QUICK NEWS, Sept. 8: NEW ENERGY INVESTMENT HITS $5.7 TRILLION; CALIFORNIA RE-ORIENTS ROOFTOP SOLAR; THOSE WHO LIVE W/WIND DOUBT ‘WIND SYNDROME’

NEW ENERGY INVESTMENT HITS $5.7 TRILLION Green Bonds Add to $5.7 Trillion Privately Invested in the Green Economy

September 1, 2014 (Ethical Markets)

“The first two quarters of 2014 show the Green Transition Scoreboard® (GTS) at $5.7 trillion in private investments and commitments since 2007. This confirms the green economy is on track to reach $10 trillion in investments by 2020 to effectively scale innovations and reduce costs in green technologies as the world transitions to the Solar Age…Green Bonds Growing Green Infrastructure, the 2014 mid-year green transition update, focuses on the bond markets’ addition of green, impact and ESG (environmental, social, governance) targeted bond issues. These new bonds provide long-term investment opportunities to pension funds and other institutional investors as global policy makers, corporations and asset managers see demand for investments in infrastructure, environmental, social and human capital being integrated into financial markets…The GTS tracks Renewable Energy ($2.65 trillion), Energy Efficiency ($1.3 trillion), Green Construction ($576 billion), Water ($527 billion), Green R&D ($378 billion) and Cleantech ($268 billion) [and omits nuclear, clean coal, carbon capture & sequestration, and biofuels from feedstock other than saltwater-grown algae]…The upward trend reported since 2009 aligns with Ethical Markets’ recommendation to invest at least 10% of institutional portfolios directly in companies driving the global Green Transition…” click here for more

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CALIFORNIA RE-ORIENTS ROOFTOP SOLAR Solar incentives reward west-facing panels

Morgan Lee, Sept. 6, 2014 (The San Diego Union-Tribune)

“California is encouraging home builders that install rooftop solar energy systems to tilt hose panels westward toward the setting sun…to capture more renewable energy in the waning hours of the day, when electricity demands are often highest [and] avoid more of the air pollution that comes from gas-fired generators at conventional power plants…In the northern hemisphere, rooftop panels typically have been oriented toward the south to capture as much sunlight as possible throughout the day…West-facing panels generate about 20 percent less power overall. But can boost energy production by 50 percent or more between the hours of 2 p.m. and 8 p.m…The new guidelines increase rebates for west-facing solar energy systems by 15 percent, or as much as $500 per home, under a program known as the California Solar Initiative…[I]t appears to be the first incentive in the country based specifically on west-facing solar panels…” click here for more

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THOSE WHO LIVE W/WIND DOUBT ‘WIND SYNDROME’ Survey: Midwesterners not buying ‘wind turbine syndrome’

Ken Lydersen, Sept. 5, 2014 (Midwest Energy News)

“Science has frequently rejected arguments that wind turbines pose a threat to human health [and now it is clear the courts and public opinion concur…[The bipartisan Voter Attitudes Toward Energy Issues in the Midwest poll] found that in six Midwestern states – Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin – only 14 percent of respondents believe wind turbines harm human health…The survey of 2,477 voters was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and FM3…Among the states surveyed, the lowest percentage of people who believe wind turbines cause health problems (7 percent) was in Iowa, a state that leads the nation in proportion of energy from wind…[T]he highest percentage believing such claims (21 percent) was in Wisconsin, a state which has far fewer wind farms and where some political leaders have in recent years been hostile to renewable and distributed energy…[A] study released last month by the Energy and Policy Institute analyzed 49 legal proceedings in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, the British Isles and Australia. It found that in all but one case, courts or legal officials rejected the argument that wind energy poses a health hazard…Advocates also stress that while turbines don’t typically cause direct health impacts, badly-sited turbines can cause irritating noise and visual impacts. So developers and planners must be responsible in making sure poor planning decisions don’t fuel otherwise unjustified animosity toward wind…” click here for more

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