“Solar can look good” is the message that United Solar wants to bring home to potential solar power adopters.

The company was present at Solar Power International in Los Angeles (October 12-14) showing the PowerShingle, which it says “removes the barriers which have (more…)

The variability of cloud patterns is a problem for solar power capturing, especially for larger solar farm operations. If grid operators could forecast or predict these changes before they occur, they would be in a better position to manage load on their grids.

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories looked into the problem and (more…)

It should come as no surprise that in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, there has been a renewed push by environmental activists to embrace renewable energy options.

In a recent blog post, Richard Heinberg, senior fellow-in-residence at the Post Carbon Institute, discusses the root of the (more…)

I recently attended a talk at Tesla Motors about the state of the electric car industry and the history of Tesla. Wow, was I impressed. Driving an electric car fueled entirely by solar power no longer is a dream of the future. It’s here today, it’s happening around the country, and I can’t wait to join in! (more…)

Solar power is helping out the environment in more ways than one. In addition to producing green electricity, solar energy is helping to cure brownfields, or industrial or commercial properties that have been compromised by environmental contamination. The worst of these plots of tarnished land have been designated for special attention by the EPA as part of the (more…)

When I first saw the SunCatcher, a new dish-shaped solar reflector that powers a piston motor to generate electricity, I thought “this is pretty cool.” But it also gave new meaning to the well-worn phrase “there’s nothing new under the sun.” Because although the SunCatcher won the “Best Commercialized Technological Innovation Award” at this year’s (more…)

MP2 Capital is a San Francisco firm that develops, finances and invests in distributed generation and small-scale utility solar projects throughout North America, selling the electricity produced by its projects to commercial, government and utility customers under power purchase agreements and feed-in tariffs.

Its latest project is a 445-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array in Winsted, Connecticut. MP2 Capital has entered into a power purchase agreement to sell all of the electricity generated to the Regional School District No. 7 for 20 years under a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

The system, which sits atop multiple rooftops of the school district, was built by groSolar and is composed of 1,937 photovoltaic panels from Canadian Solar. It is expected to produce approximately 492,000 kilowatt hours of clean solar electricity and save the school district $26,000 in energy costs during the first year of operation. Over the term of the agreement, the system is expected to produce approximately 9,380,000 kilowatt-hours to offset the school’s energy use.

Brad Bauer, co-founder and managing director of MP2  Capital, talked with CleanTechies about the project. (more…)

China is the world’s largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic panels, providing roughly 40 percent of the global market share in 2008. China’s domestic solar market is on the cusp of a boom thanks to new solar incentives announced this year cutting the cost of purchase and installation by as much as half.

With over 150 attendees, including international senior executives, top-level Chinese government officials, industry experts and leading production and technology directors, the China Solar Energy Technology and Investment Congress organized by Noppen in close co-organization with Huhhot Municipal Government took place on 10-11 December in Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, China. The focus of the event was how to drive down the cost per installed watt and the future growth of the solar energy market in China.

(more…)