News
Montecito Fire Protection District Solar Microgrid to Be a National Model
In February, the Montecito Fire Protection District agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding to proceed with a unique community microgrid project. The project represents the first building block in the Montecito Com…
Don’t let PG&E’s perfectly good bankruptcy go to waste
Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s structure and regulatory framework are barriers to California’s clean energy future.Now, with PG&E in crisis, is the perfect opportunity to get the 21st century electric utility California needs…
California Opening Up to Independent Developer Distributed Energy Storage Projects
A recent administrative law judge ruling in California may pave the way for more private-sector development of the state's mandated distributed energy storage system projects.…
Mayor Garcetti: LADWP will Phase Out Natural Gas Operations at Three Power Plants
Mayor Eric Garcetti took a powerful step forward in L.A.’s movement toward renewable energy, announcing today that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) will not repower three coastal natural-gas power plants.…
A Bright Spot for Employment: Careers in Renewable Energy
As renewable-electricity generation continues to expand across the United States, related employment opportunities are growing, as well. …
How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient, and Smart
The average US home uses around 867 kilowatt hours per month, with the greatest share of that energy being spent on basic utilities like heating and lighting. Luckily, new smart home tech makes it possible to trim that usage.…
The Big Questions Raised by PG&E’s Coming Bankruptcy
How will costs be spread? Are legacy solar and wind PPAs at risk? And how can California policymakers and its largest utility reorganize to cope with a future severely impacted by climate change?…
Solar panels unveiled at Chernobyl nuclear power site
Ukraine launches its first solar plant in the abandoned area around the former nuclear power station.…
Governor Brown Signs 100 Percent Clean Electricity Bill, Issues Order Setting New Carbon Neutrality Goal
Reaffirming California’s global climate leadership, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed Senate Bill 100, authored by Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Kevin de León, setting a 100 percent clean electricity goal...…
Lithium-ion chemistry: What solar + storage installers should know
When it comes to lithium-ion batteries, reports of spontaneous fires in phones, cars and laptops have become all too common. But not all lithium-ion batteries pose a fire danger.…
Edison to Shut Down Power During Extreme Fire Weather
Southern California Edison has implemented a controversial public-safety strategy of shutting off power when the weather turns dangerous. A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a “mitigation of last resort,” Chiu emphasized.…
Integrating Solar into New Construction Makes Dollars and Sense
If you are involved in constructing a new building, most likely installing solar panels was mentioned at some point in the process. Solar panels are being integrated into more and more new constructions, and some cities...…
With Rapidly Falling Prices, Renewables Set to Outcompete Fossil Fuels by 2020
A new report showing that renewable prices may soon out-compete fossil fuels offers just the latest evidence to bolster demands that oil, gas, and coal to be left "in the ground." …
Advancing Clean Energy at the State Level – An Imperative
In the wake of President Trump's recent decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, one thing seems abundantly clear, and that is that the role of states in advancing clean energy becomes even…
Fossil Fuels Have Lost. The Rest of the World Just Doesn’t Know It Yet
Fossil fuels have lost,” argues Eddie O’Connor, chief executive of Irelands’s Mainstream Renewable Power company, before adding: “The rest of the world just doesn’t know it yet.”…
Solarize Santa Barbara Launches Program to Help Residents Go Solar
The gigawatt of solar energy generated by the Tri-County region is enough to power a quarter of a million homes for a year, said Jefferson Litten…
Microgrid Sales Rise – A boon to Solar Power
The periodic blackouts in Cassina Tarsia's Oceanside neighborhood meant the 71-year-old couldn't charge her cellphone or electric wheelchair…
Grid-Tie Solar Electric Home Owner Speaks Out
On Sunday, February 17, over 50,000 people attended two rallies in Washington, DC and San Francisco. Focused on raising awareness of the need to act now on climate change, it was the single-largest collective demonstration on…
Renewable Energy Capacity Doubled in last 5 years
The U.S. is increasing its share of renewable energy while decreasing its overall energy consumption and emissions, finds a new report released jointly…
Santa Barbara Solar Energy
People want to put solar on their homes. They just don’t know how to take that first step,” said 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf…
Santa Barbara Solar
The sun was shining down on Daniel Emmett’s solar-powered home when the Community Environmental Council announced Tuesday at his home its new Solarize Santa Barbara program…