Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized 9 Jun 2017

Another Solar Company Goes Bust

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

Last week, American Solar Direct filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in California Central Bankruptcy Court. According to its bankruptcy filing, the company had less than $50,000 in assets and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million.

In 2013, GTM Research named American Solar Direct (ASD) as a residential PV installer to watch. At the time, ASD was one of the few top-20 installers that had experienced consistent, positive quarter-over-quarter growth since it began installing PV systems in California in 2010. ASD raised its own project funds and received two rounds of equity investment, as well as $50 million to support its lease program from WGL Holdings, parent company of utility Washington Gas. A year ago, American Solar Direct won an undisclosed amount of funding from Dubai-based Adenium Capital.

But this is a tricky year for the U.S. solar industry with fewer PV panels being deployed across the U.S. than in 2016. Residential solar is seeing flat or down business after years of runaway growth.

Full story

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

June 8, 2017 at 10:16PM

Uncategorized 9 Jun 2017

Theresa May Poised To Form Minority Government With DUP Backing

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

Prospect of slim majority fuels concerns about DUP’s stance on climate action and Brexit

Theresa May is reportedly preparing to seek permission to form a minority government, after securing the backing of Northern Ireland’s DUP.

With only one seat still to declare the Conservative’s fell short of a majority with 318 seats. However, the DUP secured 10 seats, meaning they could give the Conservative’s a majority of two.

The BBC reported May will travel to Buckingham Palace at 12:30 today to request permission to form a government. It is understood there will not be a formal coalition, but the Conservatives have secured the support of the DUP for a minority administration.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn this morning called on Theresa May to resign, saying the party was “ready to serve” at the head of an alliance of progressive parties.

The decision to form a minority government will hand significant influence to the DUP and any Conservative rebels from either wing of the party who oppose the Prime Minister’s Brexit plans.

There will be particular concern amongst green groups about the DUP’s record on environmental issues and climate change.

The party once appointed a climate sceptic as environment minister in Northern Ireland’s Assembly and this year’s manifesto made no mention of climate change or clean energy. […]

However, there are also hopes a hung parliament provides an opportunity for a cross bench coalition on climate and energy issues. “There is allignment on climate and energy issues across major party manifestos,” our source continued. “The electorate is clearly divided, and not along party lines, so it’s really important that we all grow up and all work together on certain issues, and the green economy is one of those.”

The prospect of a minority government will also prompt widespread questions about the feasibility of the Conservative Party’s green plans and proposed energy reforms.

Full story

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

June 8, 2017 at 10:09PM

Uncategorized 9 Jun 2017

US Weather Forecaster Downgrade El Niño Chance

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday said there are no active El Niño or La Niña patterns and that neutral conditions are likely in the Northern Hemisphere during fall 2017.

Figure 1. Average sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (°C) for the week centered on 31 May 2017. Anomalies are computed with respect to the 1981-2010 base period weekly means.

However, chances for El Niño remain elevated, between 35 and 50 percent, relative to the long-term average into the fall, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said in a monthly forecast.

The last El Niño, a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific that typically occurs every few years, went away in 2016 and was linked to crop damage, fires and flash floods.