Energy Resource News

Green living is something wished for by people around the world. To support this idea, scientist and non-governmental organizations are spreading the word of importance on renewable energy resources. Here are some of advantages of using renewable energy resources, which will help you in knowing their significance:

* Renewable energy is natural source of energy and can replenish itself easily over short period of time. It comes from common sources like solar power, running water, and wind.

* They are limitless and hence one can be dependent on them unlike fossil fuels.

* Renewable sources do not pollute the environment.

* It is quite affordable and can be availed to many people as an alternative for non renewable sources at economical cost.

* Pollution free environment

* Promotes healthy living

* Helps in making wise utilization of all available resources

* Fights against global warming

* Helps in reducing effects of the entropy on Earth

These are few of the advantages. If you carefully analyze them you will see that scientist are working forward to provide you with uninterrupted supply of energy. For example, for storing the solar energy they have developed solar cells. You can easily charge them by keeping them in the sun and have low cost.

Clean energy is making an economic mark in the San Joaquin Valley.

Really.

The Green Report, issued by Proteus Inc., a nonprofit that provides community work force training and other services based in Visalia, Calif., lists a projected job forecast of 12,125 jobs related to construction of solar facilities.

“With the amount of new solar companies looking at the Central Valley to implement utility-sized photovoltaic installations in the double digits, the future looks bright for solar installation and employment,” writes the report’s author, Hector Uriarte Jr., who heads up the Proteus solar training program.

Solar projects planned

Solar is definitely coming. The California Public Utilities Commission lists 46 small to medium sized projects on its “on schedule” list for the state. More are sure to be added.

And there are, according to the California Department of Fish and Game, 93 proposed solar projects planned on 64,000 Valley acres that have no environmental conflicts and can proceed without opposition.

MID gives to UC Solar

Economic effects go beyond simple solar installations. The Merced Irrigation District has committed $10,000 to the University of California Merced’s Advanced Solar Technologies Institute.

Also known as UC Solar, the institute involves other UC campuses and is “dedicated to designing and developing innovative solar energy generation technologies that are more efficient, more affordable.”

MID General Manager John Sweigard tells the Merced Sun-Star that his utility is committed to the development of clean energy and that UC Solar “appears to be heading in the right direction.”

Training program gears up

Proteus is one of the organizations gearing up to meet expected work force needs. The nonprofit operates a solar training program and has worked with many of the companies in the region to find its graduates jobs. Some of those include: Eurus Energy through subsidiary Avenal Solar Holdings LLC and its employment agency Aerotek, Sundowner Solar, Unlimited Energy, Velocity Energy Partners and Altsys Solar.

The Green Report projects activity by the following companies:

Solar Project Solutions: Plans 130 megawatts of solar installations for about 650 jobs.
NorthLight Power: 60 mw, about 300 jobs.
Beacon Solar LLC: 250 mw, about 1,250 jobs.
SolarGen USA: 1,000 mw, about 5,000 jobs.
DTE Energy: 20 mw, about 100 jobs.
Recurrent Energy: 80 mw, about 400 jobs.
Canergy: 500 mw, about 2,500 jobs.
NRG Solar LLC: 105 mw, about 525 jobs.
Meridian Energy: 60 mw, about 300 jobs.
Westland Solar Farms LLC, 220 mw, about 1,100 jobs.

Uriarte’s report says another driving force in solar growth has come from municipalities installing photovoltaics at their water or waste water operations. These installations are often 1 or 2 megawatts and offset the high electricity costs of running pumps.