The image most people have in their minds when they think of wind turbines are the big, white horizontal-axis wind turbines with their massive blades spinning slowly on a wind-swept plain. But the clean energy revolution–if, in fact, it is a revolution–has room for more than just one design of wind turbine.

But vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are poised to (more…)

A reader points out that in talking about utility scale solar, only mature technologies are used — usually 20 to 30 years mature or more. He observes how long it’s taken PV to be seriously considered for plants over 10mW. But he goes on to talk about the Stirling Dish System, noticing that the system holds the efficiency world record for sun to grid electricity at 31.5%, and has (more…)

In a move that combines California environmentalism with aid to communities in need, the state has taken $3.2 billion from the California Solar Initiative (CSI) to fund solar panels on low-income housing.

Through a program called MASH, for Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing, the city of San Diego aims to make solar (more…)

Aurora Algae, formerly Aurora Biofuels, earlier this week introduced what the company says is the industry’s first photosynthetic algae-based platform for the production of sustainable products in the fuel as well as pharmaceutical, nutritional supplement and aquaculture markets. The announcement marks Aurora Algae’s transition from pilot technology development (more…)

Several stories recently have highlighted the other side of the regulatory coin–regulations are only effective if they are enforced. 

On Monday, the Department of Energy issued 27 penalty notices to companies for failure to meet energy efficiency and water conservation standards.

(more…)

Last week was an eventful one in venture capital clean tech funding, especially for California-based Solaria, Solazyme and Calisolar. Here’s a closer look at each of them, and what to look out for in the near future.

Solaria

HQ: Fremont, CA (more…)

As of the summer of 2010, the landscape for the wind industry has changed dramatically from last year, when the U.S. set a record by installing over 10 GW in a single year and claiming the title of the world’s top wind power producer for the second year in a row.

According to recent statistics provided by (more…)

Gosh, it irks me to have our leaders take advantage on our ignorance – but I guess that what they do for a living.

Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the EPA, said recently that the agency will “issue guidance soon that states and polluters may use to implement the agency’s new greenhouse-gas regulations,” and that (more…)

As always, the range of electric vehicles remains one of the primary selling points for any company pushing alternative transportation. In the quest to increase the range more and more, different methods of battery charging has been introduced or methods of keeping a battery at maximum efficiency for as long as possible as been explored. However, some still think it should (more…)

Again East Coast states have won disproportionate recognition in a national analysis of energy efficiency programs, this time from the well-respected American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

ACEEE named five of the best state-led efficiency programs in a report issued Wednesday. Three of the five awards went (more…)