Why do some states avoid creating policies that encourage consumers and businesses to save energy? What’s the psychology of the laggards? A new report by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy sheds some insight as it examines the states that consistently fall behind in the organization’s annual energy efficien

Another year, another wringing of the hands over tax credits and incentives for clean technology. Lobbyists and vendors in the U.S. are once again singing the blues, calling for continued and expanding government investments in clean technology. At the same time, political challengers continue their Solyndra hootenanny, raking the curren

Lime Energy (NASD:LIME) has been a star in the very competitive energy services space recently because of its ability to maintain margins in what has been a very competitive environment. While competing small efficiency companies have been closing up shop in the Northeast, Lime has been growing revenues at 30 percent a year, while maintaining a gross margin of around 20 percent.

It’s easy to get the impression that technology game-changers happen in a near flash. And the stories of Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Apple leave us thinking that genius pops right out of the dorm room. But in the energy industry it’s not that easy. The innovation we see today often stems from years of late nights, deep discussion a

Pike Research just released a report on the Total Cost of Ownership of Alternative Fuel Vehicles for Fleet Operators. The report compares the purchase price plus lifetime fuel cost of mid-sized cars available in the US.

When California funded the CSI Solar Thermal program in 2010, part of the funding included a carve-out for marketing the program and educating the public about solar hot water’s benefits to consumers and businesses. That public awareness program finally launched on Earth Day. The first step was a media release that outlines the CSI Thermal

The good people at the Vote Solar Initiative and SEIA need about a minute of your time, and believe me, that minute will be well spent. If you already know about California’s net-metering ticking clock, just click here now before it’s too late. If you don’t know what’s happening, read on: There’s a little solar poli

Exhilaration swept through the energy efficiency industry as city after city, state after state and nation after nation set aggressive energy saving goals over the last several years. But with target dates nearing in certain jurisdictions, a more sober attitude now permeates. Some governments are asking: Are we reaching too high? A 

I've recently learned that lithium-ion batteries might be a triple threat – Borgia batteries – cherished by eco-royalty, poisonous in the extreme, and explosive enough to wreak havoc in a $25 million laboratory that was built to safely manage battery explosions.

China's Guangdong province has officially released the Development Plan for Strategic Emerging Industries during the 12th five-year period (2011-2015). China has become the world's largest producer and consumer of vehicles. At the end of 2011, there were more than 100 million cars on the country's roads, and the figure is expected to reach 150 million units by 2020. The requirements for energy efficiency and emission reduction have made it essential to achieve progress for electric vehicles.

Written by Housley Carr, a guest blogger for Energy Efficiency Markets So much of what’s discussed in offices these days – and forever really – focuses on this: What’s best for the company? How do we increase profits? That’s totally understandable, given that a primary responsibility of any for-profit enterprise is t

I love finding guerrilla marketing examples on YouTube. Unfortunately, I rarely find ones that are related to solar. Bummer. Nevertheless, it’s always great to get inspired, and below is a wonderful model that you might be able to adapt…if you’re willing to push that button. Watch this video first, and then we’ll discuss

In picking South Africa for last year's meet-up, the COP-17 climate change talks prompted some inevitable grumbles. Why was the global climate change industry holding its jamboree in a country that, despite its commitment to renewables, pumps out so much CO2?

Exhibitors and attendees at PennWell's 2012 events in the U.S. can become sponsors of the Wall of Honor.

In energy policy, lawmakers often prefer carrots to sticks because it minimizes the opposition.  But mandatory rules, like building energy codes, can save energy and pay back several times over during the useful life of buildings. The state of Illinois is poised to become a regional leader by adopting the 2012 International Energy Conservatio

The electric industry is good at building things. That’s how it solves problems. Is there a threat of blackouts? Develop a new natural gas-fired plant. Worried about climate change? Build wind and solar power. Does electricity cost too much? Install a transmission line to import cheaper power. But build-to-solve represents only half of the e

In May 2011 Carlos Slim, the Mexican business magnate, predicted that Chile will be the first Latin American nation to attain the status of a developed country. Chile's GDP per capita of US$15,400 in 2010 puts it far ahead of most of its neighbours and with economic growth for 2011 slated at 6.5 percent, the country would appear to be well on course to achieve Slim's forecast.

Last month Lux Research released a bottom-up evaluation of the cost effectiveness of eight energy storage technologies in six grid-scale applications throughout 44 countries, including all 50 U.S. states. Their report titled "Grid Storage under the Microscope: Using Local Knowledge to Forecast Global Demand" predicts that annual global demand for grid-scale energy storage will reach an astounding 185.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2017 and represent a $113.5 billion incremental revenue opportunity for an industry that currently generates sales of $50 to $60 billion a year.

The first quarter of 2012 was the best of times for shareholders of companies that are developing and manufacturing cheap energy storage products like lead-acid batteries, but the worst of times for shareholders of pure-play lithium-ion battery developers. The following table tracks stock price performance in the energy storage and electric vehicle sectors for the first quarter of 2012 and for the twelve months ended March 31st.

United States Senator Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bingaman (D-NM) has just introduced his clean energy standard legislation, and yes, it has every energy source in it, except energy efficiency. Can a clean energy standard include all energy sources - and should it?