The Heslin Rothenberg firm’s Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) 2012 Year in Review was published earlier this month. Always an interesting read, the CEPGI is a quarterly publication that tracks grants of U.S. patents directed to clean energy technologies.

The 2012 roundup reports that granted green patents hit an all time high of 3061 for last year, a (more…)

Portugal generated more than 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources of energy during the first quarter of 2013, a record amount fueled largely by hydroelectric and wind energy sources, according to a report from the country’s grid operator.

Hydroelectric generation provided 37 percent of the (more…)

The Danish capital is moving rapidly toward a zero-carbon future, as it erects wind farms, transforms its citywide heating systems, promotes energy efficiency, and lures more people out of their cars and onto public transportation and bikes.

Among the first sights to greet visitors to Denmark on (more…)

Just a week after Governor Cuomo announced the first round of awards under the NY-Sun Competitive PV program, the Governor is back at it announcing that $13.5 million will be made available to help reduce the overall cost of installing solar, specifically non-module costs. The combination of these announcements represents a one-two punch for (more…)

U.S.-based BrightSource Energy has shelved its second major solar thermal project this year as the company and Pacific Gas and Electric terminated the utility’s contract to buy power generated by the plant in south-central California.

In an email, a BrightSource spokesman said the $2.9 (more…)

Frequent commenter Cameron Atwood sent me this article describing Germany’s generous subsidies for solar PV and asked me to react to it.

Yes, the German program was overzealous; no one (no one I’ve come across, at least) disputes that. The program’s meteoric rise and fall over the past few (more…)

Southern California Edison is asking regulators for approval of 75 new PV contracts, totaling 105.53 MW. All priced at the cost of building a new natural gas plant. Now can we stop saying that solar is too expensive?

Details in their Advice Letter, here (pdf). (more…)

Our 2013 Utility Solar Champion Award goes to … drumroll please … The Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO).

Here’s why. The Hawaiian solar market is taking off. Just skyrocketing. Check this article out:

“In 2012, a total of 16,715 PV permits were issued [in Oahu], a figure more than 170 percent of the (more…)

General Motors is not in the solar game just so we can tout it on our environmental blog.

There are very real benefits to using solar to power parts of our facilities, not the least of which is the fact that it’s better for the environment.

It can save money, too. (more…)

Portable solar power light solutions are the way to go, especially for people living in areas without a grid connection. That’s why we love Luci, the solar light.

Created by Micro Power Design, a self-proclaimed “technology incubator, accelerator and manufacturer (more…)