April 28, 2010
Solar 2010, Phoenix, May 17-22
The big solar event of the year kicks off in less than three weeks at the Phoenix Convention Center; it’s the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Conference, Solar 2010. The conference and expo take place this year in Arizona, one of the hottest spots for Solar in the USA.
The National Solar Conference is America’s leading conference on the emerging trends, technology, and opportunities shaping the new energy economy. This year the conference features:
Solar Success! – the only industry training event that provides access to all the information you need to succeed in the solar industry:
- Technical – best practices for code-compliant design and installation
- Sales & Marketing – essential tactics to win in the solar market
- Manufacturing – hands-on training from leading manufacturers
- Business & Project Finance – tools and services to accelerate sales and streamline your business
- Green Careers Resource Center – learn how to get started on your solar career and land your green job
Read more about Solar 2010 here.
Conference Tracks:
- Advancing renewable energy technology – for engineers, researchers, students and installers
- Crafting effective policy and advocacy - for policy makers, implementers and advocates
- Developing and financing new energy markets – for bankers, developers, consultants, marketers and program managers
- Educating and training the new energy society – for students and educators
- Enhancing and expanding your business – for business owners, installers, manufacturers and consultants
- Transforming the built environment – for builders, architects, energy services companies and consultants
Special exhibit hall activities and public day sessions:
- Preparing for your ‘green’ career – for career changers
- Putting solar energy to work for you – for consumers
To find out more about the National Solar Conference than you could possibly read here, check out www.solar2010.org
See you in the desert!
April 28, 2010
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April 28, 2010
In a media landscape in which TV stations with the word ‘news’ in their title transmit editorials thinly disguised as actual news and representing only one side of the political spectrum, it’s fair to say that legitimate news media have a greater responsibility to present us with well-researched, intelligently balanced news.
This is not to say that such media shouldn’t be able to include editorials and op-eds in their offerings, but it was distressing to read in the Washington Post on April 25th – the very day that over 100,000 people attended the Earth Day Climate Rally on the National Mall – a piece entitled ‘Five myths about green energy‘. It was written by the conservative Manhattan Institute’s Robert Bryce*, whose positions on renewable energy are well-known (and mainly disparaging).
In fairness, Bryce makes well-argued points about such issues as dependence on imports and the definition of ‘green’ jobs, although an intelligent debater might well be able to introduce counterpoints to his arguments. But the larger point is that his platform betrays a narrow understanding of the reasons for renewable energy and the fact that those reasons – be they energy independence, pollution control, sustainability or climate change mitigation – demand new paradigms and asymmetric ways of thinking. (more…)
April 28, 2010
Want to arrange a screening?
The 2010 Washington DC Environmental Film Festival wrapped up on March 28th with the premiere of ‘Carbon Nation’, a film by Peter Byck that could be thought of as ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ with a dash of hope. Where the earlier documentary clearly expressed the problem of climate change, Byck’s film focuses on the solutions and the people who bring them to us.
‘Carbon Nation’ is the story of the people behind the grass roots movement, behind the policy, and behind the struggle to solve humanity’s toughest challenge. And whereas Al Gore’s production could be thought of as the seminal event for the widespread discussion of global climate disruption, ‘Carbon Nation’ takes a closer look at the kinds of solutions that are being planned or deployed now to mitigate that disruption. These include a wind farm conceived by a Texan farmer and ‘sold’ to scores of his neighbors, and solar solutions from utility-scale installations to neighborhood ‘sweat equity’ solar projects. (more…)
April 28, 2010
The rain that many visitors to the 2009 Solar Decathlon squelched through last October doesn’t seem to have squelched the Department of Energy’s enthusiasm for this biennial event – for which we can be thankful, since it routinely showcases some of the most innovative active solar, passive solar, and ‘net-zero energy’ designs you’ll ever see.
Drying out, Solar Decathlon 2009
The Department has just announced the list of 20 university teams that will compete in the 2011 Solar Decathlon by designing, building and operating solar-powered, energy-efficient houses. The houses will generate energy with PV systems, and in many cases with solar thermal and even geothermal systems. One emphasis for this event will be on dwellings that are affordable, attractive, effective, and energy-efficient; another will be the use of renewable energy systems that are commercially available today.
The teams include colleges and universities from 14 U.S. states, including California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. Four international teams are also participating, including a team from Canada and teams from three countries that are new to the competition: Belgium, China, and New Zealand. (more…)
April 28, 2010
By Bill Opalka, reprinted from RenewablesBiz Daily, April 21, 2010
Even in a recession, the U.S. solar energy industry grew strongly last year by 37 percent. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently released the 2009 U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review.
Overall U.S. solar electric capacity, including both photovoltaic and concentrating solar power installations, increased by 37 percent. This level of new capacity put the total above 2 gigawatts. This was driven primarily by strong demand in the residential and utility-scale markets, state and federal policy advances and declining technology prices. Solar industry revenue skyrocketed, too, reaching $4 billion, a 36 percent increase over 2008.
Read the rest of this article at RenewablesBiz Daily.
