San Jose added more residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems last year than any other city in California, according to the latest PV Solar Report, a quarterly analysis conducted by solar company SunRun.

San Jose’s number of home solar systems in 2011 was up 45.4% from just the year before, a dramatic (more…)

As anyone who has taken on a remodeling project knows, more time can be spent preparing for the project than for the actual installation. Homeowners who try to install a residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system often face complicated processes to get the permits that will not only ensure that their projects are up to (more…)

As the United Nations climate change conference rages on, quite literally, in Durban, South Africa, experts from COP17’s host city point to one alternative energy source that could help it mitigate its emissions: solar power.

According to Dick Berlijn, of Subsolar Energy, (more…)

Hawaii’s commitment to alternative energy recently reached a milestone.

According to Business Week, Hawaiian Electric Co. has reached 20 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy on the island of Oahu. The utility said the mark was reached in July when they installed Easter Seals’ PV system. Easter Seals, a (more…)

As part of an official initiative to attract clean energy companies to the province of Ontario in Canada, Samsung and SMA Solar Technology have entered a partnership to build industrial-size solar inverters at Celestica’s facilities in Toronto.

Inverters are electric devices that convert energy (more…)

Google announced last week that it has agreed to make its first clean energy project investment in Europe. The company will be injecting US$5 million into a solar photovoltaic plant in Germany.

According to Google’s European Policy blog, the transaction still requires the formal approval of the German authorities (more…)

Ontario in Canada has big plans for renewable energy and a new contract signed by a group of companies last week signals the region is working seriously towards energy sustainability.

The deal in question involves a contract to supply and support a 5 MW ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system, (more…)

On Wednesday, January 6th, Richards Memorial United Church (Richards Memorial), in London, Ontario began operating its new microFIT rooftop solar installation.  The project is the city’s first photovoltaic (PV) system on a church building.

“We’ve seen cars stop in the street and (drivers) roll down their windows to look up,” (more…)

The European Union will exceed its target of meeting 20 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, according to a new report. Twenty-five of the 27 EU nations will meet or exceed their national targets, according to the analysis by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

About 14 percent of the total energy (more…)

The Calico Solar project, abandoned like a sinking ship by original planners Stirling Energy and Tessera Solar, has acquired a new owner.

The Calico project came up against a smallish band of Native Americans and lost (sounds like Custer’s battle all over again). The turning point was not an environmental (more…)