Researchers in England have devised a concept for a new type of solar panel they call a “solar leaf”, a hybrid, bio-inspired concept.

Researchers invented a ‘solar leaf’ that harvests 13% more energy from the sun

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Researchers in England have devised a concept for a new type of solar panel they call a “solar leaf.” The technology is a hybrid, bio-inspired concept that features a leaf-like shape, the ability for transpiration, and can use extra thermal energy, allowing it to capture more sunlight than the average solar cells currently in use.

The researchers believe this development could increase the solar leaf’s electrical output drastically compared to previous-generation solar panels. A chief part of that success is tied to the transpiration feature found within the new tech. Transpiration is a system most commonly seen in plants, and it is used to move water from the roots of the plant to its leaves, allowing it to cool itself.

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Source: BGR

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Iron-air batteries capture that energy and turn it into electrical current—then recharge by reversing the reaction, “unrusting” the iron and returning it to its metallic form.

How iron-air batteries could fill gaps in renewable energy

Weirton, West Virginia has iron in its blood. The town got its first iron furnace back in 1790. Then, in 1909, Ernest Weir bought 105 acres of land to build one of the country’s largest steel mills. The mill named for Weir employed more than 10,000 workers, provided essential town infrastructure, and eventually became West Virginia’s largest employer. “My grandfather worked in the mill, my father worked in the mill, my brother, myself,” Weirton city councilor and former steel worker Enzo Fracasso told West Virginia Public Radio in 2019. “The mill made a lot of people, tens of thousands of people, raise a family, send children to school, live the American dream.”

But just as happened in other parts of the Rust Belt, business sagged as international competition heated up. Weirton Steel declared bankruptcy in 2003 and was eventually bought out by multinational steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal. Much of the original mill was demolished in 2019.

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Source: PBS

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The mystery surrounding a project to convert farmland into a new green city in California is finally being unraveled.

Silicon Valley elites want to build a new green city outside San Francisco

The mystery surrounding a project to convert farmland into a new green city in California is finally being unraveled. The would-be “mega-city” is the brainchild of a novice developer backed by some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent names.

But despite the heavyweights behind the project, it has already been embroiled in legal tussles and is being greeted by suspicion from talkative neighbors in and around Fairfield, a city in Solano County about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

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Source: FORTUNE

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Date Creek rancher Savannah Figueroa is using federal dollars to reduce her carbon footprint while growing her business.

Arizona rancher switches to solar energy thanks to federal funding

Agriculture brings in billions of dollars for our state each year. It also emits a lot of gasses that contribute to climate change. Date Creek rancher Savannah Figueroa is using federal dollars to reduce her carbon footprint while growing her business.

She provides meat to communities across the High Country. She and her husband take part in every step of the process, from raising the cattle to storing and selling the meat. It’s not an easy job for her or the environment, but their ranch is flipping the switch. “Our ranch is carbon positive. Meaning we store more carbon in our soil than we emit. Quite the feat for a cattle business,” said Figueroa.

Figueroa is one of the many agricultural workers finding ways to reduce their carbon footprint. She used the Rural Energy for American Program to install solar panels on their ranch. They are used to power refrigerators, barns and other equipment.

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Source: AZ Family

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Total US battery storage capacity soared 61% year on year to 12.689 GW by the end of the second quarter, Q3 is expected to see roughly 3.5 GW added.

US battery storage: Capacity tops 12.5 GW in Q2; 3.5 GW planned in Q3

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Total US battery storage capacity soared 61% year on year to 12.689 GW by the end of the second quarter, but only about half of the expected facilities actually came online, as Q3 is expected to see roughly 3.5 GW added.

There was 1.931 GW of capacity added during Q2, an increase of 18% from Q1, according to an S&P Global Commodity Insights compilation of various government filings. The data includes facilities that either began commercial operation or were synchronized to the grid.

The California Independent System Operator leads the nation in battery storage capacity at 6.314 GW, or 47.8% of total US capacity, according to the data.

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Source: S&P Global

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California must take all necessary steps to expedite that access by adopting strong community solar plus storage program design.

California needs more community solar. A lot more.

OPINION – Leading the way is nothing new to Californians. Not only does California lead the country in clean energy, we’re also the fifth-largest economy in the world and a hub of global technological innovation. But we now face the same increasingly strong headwinds as other parts of the country – addressing housing, climate, and affordability crises all at the same time.

Our state’s ambitious residential building efficiency standards solve one half of the equation, by requiring renewable energy to power them. Yet, these new requirements cannot be fulfilled unless all forms of solar are accessible and expanded. The state’s utility regulator has an opportunity to tackle housing costs and energy affordability challenges all while enhancing the state’s leading efforts at addressing climate change. California must take all necessary steps to expedite that access by adopting strong community solar plus storage program design.

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Source: Capitol Weekly

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Electrify America said on Tuesday that a new, 75 megawatt solar farm in Southern California is now up and running.

Volkswagen-backed solar farm kicks off operations

Electrify America, the EV charging company created by Volkswagen in the aftermath of its diesel emissions scandal, said on Tuesday that a new, 75 megawatt solar farm in Southern California is now up and running.

Electrify America isn’t operating this solar farm. Instead, the company struck a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with renewable energy developer Terra-Gen. It’s the latest development in Electrify America’s efforts to link itself to renewable energy projects. The firms broke ground on the plant back in February.

Your typical VPPA involves a buyer, which pays a fixed price for whatever energy is generated, and a seller, which generates the energy and sells it via the grid for the buyer at market rates. The buyer assumes some risk, because the seller might wind up selling the energy below the fixed rate. Yet, the buyer could also see the upside if market prices trend above the fixed rate.

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Source: Tech Crunch

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New data from the SEIA on private investment suggests the law's subsidies for manufacturing and generation are significantly boosting industry activity levels.

The new climate law is upending the solar landscape

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The year since passage of the big climate law has brought over $100 billion in U.S. solar and storage company investments.

Why it matters: New data from the Solar Energy Industries Association — a major industry trade group — on private investment suggests the law’s subsidies for manufacturing and generation are significantly boosting industry activity levels.

  • The chart above shows how SEIA and the consultancy Wood Mackenzie see the law boosting power projects.

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Source: AXIOS

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A group of researchers from Switzerland is driving across the US solely on sun power to prove that many bright solutions to reduce greenhouse gases are right at the world’s fingertips.

Swiss-made ‘solar butterfly’ alights in Atlanta to promote clean-energy solutions

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Reversing climate change can often seem like a herculean effort requiring massive investment in futuristic technologies. 

But a group of four researchers from Switzerland is driving across the U.S. solely on sun power to prove that many bright solutions to reduce greenhouse gases are right at the world’s fingertips. 

The group brought the Solar Butterfly — a solar-powered tiny house pulled by a Tesla — through Lawrenceville last Tuesday on the second continental leg of what will be a 90-country world tour.

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Source: Global Atlanta

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Caelux announced the successful closure of a $12M funding that will be used to open a 100MW perovskite-coated glass factory in California.

Commercial-scale perovskite manufacturing soon starting in United States

Perovskite development has been a major R&D buzzword in the solar industry for the last decade. The nanomaterial absorbs more of the light spectrum than a traditional silicon solar cell. Layering perovskites with other solar technologies would lead to more powerful and efficient solar panels at a relatively low added cost. Researchers have been testing various applications of perovskites — whether spin-coated, sprayed or painted onto a substrate. California-based Caelux has found success coating its perovskite design onto glass, with the final product easily incorporating into existing silicon solar panel manufacturing lines.

Caelux today announced the successful closure of a $12 million Series A3 funding round led by Temasek with participation from Reliance New Energy, Khosla Ventures, Mitsui Fudosan and Fine Structure Ventures, bringing Caelux’s total raised funding to $24 million. Caelux will use this funding to open a 100-MW perovskite-coated glass factory in Baldwin Park, California, just outside Los Angeles.

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Source: Solar Power World

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