Tag Archive for: photovoltaic

Solar panels' lifespan is 25-30 years and companies are looking to recycle the valuable, reusable materials and keep panels out of landfills.

As millions of solar panels age out, recyclers hope to cash in

In Odessa, Texas, workers at a startup called SolarCycle unload trucks carrying end-of-life photovoltaic panels freshly picked from commercial solar farms across the United States. They separate the panels from the aluminum frames and electrical boxes, then feed them into machines that detach their glass from the laminated materials that have helped generate electricity from sunlight for about a quarter of a century.

Next, the panels are ground, shredded, and subjected to a patented process that extracts the valuable materials — mostly silver, copper, and crystalline silicon. Those components will be sold, as will the lower-value aluminum and glass, which may even end up in the next generation of solar panels.

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Source: Grist

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Scientists at Stanford University created a solar panel that works in the dark, and discovered how to modify the installed solar panels generate power at night.

Groundbreaking new solar panels can generate electricity in the dark

Solar power is a promising avenue for clean energy. Unfortunately, solar panels have one major weakness – they can’t generate electricity in the dark. However, this weakness could soon change as scientists at Stanford University have now created a solar panel that works in the dark.

The researchers published their findings on the new type of solar panel in the journal Applied Physics Letters back in April of 2022. While they discovered a way to make solar panels work in the dark, they also discovered that already erected solar panels could be modified to generate power at night, too, saving businesses and homes from having to upgrade to new panels.

The process used to make older solar panels work in the dark is called radiative cooling. When the sun sets, the Earth cools down, releasing heat into the air. This helps to create a temperature difference between the air and the surface of the panels. Then, researchers say that we can install thermoelectric generators onto the panels, allowing us to harness the power generated by radiative cooling.

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Source: BGR

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This is one of the first efforts by a major oil & gas company to build a net exporting, behind-the-meter solar PV plant.

Solar project powers an oil and gas field with California sunshine

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The Lost Hills oil field in California’s San Joaquin Valley has been producing oil since 1910, with significant reserves yet to be extracted. The operators plan to continue to produce oil for many years to come, with the goal of providing reliable, affordable, and ever-cleaner energy to customers in California.

Before the solar project, Lost Hills, which operates as a waterflood, imported all its power from the local utility. The electrical energy load, which is generally stable throughout the day and over the year, is driven mainly by artificial-lift systems, fluid-processing facilities, and waterflood injection pumps. Faced with higher utility energy rates and increasingly stringent greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission regulations, the operator embarked on a project to identify alternatives to reduce its energy costs and lower its carbon footprint.

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Source: JPT

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The Gamma prototype solar-electric vehicle made its public debut at the Fully Charged Live 2022 expo in San Diego

Aptera solar EV prototype makes public debut in San Diego

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We’ve been following an automotive startup’s journey to get its three-wheeled solar-electric vehicle on the road for more than 15 years, and now the latest teardrop-shaped Aptera prototype has made its public debut in San Diego.

The eye-catching Gamma prototype comes from the latest incarnation of Aptera Motors, which began as Accelerated Composites in the early noughties before running out of funds in 2011 and relaunching a few years back.

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Source: New Atlas

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The 48-level building features a “solar skin” facade, from which it will generate energy for 20 percent of its base electrical requirements.

‘Solar skinned’ Melbourne tower approved

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A $1 billion development at 435 Bourke Street has been approved by the Victoria’s planning department.

Designed by Bates Smart, the 48-level building will feature a “solar skin” facade, from which it will generate energy for 20 percent of its base electrical requirements.

To be made from vertical glass photovoltaic panels, the solar skin is designed to capture sunlight and convert the energy into electricity. The innovative skin can also let natural light in, providing the same thermal and insulation capacities as architectural glass.

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Source: Architecture AU

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2021 was a “breakout year” for photovoltaics combined with storage projects, which accounted for 67 of the 74 hybrid projects added in the US

Solar + storage breaks out in 2021 as hybrid systems surpass standalone storage

Driven by falling battery prices and the growth of variable renewable generation, hybrid and co-located energy projects — mainly solar combined with battery storage — are surging across the United States.

There were 298 hybrid projects in the United States totaling 35.9 GW of generating capacity with 3.2 GW/8.1 GWh of storage by the end of last year, according to the report. Nearly half the projects were solar with storage with the rest a mixture of wind, fossil-fuel generation, nuclear generation and other resources in various configurations.

Some 74 hybrid projects started operating last year, up 32% from 2020 and totaling 6.1 GW, a 21% increase from the previous year, according to the report, which covers projects larger than 1 MW. Many of the projects involved adding batteries to existing generating facilities in California and Florida, the researchers said.

Also, there were 70% more hybrid plants in interconnection queues at the end of last year compared to 2020, the LBNL researchers said.

 

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Source: Utility Dive

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Palen Solar Project is another major step forward in the administration’s efforts to lower costs for families, create a clean energy future.

Interior Department announces full operation of Palen Solar Project in California

The Department of the Interior today announced that the Palen Solar Project, a 457-megawatt photovoltaic facility in Riverside County, California, has reached full power operation. The project — which will supply enough energy to power approximately 116,000 homes and includes 50 megawatts of battery storage — represents another major step forward in the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to lower costs for families and create a clean energy, carbon-free future.

“Bringing another solar project to full operation on our public lands will accelerate our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy by unlocking renewable resources, creating jobs, lowering costs, and boosting local economies,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “The Interior Department will continue to advance the sustainable development of clean energy in order to help meet the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2035.”

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Source: US Department of the Interior

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Since 2007, annual installations of pv power generation have grown from 22GW to about 240GW expected this year with a compound rate of 34.5%

Solar growth estimates for 2050 are aggressive, but not unrealistic

Two key findings from BP Plc’s annual deep dive on global energy statistics are that renewable electricity has grown at an extraordinary clip in the past two decades, and it still has very far to go. Solar and wind have expanded by orders of magnitude and now make up more than 10% of global electricity; that also means that these two technologies need to scale up market share by several factors — as the electricity system as a whole grows too — in order to decarbonize power substantially.

Of the two, solar is the smaller contributor, but with the faster growth rate. And what a growth rate it is. Since 2007, annual installations of photovoltaic power generation have grown from 22 gigawatts to about 240 gigawatts expected this year. That’s a compound rate of 34.5%, meaning it takes barely more than two years for annual installations to double, on average.

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Source: Bloomberg

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With a futuristic bee farm within the photovoltaic park, beekeeping increases crop output by increasing the degree of pollination.

Solar panel fields help increase honey production in photovoltaic beehives

A place where bees, crops, animals, and photovoltaic panels coexist and thrive may very well be feasible.

In fact, modern solar technology combined with traditional techniques has improved the bee population and honey production in the Spanish town of Carmona, according to an initial report by Endesa.

In the town, roughly two and a half million bees coexist with sheep and aromatic plants in the middle of a solar facility. Run by the Endesa energy company, the project is called Solar Apiary and is a brilliant example of agrivoltaics, the simultaneous utilization of land for both solar power and agriculture.

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Source: Interesting Engineering

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Researchers at Xidian University ran a successful test of the “world’s first full-link and full-system solar power plant” on June 5

New tower in China brings us a step closer to space-based solar power

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Researchers at China’s Xidian University are claiming to have completed testing and inspection of a ground array that could pave the way to space-based solar power—a concept long heralded as a potential solution to our energy woes.

Researchers at Xidian University ran a successful test of the “world’s first full-link and full-system solar power plant” on June 5, according to a translated statement published today by the university. The plant is a 246-foot-tall (75-meter) steel structure located on Xidian University’s southern campus, and it’s equipped with with five different subsystems meant to foster the eventual development of space-based solar power arrays.

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Source: Gizmodo

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