Statement from Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on the 2014 Solar Job Census WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary Ernest Moniz issued the following statement today on the 2014 National Solar Jobs Census: “Solar power is a key component of our all-of-the-above approach to American energy, creating good-paying American jobs that support our growing clean energy economy. According to a new report released by the Solar Foundation today, the solar industry is continuing its rapid growth, with more than 170,000 Americans employed throughout the U.S. solar supply chain. In the last year alone, the industry added more than 31,000 jobs – accounting for one out of every 78 new jobs created in the U.S. This diverse and vibrant workforce is vital to achieving the President’s goal of doubling electricity generation from renewable sources yet again by 2020." Background In the utility-scale market, the Energy Department’s Loan Program has helped build a strong foundation for photovoltaic...

EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, to training for the clean energy workforce. Webinars are free; however, advanced registration is typically required. You can also watch archived webinars and browse previously aired videos, slides, and transcripts. Upcoming Webinars January 15: Design Conditions for the Hurricane Metocean Environment Webcast Sponsor:  WINDExchange The Energy Department will present a live webcast titled  "Design Conditions for the Hurricane Metocean Environment" on Thursday, January 15, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Joel Cline from the Energy Department will moderate, and the following speakers will discuss design conditions for the hurricane metocean environment: Mark Powell, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Hurricane Conditions and Wind ShearPeter Vickery, Applied Research Associates: Synthetic Hurricane Modeling of Coupled Winds, Waves, Currents, and Water LevelsGeorge Hagerman, Virginia Tech: White-Capping and Depth-Limited Wave Breaking Register...

Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Forrestal Building 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20585 Original link

The Energy Department today announced $2.5 million for a new project to research the atmospheric processes that generate wind in mountain-valley regions. This in-depth research, conducted by Vaisala of Louisville, Colorado, will be used to improve the wind industry's weather models for short-term wind forecasts, especially for those issued less than 15 hours in advance. With access to better forecasts, wind energy plant operators and industry professionals can ensure wind turbines operate closer to maximum capacity, leading to lower energy costs for consumers. Due to the complexity of terrain in mountain-valley regions and varying degrees of soil moisture and surface temperatures, predicting specific wind conditions presents a major challenge to utility operators looking to optimize the performance of wind turbines in these areas. This funding will allow Vaisala and its partners to use advanced meteorological equipment to analyze specific environmental characteristics that affect wind flow patterns in the Columbia River Gorge...

EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, to training for the clean energy workforce. Webinars are free; however, advanced registration is typically required. You can also watch archived webinars and browse previously aired videos, slides, and transcripts. Upcoming Webinars January 8: Live Webinar on On-Bill Financing Webinar Sponsor: U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service The Energy Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture will present a live webinar titled "On-Bill Financing" on Thursday, January 8, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  This webinar will focus on financing programs that enable customers to make energy improvements through their utility bills. On-bill financing is one way to provide customers with low-cost, up-front capital required to make energy improvements. In some jurisdictions, these on-bill programs have been operating for decades.  The webinar will discuss existing programs around...

EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, to training for the clean energy workforce. Webinars are free; however, advanced registration is typically required. You can also watch archived webinars and browse previously aired videos, slides, and transcripts. Upcoming Webinars January 6: Live Webinar on Success Stories and Tools for Water Use Reduction in Your Building Portfolio Webinar Sponsor: Better Buildings Challenge The Energy Department will present a live webinar titled "Success Stories and Tools for Water Use Reduction in Your Building Portfolio" on Tuesday, January 6, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Saving water almost always saves energy too. Join Better Buildings Challenge partner National Church Residences and Better Plants Partner Cummins to learn how they've reduced water in their manufacturing and multifamily housing portfolios. Environmental Defense Fund will also present their toolkit for...

WASHINGTON – In support of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Energy Department announced two new energy efficiency standards today. The new standards for general service fluorescent lamps (GSFLs) and automatic commercial ice makers (ACIMs) are the ninth and tenth standards to be finalized in 2014. Altogether, the ten standards finalized this year will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 435 million metric tons and save American families and businesses $78 billion in electricity bills through 2030. “As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the Energy Department set an ambitious goal of finalizing 10 energy efficiency standards this year, and with the new efficiency standards for general service fluorescent lamps and automatic commercial ice makers, we have reached that goal,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “The Energy Department is committed to building on this progress, and will continue to develop standards that move the U.S. closer to a low...

Wind energy systems can be one of the most cost-effective home-based renewable energy systems, and is a clean, renewable energy source. By investing in a small wind system , you can reduce pollution, avoid the high costs of extending utility power lines to your site, and avoid potential spikes in electricity rates. Before you make an initial investment in a wind energy system for your home, there are several important steps to determining if wind energy makes sense for you and your home. Step 1: Decide whether to connect your wind turbine to the grid Small wind energy systems can be used with an electricity system connected to the utility grid or in stand-alone applications . Here are a few things to consider for each: A grid-connected system can reduce your consumption of utility-supplied electricity. If the turbine cannot deliver the amount of energy you need, the utility makes up the...

Los sistemas de energía eólica pueden ser una de las bases de operaciones más baratas que estén implementados en el hogar, y es una fuente de energía limpia y renovable. Al invertir en un sistema eólico pequeño, puedes reducir la contaminación, evitar los costos altos de ampliación de líneas eléctricas en los servicios públicos de tu área, y reducir el contacto con futuros aumentos en tarifas de electricidad. Antes de invertir en un sistema de energía eólica para tu hogar, hay varios pasos iniciales que son importantes para averiguar si la energía eólica tiene sentido para ti y para tu hogar. Paso 1: Decide si debes conectar tu sistema de energía eólica a la red de suministro eléctrico Los sistemas pequeños de energía eólica se pueden usar con un sistema de energía conectado a la red eléctrica o en aplicaciones independientes.  Considera los siguientes pasos para cada opción: Un sistema conectado...

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