There are many ways for a government to demonstrate its commitment to green technology and sustainability. Germany launched feed-in-tariffs to jumpstart its solar economy. Jamaica recently announced net metering to help boost solar adoption. And China has actually come under fire for allegedly using predatory practices to benefit domestic solar manufacturers. But few demonstrations approach [...]
In late 2011, the Jamaican government announced an initiative that promises to jumpstart the island nation’s renewable energy efforts, create many new jobs, and spark unprecedented demand for solar installation training. Known as “net metering,” the new program lets residential and commercial solar energy producers sell excess electricity back into the utility grid. In effect, [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—US Solar Institute is pleased to announce that we will be adding another round of accelerated solar diploma program classes in February. Demand has grown tremendously since the introduction of the accelerated solar program back in October, where we offer our 3 core Department of Education licensed diploma program classes (PV-201: Introduction to [...]
For people not very familiar with the ins and outs of the solar industry, one may think the most eventful part of 2011 for solar had to do with Solyndra. Contrary to popular belief, Solyndra is a small part of a much larger picture. As a matter of fact, the U.S. solar energy industry achieved [...]
Solar energy has been around for decades, providing power to both commercial and residential needs. However, recent advancements are making the technology more accessible for a wider market. Steve Leone, Associate Editor of RenewableEnergyWorld.com, outlines in his article "Solar PV Outlook 2012: The Race to go Mainstream" the areas in which the PV Industry can make [...]
The third quarter of 2011 was the best ever for the US solar industry, contributing to the unprecedented growth over the course of the entire year. These new records for installations and overall growth were supported by completions of large-scale utility projects, the strong residential market, and drops in the price of solar panels. During the [...]
Although solar energy has become a hot environmental and economic issue across the globe, few sovereign nations enjoy solar potential comparable to that of the Bahamas. Not only is the region rich in natural sun, but it is also currently 100% dependent on fossil fuel, leaving almost unlimited room for improvement. The Bahamas’ National Electric [...]
It seems odd that a country so rich in natural resources and renewable power potential would be a net importer of energy, but Jamaica has faced this very situation for years. While exports accounted for US$ 1.3 billion of the island nation’s economy in 2010, Jamaica spent $1.6 billion importing nearly 20 million barrels of [...]
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Effective November 1, 2011, US Solar Institute’s PV-301: Advanced PV Design & Installation class will be moved up to December 5th. Due to requests from traveling students attending the PV-201: Introduction to PV Design & Installation class starting November 28th, we have pushed up the 301 class a week so students [...]
Two extremely encouraging findings emerged from the Solar Foundation’s most recent National Job Census report, which was unveiled at Solar Power International in mid October. The first surprising tidbit centered around the solar industry’s performance compared to the national economy’s. From August 2010 to August 2011, the US added new jobs at a rate of [...]
