solar power

A SolarCity employee installs a solar panel on the roof of a home in Los Angeles in 2014. California's utilities want to pay new solar customers less for their extra electricity and to add new monthly fees.

Like Night And Day: How Two States' Utilities Approach Solar

2:22pm January 01, 2016

As homeowners embrace solar, utilities are making less money, and that's shaking up their business model. Companies in California and Georgia are handling the growth in dramatically different ways.

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Wind turbines dot the landscape in Mojave, Calif. The recent extension of federal tax credits is expected to give the wind and solar energy industries a big boost.

Tax Breaks, Falling Costs Are Boosting Wind And Solar

8:10pm December 29, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Congress has extended tax credits for clean energy as part of a $1.8 trillion spending bill. Solar and wind power companies say it will catapult the industry at a time when costs are already falling.

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At a brick kiln in India's rural state of Uttar Pradesh, workers use solar lanterns to illuminate their paths.

To Know the True Meaning Of Solar Energy, Ask A Powerless Rice Farmer

3:26pm December 08, 2015

by Michael Edison Hayden

Renewable energy is critical when it comes to climate change. But there's a life-altering benefit for the 1.1 billion who live without electricity.

Environment

Duke Energy Targets NC WARN For Solar Power Sales

12:03pm November 03, 2015

by Neal Charnoff

Duke Energy is taking action against a Greensboro church's alternative energy project. The utility isn't happy with a non-profit group selling solar power to the small congregation.

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Jim and Lyn Schneider installed solar panels and batteries because bringing grid power to their house in central Wyoming was going to cost around $80,000.

When Relying On The Sun, Energy Storage Remains Out Of Reach

8:02pm August 04, 2015

by Leigh Paterson

The ability to store energy could revolutionize the way electricity is made and used. But for many utility companies and regular folks, energy storage is still too costly and difficult.

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On Friday, 22-year-old Joel Kitele plans to take his first shower ever in a stall he built for himself. The power source: Kenya's electrical grid.

World News

Obama Thinks Solar Power Will Boost Kenya; Kenyans Aren't So Sure

2:53pm July 24, 2015

by Gregory Warner

Are solar panels the best way to connect millions of Africans to electricity? That's the plan the president will tout on his visit to Kenya. Critics ask: What about tapping into power lines?

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The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Hawaii in early July. The team behind the sun-powered airplane says it will be grounded until next spring.

Solar Airplane's Round-The-World Trip Is Halted Until 2016

11:51am July 15, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Battery problems on the Solar Impulse, the airplane that has been flying around the world using only the sun's power, have grounded it until next spring.

Solar panels gather sunlight in Florida.

Obama Administration Aims To Expand Access To Solar Power

2:53pm July 07, 2015

by Brian Naylor

The White House is announcing a series of moves, including installing more solar energy units in federally subsidized housing, low cost loans for homeowners and a program to help renters.

Pilot In Solar-Powered Plane Sets Aviation Record

3:58pm July 03, 2015

by Scott Neuman

André Borschberg, flying Solar Impulse 2, set a new record of 120 hours in the cockpit on a journey from Japan to Hawaii.

A photo released by Tesla shows its new Powerwall lithium-ion battery pack mounted on the wall (left) of a garage behind one of the company's electric cars.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Unveils Home Battery; Is $3,000 Cheap Enough?

12:33pm May 06, 2015

by Bill Chappell

With a sleek surface and a depth of only about 7 inches, the Powerwall can be mounted on a garage wall or another surface, indoors or outside.

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