Everything’s big in Texas; even the state’s power consumption is huge.The state is becoming increasingly excited over the possibility of a local solar energy industry after a recent major news conference held by state senators and representatives promoting new renewable energy bills.
USA President Obama today signed the USD $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 into law. The US solar energy industry has rejoiced over the package as USD $43 billion will be spent in the energy sector; with a sizeable chunk dedicated to solar power.
The solar energy gold rush is on and there’s plenty of companies looking to cash in. Some will succeed on their own merits, but some are jumping on the coat-tails of established companies by using variations on brand names. These counterfeit wares are often sold via avenues such as online auction sites.
The spectacular success of a feed in tariff program in Ontario, Canada provides a number of lessons for countries considering similar schemes to boost solar energy uptake.
The team at Google are well known for their passion for renewable energy and the company has been developing a energy efficiency focused project that could potentially benefit millions – the Google PowerMeter.
In what’s said to be the biggest solar energy venture to date, Southern California Edison and BrightSource Energy have inked a deal for a series of solar thermal projects totalling 1,300 megawatts.
Solar power system owners in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are counting down the days to March 1 when the region will be the first in Australia to offer a solar gross feed in tariff program.
Recently we covered a story on the solar powered recreational boat that returns electricity to the mains grid when in dry dock and fully charged. The (somewhat unfortunately named) eBox, based on a Toyota Scion body, is another form of transportation that can export electricity to the mains grid.
Cheap electricity is something Australians have become accustomed to; but is it really cheap? There’s a slew of hidden costs that don’t show up on electricity bills, but in taxation.
The Energy Matters Brisbane team will be in attendance at the Brisbane Home Show 2009. Energy Matters technical staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide free advice on renewable energy options, plus to arrange for no-obligation quotations and free site inspections.
