A research team at DGIST in South Korea has unveiled an ingenious device that enhances solar power generation by keeping panels clean.

Self-cleaning solar panels boost efficiency with wind power

A research team at DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology) in South Korea has unveiled an ingenious device that enhances solar power generation by keeping panels free of dust and other contaminants. Harnessing wind power, this self-cleaning device autonomously maintains a vital component of the clean energy revolution.

The challenge of clean solar panels

Solar energy is vital for a sustainable future, but dust, debris, and other environmental contaminants can create a layer of grime that dramatically reduces solar cell efficiency. Traditionally, panels require manual cleaning, a costly and labor-intensive process. This maintenance is especially difficult in deserts, remote installations, and even potential off-world applications.

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Source: Interesting Engineering

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USDA is investing close to $6M in 9 renewable energy projects throughout CA to lower energy costs, generate new income, and support farmers & rural small business

Energy projects aim to strengthen California farms

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A nearly $6 million investment announced on March 28 focuses on clean, renewable energy. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development California State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera made the announcement on March 28 that USDA is investing close to $6 million in nine renewable energy projects throughout California to lower energy costs, generate new income, and support California’s farmers, ranchers, and rural small business.

“With the Inflation Reduction Act, we are able to support more rural business owners and agricultural producers adopt sustainable energy solutions that provide short- and long-term benefits,” said Gallegos Herrera. “These investments reduce energy costs for producers and small business owners, invest in renewable energy that benefits not only our environment but also our economy, while reaffirming the commitment to rural California.”

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Source: Riverbanks News

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California’s grid operator proposes $6.1B in transmission projects aimed at increasing reliability and providing access to solar, geothermal & wind resources in AZ, NV, NM and offshore.

California grid operator proposes $6.1 billion in transmission projects

California’s grid operator proposes $6.1 billion in transmission projects aimed at increasing reliability and providing access to solar, geothermal and wind resources in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and offshore. (Utility Dive)

ALSO:

The Southwest Power Pool formally proposes a day-ahead power market for Western utilities, setting up a competition with the California grid operator’s rival plan. (Utility Dive)
Federal investigators offer a $25,000 reward for information regarding a 2023 attack on an electrical substation in southern California. (Press-Telegram)

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Source: Energy News Network

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California State University – Dominguez Hills has new off-grid solar powered benches on its campus that provides off-grid wireless charging.

Off-grid solar bench with wireless charging and Wi-Fi

California State University – Dominguez Hills has new off-grid solar powered benches on its campus, provided by Bluebolt Outdoor LLC.

The bench provides off-grid wireless charging for student devices like phones and tablets and contains a Wi-Fi access point. It has integrated LED lighting, USB charging ports, and a double-sided poster display space. The bench also contains environmental sensors for monitoring air quality and flood and fire detection.

Bluebolt said it manages advertising sales for the poster locations within customer-approved categories. The benches have been deployed in Katy, Texas, Victorville, California, and by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Source: PV Magazine

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CA, TX and FL are leading the country in solar power generation, while TX, IA and OK are the leaders in wind energy, per a new analysis.

America’s solar and wind energy hotspots, mapped

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California, Texas and Florida are leading the country in terms of solar power generation, while Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma are the leaders in wind energy, per a new analysis.

Why it matters: Solar and wind power are producing a comparatively small but growing share of America’s overall energy supply — yet they make up a bigger slice of the energy pie in some states compared to others.

The big picture: Solar installations generated nearly 240,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity across the U.S. in 2023, per the analysis from Climate Central, a climate research nonprofit.

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Source: AXIOS

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Researchers in Italy have conducted a series of experiments to assess the quality of wheat growing under elevated agrivoltaic systems.

Wheat grows better in agrivoltaic facilities

Researchers in Italy have conducted a series of experiments to assess the quality of wheat growing under elevated agrivoltaic systems. The have found that it has greater nutritional value for livestock.

The CNR Institute for Bioeconomy, the University of Florence, and Italian agrivoltaic specialist REM Tec srl conducted the study on 11.4 hectares of wheat in Borgo Virgilio, in the province of Mantua. The system featured 7,680 Bisol panels and 768 trackers at a height of 4.5 meters, for total PV coverage of 1.3 hectares.

The team used three sections of 12 meters x 12 meters with photovoltaic coverage with a ground coverage ratio (GCR) of 13% and three sections of 144 m2 with a GCR of 41%. They also used three as reference sections with similar characteristics, but without panels and shading structures.

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Source: PV Magazine

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Cosmic is selling its first 100 prefab ADUs starting at $279,000 that could generate enough energy to be a "power plant" for the main house.

A startup’s solar-powered backyard tiny home can help power the main house

Entrepreneur Sasha Jokic dreams of ending global housing insecurity by manufacturing prefab multi-family residences for low-income families.

To do so, his San Francisco-based startup Cosmic is now selling its first 100 tiny homes starting at a cool $279,000 for a 385-square-foot studio.

Ironic, yes. But Jokic says it’s the first step: The revenue from these 100 accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, sales would be reinvested into the startup’s manufacturing process, setting it on the path of building faster and cheaper high-quality homes.

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Source: Business Insider

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Solar, wind and battery storage accounted for nearly 95% of the capacity in transmission interconnection queues as of year-end 2023.

1100 GW solar and 1000 GW storage now await transmission interconnection

By year-end 2023, 1086 GW of solar projects awaited transmission interconnection, along with 503 GW of standalone storage, according to preliminary data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The amount of storage in hybrid projects, such as solar-plus-storage projects, awaiting interconnection at year-end was estimated at 525 GW by LBNL, based on imputed values for missing data when storage capacity for hybrid projects was not reported.

The data were reported in a staff report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

LBNL’s preliminary values for all but one of the resource types awaiting interconnection are presented in the table below from the FERC staff report. The exception is hybrid storage, which FERC staff shows as 299 GW in the table, not LBNL’s preliminary 525 GW, because FERC staff excluded hybrid storage projects for which capacity was not reported.

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Source: PV Magazine

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Walmart is investing in 19 solar projects under development across the US, including 15 community solar projects.

Walmart just funded 15 community solar projects across the US

Walmart is investing in 19 solar projects under development across the US, including 15 community solar projects.

Walmart’s strategic tax equity investment will drive the construction, operation, and maintenance of solar projects across five states – Illinois, Colorado, Maryland, Delaware, and California.

As the American Council on Renewable Energy explains, tax equity investors provide funding to take advantage of the tax benefits and receive cash flows from the project, partnering with the project sponsor to become a partial owner of the project company.

In this case, Walmart is partnering with Colorado-based renewable energy provider Pivot Energy, and the retail giant’s tax equity investment will enable the construction of 72 megawatts (MW) of community solar projects. In Colorado, 41 MW of those projects will serve low and moderate-income homes.

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Source: electrek

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The municipality of Falconara Marittima, Italy, has installed a free off-grid PV shade for electric vehicle charging at no cost to users.

Italian municipality offers free EV recharging via off-grid PV shade

The Italian municipality of Falconara Marittima has deployed a public off-grid photovoltaic shade to enable electric vehicle owners to recharge their cars for free.

“The initiative is an unprecedented novelty,” Michele Massacesi, the owner of the company that developed the project, Sistema X, told pv magazine Italy. “There are three unique characteristics of this product: A self-supporting off-grid shade that rests on ballast, without requiring any excavation and therefore easily removable; electricity produced exclusively by the sun, therefore 100% sustainable; and free energy supply without any form of payment. These are unique features on the market today.”

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Source: PV Magazine

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