The transaction would be the first if its kind that GE has received from a wind customer. Abate said the company wants its turbine buyers to try the hybrid concept, which is combining their existing wind power system with solar power. He said that offering solar panels would help in the estimated decline in turbine sales.

Developers in the United States have stopped ordering for wind turbines for 2013 because of the concern regarding the expiration of the federal tax incentive for wind energy at the end of this year. The cost of solar energy has gone down to the level that it is already competitive with other power sources. It is easy to incorporate them into existing wind power plants because the developers already know how to get the appropriate licenses, the community and secure the interconnections to the grid.

Wind power is strongest at night while solar power generates power during the day. Installing both at a single location would lower the costs for both systems and make the output more stable. It would make the generation of power more manageable.

GE equipment is used to generate a quarter of the world’s power. The company is building a solar panel manufacturing plant in Colorado that would be completed by the end of 2012. It would make its first shipments in 2013.

For the Invenergy project, GE would provide solar panels produce by Showa Shell Sekiyu KK’s Solar Frontier unit. The company has a partnership deal with GE. But once GE’s own factory is up and running, it would be able to produce as much as 400 megawatts of thin-film solar panels that utilizes cadmium telluride. This product is similar to First Solar’s panel.

According to reports, as much as 9 gigawatts of wind turbines will be installed in the United States in 2012. The market would decline in 2013 once the Product Tax Credit expires. The wind market would crash unless an extension is signed. The incentive provides 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity produced via wind energy. Jobs in the wind power industry will be gone if the tax credit ends.

According to Howard Wenger, president of SunPower, water agencies and facilities require a large amount of energy. They can minimize their operational costs through solar power, just like the case of those in California. At present, SunPower systems are operational at more than 25 treatment facilities and water agencies. The company guarantees that it delivers the most efficient and reliable solar technology in the market. This ensures the facilities to gain positive financial returns.

The Rancho California Water District in Riverside County has two solar power systems. One of which is a 1.1 megawatt system located at the Senga Doherty Pump Station. It uses a ground-mounted system that rotates the solar panels so that they follow the path of the sun during the day. A 612 kilowatt solar parking canopy system was also at its headquarters. In 2008, a 1.1 megawatt system was installed at its Santa Rosa Water Reclamation Facility.

RCWD used Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds to finance the solar power projects. The bonds are available because of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The solar power generators are expected to offset 95 percent of the electricity cost at its District Headquarters and 55 percent of its Senga Doherty Pump Station. It would amount up to $.43 million in savings for the next 20 years.

SunPower recently completed a 1 megawatt solar power system for Castaic Lake Water Agency’s Rio Vista Water Treatment Plant in Santa Clarita as well as the 983 kilowatt system at the Wastewater Treatment Plant at the City of Galt. Both projects were made possible through solar power purchase agreements with SunPower. The organizations host the systems and buy the electricity at prices below retail rates. SunPower designed, built, operates and maintains the solar power systems. PNC Financial Services Group was the one who purchased the system. That means CLWA and the City of Galt own the RECs and environmental benefits with regards to the respective installations.

Solar power purchase deals make it easier for organizations to switch to solar. Plus innovations in solar power technology make the price go down and make it affordable for those who want to install one in their facilities.

If you received a tax credit last year for installing some energy efficient windows or a brand new solar water heater, you are probably wondering if there is a credit to be had again this year or if you no longer eligible.  Fortunately, online tax software companies are available to help you figure it out and get the maximum refund that you deserve.

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act was signed into law by President Obama on December 17^th, 2010.  This law extends the tax credits available for energy efficiency created by the  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, albeit at decreased levels.  Tax breaks are still available to private home-owners who make eco-friendly improvements and upgrades.  These changes help to reduce costly bills, improve comfort at home and decrease the use of limited energy resources.

The Residential Energy Property Credit allows for a 10% tax credit or a $500 lifetime limit for  energy efficient improvements made to existing homes.  There is a $200 credit for installing EnergyStar windows, a $150 allowance for furnaces and boilers that are 95% efficient, and a $50 tax credit for installing an advanced main air circulating fan.   Other ways to keep those energy bills low include adding insulation to your attic and sealing holes in the air ducts so that air is not lost through leaks.

The Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit helps home-owners purchase alternative, renewable energy appliances such as solar hot water heaters and wind turbines.  The tax-payer can receive a credit of 30% with no upper limit.  You do however need to make sure that your energy costs are reduced by the amount being claimed, which is why it is important to hold onto all receipts and Manufacturer Certification Statements.  Products that are eligible for the tax credit are geothermal heat pumps, solar energy systems, wind energy systems, and fuel cells (up to $500 per 0.5 kw of power).

Of course, just because you’ve already met the maximum amount of energy tax credits doesn’t  mean that you should forget about upgrading.  There are many quick and easy things you can do  at home to reduce monthly energy bills and conserve electricity.  Replacing your  light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, unplugging unused devices, cleaning your furnace filter once a month   and insulating your water heater are just a few examples.  Also, older appliances use a lot more energy than newer models, so by replacing them you’ll end up saving money and energy resources in the long term.  By being energy-efficient at home we can all do our part to help future generations.

Guest post by Sarah Parker
www.energystar.gov

This is the latest dispute between the two largest economies in the world, which have accused each other of hurting various industries from fasteners to chickens to tires. The latest Chinese investigation will cover hydro, wind and solar power products and equipment as well as programs in various states, such as New Jersey, Ohio, California, Washington, and Massachusetts. The ministry said that the probe would start on Friday and end on May 25. It could be extended to August 25, depending on the circumstances.

Chinese companies requested for the probe. They claimed that the US policies violated the obligations under the World Trade Organization rules and hurt the competitiveness of Chinese alternative energy products in the US market.

China’s commerce ministry said that the United States should not blame its own problems on China. He added that China is unhappy with the US probe on China’s renewable energy products. Any anti-dumping steps that the United States would do in the solar power sector would turn into a lose-lose situation.

The United States Commerce Department said earlier this month that it is investigating the claims made by US solar-panel makers that Chinese companies have been dumping their products on the US market. This could raise the chance that Washington could impose additional tariff on the Chinese imports.

Germany-based SolarWorld AG filed a complaint last month on behalf of itself and six other solar panel manufacturers. They claimed that Chinese rivals sell solar panels in the United States market at prices below the cost of production in order to get majority of the market share. Chinese government allegedly gave illegal subsidies to local firms.

By 2010, China leads the rest of the world with its $48 billion investment in new investments in renewable energy. This led to the decrease of the prices of PV modules per megawatt by an average of 60 percent since 2008. This made solar energy cost-competitive with the retail price of electricity in some countries.

Aside from the US Commerce Department investigation, the US International Trade Commission will also conduct a review of the allegations and would come out with an initial ruling by December 5 on whether
Chinese manufacturers are hurting the US solar industry.

The increase in solar panel production will result to the decrease in panel costs through 2016. This would drive the growth of the solar power industry as its main input drops. If the trend continues, revenue is estimated to increase at an average yearly rate of 11.4 percent and a total of $145.9 million through 2016.

Analysts expect the economy to strengthen within the next few years as consumer income grows and businesses invest more. As long as the trends continue, electricity growth will follow along. The demand for solar power will increase as electricity demand goes up. Green electricity would be required by companies in the United States.

There are still worries among companies in the solar power industry even if there are favorable government subsidies in place at present for the next five years. However legislations after the 2012 election would depend on the composition of Congress and who the president would be.

Government subsidies helped the solar power industry over the last five years to 2011. The federal government provided tax credits for investments made in solar power and enacted renewable portfolio standards, which required local utilities to get a portion of their electricity from renewable sources. This increased public interest in green technology.

Because of federal and local government regulations, the number of solar power projects in the United States increased, which benefitted companies such as NextEra Energy, Abengoa Solar and MEMC Electronic Materials.

The subsidies in form of RPS and federal tax credits have led to the raise of solar electricity generation. Plus, Chinese solar panel and module manufacturers flooded the market with cheap products, which gave companies who undertook projects higher profit margins.

In recent solar power news, NRG Energy acquired Solar Power Partners, which is a San Francisco-based solar energy company. It is its way to penetrate the small solar energy projects market. The price of the acquisition was not disclosed by both companies. The deal included Solar Power Partners’ 30 megawatts of solar projects in operation or under construction as well as the development rights to its projects in seven states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Solar Power Partners installed solar systems on grocery stores, universities, hospitals, office buildings, schools, municipal buildings, and airports.