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Tag Archives: Solar Energy
Do solar farms lower property values? A new study has some answers

Enlarge / A field of solar panels and windmills in the desert. (credit: Getty)
A new study finds that houses within a half-mile of a utility-scale solar farm have resale prices that are, on average, 1.5 percent less than houses that are just a little farther away.
The research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory helps to refute some of the assertions of solar opponents who stoke resistance to projects with talk of huge drops in property values. But it also drives a hole through the argument made by people in the solar industry who say there is no clear connection between solar and a drop in values.
The authors analyzed 1.8 million home sales near solar farms in six states and found diminished property values in Minnesota (4 percent), North Carolina (5.8 percent) and New Jersey (5.6 percent). The three other states—California, Connecticut and Massachusetts—had price changes that were within their margins of error, which means the price effects were too close to zero to be meaningful. The paper was published in the journal Energy Policy.
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The Promise and Peril of Biden’s Climate Policy
It’s a really big deal — but will the grid be able to handle it?
As Oil Companies Stay Lean, Workers Move to Renewable Energy
Solar, wind, geothermal, battery and other alternative-energy businesses are adding workers from fossil fuel companies, where employment has fallen.
Wind and Solar Energy Projects Are Overwhelming America’s Antiquated Electrical Grids
An explosion in proposed clean energy ventures has overwhelmed the system for connecting new power sources to homes and businesses.
Does Your Home Have Backup Power? We Want to Hear From You.
Sales of generators and home batteries are up as people look to protect themselves from power outages, which are becoming more common.
Korean Solar Company Plans to Build $2.5 Billion Plant in Georgia
Hanwha Qcells expects to make solar panels and their components in the United States to take advantage of President Biden’s climate policies.
U.S. Carbon Emissions Grew in 2022, Even As Renewables Surpassed Coal
Emissions ticked up 1.3 percent last year as they continued to rebound from early pandemic lows.
Why Are Energy Prices So High? Some Experts Blame Deregulation.
California and the 34 other states that have deregulated all or parts of their electricity system tend to have higher rates than the rest of the country.
Germany’s Energy Crisis Is a Cue to Chop Wood and Stock Up
The high cost of natural gas and electricity is prompting many to prepare for outages and shortages. For some, it’s been a way of life for years.
At France’s Oldest Christmas Market, Energy Crisis Dims Festive Spirits
Amid soaring gas prices and the war in Ukraine, Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik, like holiday fairs across Europe, has faced a tough question: “How do you balance magic and responsibility?”
Betting on Fusion Energy Shows Our Children We Care About Them
Climate change is a long game, and we must think beyond our present task of net zero emissions.
Here Is What Is Really Strangling the Energy Transition
Antiquated power lines can’t carry the added electricity from new solar and wind projects.
California Reduces Subsidies for Homes With Rooftop Solar
The decision, which would reduce the incentive for homeowners to install solar panels, could influence other states to make similar changes.
Turning Sci-fi Into Reality
Scientists announced a nuclear fusion breakthrough.
Electric Vehicles Start to Enter the Car-Buying Mainstream
While sales are still skewed toward affluent buyers, more people are choosing electric vehicles to save money.
The Coldhearted Carbon Math
Our carbon budget is running out quickly.
Countries Made Bold Climate Promises Last Year. How Are They Doing?
At last year’s U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, world leaders pledged to halt deforestation, phase out fossil fuel subsidies and offer up more climate aid. Following through has been tough.
China Is Burning More Coal, a Growing Climate Challenge
The country’s emissions of greenhouse gases rose last year at the fastest pace in a decade. Beijing is looking for alternatives.
Europe Braces for a Winter Without Russian Gas
Countries across the continent have taken extraordinary steps to decrease energy use and ramp up supply, moving swiftly away from their longtime primary provider, Russia.
Coal Baron or Climate Warrior? The Dizzying Rise of Asia’s Richest Man.
The business decisions of Gautam Adani could go a long way in determining whether India helps the world avert a climate catastrophe.
‘Eye of Sauron’: The Dazzling Solar Tower in the Israeli Desert
Looming over a remote village in the Negev, the Ashalim solar plant is, for some, a marvel of green technology. For others, it’s a boondoggle and an eyesore.
New tech can make your house a solar microgrid

Enlarge / Modern single storey house with solar panels and wall battery for energy storage. (credit: imaginima)
In 2020, the average United States resident experienced a little more than eight hours of electricity blackouts, according to stats from the Energy Information Administration. The report noted that this was the highest number seen since 2013 when the organization began collecting this data.
During huge storms or massive oppressive heatwaves, the power can go out, and many of the amenities—TV, the Internet, fridges, etc.—Americans enjoy simply go kaput. Currently, the primary options for avoiding this fate are batteries and backup generators. However, a company called Enphase says it has created a product that can let your house run directly off its solar panels if they’re producing, though it comes with some caveats.
Shouldn’t solar panels work during an outage?
You’d think so, but no—mostly. Solar panels affixed to homes (and other structures) that are connected to the power grid will also go kaput during power outages. The outage doesn’t stop them from producing power; the power just can’t be used in the absence of a functioning grid. That’s because the microinverters are part of an integrated system that includes the grid, power meter, and other associated hardware.
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Are There Better Places to Put Large Solar Farms Than These Forests?
For the great promise of renewable energy to be realized, states like Virginia must create an environment where solar, nature and people can peaceably coexist.
Gina McCarthy: Businesses No Longer See Climate Action as Driving Job Losses
The private sector now sees climate as an opportunity for job creation and economic revitalization.
Nuclear Power Still Doesn’t Make Much Sense
There’s a lot of new enthusiasm around nuclear power. It isn’t warranted.
Solar Energy Is Helping Schools Make Ends Meet
Public schools are increasingly using savings from solar energy to upgrade facilities, help their communities, and give teachers raises — often with no cost to taxpayers.
Clean Energy Projects Surge After Climate Bill Passage
Investments in battery factories, solar panel manufacturing and mining will help the Biden administration meet targets for reducing greenhouse gases.
A Solar Firm Plans to Build Off-Grid Neighborhoods in California
Sunnova Energy is seeking permission from state regulators to develop microgrids for new housing developments that would not be reliant on established electric utilities.
Expansion of Clean Energy Loans Is ‘Sleeping Giant’ of Climate Bill
The bill President Biden signed into law recently will greatly expand government loans and loan guarantees for clean energy and automotive projects and businesses.
How to Get Offices to Net Zero Energy Use
My co-workers and I radically cut our energy use in part by paying attention to seemingly mundane details.
The Green Transition Is Happening Fast. The Climate Bill Will Only Speed It Up.
The landscape is so different now that we can make more climate progress for less money.
Climate Bill Heads to Biden’s Desk. There Is More to Be Done.
The bill will cut U.S. emissions, but not nearly enough. It’s “like losing 20 pounds when you need to lose 100 pounds” one expert said.
Can Inflation Reduction Save the Planet?
This bill just might catalyze a crucial energy transition.
Surprise Deal Would Be Most Ambitious Climate Action Undertaken by U.S.
The announcement Wednesday of an agreement in the Senate almost instantly reset the role of the United States in the global effort to fight climate change.
How Inflation Upended Biden’s Climate Agenda
Rising prices, party infighting and the aftershocks from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have hurt the president’s plans to speed an energy transition.
In a Twist, Old Coal Plants Help Deliver Renewable Power. Here’s How.
The sites, once a source of greenhouse gases, have a useful feature: They’re wired to the electricity grid. For new ventures like solar farms, that can save a lot of time and money.
How Joe Manchin Doomed the Democrats’ Climate Plan
Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia led his party and his president through months of tortured talks, with nothing to show for it as the planet dangerously heats up.
America Can’t Allow China to Keep Crushing Our Solar Energy Industry
The Biden administration is taking a gamble that furthers our reliance on China without providing the essential elements to build our domestic solar industry.
Are Gas and Nuclear Energy Green? European Lawmakers Say Yes.
The decision is likely to reverberate far beyond Europe’s borders and set a benchmark that could be replicated around the world.
Court Decision Leaves Biden With Few Tools to Combat Climate Change
A Supreme Court ruling, combined with an energy crunch and intraparty politics, makes it nearly impossible for President Biden to achieve his climate goals.
Can Dual-Use Solar Panels Provide Power and Share Space With Crops?
Companies like BlueWave are betting on it. But the technology has its critics.
Installing Rooftop Solar Can Be a Breeze. Just Look at Australia.
America’s solar power failures are mostly regulatory. That can be fixed.
Hit Hard by High Energy Costs, Hawaii Looks to the Sun
The state is seeking to replace coal and oil with solar energy, aiming to rely extensively on rooftop panels on single-family homes.
Afghanistan Tries to Stamp Out Opium Again
The multibillion-dollar trade has survived previous bans. Now, the Taliban are going after solar-powered water pumps to try to dry up poppy crops in the middle of a national economic crisis.
An Intimate Look at Mexico’s Indigenous Seri People
The identity of the Seri is integrally tied to their natural environment, which in recent years has been susceptible to an increasing number of existential threats.
La energía solar ofrece un salvavidas a Puerto Rico
La red energética de la isla ha tenido dificultades para recuperarse después de que el huracán María casi la anulara en 2017. Los sistemas de energía solar ofrecen a los puertorriqueños una forma de depender menos de la red.
Solar Power Offers Puerto Ricans a Lifeline but Remains an Elusive Goal
The island’s energy grid has struggled to recover after Hurricane María almost wiped it out in 2017. While solar-power systems can fill gaps, they aren’t cheap.
High Electric Bills Get Ready for Another Energy Price Spike: High Electric Bills
Rates have jumped because of a surge in natural gas prices and could keep rising rapidly for years as utilities invest in electric grids.
Solar Industry ‘Frozen’ As Biden Administration Investigates China
More than 300 solar projects in the United States have been canceled or delayed in recent weeks because of an investigation by the Commerce Department.