Tag Archive for: solarpanels

With the improved outlook for solar panel supplies, analysts expect 19 GW & 27 GW of US utility-scale solar to be installed in 2023 & 2024, respectively.

US utility-scale solar outlook improves on easing supply chain limits: Morgan Stanley

The outlook for U.S. utility-scale solar has improved on easing supply chain problems, but near-term residential solar growth may be hurt by rising interest rates and changes to California’s net metering policy, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a report Monday.

The investment firm’s analysts said at the start of the year they were worried about the effects of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which resulted in shipments of imported solar panels being held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, leading to project delays.

Of the roughly $710 million worth of shipments detained last year, about 40% had been released as of early April, the analysts said. Also, it appears that panels made with non-Chinese polysilicon have continued to enter the U.S. without significant delays, they said.

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Source: Utility Dive

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Zero Waste Sonoma in California is working to help residents in the North Bay area recycle their used solar panels.

Zero waste groups kickstart solar panel recycling in California

Solar power is a great alternative, but recycling the large panels is a tall order. Now, a group in California is helping residents recycle their solar panels.

Zero Waste Sonoma is working to help residents in the North Bay area deal with their used solar panels. Residents were once confused on what to do with their materials, but Zero Waste Sonoma held a collection event, along with an e-waste drop-off, at the Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa.

“Ultimately our goal is to recycle panels,” said Courtney Scott, Zero Waste Sonoma’s Household Hazardous Waste Program manager.

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Source: Waste 360

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By this time next year, nearly 3,000 solar panels will span the roof of Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, powering the flashy slot machines, air conditioned hotel rooms and golf course facilities.

Solar microgrid offers Soboba tribe independence, with model many users could adapt

By this time next year, nearly 3,000 solar panels will span the roof of Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, powering the flashy slot machines, air conditioned hotel rooms and golf course facilities that dot the tribe’s 474,000-square-foot resort.

Utility services for Native Americans can be problematic. Tribes across the United States report pricier electric bills, more frequent outages and a higher percentage of homes with no electricity at all than those figures for Americans who don’t live on tribal lands. So with a surge in federal funding available to help offset the costs of installing renewable energy projects, the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians has joined the growing number of tribes who are building out microgrids to help flip the switch on that dynamic.

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Source: The Sun

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A recent successful pilot project in Tenant Creek demonstrated the value of having solar panels installed. However, navigating the red tape to have the solar installed was a difficult process.

Rooftop solar trial for remote first nations people

In solar-rich areas of Australia (like the Outback of the sparsely populated Northern Territory) electricity supply is tenuous and expensive, often supplied by polluting diesel generators. I have wondered why solar is not installed on every rooftop. Here is a possible explanation.

“In remote First Nations communities in the Northern Territory, you don’t see solar on any rooftops. That’s a real problem. This part of Australia is dangerously hot in summer. And many people don’t have enough power to run vital appliances like the fridge and air conditioner. [If they have one]. Solar would be an ideal solution. Tennant Creek has over 300 days per year of sunshine with some of the clearest skies in the world, for instance.” The town is situated almost 1000 km south of Darwin (Northern Territory’s capital city) and has a population of 3000, half of them First Nations people.

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Source: Clean Technica

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California needs to think creatively and find ways to put more solar energy in already built-out places, including rooftops and parking lots.

Editorial: California needs a lot more solar. Why not put panels along highways and parking lots?

California is racing to build enough solar panels, wind turbines and battery storage to meet its carbon-cutting mandates and prepare its electrical grid for worsening heat waves and growing energy demand.

But increasing renewable energy by covering far-off, undeveloped areas with solar and wind farms raises its own environmental concerns. That’s why California needs to think creatively and find ways to put more solar energy in already built-out places, including rooftops and parking lots, canals and agricultural fields, so we can slow the climate crisis without harming sensitive land, like the habitat of threatened Joshua trees or Mojave Desert tortoises.

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Source: Los Angeles Times

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Agrivoltaics has other benefits besides dual land use and food security; it could also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make more efficient use of water.

Could growing crops under solar panels provide food and energy at the same time?

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Imagine growing greens in your back yard under a solar panel, and then juicing them in a blender powered by the same energy. A new University of Alberta project is working to make that a reality.

By growing spinach under different solar panels, two U of A researchers are measuring how the process affects both plant growth and the electrical output of the panels.

Known as agrivoltaics, the fairly new sustainable practice integrates solar panels with crops, making simultaneous use of land for both food and energy production.

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Source: University of Alberta

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The Dutch province of North Brabant will deploy a 500-meter-long solar bike line and test its performance over a 5-year period.

Construction begins on solar cycling path in Netherlands

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The Dutch province of North Brabant has announced the start of construction of a 500-meter-long, ground-mounted solar cycle path along the provincial N285 road near Wagenberg.

The PV system will be integrated into the asphalt top layer and will consist of 600 solar panels of an unspecified type. “This project is mainly intended to gain more experience with the deployment of solar cells on bicycle paths,” the provincial government said, noting that two similar systems have already been deployed along the N395 road near Oirschot and along the N324 road near Grave, in North Brabant itself. 

During a 5-year period, provincial government experts will assess, in particular, the resistance of the solar modules to the mechanical stress applied by the presence of pedestrians and bikers, the costs for their maintenance, and the PV system energy yield.

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Source: PV Magazine

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The microclimate created underneath the solar panels conserves the water and protects plants from excess sun, wind, hail and soil erosion.

How shading crops with solar panels can improve farming, lower food costs and reduce emissions

If you have lived in a home with a trampoline in the backyard, you may have observed the unreasonably tall grass growing under it. This is because many crops, including these grasses, actually grow better when protected from the sun, to an extent.

And while the grass under your trampoline grows by itself, researchers in the field of solar photovoltaic technology — made up of solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity — have been working on shading large crop lands with solar panels — on purpose.

This practice of growing crops in the protected shadows of solar panels is called agrivoltaic farming. And it is happening right here in Canada.

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Source: The Conversation

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US Senator Padilla announced $7 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 5 CA solar projects.

Padilla announces $7M to enhance solar manufacturing, recycling & the grid in CA

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, announced $7 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for five projects across California to strengthen domestic solar supply chain. These research, development, and demonstration projects will help to enhance domestic solar manufacturing, support the recycling of solar panels, and develop new American-made solar technologies.

“As we continue to grapple with the impacts of climate change, it is critical that we invest in domestic clean energy projects that improve our energy grid resilience and strengthen our energy independence,” said Senator Alex Padilla.“The funding for these California projects will help create the smart and accessible solutions we need to grow our clean energy production in order to help us meet President Biden’s goal of a 100 percent clean electricity grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

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Source: Padilla Senate

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San Francisco-based Built Robotics launched the "RPD 35," a robot based on an excavator. It can carry heavy solar piles used to support solar panels and install them on a solar farm.

How this new robot will help build solar farms in a fast, effective way

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A Bay Area company recently launched a robot that will help build solar farms.

San Francisco-based Built Robotics launched the “RPD 35,” a robot based on an excavator. It can carry heavy solar piles used to support solar panels and install them on a solar farm.

The company said the robot helps build solar farms in a faster, safer and more cost-effective way.

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Source: ABC7 News

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