From racecars to temperature changes, this has been quite the week for solar and environmental news. Check out this week?s hottest stories in today?s solar news roundup.

State of the Climate: The hottest story this week has undeniably been a report released on Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that found this past decade to be the hottest decade on record. The annual ?State of the Climate? report incorporated findings from over 300 scientists in 48 countries, using data from sources including ?satellites, weather balloons, weather stations, ships, buoys, and field surveys.? The report doesn?t include data from 2010, which is predicted to exceed the hottest average global temperature ever recorded.

Solar Cells: On Tuesday, Vodafone Essar released a new kind of ?solar cell? ? a solar cellular phone! The phones are targeted towards Indians living in rural areas that lack access to electricity, but receive a lot of sun. The phone, which requires 8 hours of direct sunlight to fully charge provides 240 minutes of talktime and 200 standby hours. It?s currently priced at $32 and is expected to go on sale in stores in August.

The Sunshine Track: The NASCAR racetrack at Pocono Raceway has gone solar!   Pocono?s 3 megawatt, 250 acre ground-mounted solar system is finally up and running with 40,000 photovoltaic solar panels. Like SunRun home solar systems, the NASCAR system is tied to the grid, and provides enough energy for the whole racetrack and 1,000 neighboring homes. NASCAR estimates that the system will produce 72 million kWh of energy over the next 20 years, offsetting over 3,100 metric tons of CO2 every year.

Solar in Hawaii: Eric Wesoff also took some time this week to examine the state of solar in Hawaii ? a state in which solar would be a ?no-brainer? (lots of sun, high electricity rates). What he discovered was that despite the appeal of solar in the state, upfront costs continue to be the greatest barrier to going solar in Hawaii. Despite this, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative has a goal of having 70% of the island?s energy come from clean sources by 2030.

And of course, we mustn?t forget to mention Good Morning America?s solar spotlight on Thursday! SunRun president Lynn Jurich spoke with GMA?s Sam Champion on affordable ways for homeowners to go solar. Judging from the great response we?ve received since yesterday, the future looks bright for clean solar power!

Please let us know if you?d like a particular story included in roundup. Happy weekend!

The city of Brea and Chevron Energy Solutions, the renewable arm of the oil and gas conglomerate, are partnering to install 1.8 megawatts of municipal solar power. The solar energy is expected to cut Brea's conventional energy consumption by 40 percent and save the city $13 million over the 25- to 30-year lifespan of the system.

Upon installation, Brea will be the largest municipal user of solar power in Orange County. The solar panels will be installed at the Community Center, Civic and Cultural Center and the Reservoir City Pump Yard. Chevron Energy Solutions will design, build, install, operate, monitor and maintain the systems for the city. Also included in the project are citywide streetlight upgrades, interior and exterior lighting retrofits, HVAC upgrades and implementation of new energy management technologies to maximize energy savings from the solar installations.

?The City of Brea is proud to work with Chevron Energy Solutions to save taxpayer dollars by reducing our energy use,? said Brea Mayor Ron Garcia. ?This project also helps Brea attain early compliance with goals of the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) by reducing our energy use.? AB 32 demands that the state reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and if the bill survives a referendum this November, will institute a cap on carbon emissions in California.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2011. Data from the project, including the amount of solar electricity being produced, will be made available through a display at the Brea Community Center and on the city's website.

Via PR Newswire
Photo Credit: FastCompany

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The California Energy Commission pulled its funding for PACE on Wednesday, a result of a ruling against the popular lending program by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Earlier this month, the FHFA issued guidelines for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the nation's two largest mortgage lenders, stating that PACE programs could not take precedence over primary mortgages. That dispute has effectively killed PACE financing for the time being.

Property Assessed Clean Energy programs tie loans for renewable energy and home energy efficiency upgrades to property, and are then paid off through a voluntary increase in property taxes. 21 states have already signed legislation enabling PACE programs. The PACE model was invented in Berkeley, California to worldwide approval and now, in its home state, we see PACE's life strings begin to unravel.

On Wednesday the CEC pulled $30 million in federal stimulus money it was using to fund PACE programs in five California counties, reports the New York Times. Those programs would have created 4,400 jobs and offset 187,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions through 2012. In 2009, PACE in California was even expanded to cover water efficiency improvements.

California's Attorney General (and gubernatorial candidate) Jerry Brown filed a lawsuit against the FHFA two weeks ago in an attempt to save PACE, and a group of representatives in Congress have introduced legislation that would at least temporarily override the FHFA.

Yet while PACE broils in controversy, valuable energy retrofit funding goes unused, and federal stimulus dollars come with an expiration date.

The state of California is by no means happy to cut funding. ?FHFA's and [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's] recent direction flies in the face of over a century of lawful priority lien tax assessments issued by local governments to finance public benefits,? the CEC paper explaining its decision says.

At its next meeting on August 6th, the CEC will evaluate other ways to fund home retrofits in California.

Governor Schwarzenegger's California Recovery Task Force has written the CEC asking for full reallocation of the PACE funding by September 30, 2010.

Via NY Times
Photo Credit: Solar Universe

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