Get Energy Smart! NOW!

President Elect (PEOTUS) Joe Biden lives in a far different world than PEOTUS Obama did. The differences can’t be summarized as simply Trump Virus (even though that does capture a lot). When it comes to clean energy and climate action opportunities, there are some rather stark — and encouraging — differences between the two eras. […]

[Read more →]

For years, going solar and/or buying wind came at a financial cost in most situations. Putting aside off-grid or unreliable grid situations, people ‘went solar’ because they saw it as the right thing to do even if those electrons would end up costing them more. Solar installations were so expensive that the invariable advice, from […]

[Read more →]

For decades, those advocating for a clean-energy revolution had to advocate for better analysis and calculations to demonstrate that going clean (solar, wind, efficiency) was the better, smarter choice.  Traditional financial structures and analysis favors dirty solutions: emphasizing upfront (rather than life-cycle costs), discounting heavily future benefits, stove-piping analysis without considering systems implications, discounting (typically […]

[Read more →]

Like all too many Americans, part of New Year’s Eve rushing around always seems to be getting in just a few more donations. Thanks to the GOP Tax Scam, along with millions, that end-of-year rush is, well, even rushier. (We always try to clean out and donate useful stuff and that, generally, is a ‘whenever’ […]

[Read more →]

The Department of Energy just released a study that sparked this question: Can @SarahPalinUSA see #pv panels from her porch? https://t.co/if4vJ2080g For rural #Alaska, #solar is low cost path to reliable energy — A Siegel (@A_Siegel) February 22, 2016 Entitled Solar Prospecting in Rural Alaska, the study examines the return on investment for installing solar […]

[Read more →]

Around the world, solar prices are simply collapsing. With double-digit year-to-year growth rates and double-digit year-to-year price drops, solar electricity is reaching grid parity (and better) in new markets with virtually every passing day. For a long time, those fighting clean energy have argued PRICE! PRICE! PRICE! Those (including myself) arguing for the necessity for […]

[Read more →]

This morning’s twitter feed had this: Does the solar industry need a federal tax credit after 2016? We debate w/ @BCinnamon later today on @TheEnergyGang podcast. — Stephen Lacey (@Stphn_Lacey) March 26, 2015 Solar prices are plummeting. In area after area, the prices are getting to the point of an ability to compete directly against […]

[Read more →]

Today, there is an all day event at the White House on solar power, both announcing a series of initiatives and honoring “solar champions” from around the nation (full press release after the fold).  These champions are representative of leaders in technological change, drivers for policy change, and people working ‘in the grassroots’ to get […]

[Read more →]

The fundraising for the inaugural party for the incoming Virginia Governor, Democratic Terry McAuliffe, is seeing a serious lift due to donations from fossil-fuel dependent Corporations. Most notably, McAuliffe’s Inaugural Committee has received $25,000 from Alpha Natural Resources, an $8 billion coal company that gave $92,500 to Cuccinelli’s campaign. Dominion Resources, a Virginia-based coal, gas, […]

[Read more →]

Solar panels cover my rooftop and generate about 80% of my household’s electricity use.  My house, of course, has numerous other “energy cool” elements (solar light tubes, high-efficiency fireplace insert, insulated whole-house fan, efficient appliances, etc …) but those solar panels generate 99% of the initial questioning about the house and my home’s energy issues. […]

[Read more →]