In 2014 I traveled to Africa to visit the rural primary school I had attended 33 years earlier. I carried with me 200 solar lights from SolarAid, an international organisation, founded in 2006. Energy Poverty In the year 1981 I found myself living with my mother and sister in the small village of Mapanza, Zambia. […]

The post How 200 Solar Lights Found Their Way To A Small School In Rural Zambia appeared first on PlanetSave.

The International Solar Alliance has asked companies in member countries to submit proposals to offer solar power project management solutions. The global body issued this invitation after it received a proposal for the same from India’s largest power generation company.

The post India’s NTPC Limited Offers Solar Power Project Management Services To ISA Members appeared first on PlanetSave.

The winning projects of a global competition for innovative carbon-free and resilient urban projects were announced in Oslo and sent to us by C40 CITIES. Have a look.

The post First Round of 15 Winners of Reinventing Cities Competition Announced, Creating New Beacons of Sustainable Design & Construction appeared first on PlanetSave.

Concerned over the lackluster pace of capacity addition in the solar power sector, the Indian government has made amendments to the auction and project implementation timelines. The recent amendments to the policies would result in much quicker implementation of large-scale solar power projects, giving hope to the government that the 2022 target of 100 gigawatts […]

The post India Cuts Project Implementation Timelines For Solar Power Projects appeared first on PlanetSave.

There are only three things certain in this world: death, taxes, and that solar is unstoppable. The IRS has effectively extended solar subsidies by up to four years. Previously, to qualify for the full 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) solar projects had to be COMPLETED before January 1, 2020. Now, they only have to BEGIN […]

The post IRS Extends Solar Subsidies Up To 4 Years! appeared first on PlanetSave.

Oil giant Shell has stepped up its investment in renewable energy, announcing this week that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 43.83% stake in leading US solar developer, owner, and operator Silicon Ranch Corporation, a deal set to be worth up to $217 million.

The post Shell Invests Big In Solar, Acquiring Major Stake In Silicon Ranch appeared first on PlanetSave.

Even as investigations continue in India to levy safeguard duties and anti-dumping duties, custom officials are asking for import duties on solar modules.

The post India Considering 7.5% Import Duty On Solar Modules appeared first on PlanetSave.

According to the Danish municipal organisation kommunen.dk a total of 4 relativly new and perfectly functional small scale solar installations on public buildings in Copenhagen are being dismantled right now due to complex and utterly silly regulatory legislation. Silly legislation The rules are different for municipal buildings than state owned buildings, and amongst other nifty […]

The post Small Scale Municipal Solar Installations Being Dismantled In Copenhagen Due To Silly Legislation appeared first on PlanetSave.

If anyone needed proof that the US Congress is now a whipped puppy that slavishly obeys the orders of its masters — Charles and David Koch — the House last week completely eliminated funding for ARPA-E while giving the administration more money for fossil fuel research than the #FakePresident asked for. What Is ARPA-E? ARPA-E […]

The post House Republicans Fight Clean Energy, Clean Air, Clean Water, Human Health With New Bill appeared first on PlanetSave.

Instead of producing solar power on one site, and purifying water on another, and growing food on yet another piece of land, it might be possible to do all three on the same site, which would enable true local sustainability. That’s the gist of a new research paper from a Purdue University research team, which […]

The post Splitting The Solar Spectrum Could Produce Power, Food, & Water From The Same Land appeared first on PlanetSave.

If you need a primer on how solar energy and solar panels work, read on.

The post How Do Solar Panels and Solar Energy Work? appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org A community outreach program in Connecticut called Solarize with Faith is helping faith group members display their creation care by putting solar on their roofs. Their beautiful motto? “Stewardship in our hearts. Solar on our roofs.” What is Solarize With Faith? “Sparked” by the Connecticut Green Bank, Solarize with Faith is […]

The post Solarize with Faith Program is Energizing Connecticut appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org Formally blessed and sanctified, 150 solar panels forming a 38 kW array have been pressed into religious service at the iconic Gloucester Cathedral in Gloucestershire, England. Dubbed the oldest cathedral in the world to install solar panels, the new photovoltaic system will help reduce the ancient cathedral’s energy costs by 25%. […]

The post Hogwarts School (aka Gloucester Cathedral in UK) Goes Solar appeared first on PlanetSave.

Sri Lanka has decided to take the auction route as the country’s utility has been paying very high feed-in tariffs for operational projects.

The post Sri Lanka Set To Introduce Auctions For Solar Power Projects appeared first on PlanetSave.

The International Solar Alliance shall come into official existence under the UN once 15 countries ratify the agreement or officially join the alliance.

The post Countries Sign International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement appeared first on PlanetSave.

The island of Ta'u in American Samoa has shut down its diesel generators forever and replaces them with a solar power microgrid from Tesla and SolarCity,

The post Solar Microgrid Powers American Samoa Island (w/Video) appeared first on PlanetSave.

Hawai’i has long, sunny days and the capability to produce lots of solar energy. Why, then, is solar production so contentious in Hawai’i?

The post Hawaii Solar appeared first on PlanetSave.

Solar energy in Massachusetts has grown from 10 megawatts in 2009 to more than 1,050 megawatts in 2016. The state enacted much legislation to usher in solar as a renewable energy source.

The post Massachusetts Solar — History & Policy appeared first on PlanetSave.

Swell Energy's EnergyShield combines rooftop solar and lithium-ion batteries from its partners, plus an energy management system.

The post A Solar-Plus-Storage Startup Focuses on Optimizing the Battery appeared first on PlanetSave.

Argentina has awarded a total 1.1 GW of renewable energy projects in its first auction round of the RenovAR program. Of this total, 400 MW of solar electricity projects. The government has also announced a second round (“Round 1.5”) in November which will include a quota for 200 MW of PV projects. The RenovvAR program, […]

The post Renewable Electricity Auctions: Argentina Awards 400 MW In Solar In RenovAR Program appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on CleanTechnica Debates have raged across the country around the value and/or need for net metering. Most conversation has focused exclusively on the residential perspective. However, Graham Smith, CEO of Open Energy, asks about the impact of the ever-changing net meeting policies on commercial solar? Net Metering Backgrounder According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): “Net […]

The post A Call For Commercial Net Metering appeared first on PlanetSave.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency has announced a cross-border auction for ground-mounted photovoltaic installations in cooperation with Denmark. As reported by Energy Business Review, this auction will mark the first time Denmark jointly participates in a German auction. Rainer Baake, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said: “With this first cross-border auction […]

The post Germany & Denmark Launch Cross-Border Solar Electricity Auction appeared first on PlanetSave.

The Public Utility Authority (PUA) of Israel has announced it plans to issue more than 1GW of a new solar tender following a two-year hiatus from any new solar development. This anticipated plan represents an effort to boost this nation’s renewable electricity production and distribution. As reported by PVTech, the planned tender is being authorized […]

The post Israel: Public Utility Authority Plans 1GW Solar Tender appeared first on PlanetSave.

UtilityDIVE reports Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) has released a draft solar incentive program supporting the addition of 1.6 GW of solar power to the state. If enacted, this program will replace the state’s expiring solar incentive program, which uses solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) and is known as SREC-2, with a tariff program. The current SREC-2 program […]

The post Massachusetts Governor Unveils New Solar Incentive Program appeared first on PlanetSave.

In a press announcement, GRID Alternatives Colorado, an affiliate of the nation’s largest nonprofit solar installer, today announced its support for a comprehensive utility settlement being considered by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) this week to address significant state energy policy issues and increase access to solar power for Colorado’s most underserved communities. Under the […]

The post Grid Alternatives Supports Low-Income Access To Solar Energy appeared first on PlanetSave.

The National Energy Administration (NEA) of China has published its draft version of proposed 2017 feed-in tariff (FiT) levels for ground mount and distributed generation PV power plants. The lowered tariffs represent significant cuts to both sectors and overall curtailment of installations. According to PVTech, the Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory (AECEA) has estimated […]

The post China NEA Drafts Proposed Cuts To 2017 Solar FiTs appeared first on PlanetSave.

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has awarded 450MW of solar capacity in the state of Maharashtra, with the lowest collective set of bids involving viability gap funding (VGF) to date. The low bids add emphasis to significant solar electricity activities occurring within this nation’s borders. A total of two foreign firms won significant capacity in […]

The post India’s SECI Reports Record-Low Bids In 450MW Maharashtra Solar Auction appeared first on PlanetSave.

A tender for 1GW of capacity in Inner Mongolia shows China’s lowest ever bids for solar electricity, according to a report from Reuters. Reuters cited news outlet China Business News in its report that fifty solar developers and manufacturers had bid as low as CBY0.52/kWh (US$0.078) in this government-backed auction. Reuters added this price point comes […]

The post Inner Mongolia Solar Tender Shows Lowest Bids For Solar Electricity appeared first on PlanetSave.

Urban solar farms are now being explored in South Africa under a grant awarded by the US Trade and Development Agency. The grant has been has awarded to SolarReserve South Africa Limited to advance its “Urban Solar Farms” initiative in South Africa. This is a study concerning large metropolitan municipalities intended to provide a framework for […]

The post SolarReserve to Develop 200MW Of Urban Solar Farms in South Africa appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org Founded in 1979, the Christian Cultural Center (CCC) is the largest church in Brooklyn. With over 37,000 members in its congregation, the CCC is the largest evangelical church in the New York region and one of the largest independent churches in the US. Sitting on an 11-acre sun-drenched campus, the CCC […]

The post Brooklyn’s Largest Church is Going Solar appeared first on PlanetSave.

For those measuring the bid price index of recent solar electricity bids, add Abu Dhabi as the new low price leader. PV Tech reports this current bid — 2.42¢/kWh for the planned 350 MW solar plant in Sweihan, in the United Arab Emirates — ranks 17% lower than the tariff awarded to Solarpack in Chile in […]

The post Solar Bid Prices Hit New Low In Abu Dhabi appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org With the first phase deadline set for 2019, Morocco has launched an ambitious “Energy Efficiency in Mosques” program aiming to provide solar power for all the mosques in the kingdom. By switching to energy-saving LED lighting, solar water heating, and rooftop solar PV electricity generation, significant savings are anticipated for the […]

The post Morocco’s Mosques are ALL Transitioning to Solar Power appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on CleanTechnica Solar shingles are now gaining increasing traction in the renewable energy landscape. They are architecturally distinctive, more so than traditional rooftop photovoltaic panels. Solar shingles provide an integrated building product providing both roofing security and solar electricity in one package. As PV Magazine’s Charles W. Thurston has stated, “The nascent field of […]

The post Meet The Men Who Put Solar Shingles On The Roof appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org The Hajj season of 2016 is underway in Saudi Arabia and the world’s attention is finely tuned to the environmental impacts of four million pilgrims converging on Mecca. The pilgrimage crowd is phenomenal and attempts to “green” the hajj, as we’ll cover in this update, are continuously improving and as innovative […]

The post Greening the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published by Bobby Magill on ClimateCentral.org More wind turbines and solar power plants could be coming to vast tracts of public lands in the West if the Obama administration finalizes a new rule this fall aiming to streamline how federal lands can be developed for renewable energy. But the rule, hailed by environmental groups […]

The post New Rule Aims to Streamline Renewables on Federal Lands appeared first on PlanetSave.

The face of the solar workforce is really starting to glow. As of 2015, women are now representing 24 percent of workers in the solar industry, up two percent from 2014. Helping more women enter the field, GRID Alternatives has been instrumental in this rise. And, with solar jobs growing by 20 percent a year, […]

The post GRID Alternatives Gives Women Free Solar Training appeared first on PlanetSave.

Plan on solar-powered electricity in Indonesia to grow markedly in the next few years using FiTs. As reported by SolarServer, the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (ESDM) has issued a Government Decree to provide support mechanisms for utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems, exhibition and management services. The driving support mechanism will be the solar FIT priced […]

The post Indonesia To Add 5 GW Of Solar Capacity In 2 – 3 Years Offering FiTs appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org First Parish Unitarians are crying ‘foul’ over a recent denial to allow solar panels on the rooftop of their iconic church in Bedford, Massachusetts. Declaring the Historic District Commission’s (HDC) decision was “legally untenable, unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious,” the congregation has filed a suit against the Town of Bedford. Specifically pointing […]

The post Unitarians Sue for Religious Liberty to Use Solar Panels appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org Navigating through the icy waters of the Arctic, the Greenpeace ship “Arctic Sunrise” is delivering solar panels to the Inuit community of Clyde River, Nunavut. Delivering solar panels and a team to install the systems for the Clyde River community is Greenpeace’s way of offering a better solution to meet increasing […]

The post Inuit People & Greenpeace Demand #SolarNotSeismics appeared first on PlanetSave.

This August Germany’s Federal Network Agency has arranged the fifth solar auction, allocating 130 MW of green electricity to 25 bids. The Federal Network Agency offered 125 MW for its fifth solar auction yet it was oversubscribed by 62 bids for a total of 311 MW tendered, reported PV Magazine. Of the bidding action, 25 projects […]

The post Germany Green Electricity: 130MW Of Solar Bids Won In Fifth Solar Auction appeared first on PlanetSave.

 Write the words ‘Nevada’ and ‘net-metering’ together and you will soon discover a first-rate oxymoron. To the dismay of many rooftop solar enthusiasts and litigants, the Nevada Supreme Court last Thursday rejected a ballot proposal backed by state solar advocates which sought to restore retail rate net metering. The Court ruling stated the language was misleading […]

The post Nevada Supreme Court Nixes Net-Metering Ballot Proposal appeared first on PlanetSave.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last Thursday approved a June 6 application from Apple’s energy subsidiary to sell electricity in six regional power markets around the country at market rates. “Based on your representations, Apple Energy meets the criteria for a Category 1 seller in all regions and is so designated,” Steve Rodgers, director […]

The post FERC Gives Nod To Apple Petition For Selling Electricity appeared first on PlanetSave.

In spite of recent news from the government of Portugal stating solar subsidies are not needed to advance industry growth, José Manuel Medeiros Pinto, general secretary of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN) responded, saying solar cannot work without financial support in current market conditions. Following Portugal approving 180MW of unsubsidized solar PV production, Pinto sees subsidized […]

The post Portugal Solar Impossible Without Subsidies Claims APREN appeared first on PlanetSave.

Solar-powered electricity has claimed the biggest share in the renewable energy mix of Ukraine, closely trailed by wind energy production. As reported by pv-magazine, the total capacity of renewable energy plants in Ukraine in midyear had reached 1,028 MW. According to a report released by the SEF-2016 KYIV International Forum of Sustainable Energy in Ukraine, […]

The post Solar Leads In Ukraine Renewable Energy Mix appeared first on PlanetSave.

Minnesota Power has released the first in a series of RFPs as part of its plans to address environmental responsibility to further its EnergyForward strategy. EnergyForward calls for a diversified power supply to meet customers’ needs reliably and cost-effectively in an environmentally responsible manner. “EnergyForward is how Minnesota Power is doing its part to change the […]

The post Minnesota Power Calls For Tenders On Up To 300 MW Utility-Scale Solar & Wind appeared first on PlanetSave.

Originally published on EdenKeeper.org Interfaith solidarity in Malaysia’s culture is so strong it extends to providing free solar power, “regardless of creed or race.” A recent donation sees a Chinese temple, a Christian church, a Muslim mosque, and a Chinese primary school going solar together in the town of Kota Belud, Sabah. These four special […]

The post Going Solar Together at a Temple, Mosque & Church appeared first on PlanetSave.

Entering into a 37-year agreement with Dominion Virginia Power, the Department of the Navy (DoN) recently announced plans for a 21 MW direct current, or DC solar facility in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Following closely on the heels of a 10-year purchase contract for 25 MW DC for Naval Station Norfolk, the new DC solar facility […]

The post Navy Adds New DC Solar Facility in Virginia Beach appeared first on PlanetSave.

The Spanish authorities are mulling a new 3 gigawatt (3,000 megawatt) renewable energy auction in the country, according to recent reports. Until an actual government is formed in the country, though, nothing is certain. For those who don’t follow Spanish politics much: following the 2015 general election, there was a failure to form a government, as […]

The post Spain Mulling 3 GW Renewable Energy Auction appeared first on PlanetSave.