Tag Archives: in focus
In Focus: China’s Huge Emissions Gap
China recently overtook America as the world’s largest consumer of energy — also making it the largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. Led by China, countries pumped record levels of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2011, setting the world on a path to 11 degree Fahrenheit warming by the end of the century. If that [...]
In Focus: Crowdfunding
Congratulations on your exciting idea for an innovative business venture –selling “hip-widgets!” Brilliant. But we all know making “hip-widgets” isn’t cheap, so where are you going to find the funding to start production? Since the recession, conventional forms of early stage funding, such as bank loans and venture capital, have decreased drastically. A report from [...]
In Focus: Ion Implantation
Pure silicon isn’t terribly thrilling. It’s neither a perfect insulator nor a perfect conductor. It’s somewhere in the middle. Inserting a smattering of boron or phosphorus atoms into the silicon crystal lattice really spices things up. This process is called ion implantation and it’s one of the fundamental processes used to make microchips. Since we [...]
In Focus: Community Oriented Renewable Energy
There are two interesting trends happening in community-oriented renewable energy, with roots in California but with branches around the country. These programs provide opportunities for communities to literally invest in renewable energy such as solar and wind power, and to have their communities receive the economic and environmental benefits. Community Choice Aggregation Community Choice Aggregation [...]
In Focus: Renewables vs Coal
No energy has zero emissions but clearly some sources of energy are better than others. To help identify power sources that have the lowest energy requirements the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released an analysis that lets users compare, contrast and better understand what a lifespan of emissions means for project permitting, [...]
In Focus: SunPower AC Modules
When people decide to go solar, they often have to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of various technology options: if you prioritize a photovoltaicsystem that’s aesthetically pleasing, you might have to sacrifice efficiency, for example. Every house is different and every system needs to balance what’s most important to you. Now, though, there’s a new [...]
The 12 Biggest Smart Grid Companies
A smart grid is an electrical grid, that is digitally enabled to procure & distribute information in order to improve the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of electrical devices. It involves the application of digital processing and communications to the power grid. A smart grid replaces analog mechanical meters with digital meters that record usage in real [...]
In Focus: The SolarCity IPO
The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Facebook Inc. has been dominating the news, but I am more interested in another IPO that is developing. One of the largest solar installers in the country, SolarCity, has filed a confidential application to the SEC to create an IPO of its shares. This is an exciting development, and is [...]
In Focus: Green Button Apps
A tsunami of Green Button applications is coming to an iPad, Android phone or computer near you, if you happen to be one of the 30 million or so Americans who has a utility that supports the Green Button initiative. The Green Button, which was announced last fall, is a feature that allows residential and [...]