Although electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles have been considered the only plausible alternatives to conventional cars for a long time, and practically all of the world’s biggest car makers have been investing heavily in these technologies, and governments around the world have been trying to promote the use of such vehicles by offering
incentives
Driven by State Incentives, Electric Cars Top Norwegian Vehicle Purchases
Norwegians have been snapping up electric cars: In the last three months of 2013, the Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf outsold all other cars, including conventionally fueled models. But rather than environmental concerns, a host of government incentives — totaling an estimated $8,300 per vehicle — are largely driving the boom, the
I had a terrific Skype call this morning with a fabulous Munich-based company: Govecs, a purveyor of extremely high-end German-engineered electric scooters. I hope to get a marketing and PR gig with them, but I have to admit that they’re doing an awful lot of stuff right in my absence; for example, they have more content online than you can shake a stick
Is China backing off its push to have millions of electric vehicles on China’s roads in the next ten years? Not exactly. But recent statements by government officials do signal a change in strategy.
China is moving towards a plan which doesn’t see purchase incentives as the best way to encourage
Carbon Emissions in Brazil Dropped 39% from 2005 to 2010, Report Says
Greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil fell by nearly 39 percent from 2005 to 2010, largely because of reductions in the amount of forest loss, according to a new government report. Overall, Brazil emitted the equivalent of 1.25 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, which was more than 10 percent lower than 1990 levels.
Hawaii is one of the American states cracking ahead to make a switch to clean, solar power. We have reported several achievements Hawaiian Electric Co. reaching 20 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy on the island of Oahu.
As usual, government incentives play a key part in
If you’re an energy efficiency geek and your refrigerator breaks down, you probably think, “Yes! A chance to buy a new super energy-saving model.”
But you’re the exception. Most consumers consider price tag before ENERGY STAR certification. Human nature being what it is, they choose the cheaper
In some areas, the best incentive for investing in a residential solar power system may come from the local utility. On top of federal tax credits, improved resale value, and various state incentives, some consumers can benefit with additional credit from the local utility when they are able to sell back power they generate with a PV solar energy system. This arrangement not
New electric vehicles are improving, but can technology catch up to consumers’ demands?
I have three small children who each have a car seat, I live in the city and I coach tee-ball two nights a week. I would love an electric vehicle (EV) to help carry my load, but the realities of my life, as well as the state of the EV market, make it, in a word … difficult.
Here’s an interesting piece by Marc Gunther, suggesting that subsidies for solar have been misapplied and have created weird market conditions. No argument from me there. Handing people money to do a certain thing is a guarantee that they’ll do exactly what you’ve asked them to do – and no more.
A report released last week by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (“ACEEE”) showed that overall spending on industrial energy efficiency (“EE”) projects is on the rise.
The report tracked 2010 spending by utilities, state and federal agencies, public benefit fund
Grid Parity is Upon Us – Record Number of Residential PV Incentive Apps in California
California’s CSI program was designed to use gradually declining incentives to nurture an industry that would eventually be able to allow an energy user to generate their own electricity via solar more cheaply than buying from the grid. That point — known as grid-parity — is the point where rooftop solar can sustain itself without additional incentives. That’s
A recent report on African Jet said that British investors have proposed the creation of a solar power plant in Rjim Maatoug, Governorate of Kebili. The plant would have a capacity of 2,000 megawatts to be connected directly to the European power network.
The plan was presented during a recent meeting with
Solar energy have been dubbed the future for energy. There are so many advantages to using solar energy that it is really worth considering it as an option for your home.
One major advantage of using solar energy in the UK along with other renewable sources of energy is the