California Climate & Energy Collaborative

VSPT Wine Group to produce wines using 100% renewable energy by 2021

Sarina Soor
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“Two year’s ago, VSPT introduced two renewable energy projects, the first being the installation of the first biogas plant to use organic waste material from the grape harvest as fuel. In addition, the company installed a hydroelectric plant at its Tarapacá estate winery. With the challenge now being set of converting all production to renewable…

Updating California’s anti-solar utility billing for transmission

Sarina Soor
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“Residential and commercial solar power generators in California are currently billed unfairly by the three major investor-owned utilities for the transmission of high-voltage energy that never reaches the small generator’s meter. The sum of the charges associated with the construction, maintenance, and operation of the transmission grid is called the Transmission Access Charge (TAC), now…

California Approves $5M Grant for Microgrid at Naval War Center

Sarina Soor
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“The project comes as the industry increasingly strives to reduce the amount of customization in microgrid development as a way to drive down costs. In this case, researchers hope to create a replicable model that demonstrates how to avoid electric instabilities during transitions between grid connected and islanding modes.” Click here to read more from Microgrid…

Are solar-powered planes the future of aviation?

Sarina Soor
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“In 2015, Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered single-seat aircraft with a wingspan wider than a Boeing 747, became the first solar aeroplane to complete an oceanic crossing, flying from Japan to Hawaii using nothing but solar power. This is the ultimate goal for solar-powered aircraft – achieving continuous flight. It’s a simple concept: the wings…

Opinion: All Californians deserve cleaner, low-cost power

Sarina Soor
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“Over the past decade, Californians have installed close to 6,700 megawatts of rooftop solar on resident-owned homes throughout the state. Unfortunately, as solar adoption and investment have increased, low-income residents — homeowners and renters — have been left behind. This disparity has demonstrated the need for incentive programs to establish equity as a priority from…

Honda Installs Large Solar Array at its California Campus

Sarina Soor
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“The array is one of the largest in Southern California, rated at 2.0 megawatts of DC current. It features 6,000 panels and is expected to generate more than 3,000-megawatt hours annually. The solar system will replace approximately 30 percent of the facility’s purchased electricity. Plus, it will provide 100% of the location’s EV charging power.…