Tag Archive for: solarenergy

California Assembly passed a bill allowing schools & apartments to use on-site solar energy directly instead of buying it back from utilities.

Assembly passes legislation to help schools and renters benefit from solar energy

The California Assembly passed legislation on Thursday by a 42:7 vote that would allow schools and apartment buildings to use solar energy they generate on-site, instead of having to buy it back from utilities. SB 1374, authored by state Sen. Josh Becker, would reinstate rights that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) took away from Californians in 2023. Until then, Californian utility customers such as schools could use the solar energy they generate on one electric meter, like their parking lot, to power their separately-metered buildings, making full use of their own energy and avoiding higher utility bills.

California has significant potential to generate more clean electricity from rooftop solar panels; we’ve only taken advantage of about 10% of our state’s rooftop solar potential. Passing this bill will re-incentivize on-site rooftop solar installations, thereby accelerating California’s transition to clean energy and letting schools and renters enjoy the many benefits of solar panels, including less pollution and lower electricity bills.

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Source: Environment California

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US President Joe Biden‘s administration said on Thursday it had finalized a plan to expand solar energy on federal lands in 11 Western states

Biden administration accelerates solar-energy development plan on federal lands

U.S. President Joe Biden‘s administration said on Thursday it had finalized a plan to expand solar energy on federal lands in 11 Western states, part of a broader push to speed the permitting and construction of big infrastructure projects.

The White House wants to accelerate approval of projects ranging from power transmission to wind and solar farms as it seeks to decarbonize the power sector to fight climate change, and is eager to tout its “Investing in America” agenda ahead of the November presidential election.

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Source: Fast Company

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Amid extreme weather, TX and CA show how virtual power plants can leverage distributed renewable energy to tackle critical grid challenges.

VPPs are transforming energy markets in the US

Amid the increasing frequency of extreme weather events across the United States, recent developments in virtual power plants (VPPs) are showcasing how grid operators, utilities and retailers have the capacity to leverage connected, distributed renewable energy resources to address critical energy challenges. Leading the charge, Texas and California have emerged as excellent examples of how VPP participation is transforming electricity markets.

Texas most recently experienced severe power outages due to Hurricane Beryl in July, which left almost three million individuals without power in the state. The restoration of power took many days to complete, leaving thousands of customers without power for extensive periods — for some, extending beyond a week.

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Source: Solar Power World

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A recent review article comprehensively explored how solar concentrators can enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

Solar concentrators improve photocatalytic wastewater treatment efficiency

A recent review article published in the journal Energies comprehensively explored how solar concentrators can enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic wastewater treatment. The researchers examined the fundamentals of solar concentration and its ability to significantly improve photocatalytic processes.

Background

Water pollution has increased due to industrialization and urbanization, with agricultural runoff, untreated sewage, and toxic industrial discharges being major contributors. Conventional wastewater treatment methods can create secondary pollution or require high energy, making them costly. In this context, photocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable and eco-friendly solution, utilizing solar energy to degrade and remove various types of organic and inorganic pollutants in the water.

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Source: AZO CleanTech

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CA is home to thousands of solar businesses – most of which are small businesses – that employ more than 78,000 people across the state.

How solar energy is powering up the California economy

Greater Palm Springs has long been known as the place to be for fun in the sun, but extreme heatwaves have many residents focused on a more basic goal: beat the heat.

The sweltering temperatures that the Coachella Valley is enduring this summer – and the stress the heat places on the electric grid – highlight the importance of solar power, energy storage and federal policies that are driving the clean energy economy.

When folks crank up the air conditioning to stay cool, demand on the grid soars, and Californians experience the benefits of solar whether they realize it or not. The hottest times of the day are often when solar production peaks and energy storage technology allows homes and businesses to run their AC with confidence at all hours.

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Source: Desert Sun

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As the deployment of solar energy continues to accelerate, American farmers are finding new opportunities to share the benefits

Making hay (and solar power) while the sun shines

Farmworker Appreciation Day is a celebration of the men and women whose labor feeds America, sustains our global leadership in agricultural exports, and produces many of the fuels and materials that are driving our transition to a clean energy economy. At the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), we’re especially excited by the growing collaboration between American agriculture and our clean energy industries. As the deployment of solar energy continues to accelerate, American farmers are finding new opportunities to share the benefits—and, in some cases, the land.

Renewable energy siting can be a complex process in which both public and private entities weigh the costs and benefits of new renewable energy deployments in a particular location. Developing renewable energy infrastructure that can share space with other forms of production can help resolve certain siting challenges. That is why agrivoltaics, or the co-location of solar energy infrastructure with productive farmland, is such a promising method of renewable energy deployment.

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Source: Clean Technica

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A team of scientists at ETH Zurich has come up with a new photovoltaic ceramic known to transform the solar energy market.

1,000 times more powerful than solar panels: This ceramics breaks the laws of physics

Photovoltaic energy has established itself as the most powerful source, even taking space away from the dreaded nuclear power. However, there is still a challenge ahead, and that is to make way for a new generation of solar panels that produce more electricity (i.e., have higher efficiency). A group of experts has succeeded in creating the first photovoltaic ceramics, with unprecedented potential and an unsolved problem: it defies the laws of physics with an incredibly small size.

Why do we use solar panels? ETH Zurich has introduced the latest photovoltaics invention

A team of scientists at ETH Zurich has come up with a new photovoltaic ceramic known to transform the solar energy market. This concept of breaking through ceramic tile is “amazingly”, one thousand times more effective than the current photovoltaic silicon-based solar panels.

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Source: Eco News

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This vertical solar panel could be the answer to the prayers of an industry desperately seeking new ways to exploit solar energy.

The mystery of this vertical solar panel: it generates more energy, but experts don’t understand it

A mystery hangs over the vertical solar panel. It generates more energy, but there’s still something experts don’t understand. If you were surprised by what we told you about the first solar panel that produces hydrogen, you can’t miss what comes next. Solar panels are a viable solution in the energy transition the world is undergoing.

They provide an efficient and cost-effective way to produce clean, renewable electricity and help mitigate climate change and the energy challenges facing humanity. They also provide opportunities for employment and economic growth. Opting for self-supply through solar panels is a lifesaver for people living in rural or remote areas where grid electricity is not available.

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Source: Eco News

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A new technical report and other resources developed by the NREL aim to help state and local organizations address the PV access gap.

Bridging the solar energy gap through federal assistance programs

The number of residential solar photovoltaics (PV) installations continues to increase across the United States. But that increase is slower for low-income households, who made up 23% of solar adopters as of 2022.

A new technical report and other resources developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) aim to help state and local organizations address the PV access gap.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offer energy efficiency services to low-income households through state, territory, and Tribal governments. WAP provides free weatherization services to approximately 30,000 households every year, and that number is expected to increase due to the $3.5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding dedicated to the program. LIHEAP provides billions of dollars for states, Tribes, and territories to reduce energy-related costs for low-income residents annually through bill assistance, and states can leverage LIHEAP funds for energy efficiency and weatherization.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Researchers in Germany have developed a groundbreaking new light-harvesting system that could drive a huge leap in solar cell efficiency

New light-harvesting system could revolutionize solar energy, researchers claim

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? The solar energy revolution might be about to shift into an even higher gear. Researchers in Germany have developed a groundbreaking new light-harvesting system that could drive a huge leap in solar cell efficiency by absorbing light across the entire visible range.

For years, solar tech has been hamstrung by some fundamental limitations. Traditional silicon-based solar cells can absorb light across the entire visible spectrum, which is great, but they do so “weakly.” They also need to be thick – we’re talking micrometers – to soak up enough photons to generate meaningful electricity. That added bulk makes them heavier, pricier, and harder to integrate seamlessly into buildings and vehicles.

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Source: Techspot

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