Study Shows Strong Growth in Solar

According to a new report by the British firm, IMS Research, the photovoltaics (PV) market in the Americas (primarily the USA) more than doubled in the first half of 2012 to reach 1.7 GW. IMS predicts the total will reach almost 4.3 GW for the full year. Global PV installations exceeded 13 GW in the first half of 2012, with much of the increase coming from the Americas and Germany. The Americas market increased by more than 120% to reach 1.7 GW in the first half of 2012, compared to 750 MW in the same period last year, according to the IMS report. Read more...

Iowa Mulls Green Energy Subsidies

Democrats in the Iowa Legislature have proposed a package of incentives that would provide tax rebates to businesses and homeowners who install certain alternative energy systems. The $10 million plan focuses on small solar or wind energy systems and would give homeowners rebates up to $3,000 and businesses up to $15,000. Sponsors say the measure would provide $4 million to homeowners, enough for 1,300 projects, and $6 million for businesses, enough for 400 projects.

http://news.ino.com/headlines/?newsid=68976971747400

UM-Morris Green Power Update

According to an article this week in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the University of Minnesota at Morris is making significant progress towards its goal of being a carbon neutral campus. According to the article, the school has erected a wind turbine that provides about 60 percent of its electricity and has a second turbine on order. A biomass gasifier was built that turns corn cobs and prairie grass pellets into energy, enough to provide nearly half the campus' heating. Supplemental energy is provided by 32 solar panels installed around the school, which predicts it will be producing more power than it uses sometime this year.

http://www.startribune.com/local/115613614.html

New DOE Solar Initiative Announced

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced additional details of the Department of Energy's "SunShot" initiative to reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are cost competitive at large scale with other forms of energy without subsidies before the end of the decade. By reducing the cost for utility scale installations by about 75 percent to roughly $1 a watt - which would correspond to roughly 6 cents per kilowatt-hour - solar energy systems could be broadly deployed across the country.

http://www.energy.gov/news/10050.htm

3M Gets Solar Grant

The U.S. Department of Energy last week announced $20.1 million in grants under its SunShot program to companies working to reduce the costs of solar energy. The recipients included St. Paul-based 3M Co., which was awarded $4.4 million.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-04/u-s-awards-27-million-in-sunshot-program-to-reduce-cost-of-solar-energy.html

University of Iowa Builds Solar Charging Station

A new solar-powered charging station for electric-powered vehicles is nearing completion at the University of Iowa. The structure is a 60-yard-long slanted canopy lined with reflective, dark-colored solar panels. It has more than 20 stalls and will be used to power the university's fleet of eight electric vehicles. The university plans to expand the fleet once the charging station is finished. The project, which cost $950,000, was funded by multiple agencies, including a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Read more...

Minnesota Solar Plant on Schedule

The construction of a solar panel manufacturing facility in northern Minnesota is on schedule, according to a recent report. Kraus-Anderson Construction Company of Bemidji, Minn. is building the 25,000-square-foot plant for Mountain Iron Economic Development Authority in Mountain Iron, Minn. Silicon Energy MN will manufacture the solar panels. Construction of the $3.6 million project  is scheduled to be completed by March 2011, with production to begin by summer. Read more...

Wind/Solar Conference Set for Iowa

Iowa State University Extension in Plymouth County, along with other partner organizations, is presenting a Wind/Solar Energy Conference on Wednesday, March 2 in Le Mars. Speakers from the Iowa Energy Center, USDA Rural Development and Iowa State University will address various topics concerning wind and solar energy, including financing, legal considerations, and planning and zoning. Read more...