Tag Archive for: renewableenergy

California's power grid remained largely unscathed by a nearly 3-week record-setting heat wave thanks to renewable energy and giant batteries

California’s grid passed the reliability test this heat wave. It’s all about giant batteries

California’s power grid emerged from a nearly three-weeklong record-setting heat wave relatively unscathed, and officials are crediting years of investment in renewable energy — particularly giant batteries that store solar power for use when the sun stops shining.

“This was a good early test that we passed in very good shape,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of California Independent System Operator (CAISO), on Monday. “Investments in new clean energy and in dispatchable battery storage played a major role.”

CAISO last issued calls for voluntary conservation two years ago, during a 2022 bout of extreme heat. Since then, roughly 11,600 megawatts of new renewable energy sources have come onto California’s electricity grid.

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Source: The Sacramento Bee

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The amount of wind and solar power under construction in China is now nearly twice as much as the rest of the world combined.

China building two-thirds of world’s wind and solar projects

The amount of wind and solar power under construction in China is now nearly twice as much as the rest of the world combined, a report has found.

Research published on Thursday by Global Energy Monitor (GEM), an NGO, found that China has 180 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar power under construction and 159GW of wind power. That brings the total of wind and solar power under construction to 339GW, well ahead of the 40GW under construction in the US.

The researchers only looked at solar farms with a capacity of 20MW or more, which feed directly into the grid. That means that the total volume of solar power in China could be much higher, as small scale solar farms account for about 40% of China’s solar capacity.

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Source: The Guardian

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Bifacial solar panels and other crop-friendly technologies are expanding the field of opportunities for agrivoltaic development.

Peaches, grapes, & the agrivoltaic farm of the future

The emerging field of agrivoltaics has come a long way in just a few years. From a focus on pollinator habitats and grazing lands, agrivoltaic stakeholders are expanding their ambitions to raise peaches, grapes, and other crops within arrays of ground-mounted solar panels. Whether or not that blows up the whole argument against rural solar development remains to be seen, but the alliance between farmers and solar stakeholders could swing the balance and help accelerate the renewable energy transition.

The Agrivoltaic Revolution Is Coming

The agrivoltaic movement goes hand in hand with the falling cost of solar panels. Solar technology was relatively expensive in the early 2000s. To cut maintenance costs, rural solar developers put down gravel and other no-mow solutions for groundcover under the panels. Raising crops was definitely out of the picture.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Dalaman Airport has unveiled the world’s largest solar roof, setting a new standard for renewable energy use in aviation.

World’s largest solar roof powers Dalaman Airport

Dalaman Airport has unveiled the world’s largest solar roof, setting a new standard for renewable energy use in aviation.

This innovative project, built on the terminal building’s roof, is a significant leap towards sustainability and showcases Dalaman Airport’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

One of Turkey’s busiest airports, Dalaman Airport has implemented a solar energy system capable of producing 10,230 MWh annually.

This project is designed to meet over 55% of the airport’s yearly energy needs, effectively preventing approximately 4,500 tons of CO₂ emissions each year—equivalent to preserving 200,000 trees.

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Source: ftn NEWS

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Timet’s facility in WV will use solar and batteries to make titanium products used in everything from airplanes to pacemakers.

In a first, a solar microgrid will directly power an industrial plant

For half a century, a sprawling lot in Ravenswood, West Virginia, was home to a giant aluminum smelter. But in 2009, Century Aluminum idled the facility, then permanently closed it six years later, and the 2,000-acre site became an empty expanse along the bending banks of the Ohio River.

Now, a different metal-making plant is getting underway on the property — and it will run primarily on renewable energy when it starts operations next year.

Titanium Metals Corporation, or Timet, recently began construction on a facility that will melt titanium to be shaped into parts for airplanes and other uses. Just next door, BHE Renewables is preparing to install arrays of solar panels and large battery systems, which will form a solar microgrid that connects to the titanium facility. Both companies are part of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by Warren Buffett.

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Source: Canary Media

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Chilean researchers from Universidad Mayor say that the 10.8 MW La Colonia photovoltaic plant provides a habitat for birds.

Solar parks provide refuge for birds, claim Chilean researchers

Researchers at the School of Environmental and Sustainability Engineering of Universidad Mayor in Chile have found that native birds use solar parks as a refuge.

The scientists conducted their research at the 10.8 MW La Colonia solar park in Buin, Chile. The project was built by Chilean developer IM2 Solar Chile and Enel Green Power, the renewable energy unit of Italian energy giant Enel. The research team observed the behavior of several local bird species for six months.

“It was possible to verify that the solar park presents favorable conditions for the development of this type of species,” the academics said. “The panels show positive impacts on the ecosystem, thanks to the shade they produce, the refuge effect they generate for the development of herbaceous species and the productive rest of the soil, the latter evidenced in different scientific studies.”

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Source: PV Magazine

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Community solar provider Ampion Renewable Energy is partnering with The Wendy’s Company to help Wendy’s restaurants source renewable energy.

Ampion enrolls 130+ Wendy’s restaurants to community solar projects

Community solar provider Ampion Renewable Energy is partnering with The Wendy’s Company to help Wendy’s restaurants source renewable energy. Nearly 100 company-operated restaurants and nearly 40 franchise restaurants in New York, Illinois and Massachusetts are now enrolled in Ampion+, a service that helps organizations reduce energy costs and secure renewable energy certificates (RECs) that substantiate the use of renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

The enrolled restaurants will source between 30 and 100% of their energy from solar without the need to install solar panels onsite. Wendy’s plans to increase the number of restaurants enrolled in community solar through Ampion as additional solar generation capacity comes online and more franchise restaurants enroll in the program.

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Source: Solar Power World

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Gioia 22 was the first building of its size designed and constructed according to Near Zero Energy Building standards.

Milan’s sustainable tower generates enough energy to power 300 homes

The Gioia 22 is Italy’s first nearly net-zero building. Rising high above Milan, the 398-foot tower uses onsite renewable energy sources, including expansive photovoltaic panels, which generate 65% of the energy required for heating and cooling. Gioia 22 was the first building of its size designed and constructed according to Near Zero Energy Building standards. It is designated LEED Platinum.

The building’s surface comprises more than 64,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels from Onyx Solar Glass, which partnered with Permasteelisa Group for the project. Permasteelisa officials say the glass envelope adopted a “continuous curtainwall system of around 3,000 unitized units with a combination of vertical and titled low-emissions and high-selective glass lites incorporating external solar shading devices.”

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Source: US Glass

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New record for perovskite-silicon cell is more than 7 per cent more efficient than a standard silicon cell

Solar panel world record achieved with ‘miracle material’

A new efficiency world record for converting sunlight into electricity has been set, in what researchers claim is a huge boost for renewable energy.

Researchers at Longi, the world’s biggest solar panel manufacturer, achieved a 34.6 per cent power conversion efficiency using a tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell, beating the previous record by 0.7 per cent.

The new record is also more than 7 per cent more efficient than the record for a standard silicon solar cell, which is found in most commercial solar panels.

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Source: Independent

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J.P. Morgan made the tax equity investment, comprised of production tax credit and investment tax credit assets available through the IRA.

J.P. Morgan commits $680 million tax equity financing for solar and storage

Renewable energy developer Ørsted announced it has secured a $680 million tax equity financing for a portfolio of solar and storage assets in Texas and Arizona.

The project portfolio includes Eleven Mile Solar Center, a 300 MW solar and 300 MW /1200 MWh storage project in Pinal County, Arizona and Sparta Solar, a 250 MW solar project in Mineral, Texas.

J.P. Morgan made the tax equity investment, comprised of production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC) assets available through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Over 1.8 GW of Ørsted’s 5.7 GW portfolio is now supported by the investment bank.

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Source: PV Magazine

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