Source: Charles Dharapak, AP

A campaign to make the White House greener is intensifying as a group of environmentalists plan this month to give President Obama a solar panel that used to sit atop 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Environmentalist and author Bill McKibben says he’s joining a team from Unity College for a “Put Solar On It” road trip to Washington. The group, set to depart Unity, Maine, Sept. 7, will deliver a solar panel that President Jimmy Carter had installed on the White House in 1979 but was removed in 1986 and placed in storage. “We’re taking them back to the White House…” Click here to read more about this solar campaign for the White House!

Source: Geoscapesolar.com

With utilities adopting standards to increase the amount of solar-generated electricity in coming years, the U.S. could bolster its presence in the global solar-power market. The quickening growth pace could present attractive opportunities for investors, according to some professionals. At the end of 2009, the U.S. ranked fourth in total solar capacity, with 2.09 gigawatts installed, behind Germany with 9.79Gw, Spain with 4.01Gw, and Japan with 2.68Gw, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. With U.S. installed capacity growing at a faster pace than that of the international market, the country may be on track to become a more dominant market by 2014, according to Larry Sherwood, an analyst at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Click here to read more about the growth of solar investment in the U.S.

Source: Solar Home & Business Journal

Just as the first wave of large-scale solar power plants proposed in the U.S. Southwest is about to arrive at a decision point, a new science report could throw cold water on some of the plans.A draft report of recommendations from the Independent Science Advisors for the California Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan urges that new renewable energy developments – whether solar, wind or geothermal – be located whenever possible on already disturbed land. ”Every effort should be made to avoid and minimize any new disturbance of soil surfaces in the siting, design, construction and maintenance of any and all project features,” says the draft report by the group of a dozen specialists in desert ecology, plants, animals and water resources. Click here to read more about this report and its impact on the solar industry.

Source: J. Emilio Flores/New York Times

Thousands of acres of farmland here in the San Joaquin Valley have been removed from agricultural production, largely because the once fertile land is contaminated by salt buildup from years of irrigation. But large swaths of those dry fields could have a valuable new use in their future — making electricity. Farmers and officials at Westlands Water District, a public agency that supplies water to farms in the valley, have agreed to provide land for what would be one of the world’s largest solar energy complexes, to be built on 30,000 acres. At peak output, the proposed Westlands Solar Park would generate as much electricity as several big nuclear power plants. Click here to read more about this exciting new land recycling-solar project!

Source: Leslie Carlson/Solar Home & Business Journal

Buying a quarter-century or more of electricity upfront is not only daunting, it’s out of the question for many. Some prospective solar electricity buyers are so intimidated by the upfront price tag, they don’t investigate any further. That can be a mistake. New ways of financing solar energy are appearing and evolving rapidly. It’s no longer just a novelty for the well-heeled. And although solar PV incentives are dwindling in places, prices also have come down (though not always in tandem). Several types of financial approaches are used in the United States to encourage consumers to generate or buy solar electricity. Once you have investigated the available incentives in your area, apprehensions about the high upfront cost of solar may start to fade a bit. Click here to read about the options that exist for solar today!

Source: California Solar Initiative

Californians who install residential solar photovoltaic systems are twice as likely to be motivated by saving money as by saving the environment, according to a survey conducted for the California Solar Initiative. The survey found that 52 percent named financial reasons as their primary motive for choosing solar and 26 percent said concern for the environment was the chief factor. The survey also included residential property owners who have not considered installing solar electric systems, and probed their reasons. Not surprisingly, high initial costs were mentioned by 55 percent of those questioned. Many non-participants remain unaware of the existence of leases, power purchase agreements or tax-assessed energy programs, all of which allow solar installations with little or no upfront cost. Click here to read more about this topic!