RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Researchers at RTI International have developed a new solar technology that could make solar energy more affordable, and thus speed-up its market adoption.

The RTI solar cells are formed from solutions of semiconductor particles, known as colloidal quantum dots, and can have a power conversion efficiency that is competitive to traditional cells at a fraction of the cost.

Solar energy has the potential to be a renewable, carbon-neutral source of electricity but the high cost of photovoltaics – the devices that convert sunlight into electricity – has slowed widespread adoption of this resource.

To read more about the project and see images, visit RTI International's news release at: http://www.rti.org/newsroom/news.cfm?obj=5A444DD5-5056-B100-316C0E35B3D2B2F4.

RALEIGH, N.C. (August 27, 2012) - Drivers can now “plug in” and charge the batteries on their electric vehicles on the Main Campus at Wake Tech Community College. Two charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles, or PEVs, have been installed on the campus by Progress Energy Carolina as part of a research project focused on commercial charging stations. Two stations were also installed at Wake Tech’s Northern Wake Campus earlier this year. The project underscores the college’s commitment to sustainability.  

Albemarle RC&D, through their REES grant from the Rural Center, has installed another Met Tower in the region - this time in Camden County.

The 60 m met tower at the Camden spray field is collecting and transmitting wind data. Alpha Energy will process the data and make it available on the Internet. The 60 m tower will provide key data for evaluating wind energy at the Camden Eco-Industrial Park and the Alpha Energy reps agreed that the spray field may be a good location for a community-scale wind turbine, probably 100,000 kw or 225,000 kw. They will use the met tower data to show how much energy could be produced with these sizes of turbines. 

NC Sustainable Energy Association's "Crafting a Professional Playbook for Clean Energy Financing & Development" drew 150 participants to the Piedmont Natural Gas building in Charlotte. The event brought together accountants, architects, attorneys, banking executives, venture capitalists, clean energy developers, installers, engineers and others to connect, share ideas and gain insiders’ perspectives into the world of clean energy financing. Discussion topics included the fundamentals of clean energy financing and incentives and best practices for funding clean energy projects.

ASHEVILLE — FLS Energy of Asheville has been named North Carolina’s fastest growing company for the second year in a row by Inc. Magazine. Coming in at No. 109 in this year’s  Inc. 500 list, FLS Energy shares an exclusive ranking  with the nation's top 500 fastest-growing private companies.  Last year, FLS Energy ranked No. 46.

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging clean energy economy and our state's valuable energy businesses. Below are just a few of the recent major announcements and innovations from across our state. (Click on each hyperlink below to read more about each project.)

SOLAR
A combination of federal and state tax credits, plummeting equipment prices and an environmentally savvy population has led to a dramatic increase in the number of Wilmington rooftops outfitted with solar panels, according to local installers.

Camp Lejeune is in the process of building multiple photovoltaic farms that will give the base the ability to generate up to 10 MW of instant solar energy at any time.

WIND
Among the many economic questions facing our nation at the moment is something called the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for those involved in the environmentally friendly production of energy through the harnessing the natural flow of air across Earth's surface.

Charles Krekelberg of Samsel Architects in Asheville, NC recently collaborated with students from Evergreen Community Charter School and AB-Tech to design and build an outdoor classroom on the ECCS campus. Sixth graders from Evergreen were taught how to use computer software to create three-dimensional designs for the outdoor space. These designs were then put into the hands of college level AB-Tech students who developed a single hybrid design that reflected the most educationally engaging features from the original designs. ECCS students and teachers and the AB-Tech students worked along side Green Opportunities trainees and volunteers from the community to build the outdoor classroom.  Features of the space include a hempcrete storage shed, expansive gardens and a covered classroom with a cob oven.

To read more about the project and see images, visit Samsel Architect’s blog at http://samselarchitects.com/?blog-entry=educational-collaboration-at-an-asheville-charter-school.

WILMINGTON, NC – Brunswick Community College (BCC), in partnership with Cape Fear Solar Systems, LLC, local leader in solar system design and installation, successfully completed the second semester of Solar Installer classes, closing with a fantastic record of 62.5 percent of students passing the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) PV Entry Level examination.

By Jim Kennerly, Policy and Regulatory Analyst

The NC Utilities Commission approved Duke Energy’s customer charges for its 2011 spending on 1) compliance with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) and 2) its fuel and fuel-related costs.

By Jim Kennerly, Policy and Regulatory Analyst

A report released Wednesday, August 15 by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) showed that North Carolina solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity doubled during 2011. According to the report, solar PV capacity increased by 45.5 megawatts, a remarkable 114% jump from 2010. North Carolina’s solar PV growth rate was even more rapid  than that of U.S. solar PV development as a whole, which grew at an impressive 85% during 2011. Despite such strong nationwide growth, North Carolina kept its place as a national leader in solar development, ranking 11th in the nation in solar PV capacity installed in 2011 and 11th in total installed solar PV capacity.