Texas Solar Energy News

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          their top five stories of the day, plus access to over 35 green energy blogs.

                                                                 

2/6/12 USA- Solar powered car is making an around the world journey. The Gran Turismo is the product of SolarWorld Americas, the US's largest solar panel maker..more

 

1/30/12 Amarillo - VA Health Care System instituting energy efficiency measures including construction of nearly 570 carports which will have solar panels on top....more

12/28/11 e360.Yale.edu -  If energy cost trends remain consistent — with the price of retail electricity rising and solar power falling — solar energy could become cheaper than power from the grid in most major U.S. metropolitan areas by 2027 according to a recent projection....more

11/21/11 National -As Rooftops Beat Utilities, Solar Demand Will Jump, Analyst Says..more

 

11/21/11 Huntsville - Rotary Club joins with Austin non-profit GridEarth.org to provide solar powered lighting for Belize village...more

 

11/21/11 National - China bends to US complaint over dumping of solar panels on US market...more  Though a little wonky, this article explores the current situation of low cost Chinese solar panels (thus a rise in US installations) vs questions around US panel production (higher cost than China). It also examines the process of creating a panel and the attendant environmental issues over cheap vs more costly solar products. Solar produces clean energy but producing the hardware takes a tremendous amount of energy.

 

11/21/11 China -Move over Texas! Everything’s big in CHINA, where construction will soon begin on a 1-gigawatt solar farm 165 miles west of Beijing....more

11/15/11 Austin - HelioVolt has won two certifications the company needs to market its thin-film panels...more

11/11/11 National - Tax credits fueling green energy drive could vanish...more

11/2/11 San Antonio - CPS starting over on bids for 400MW of solar...more

11/2/11 Brownsville - At UT Brownsville/Texas Southmost College installation begins on solar and wind installation...more

11/1/11 Houston - As prices on solar drops 50% (from $9/watt to $4.50/watt) and red tape disappears, Houston looks to become a Solar America City...more

10/31/11 Waco - Solar Energy USA announces plans for a 100kW rooftop system in Waco...more

10/28/11 El Paso - El Paso Electric Invests in First Utility Owned CPV Project in Texas, Utilizing SolFocus Technology. Texas   utility takes advantage of high solar resources with most efficient solar technology available  ..mpre.....more

10/24/11 Round Rock - Homeowners celebrate one year of energy independence, producing more energy than they consumed...more

10/24/11  National - TXSES member Clean Energy Authority gives a weekly view of the solar news, including a recap of Solar Power International in Dallas...more

10/23/11 National - Bloomberg News reports that solar is beginning to go mainstream..more

10/22/11 El Paso - City officials and a federal lawmaker climbed atop the roof of the El Paso Main Library in the Downtown on Friday morning to take in more than just sunshine....more

10/19/11 Dallas - Solar companies donate solar arrays to Habitat for Humanity houses...more

10/11 California - Utility scale solar is not always welcome in a community. How does a solar power plant developer change their minds?...more

10/9/11 Houston - Research strength powers Texas solar industry...more

10/6/11 Dallas - 300 Kw solar parking canopy installed at UT Southwestern Medical Center...more

10/6/11 Plano - Frito Lay unveils near 'net zero' manufacturing plant...more

10/5/11 San Angelo - Editorial: Solar Energy Could Fill Energy Needs and Use Less Water...more

9/29/11 National - What it will take to make renewable energy a reaity in America, since the  world’s total reserves of oil, gas, coal, and uranium are expected to run out by the end of the century....more

9/27/11 Corpus Christi - Texas Renewable Energy Industries will address trends for industry growth at Texas Renewables 2011 Conference Nov. 6-9....more

9/27/11 State - Public Utility Commission Chair Donna Nelson talks about the challenges facing the state's electric grid in the wake of a hot summer and start to a warm fall....more

9/26/11 Austin - Pediatrician explains why his concern for children's health related to air quality led him to install solar on his home..more

9/25/11 Princeton NJ - Princeton University mechanical engineering student develops a non-toxic, cheap, recyclable device that allows solar panels to track the sun without an  electric motor...more

9/24/11 National - Army looks to swap land in return for renewable energy supply...more The project is part of a broader Army goal to use 25% renewable energy by 2025. By trading real estate for energy, the project will also contribute to the military's energy security -- by ensuring military bases have their own supply of renewable energy no matter what's going on outside the fences.

9/23/11 Austin - HelioVolt secures investments that will help create additional engineering jobs and allow the company to expand globally...more

9/21/11 San Antonio - Students at San Antonio College work on experiments to increase efficiency of solar panels...more

9/19/11 National -With students across the country going back to school, many will be returning to campuses that feature newly installed solar panels...more

9/19/11 National - Solar jobs grow by 6.8% since August 2010...more

9/18/11 Statewide - Renewables continue to grow according to ERCOT report...more

9/18/11 National - One of the high costs of producing energy is water consumption...more

9/12/11 US - US solar pv pipeline now up to 24 GW due to the continued drop in module prices over the summer...more

9/8/11 Boerne - School district takes advantage of the Texas sun.The 123.9-kilowatt system includes two solar panel arrays, consisting of 590 solar panels, atop the school's roof..more

9/7/11 Tyler - Resident reduces energy bill 70% with solar...more

 

9/6/11 Austin - Two Austin companies, SolarBridge Technologies and AstroWatt, have received Department of Energy grants to boost solar power technology...more

 

9/2/11 US - New EPA rules have officials worrying about energy outages. Great time to consider more renewable energy....more  Environmentalists recommend electric power providers consider renewables..more

8/31/11 RIchmond -Green Power 4 Texas Helps Low-income Housing Beat the Heat & Electricity Bills Affordably with Solar-powered Attic Fans...more

 

8/31/11 US - The economy's bright spot is solar. In 2010, solar installations grew 104% to 887 MW. During 2011's first quarter, installations grew another 66% to 251.5 MW. ..more

 

8/31/11 Denton - University of North Texas efforts are helping Texas schools save energy...more

 

8/31/11 US - The US solar panel manufacturing market is falling prey to China's aggressive production and pricing. Company that benefited from multi-million dollar  government grant declares bankrupcy..more

 

8/30/11 Cedar Park - Homeowner denied right to install solar panels in spite of new law  that restricts HOAs from preventing solar energy installations if they meet certain conditions...moren

 

8/29/11 US - Spray on solar cells developed by Mitsubishi...more

 

8/28/11 Washington DC - The Federal Government aims to cut greenhouse gases by 28% by 2020 . Achieving the greenhouse gas goal would save up to $11 billion in energy costs through 2020, the equivalent of taking 17 million cars off the road for a year.         ....more

 

8/24/11 San Antonio - Builders offering more solar in neighborhoods...more

 

8/24/11 New Mexico - Hatch school system saves big money with solar energy...more

 

8/22/11 Irving - First  Texas 'net zero energy' middle school opens in Irving. It’s technology that will help lower the cost of running the school.  It’s technology that will help lower the cost of running the school. Officials say a typical middle school costs $250,000 a year to run. Lady Bird will only cost $65,000 a year. ..more

 

8/20/2011 Houston - The incredibly high price we pay for coal...more

 

8/17/11 San Antonio - Local school districts benefiting from renewable energy rebates...more

 

8/17/11 Washington DC - Five Veterans' Administration hospitals will receive funds for solar projects, including one in Amarillo...more

 

8/17 Corpus Christi - Solar-powered cameras and trash cans are just a couple of high tech options officials are looking at to reduce the problem of illegal dumping and littering in the city...more

 

8/15/11 Eldorado - The city will recieve a grant of $226,000 from a pilot program funded by the Texas Department of Rural Affairs to install 10 kilowatt solar arrays on two of the town's water wells. The solar panels are expected to provide up to 41 percent of the electricity needed for the wells....more

 

8/14/11 Austin - Texas size heat wave renews the need for renewable energy in our state. Solar and wind are much more effective than fossil fuel...more

 

8/14/11 San Antonio- Mitsubishi announces solar charging stations in anticipation of their electric vehicle launch...more

 

8/11/11 Dallas- Sun Power International in Dallas Oct 17-20. SPI draws nearly 24,000 professionals from 125+ countries,  20% from outside the US. Attendees include manufacturers, installers and contractors, distributors, engineering firms, utilities, government representatives and policy makers, investors and financiers, architects, builders and developers—anyone who needs to stay on top of the latest developments in solar energy....more

 

8/11/11- US- The U.S. Army wants you, private investors, to install large-scale renewable energy projects on its lands to meet a goal of drawing 25% of electricity from clean sources by 2025...more

 

8/10/11 San Antonio- Scholarships are now available for students who enroll in St. Philip’s College’s new power generation and alternative energy program...more

 

8/10/11 Austin - New solar charging station in South Austin...more

 

8/9/11 Amarillo- Mariposa Village will teach sustainability...more

 

8/8/11 Corpus Christi - City Art Museum flips the switch on their new 25.38 kW solar array...more

 

8/7/11 Houston - Habitat for Humanity community stays cool with solar power. By the end  of 2011,they expect to complete as many as 13 homes equipted with solar pv and solar thermal...more

 

8/4/11 Houston - Solar panels become a cash cow for some Texans...more

 

8/2/11 US - July, typically a slow month for venture capital funding, was very healthy for greentech, including solar...more