Installing solar modules is typically a job reserved for certified professionals — however with renewable technologies advancing at such a rapid pace, solar panel installations may soon be as simple as 1,2,3. The “Sunfish”, designed by Chad Maglaque and Clarian Technologies, is a comparatively inexpensive solar module kit anticipated to release in stores by spring 2011. To begin installation, consumers would need to purchase a power module, circuit monitor and pluggable solar panel(s)…

Experts have warned homeowners agreeing to new “solar for free” offers that they could double their financial savings by paying for the panels themselves. Since a government tax incentive was launched in April 2009, solar PV installations have skyrocketed in the UK. This has left many homeowners vulnerable to a massive amount of companies offering to fit their homes with solar panels for free. Under the “rent your roof” model, the companies…

Pflugerville – a small city in central Texas – may soon be 100 percent solar powered. Officials are currently in negotiations with RRE Austin Solar and Travis County to develop a solar power plant that could generate enough renewable energy for every home in the city. The plant will potentially be located about fifteen miles away on a 600 acre farm, and will house roughly $750,000 worth of solar panels. Austin Solar, the company constructing…

The United States government is doing its part to incite venture capital investments in clean and renewable energy by offering cash awards to energy production companies in place of earned tax credits. In a recent announcement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu awarded $502 million in the first round of…

Geothermal energy, power extracted from heat stored in the earth, has been utilized for centuries from bathing in the Paleolithic era to space heating during Roman times – and the technology has evolved so much throughout the years that the capabilities have broadened…