China vaulted past competitors in Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United States last year to become the world’s largest maker of wind turbines, and is poised to expand even further this year. As China takes the lead on wind turbines, above, and solar panels, President Obama is calling for American industry to step up. China has also leapfrogged the West in the last two years to emerge as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. And the country is pushing equally hard to build nuclear reactors and the most efficient types of coal power plants.
Archive for January, 2010
China Leading Global Race to Make Clean Energy
Sunday, January 31st, 2010Solar water heaters get a $350-million boost in California
Friday, January 22nd, 2010California regulators approved a $350-million rebate offer today to encourage homes and businesses to install water-heating systems powered by solar energy.
The state Public Utilities Commission established the California Solar Initiative Thermal Program, which will use $250 million to replace natural-gas-powered water heaters, with $25 million set aside for low-income customers. An additional $100.8 million will be used to swap out water heaters powered by electricity.
The incentives will decrease steadily over eight years until Dec. 31, 2017, or until the funds run out. The rebates will begin retroactively in August 2009.
The program could result in systems that displace 585 million therms of natural gas, or the equivalent of placing a solar water heater on 200,000 single-family homes, according to the commission. It could also lead to systems that displace 275.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
Wal-Mart completes a megawatt solar project in Apple Valley
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010Wal-Mart Stores Inc. keeps moving ahead with its plan to shift its power supply to renewable energy with the completion of its largest solar-power project yet.
Earlier this month, Wal-Mart completed three other solar projects in Paramount, Baldwin Park and San Bernardino.
This time, the mega-corporation has wrapped up the installation of more than 5,300 solar panels across nearly 7 acres at its Apple Valley distribution center. The setup will generate 1 megawatt of power, the equivalent of the supply needed by 175 homes.
The company’s solar initiative was first announced in May 2007 and expanded in April 2009 to aim for 10 to 20 solar facilities in California over 18 months. A month later, in May, a San Bernardino Superior Court judge blocked the discount retailer’s plan for a Yucca Valley supercenter, in part because Wal-Mart’s proposal did not include solar-power provisions.