Renewable energy development is transforming the US countryside. It could be a chance to restore the iconic prairies.

Can massive solar power expansion regenerate the US’s iconic prairies?

A THIRD of North America was once an ocean of grass stretching from what is now central Canada to Mexico. Today, almost all of that original habitat, called prairie, is gone, ploughed for agriculture, paved over for cities and roads, or taken over by encroaching trees and shrubs. Most native prairie remnants are unmarked and hidden to the untrained eye – at least until the spring bloom reveals what grows there.

So, it was a surprise for Danish energy company Ørsted to learn that the field in which it planned to build a giant solar facility was among the largest areas of intact prairie left in Texas. It was also a “wake-up call” for conservationists, says Kirsti Harms at the Native Prairies Association of Texas. “Suddenly there are thousands of acres going into these solar projects.” Unlikely as it seems, this could be good for both clean energy and biodiversity.

Click here to read the full article
Source: New Scientist

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

The Zúñigas got their panels for free, as a result of a state program called Transformative Climate Communities.

Low-income households are getting help from a free solar rooftop program

Gloria and Macedonio Zúñiga have lived in Pacoima for more than 45 years. They emigrated from Mexico and built a life here — Gloria worked as a seamstress and Macedonio as a machinist. They eventually bought a home and raised three children.

Now retired, their days are mostly spent watching over their six young grandchildren.

But in recent years, they’ve noticed the heat only going up. She said every day has felt hotter than the last.

Click here to read the full article
Source: LAist

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

From solar panels to EV chargers to drought-tolerant landscaping, these ecofabulous homes help the planet and look great doing it.

10 ecofabulous California homes to help the planet, your wallet

Weather is getting weirder and bills are getting higher. Here are a few eco-fabulous homes from around the state that will help the planet and your wallet.

  1. Oakridge Estates Home Boasts Pool, Solar, Views Of Lake Berryessa
  2. Oakridge Estates Home Boasts Pool, Solar, Views Of Lake Berryessa
  3. Malibu Mountain Retreat Has Solar, EV Charging For $3.95M
  4. $4.79M Lamorinda Estate Home Outfitted With Solar, EV Chargers
  5. Updated Santee Home With Swimming Pool, Solar Panels: $899K
  6. Eco-Friendly Agoura Hills Home Includes Solar Panels For $1.88M
  7. Solar-Powered Walnut Creek Home Has Large Lot, Bonus Office
  8. La Mesa Home With Flexible Space, Solar Panels: $1.6M
  9. Custom Concord Home Offers Curb Appeal, Solar Panels, Income Potential
  10. San Diego Home With Spacious Backyard, Solar Panels: $789K

Click here to read the full article
Source: Patch

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

Microgrid communities are energy-resilient communities that can operate independently from a larger municipal electrical system when necessary.

What if your town doubled as a residential power grid?

For all of California’s many charms, living here isn’t always easy.

There’s the astronomical cost of housing, of course, and the seemingly constant threat of catastrophe, whether from earthquakes, fires or extreme heat. Especially as the effects of climate change increase, disaster often seems to be lurking right around the corner.

This newsletter recently covered the increasing popularity in California of “disaster-proof” homes, built to better withstand high winds and temperatures, and to limit entry points for wildfire embers. And last year, my colleague Ivan Penn wrote about Californians who, out of frustration with blackouts and rising utility prices in our warming world, are opting to live off the grid.

Click here to read the full article
Source: The New York Times

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

The mechanical experience of installing arrays in various regions may differ only slightly based on their separate environments with distinct temperatures and weather conditions. The greater difference is in oversight from regional policies and permitting bodies.

How much do solar projects differ from California to Massachusetts?

The steps to building a solar array are mostly the same anywhere an installer is putting panels on a roof. They secure mounts and racking, attach modules and inverters and run wiring. It’s physically demanding work, but with the right experience, a solar installer could move anywhere in the country, pick up some panels and get them on a roof and quickly generating power.

The mechanical experience of installing arrays in various regions may differ only slightly based on their separate environments with distinct temperatures and weather conditions. The greater difference is in oversight from regional policies and permitting bodies.

Click here to read the full article
Source: Solar Power World

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

The key to lowering the cost of electrification is energy management and demand response, starting with local solar and storage.

Local solar and storage are essential to the electrification movement

The movement to fully electrify our buildings and transportation sectors represents one of the best ways to decarbonize the American economy, but if we do not pursue the most cost-effective path, we could hit major potholes that slow down or derail our trek to net zero emissions.

With more and more electric vehicles on our roads every day, electricity demand is set to significantly grow, and not only that but higher peak demands could force trillions of dollars in grid infrastructure improvements. As we’ve seen with extreme weather leading to rolling blackouts just this past year, our electricity system even today is not equipped to handle increased electricity load, let alone what we expect from full scale electrification.

Click here to read the full article
Source: Utility Dive

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

A recent successful pilot project in Tenant Creek demonstrated the value of having solar panels installed. However, navigating the red tape to have the solar installed was a difficult process.

Rooftop solar trial for remote first nations people

In solar-rich areas of Australia (like the Outback of the sparsely populated Northern Territory) electricity supply is tenuous and expensive, often supplied by polluting diesel generators. I have wondered why solar is not installed on every rooftop. Here is a possible explanation.

“In remote First Nations communities in the Northern Territory, you don’t see solar on any rooftops. That’s a real problem. This part of Australia is dangerously hot in summer. And many people don’t have enough power to run vital appliances like the fridge and air conditioner. [If they have one]. Solar would be an ideal solution. Tennant Creek has over 300 days per year of sunshine with some of the clearest skies in the world, for instance.” The town is situated almost 1000 km south of Darwin (Northern Territory’s capital city) and has a population of 3000, half of them First Nations people.

Click here to read the full article
Source: Clean Technica

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

One couple’s starter home in a connected community in California shows how smart energy powered by smart home technology could be the future of affordable, energy-independent living.

How microgrids and smart homes are shaping our energy-independent future

Justine Yotti-Conrique and Michael Conrique just bought their first home together. The pretty, Spanish-style four-bedroom house in the planned community of Shadow Mountain is ideal for the young couple and their border doodle, Ziggy. Shadow Mountain is just one of many similar-looking communities popping up all over this fast-growing slice of Southern California desert, where young professionals like the Conriques are flocking thanks to remote work options and high prices along the coast.

But behind the home’s stucco walls and under its terracotta tiled roof lies a new breed of smart, energy-efficient home. One that’s part of California’s first planned smart, solar-powered residential microgrid community.

Click here to read the full article
Source: The Verge

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

CA regulators say the state is unlikely to run out of electricity this summer because of a big increase in power storage and a wet winter.

California unlikely to run short of electricity this summer thanks to storms, new power sources

California regulators say the state is unlikely to run out of electricity this summer because of a big increase in power storage and a wet winter that filled the state’s reservoirs enough to restart hydroelectric power plants that were dormant during the drought.

The nation’s most populous state normally has more than enough electricity to power the homes and businesses of more than 39 million people. But the electrical grid has trouble when it gets really hot and everyone turns on their air conditioners at the same time.

Click here to read the full article
Source: AP News

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.

Lebanon's situation has shown the power of solar and how it can provide a source of clean & reliable electricity when other electricity systems break down.

How solar power is keeping Lebanon’s lights on

Sonia Constantin’s fridge and water boiler are plugged in. Sitting on her sofa with her sister, she appreciates the rediscovered comfort of her home in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital – now fully supplied with electricity.

A Lebanese professor of educational sciences, Constantin decided to invest $6,500 (£5,140) of her savings in nine solar panels and a battery last September. “We are not looking for a life of luxury, we simply want dignity,” she tells me.

The investment allowed her to unsubscribe from the privately owned diesel-powered generators which supply power to most households in Beirut. “I have since resumed a normal life: I can charge my phone whenever I want.”

Click here to read the full article
Source: BBC

—

If you have any questions or thoughts about the topic, feel free to contact us here or leave a comment below.