News

Tesla's Model S has been selling very well this year, with more than 5,000 units shipping in Q2. High Model S sales have helped Tesla's Q2 revenue "crush" earlier estimates. The company's Q2 revenue was $405 million, beating prior estimates by $22 million, and bringing 2013 revenues to $967 million so far.

GridGain Systems, an IT firm with customers in the energy, agricultural, biotechnology, and applied research industries raised more than $10 million in series B funding. GridGain’s new in-memory computing initiatives specialize in low-latency database solutions for operations management in data-heavy business sectors.

Texas paved the way for a stronger local market for wind and solar power last Friday, when the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reviewed the performance of wind and solar installations and resolved to increase their capacity values.

Sapphire Energy, a California-based technology firm, has confirmed fulfilment of a $54.5 million USD loan from the Department of Agriculture.

The sales of electric vehicles (EVs) have skyrocketed in the face of soaring gas prices. More and more consumers are placing more value not having to fill up at the pump, opting instead to plug in. Comparing Q1 and Q2 of 2013 to their 2012 counterparts, electric car sales have more than doubled, and 36% of all EVs on the road have been purchased within the past 6 months – perhaps a sign of the technology maturing.

With all the attention garnered by solar, wind, and geothermal energy, it may be surprising to learn that hydropower accounts for more electricity production than all of the aforementioned forms of energy – combined.

According to a new study by the Environment America Research and Policy Center (EARPC), California ranks 6th in the country for per-capita installations for solar electric energy generators. The top five include: Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, and New Mexico. Additionally, The Golden State finishes 1st in cumulative solar-electric installations – with over 2,900 megawatts, and 1st in photo-voltaic installations as well.

In a response to the onslaught of sweltering summer heat waves, many cities are ramping up programs that conserve peak-time energy consumption to help provide a buffer between the US’s complex electrical grids and outages or astronomical price jumps.

Soitec is deploying large-scale concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems, thanks in part to vertical integration of the solar systems, an ability to manufacture on the large scale, and innovations in efficiency. In May, Soitec's cells hit a record 43.6 percent efficiency. It is aiming for 50 percent efficiency within the next few years. Soitec panels are in use in the Newberry Solar 1 project in San Bernadino County, which is so far California's largest CPV project. Greentech Media reports:

Wind and solar energy are both set for fast-paced growth over the next few years. Investment in technologies like wind, solar, and electric vehicles is up 22% over Q1 2013. Additionally, according to the latest market reports from the International Energy Agency, renewables are expected continue to grow over the next five years– finishing second only to coal in net power generation.