Royal DSM, Sungevity, SolarAid and partners are challenging people to create solutions that will accelerate the adoption of renewable energy through the Bright Minds Challenge. The winners will gain valuable exposure for their projects with the winner receiving 500 hours (equivalent to more than $100,000) of commercial, technical and mentoring support to fast-track the development of their prototypes into applicable commercial and residential solar markets. 

On Aug. 12, 2016, roughly 265,000 Green Mountain Power customers in Vermont collectively saved $200,000. Even though they probably don’t know it, that’s thanks to the 2-megawatt Stafford Hill Solar Farm and its 3.4-megawatt-hour energy storage system near Rutland, VT. 

With 153 gigawatts of new, renewable energy installed across the world in 2015, renewable energy surpassed coal-fired electric generation for the first time. Led by record levels of both wind and solar, 66 gigawatts and 49 GWs of solar, respectively, the world saw a 15 percent increase in renewable energy production. As such more than half of new power capacity developed worldwide came from renewable resources.

Originally published: 10/24/2016

Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission (PSC) is transferring $7.7 million in funds for renewable energy loans to rebates for its solar rebate programs for homes, businesses and non-profits. The rebates will offer enough rebates to benefit over 500 residential home installations between 2017 and 2018. The PSC made the shift because the rebates proved more successful than its loan programs over a two-year period. The commission also freed up $25 million leftover from previous years to be distributed to its renewable energy incentive programs in 2017.

College campuses around the US are microcosms of innovation. Universities are moving renewable energy solutions, research and practical applications forward in all sorts of ways from technology to financing. Case in point, MIT has teamed up with Boston Medical Center (BMC) and the Post Office Square Redevelopment (POS) to buy energy produced by a 60 megawatt, 650-acre solar farm with 225,000 PV panels called Summit Farms in North Carolina.

Home sharing not only saves travelers money but is now a way for guests and hosts to reduce their carbon footprint with sustainable vacation or business trip choices. That's why solar provider, SolarCity is offering Airbnb hosts rebates of up to $1,000 and a $100 travel credit for installing solar panel systems on their homes between now and the end of March 2017—they can qualify for a rebate of up to $750 through the end of the year.

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Program Office (LPO) updated its 2015 report Powering New Markets: Utility Scale Photovoltaic Solar with new figures showing that its initial $4.6 billion in loans for five solar projects 100 megawatts or larger in 2011 led to 45 additional privately financed utility-scale PV projects. These recent results show that President Obama’s commitment to renewable energy development through the Recovery and Reinvestment Act has experienced overwhelming success and helped create a privately financed solar industry. 

Minnesota is becoming a major player in the renewable energy market. Recently the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) unanimously approved Xcel Energy’s 15-year energy plan, which would add 1.4 gigawatts of solar power and 1.8 gigawatts of wind power to the state by 2030.

ENGIE North America, with subsidiary Mt. Tom Solar, has broken ground on a 5.76-megawatt community solar farm in Holyoke, MA, on property which was once home to the coal-burning Mt. Tom Power Station. This solar installation will be the largest community solar project in Massachusetts and will consist of 17,000 solar panels on 22 acres. Mt. Tom Solar will the power to Holyoke Gas & Electric which will sell it to residential and commercial customers through a community solar program.