Recently we reported on the GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association year-in-review report which revealed that California implemented more than 1,000 megawatts of solar panels as of 2012, leading the country in solar energy solutions. On March 10, however, the Golden State broke that record. KCET, an independent television station in Southern California, announced that the state had 1,500 megawatts of solar power entering the grid as of 10 a.m. It then went on…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will be hosting its sixth Solar Decathlon competition from October 3-13 in Irvine, California. Held at the massive Orange County Great Park, the competition pits teams of college students against each other to design and construct solar powered homes that are energy efficient, affordable and attractive. Juries of experts will judge the houses based on ten criteria, including how much hot water is provided and how comfortable the interiors are,…

On Monday, the California State Senate passed Assembly Bill 327. The bill makes a number of changes to California’s electrical rate structure, and also lifts a suspension of net energy metering (NEM) that would have occurred at the end of the year without legislative intervention. If signed by Governor Jerry Brown, as is expected, the proposed law will be a major victory for solar customers and the industry as a whole. NEM allows solar customers…

A house that was entered into the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition in October will be donated to the campus of California State University at San Marcos, near Camp Pendleton. The structure, which was designed by students of Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, will be used as a veterans’ affairs office, aimed at providing services such as GI benefits distribution and class registration for student and faculty members who are veterans. The…

Harry Atwater is a physicist at the California Institute of Technology (CIT) with a specialty in applied physics and alternative energy sources, specifically solar power. Currently, he and his team of CIT researchers and engineers are working to develop a solar cell that can convert a whopping 50 percent of solar light into useable energy, according to Discovery News. For a little perspective, the sun emits over 1,000 watts of energy per square yard to…

Retirees are having a more difficult time these days ensuring that their future will be comfortable and secure because of the Great Recession. Although asset values have recovered somewhat over the last few years, some retirees were unable to take advantage of this upswing or are still waiting for their 401k and savings accounts to come back to pre-recession levels. As a result, many are looking for alternative investments that could help them reclaim some of…

This year, the United States’ total solar generating infrastructure surpassed the 10 gigawatt (GW) mark, making us the fourth nation to reach that benchmark after Germany, Italy and China. GreenTech Media Research (GTMR) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) predict that by the end of the 2013, the country will have added 4.3 gigawatts, representing an increase of 27 percent. In other words, 2013 was a big year for solar energy. The country took significant…

The California General Assembly has approved the creation of the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC), a program that will invest millions of dollars in research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of clean energy and efficiency technology. The National Resources Defense Council reports that the EPIC program will have a budget of $162 million to invest in advancing renewable energy. California utilities, including Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison, will be…

As temperatures rise, California residents and businesses are starting to really crank up their air conditioners and house fans to keep their homes livable. Consequently they’ll see their utility bills rise dramatically, giving some pause for thought about whether it might be a good idea to consider switching to California solar power for their electrical needs. A recent article in the Pocono Record, a local news publication, declares that, given rising electricity rates and the…

Efforts across the state of California to make energy-efficient upgrades to homes and businesses have certainly paid off, as a new study reveals that the Golden State continues to lead the country in solar panel installations. On March 14, GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) jointly released a year-in-review report detailing trends in photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) markets. According to the data, 2012 was a record-breaking year for the industry, with…

The Christian Science Monitor recently published a piece detailing how solar leasing and financing options are making this technology feasible for families of all incomes. The advent of leasing, which allows homeowners to switch to California residential solar energy with no down payment, gives these residents the option of using solar electric systems for their energy needs without a large upfront cost. The article goes on to provide interesting information about how the families that have most…