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Maricopa Solar will be the first commercial‐scale solar facility built using the new SunCatcher concentrating solar‐thermal technology, manufactured by Scottsdale, Arizona‐based Stirling Energy Systems.

Arizona State University received $14 million last week to fund extended research on turning sunlight into fuel.

Passive solar homes could help to improve people’s daily lives and protect the environment on the Tibetan plateau.

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Washington DC -- According to the latest issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, production of renewable energy for the first third of 2009 (i.e., January 1 - April 30) was six percent higher compared to the same time period in 2008. Moreover, in April 2009 alone, renewable energy sources accounted for 11.1 percent of domestic energy production and exceeded the amount contributed by nuclear power.

An attractive feed-in tariff incentive and rapidly decreasing solar module prices have made Italy the most attractive PV market in the world. This year, Italy is set to become the world's second largest PV market after Germany, the undisputed leader.

This PV array was installed under a tree and as a result the branches of the tree were casting shadows on the PV modules.

During normal operation, water is lost from a flooded lead-acid battery as a result of evaporation and electrolysis into hydrogen and oxygen, which escape into the atmosphere. One Faraday of overcharge will result in a loss of about 18 g of water per cell. Evaporation is a relatively small part of the loss except in very hot, dry climates. With a fully charged battery, electrolysis consumes water at a rate of 0.336 cm^3 per cell per ampere-hour of overcharge. A 5000-Ah battery overcharged 10% can thus lose 16.8 cm^3, or about 0.3%, of its water each cycle. It is important that the electrolyte be maintained at the proper level in the battery. The electrolyte not only serves as the ionic conductor, but also is a major factor in the transfer of heat from the plates. If the electrolyte is below the plate level, then an area of the plate is not electrochemically active; this causes a concentration of heat in other parts of the battery and “Sulfation” of the dry portion of the plates which may not be reversible. Periodic checking of water consumption can also serve as a rough check on charging efficiency and may warn when adjustment of the charger is required.

Following is a collection of common mistakes made when installing solar electric systems.

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) may begin making decisions on how to regulate solar power systems operating under power purchase agreements (PPAs). The Phoenix Business Journal reports that regulation could come later this year.

Berkeley, California - For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. was home to the fastest-growing wind power market in the world in 2008, according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy and prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Specifically, U.S. wind power capacity additions increased by 60 percent in 2008, representing a $16 billion investment in new wind projects. "At this pace, wind is on a path to becoming a significant contributor to the U.S. power mix," notes report author Ryan Wiser, of Berkeley Lab. Wind projects accounted for 42% of all new electric generating capacity added in the U.S. in 2008, and wind now delivers nearly 2% of the nation's electricity supply.

Two more bills (HB 2332 & 2336) to push demand for solar and renewable energy in Arizona were signed by Gov. Jan Brewer over the weekend...