upfront costs can still be daunting for some homeowners. To help get more homeowners on board with solar panels, SunEdison has launched the Energy Saver Plan in the United Kingdom, with zero upfront cost and energy savings of up to 15% right off the bat. Commercial business owners can also apply to the program, which can instantly translate into additional profits. The program requires homeowners…

Hanergy Opens 60 Stores In China To Sell Thin-Film Solar Panels

March 27, 2015

PV, Rooftop Solar, Solar Modules, Thin Film Solar

Solar energy is becoming big business in the United States, but over in China its an even more massive industry with a multitude of players. Solar power is reaching such a saturation point in fact, that thin-film solar producer Hanergy has just opened 60 retail stores across China selling not just PV roof systems, but smaller solar panels for camping or personal use as well. These stores and “user experience centers” aim to introduce the power and potential of photovoltaic…

Arizona Utility Charging Solar Homeowners $50 A Month Beginning In April

March 20, 2015

Activism, Rooftop Solar, Solar $, Solar Policy

If solar power makes sense anywhere, it’s in always-sunny Arizona, where record numbers of homeowners are buying or leasing PV systems to offset their energy bills. Unfortunately, a new surcharge on solar panel owners amounting to about $50 a month, regardless of how much energy is fed back into the grid, basically offsets much of the savings homeowners gain from going solar, reports ThinkProgress. The surcharge will affect customers of the Salt River Project (SRP), one of the country’s largest public…

Arizona Public Service Attacks Solar Power Again

March 18, 2015

Activism

One of the most-watched battles between solar power proponents and of conventional utilities played out in Arizona, where Arizona Public Service (APS) attempted to add a $50 monthly fee to customers with solar panels. Solar advocates won out, reducing the fee to just $5 a month and getting APS to promise to hold off on the issue until the next formal utility rate hearing. Unfortunately, holding a utility to its word is easier said than done, and APS has gone…

Solar Energy Advocates Go On The Offensive

March 13, 2015

Activism

The conventional energy industry has been using its paid-for politicians and long-embedded advantages to try and prevent homeowners and businesses from embracing solar power. This has put solar advocates on the defensive for a long time, but in response to American Electric Power’s (AEP) recent anti-solar campaign, advocates for clean energy are hitting back. Hard. Greentech Media reports that The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) has launched a new campaign centered on calling out “Un-American Electric Power” for its lobbying…

Canadian Solar Could Become The Global Market Leader In 2015

March 12, 2015

Market Research, PV, Solar Modules, Solar PV Manufacturing, Solar Research

The amount of interest and money in solar power has never been higher, and there’s a sizzling battle over the title of the top solar parts producers. In 2014, China’s Trina Solar is estimated to have shipped the most solar parts, replacing its domestic rival Yingli Green. Waiting in the wings, though, are Canadian Solar and JinkoSolar, which are both candidates to replace Trina in 2015. PV-Tech.org reports that Trina Solar is estimated to ship anywhere from 4.4 GW to…