Learn more about solar energy in Massachusetts by clicking here!

This isn’t the first eco-friendly decision Wal-Mart has made. Recently, the company installed smart irrigation controllers in order to reduce water usage by as much at 39 percent. Wal-Mart installed 631 WaterTRAK controllers throughout stores in the US.

Of course, any progressive move the company makes is not without criticism. Wal-Mart has long been under the gun by consumers for pushing independently owned businesses out of business, abusing workers, and breaking labor laws throughout the US. However, the most recent move to promote solar energy throughout Wal-Mart stores is a great step towards making large corporations and businesses more environmentally friendly.

Many food truck vendors are taking their sustainable responsibility to the next level by traveling in trucks that use solar power. Here are some of the most popular solar powered food trucks located in a city near you:

Arlington, VA – Solar Crepes

This food truck uses local and organic food from sustainable sources. They also package their food in eco-friendly wrappers. What’s more, their food truck uses a 90-watt solar panel that produces an average 590 watt hours of power every day.

Learn more about solar power in Virginia here.

Portland, OR – Off the Griddle

This portable burger joint serves up vegan and vegetarian food using natural and organic ingredients. Their cart is powered 100% by renewable energy, and the rooftop solar panels produce excess power purchased by Portland General Electric.

Find a solar power installer in Oregon now!

Los Angeles, San Diego, NYC – The Green Truck

This food truck serves up regional, sustainable cuisine including vegan and vegetarian dishes. Also, any cooking oil they use powers their food trucks the next day. The Green Trucks also use solar energy to power their kitchens, giving excess energy produced back to the power grid.

Learn more about solar companies in California and solar installers in New York here!

Nationwide – Sungevity Ice Pop Truck

While not a culinary giant, the Ice Pop Truck (by Sungevity, a solar power company) is traveling across the country giving away free organic ice pops and educating consumers on how affordable and easy investing in solar energy can be. Find out where the Sungevity Ice Pop Truck will be by visiting their website.

Solar energy is changing lives. In Haiti, where a devastating earthquake shook the region two short years ago, electricity is a luxury many do not know. In some cases, the electrical grid does not reach rural areas of Haiti. In other areas of this region, electrical power is unpredictable, and often powers homes and schools for only four short hours a day.

NRG Energy recently donated a $1 million commitment through the Clinton Global Initiative. Together, with Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), they have been building solar panel systems throughout areas in Haiti. In areas like Boucan Carre, solar panel systems are being used to power fishing farms, where 1 million pounds of fish are now being farmed in order to guarantee economic stability for the region. In other areas, like the Bon Berger School, solar panel systems have been installed to help school children take advantage of full school days.

NRG has long been committed to changing how people use energy. They have been at the forefront of some of the largest solar panel installations, as well as innovations in electrical cars and greenhouse gas reduction. You can follow the latest NRG news via their Twitter account @nrgenergy. Be sure to watch this moving video on how NRG and the Clinton Global Initiative have been changing lives in Haiti.

In the spirit of Earth Day, IBISWorld US released their April 2012 report of the fastest growing industries in the US. One of the top contenders? Solar power! The IBISWorld report explains that solar power has all of the components current industry leaders hold:

1. Green thinking. Consumers are hopping on the “green” bandwagon, and continuing to make it more then a passing phase.
2. Take care of the earth. More and more, growing industries are learning how to market products to consumers that will improve their health and diminish their carbon footprint. Solar energy does both by decreasing pollution.
3. Growing technology. All of the top industries have one thing in common – leveraging new technology in ways that are creative and that make it easy to improve lives. Solar panel technology is transcending from solar panel systems to phone chargers and solar powered toys.

The IBISWorld report also projected that the solar energy industry will continue to grow in the next five years. This projection is based on the growth the solar panel manufacturing industry has seen recently. IBISWorld projects that the solar panel manufacturing industry will grow from a $4 and a half million industry (2012) to an almost $7 million industry by 2017.

Other industries included in the report are general pharmaceutical manufacturing, for-profit universities, and Pilates and yoga studios. You can read the entire IBISWorld US report here.

President Barack Obama has made his goal to support renewable energy clear throughout his presidency, and the Apps for Energy competition will support his initiatives. By increasing access to energy and money saving information, consumers will be able to reduce energy consumption and invest in solar energy more readily.

The Obama administration recently offered 15 million households access to their energy use information. In doing so, President Obama hopes to empower people to use the information to decrease their energy usage and find better ways to power their lives.

The US Department of Energy, in conjunction with the Obama administration, seeks to engage the public in new and interesting ways. By offering a mobile or tablet application that can make getting information faster and simpler, consumers will hopefully become empowered to make better decisions about the way they consume energy.

The deadline to submit an app design is May 15, 2012. You can learn more about the Apps for Energy competition here.

Take a look at these three solar advertisements.

You may have seen this solar energy billboard going viral across the Internet. Strangely, this billboard is over two years old, and is just going viral now.

This image grew popular on the widely used website, Reddit, shortly after the BP oil spill fiasco. The headline for the image read:

BREAKING: Large Air Spill at Wind Farm. No threats reported. Some claim to enjoy the breeze.

Lastly, this commercial from a German solar cell manufacturer and distributor, Solon succinctly explains that we see one of the greatest sources of power we’ve ever known every day without realizing it: the sun.

These advertisements do an effective job of:

• Capturing attention
• Informing the viewer
• Making a lasting impression

Renewable forms of energy are quickly hitting mainstream thanks to wonderful advertisements and messaging campaigns that explain the power of energy to the masses.

Goal Zero is one of Eric Larsen’s major sponsors. Using a solar pack, Larsen is able to charge his gps, satellite phone, and iPod in tundra conditions, even when clouds cover the sun. Focusing on bringing solar gear beyond rooftops, Goal Zero makes innovative solar energy products for adventurers and earth lovers.

Check out this video where Eric Larsen talks about how he uses the Goal Zero Sherpa 50 to power his expedition.

You can follow Eric Larsen on Twitter @ELexplore

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Energy for America Program is funding solar energy programs throughout rural areas in the US. In Primm Springs, Tennessee the Weesner family has a solar energy system that generates enough energy to net $7,000 in returns from the electric company each year. The Energy for America Program has funded $6.5 million in grants and loans in the past three years. Other recipients that have used grant money for solar power systems in Tennessee include a medical clinic, a custom saddler, and a native-species nursery.

At Arizona State University, almost 30% of the campus’s power needs are generated through solar energy. Through PowerParasol, a solar panel platform extending five acres, ASU has the biggest single-university solar system in the country. Solar systems in Arizona are incredibly feasible because of the amount of sunlight the state receives yearly.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is researching the benefits of 3D solar panels, and how they may be more efficient than their flat counterparts. By experimenting with cube and tower shapes, researchers have discovered that 3D solar power panels have the potential to generate up to 20 times more energy. What’s more, sophisticated accordion-style solar arrays save space, and are more efficient because they use two sides of solar panels. MIT, located in Massachusetts is a solar power researching giant.

#1 Solar power jet wash

The video may not be great quality, but it still showcases one homeowner’s ingenuity. This solar power user generated a free, off-the-grid way to power wash his solar panels for maximum efficiency! What’s more, he even collects the rainwater coming off his solar panels and reuses it to wash them! Now that’s thinking green.

#2 GOAL ZERO portable solar power kit

I want one! These solar power kits are lightweight, easily transported, and offer a multitude of ways to power your necessary electronics. Plug in your phone, tablet, or computer via a USB port and enjoy fully powered electronics. The kit also comes with a battery charger, and two LED lights. These kits are great for camping, tailgating, and a variety of other outdoor uses.

#3 Bestival 2011 uses dance steps to create power

Creativity and ingenuity at its finest. Pavegen went to Bestival, a popular music festival in the United Kingdom, and set up a power station. This power station isn’t powered by wind or solar energy. Instead, the dance steps of the music lovers enjoying this festival power it. The power system held up so well that Pavegen is hoping to extend the system to power the entire festival.

These videos show that there is no limit to how we can power our lives using clean and efficient forms of energy. Research and creativity can come together to create fun and efficient ways to create power.

Over the past year, the solar energy market has seen a few hiccups, but overall, the market has held fast with a 12 percent increase in earnings. Here are some quick facts about a recent report released by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association regarding the optimistic solar industry:

1. In 2011, 1,855 megawatts of photovoltaic projects were built – that’s up from 887 megawatts in 2010.
2. The total solar energy projects built totals $8.4 billion.
3. 2011 broke fourth quarter records, with 776 megawatts in projects built.
4. Installation costs for the average solar project in 2011 dropped 20 percent last year.
5. These new figures rank the US as the fourth largest solar market in the world behind Germany, Italy, and China.

While the growth of the solar energy market is great news for the American solar industry, it’s not met without challenges. In the Senate this week, government leaders shot down a proposal to increase subsidies for natural energy. Michigan Senator, Debbie Stabenow proposed a 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour subsidy that, though supported by 49 Democrats, was not passed in the Senate.

The solar energy market continues to soar despite wavering support from many of our nation’s leaders. If you’re interested in supporting natural forms of energy and want to see more tax subsidies, contact your local representatives and show your solar support!