Where the energy storage expansion will happen first and why
The commercial-industrial segment of the market is ready to buy in People who watch the energy storage market say they now know where and how it will break out commercially.New numbers show solar plus storage…
The Meaning of Disruption: How Should Utilities Think About Change?
There’s lots of debate about the meaning of “disruption” and what it could bring for utilities. Here are a few musings. “Disruption” is one the most overused words to describe how radical technological change can…
Solar Energy Isn’t Always as Green as You Think
Do cheaper photovoltaics come with a higher environmental price tag? Photo: Imaginechina/Corbis On the Line: A factory worker in China inspects crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells. Solar panels glimmering in the sun are an icon of all…
Renewable energy reshaping utilities
Solar energy, particularly distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation, drives more full-time utility employment than any other renewable generating resource, according to research conducted by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and ScottMadden Inc., which looked at…
Soon, Europe Might Not Need Any New Power Plants
Within a few decades, large-scale, centralized electricity generation from fossil fuels could be a thing of the past in Europe. That’s the word from investment bank UBS, which just released a new report anticipating…
Solar Energy Revolution: A Massive Opportunity
My friend Ray Kurzweil projects the U.S. will meet 100 percent of its electrical energy needs from solar in 20 years. Elon Musk is a bit more conservative, pegging it at 50 percent in that…
Solar Disruption Could Spell Trouble For Utility Investors
Is the future of solar energy so bright that it poses a threat to electric utilities? Such a scenario may seem implausible, but it’s being taken more and more seriously, not just by environmentalists worried…
For $1M, Google wants you to build a solar inverter that’s ‘the size of a small laptop’
Google’s Little Box challenge, first announced in May, is now open to applications from anyone who thinks they can design and build a very small solar inverter. Google is offering $1 million in prize money. Google…
