Landscaping – Energy – Environment
On September 21, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced DCNR will produce or purchase 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. By David E. Hess | PA Environment Digest Blog | September 21, 2022 (Note: Images… Continue Reading “PA DCNR Announces All Electricity Used by Agency from Renewables by 2030”
Demand is rising in the residential segment as solar installers continue to add storage to their product offerings. The U.S. market installed over 2,608 MWh of energy storage capacity in the second quarter of 2022. KELLY PICKEREL | SOLAR POWER WORLD | SEP 14,… Continue Reading “US Residential Energy Storage had its Strongest Quarter to Date”
Monday night’s premiere episode of “The Neighborhood” bore the title “Goodbye Grid Day” as the Johnson family goes solar, and ends up with the only electricity still on, after the grid goes down in the rest of the neighborhood. Clever show! While it wasn’t… Continue Reading “Trees, Climate Change and Surging Power Outages”
To Give $1.8 Billion Boost to Pa. Economy and Help Farmers By David E. Hess | PA Environment Digest Blog | September 19, 2022 With solar energy policy on the agenda of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee on September 20, dozens… Continue Reading “Landowners Urge Pa. Lawmakers to Pass Real Community Solar Energy Bills”
A September 14, 2022 Opinion, China Is Writing the Story of the Climate Future, by David Wallace-Wells in The New York Times, points out the complexities of climate change and renewable energy in China, a country that was blanketed by heat and drought during… Continue Reading “Yin & yang of climate & energy in China”
Sunnova Energy is seeking permission from state regulators to develop microgrids for new housing developments that would not be reliant on established electric utilities. In the September 1, 2022 New York Times story, A Solar Firm Plans to Build Off-Grid Neighborhoods in California, reporter… Continue Reading “Microgrids Free of Utility Companies”
It looked like the 2 months long, tariff investigation by the US Commerce Department on solar components from China, could last another 3 months, further kneecapping U.S. solar panel installations, right when they’re needed to fulfill demand and increase renewable energy in the United… Continue Reading “Presidential Boost for Solar Energy”
It was impressive to read a recent Clean Energy Update from conEdison and realize how many solar energy systems have been installed in New York City and Westchester County. Customers have already installed more than 44,000 solar systems, with solar capacity increasing nearly 7-fold… Continue Reading “NYC Solar Energy Growth is Impressive”
It was somewhat of a shock, and definitely a disappointment, when I learned that our new $95 million high school didn’t include any plans for solar energy. One of the Peters Township high school students shared her disappointment with me as well, saying her… Continue Reading “Solar for Schools”
How wet was it Friday in western Pennsylvania? Just ask Dr. Oz… it was too wet for ducks!!! Yet even on a rain-soaked Pennsylvania day like that, our solar panels were still producing solar energy. Maybe not the 50 kWh they would on a… Continue Reading “Rainy Day Still Produces Solar Energy”
One of the beauties of driving an electric vehicle (EV) is driving past gas stations without stopping, and filling up with electricity at home! Since I just got my Energy Efficiency report from MyChevy on our 2019 Bolt, I thought it would be a… Continue Reading “Goodbye Gas Stations!”
The invasion of Ukraine, a dastardly war which has caused 2 million Ukrainians to leave their homeland, and brings heart wrenching news of residential areas –even a maternity hospital yesterday– being bombed and shelled by Russia, is a clarion call to break our addiction… Continue Reading “Clarion call for renewables NOW”
Solar energy provided 44% of our home electricity AND car charging needs during the month of November 2021. TESLA APP SCREEN SHOTS – SOLAR PANEL PRODUCTION FROM 8.97kW SYSTEM(left) 5.67kW solar system on Front roof (right) 3.3kW solar system on Back roof Home solar energy… Continue Reading “Home Solar Energy Update”
Considering all the greenhouses that have to use shade cloth to reduce the intensity of sunshine, semi-transparent solar modules would be a win-win! “Researchers at the University of Jaén in Spain have looked at the potential of agrivoltaics for greenhouses in areas with high crop cultivation in greenhouses. They have… Continue Reading “Solar Energy from Greenhouses”
At the end of an article about the increased use of coal yesterday, I noticed a comment from a familiar and anonymous name… a troll who has continually spewed lies and misinformation in multiple newspapers over the years, making feeble attempts to support fossil… Continue Reading “Sunny Outlook for Solar”
I got tired of messing around with gasoline, petrol as they call it outside the U.S., so it was time to convert our lawn and garden landscaping equipment to rechargeable units. It began with the snowthrower and has proceeded nicely from there! What I… Continue Reading “Ditching Gasoline for Rechargeables”
Breaking news on solar energy, wind power, geothermal, tidal energy and other sources of renewable energy. CleanTechnica – “CleanTechnica is the world’s #1 source for cleantech news and analysis. It entertains and informs approximately 6 million monthly global readers along with hundreds of thousands of social media followers.… Continue Reading “Renewable Energy News”
While that sounds good, especially with heavy air conditioning use during humid 90-degree weather, it’s even better than that! We were finally able to do a full 12-month “look back” at our cost savings with solar energy, since upping our game to 29 solar… Continue Reading “Five Dollar Electric Bill”
When we added the first eleven solar panels to our roof three years ago, we also added a Tesla Powerwall 2 (lithium- ion) backup battery (rated at 14 kWh) to the mix. The greatest advantage to me, is the ability of our house to… Continue Reading “Household Battery Backup”
It’s hard to believe that you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day, even though it’s true. Even harder to believe, is that you can produce solar energy on a rainy morning, but that’s also true! That’s right, even though it rained all… Continue Reading “Solar Energy In The Rain”
When we first landscaped our house, nearly 40 years ago, we made sure to plant a large growing Maple on the west side. That planting location came very close to the concept of planting a large deciduous tree on the southwest side of a… Continue Reading “Going Solar With Large Trees”
After two terrible months for rooftop solar energy production, it was great to see a $7.29 electric bill for March. On top of frequent and persistent snowfalls keeping our front 18 solar panels covered with snow for the first two months of 2021, solar… Continue Reading “March Gladness”
This solar energy “flower” fascinated me the first time I saw it! It gives true meaning to the term “flower power!” The first time we saw it was on the way into a Christmas concert at Trinity High School in Washington, Pennsylvania. The solar… Continue Reading “Flower Power”
99.99% Price Drop! From $76 per watt in 1977, the cost of silicon solar cells has fallen to $0.20 per watt in 2020 (full story) With the recent 2-year extension of the US Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for installing residential solar systems, your reasons… Continue Reading “‘Free Energy’ from the Sun Keeps Getting Cheaper”
The investment tax credit (ITC) for residential solar installations has been extended 2 years! COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Includes Key Renewable Energy Tax Credits Dec. 28, 2020 -The US stimulus bill passed into law yesterday includes several key extensions and additions to the tax credits… Continue Reading “Good News for Solar!”