The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its annual heating expense forecast for Americans, and the numbers indicate that many utility customers may see their bills go up this winter. The DOE predicts that customers with natural gas systems will pay an average of $679 for their heat, an 13 percent increase over the prior year. Residents with electrical HVAC systems will also see an increase of a more modest 2 percent. The DOE…

Solar energy is one of the fastest growing electricity production methods in the country, but one obstacle to even faster expansion of photovoltaic technology are the sometimes costly and lengthy permitting and zoning procedures that are enforced by municipal agencies. The Department of Energy estimates that regulatory processes can raise the cost of installing solar panels by as much as $2,500. But a new effort by the city of Palo Alto indicates that city officials are willing…

Bay Area solar power still needs to play a much bigger part in the state’s and the country’s energy infrastructures, but two new reports indicate that we’re at least heading in the right direction. Although the world will still derive 80 percent of its energy from fossil fuels in 2040, recent research suggests that this trend could be reversing. A report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration states that the fastest growing energy sources over the…

In an April 17 press release, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) – an educational nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. – announced that Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is the leading electric utility in the United States when it comes to adding solar power to its energy grid. The source states that PG&E connected 805 megawatts of new solar energy throughout 2012, which, according to The Sacramento Bee, is significantly more than second-place company Southern California Edison’s 195 megawatts.…

One of the biggest obstacles to greater integration of Bay Area solar power and other renewable energy sources into the country’s electrical grid is the persistence of rumors that are simply untrue, spread by opponents of clean technology. If you’ve thought about going solar in the past but were dissuaded by someone claiming that the costs were too high or the red tape was too much of a barrier, you should be skeptical of these…

Concentrated solar is falling out of favor with developers, as decreasing costs for photovoltaic (PV) solar modules have made them more and more competitive and economical. Although just a few years ago, concentrated solar was seen as the future of utility-scale projects, that perception has now changed and it seems likely that such projects in the future will make use of PV. Probably the most notable concentrated solar (or solar thermal) project is the Ivanpah…

The funding for GoSolarSF, San Francisco’s rebate program originally developed to increase the number of solar rooftops throughout the city, faced some unfortunate cuts in 2012, decreasing from $5 million to $2 million and reducing the resources available to consumers who would have liked to benefit from it. Fortunately, Mayor Ed Lee recently conveyed some good news regarding the future of the initiative. According to multiple sources, Lee made an announcement at the swearing-in of new California Energy Commissioner…

The installed generating capacity of U.S. photovoltaic (PV) solar power grew 83 percent in 2012, according to a new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The NREL released its annual Renewable Energy Data Book on November 21, and the information contained therein provides a good picture of the status of renewable energy in the United States, particularly regarding the solar industry. Overall, renewable energy now accounts for 14 percent of all installed generating capacity, up from 12.9…

It was announced on August 22 that Germany, the worldwide leader in installed solar energy generation capacity, had set a new record for electricity produced by solar panels. In July, the country was able to derive 5.1 terawatt-hours of electricity from solar, six times higher than the record in the U.S. The German government has a goal of getting 80 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2050, a lofty objective when you consider…

Despite California’s ambitious accomplishments when it comes to adopting solar energy solutions – many of which we’ve documented on this blog – the state’s investor-owned utilities are attempting to destroy a successful policy that serves as an incentive to consumers investing in rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels. The initiative, known as net energy metering (NEM), gives individuals credit for the solar electricity they deliver to the grid, similar to how cell phone companies enable customers to roll their…

According to a recent article featured in Forbes, the rise of solar power is as inevitable as it is unexpected. The benefits of solar may seem obvious to those familiar with the technology, with its relatively cheap cost over time and obvious sustainability advantages, but for some reason solar power hasn’t received the same attention as other energy sources such as oil, natural gas, coal and even wind power. When asked why solar power hasn’t received the hype…

The first round of funding from the California Clean Energy Jobs Act, passed as Proposition 39 on the November 2012 California ballot, is being distributed across the state to educational institutions embarking on new efficiency and alternative energy projects. The Napa Valley Register reports that five schools and two districts will be receiving $362,000 in funds, much of which will be used to finance solar energy solutions. The schools receiving money include Stone Bridge, Shearer Charter, Napa Valley Language…