NASA's ACS3 solar sail launched on April 24 via Rocket Lab's Electron and on Aug. 29, NASA verified the technology had fully deployed in space

NASA’s solar sail successfully spreads its wings in space

More than four months after launching to space, a solar-sailing spacecraft has successfully spread its wings above our planet.

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) caught a ride to space on April 24 on Rocket Lab’s Electron vehicle and, at the end of August, NASA shared in a release that its mission operators verified the technology reached full deployment in space. On Thursday, Aug. 29 at 1:33 p.m. EDT (5:33 UTC), the team obtained data indicating the test of the sail-hoisting boom system was a success.

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Source: SPACE.com

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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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The US DOE is partnering with private solar companies to bring electricity to hundreds of the most remote homes on the Navajo Reservation.

DOE partners with private companies to bring solar power to Navajo Reservation

The U.S. Department of Energy is partnering with private solar companies to bring electricity to hundreds of the most remote homes on the Navajo reservation. Here’s KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius.

RYAN HEINSIUS, BYLINE: Nolan and Sarah Huskon just had two new solar panels installed outside their home in the high desert north of Flagstaff. Despite living only a few miles from power lines, it’s their first time with electricity here.

NOLAN HUSKON: Everything’s just right there at your fingertips. Like, just walk into the house and switch a light, and your light’s on. You don’t have to go and start pumping on the (laughter) lantern.

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Source: npr

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Reflect Orbital aims to revolutionize solar power by capturing, storing, and trading sunlight, extending its use beyond daylight hours.

California start-up offers night-time solar power

Reflect Orbital, a start-up from California is setting out to revolutionize the capacity of solar power, potentially altering global energy use and storage patterns. The venture involves capturing, storing, and trading sunlight, moving solar power beyond daylight and into the dark.

This new approach could shift our reliance away from non-renewable energies towards more sustainable solar solutions. The stored sunlight could ease the pressure on energy grids after sunset, offering environmental and economic benefits.

The project has been met with enthusiasm among industry insiders and tech enthusiasts. The idea is considered unorthodox, as it uses energy storage technology to collect surplus solar power during the day and use it at night. Trials have dispelled initial skepticism, paving the way for a new approach to renewable energy and the global energy crisis.

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Source: Killer Startups

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1.9 million solar panels and 120,000 batteries at a California facility helped the state surpass 10,000 MW of photovoltaic storage in April.

Green energy from storage batteries are replacing fossil fuels in California and Texas

Mark Rothleder, the vice president of the independent grid operator, California ISO (CAISO), said earlier this year that they will add another 1,134 megawatts in the first eight months of 2024. This is growth on top of the leap made last year. “In 2023 alone, the ISO successfully onboarded 5,660 megawatts of new power to the grid,” Rothleder said at a conference in San Diego…

Renewable production was enough to supply the grid on 40 out of 48 days this spring, compared to seven days in the whole of last year. Lithium batteries appear to be undercutting the use of fossil fuels. Gas accounts for 40% of California’s grid. However, its use in April registered its lowest proportion in seven years. “The data clearly shows that batteries are displacing natural gas when solar generation is ramping up and down each day in CAISO,” notes an analysis by Grid Status, a firm specializing in energy issues. Natural gas was king on the grid in April 2021, 2022 and 2023. CAISO was sending between 9,000 and 10,000 megawatts produced from gas to the grid once solar ran out. Last April, however, it amounted to only 5,000 megawatts… [California’s goal: run on 100% renewable energy by 2045.]

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Source: Slashdot

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Solar Landscape will put down millions of square feet of solar panels on sun-exposed spaces in 46 states and Puerto Rico.

Self-storage rooftops will become a nationwide 100MW+ solar farm

The commercial and community solar developer Solar Landscape’s new rooftop solar panel grid on the NSA’s 1,052 self-storage facilities and properties across 42 states and Puerto Rico are expected to produce at least 100 megawatts of solar capacity. The NSA, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, is one of the nation’s largest self-storage operators with brands like iStorage, Move It, Northwest and SecurCare.

These solar energy panels won’t just generate power for the NSA’s facilities. The panels will also provide clean power to nearby businesses and homes for a discounted price.

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Source: engadget

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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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Solar-powered irrigation boosts farming and cuts environmental impacts, while leasing land for solar panels offers farmers stable income.

PV agrivoltaics could revitalize Brazilian crops

Agriculture is a main economic activity of Brazil and is expected to produce BRL 2.46 trillion ($439 billion) of goods in 2024, according to estimates by the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics of the University of São Paulo (USP). The academics estimate that farming will generate BRL 1.65 trillion and livestock BRL 801 billion, including machinery and service costs.

The Climate Observatory, a Brazilian NGO, estimates that 617 million tons of the total 2.3 billion gross tons of CO2 equivalent emitted by Brazil in 2022 came from agriculture. Deforestation, the nation’s top source of emissions, at 1.12 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2022, primarily results from clearing land for new pasture and crop fields.

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Source: PV Magazine

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California lawmakers unveiled measures to streamline renewable energy projects and reduce monthly electric bills.

California lawmakers plan to give out $500M in electric bill refunds, streamline clean energy

California lawmakers unveiled a series of measures Wednesday meant to streamline renewable energy development and lower the cost of monthly electric bills, as this year’s legislative session reached the pinnacle of a frenzied final week.

One could put about $30 in the pockets of California’s roughly 17 million customers of investor-owned utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric.

After months of negotiations and pledges from leaders to prioritize the issue, seven bills were released on the last day possible. Gov. Gavin Newsom encountered significant challenges in recent weeks to his proposals to lower energy bills and thwart gas price spikes.

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Source: The Sacramento Bee

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The Green Spine promises to be not only a roadway for more efficient and sustainable transport, but also a whole area of circular economy.

The first photovoltaic highway is under construction in Dubai

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Over the past two decades, Dubai has gained increasing notoriety around the world, mainly due to the titanic mega-projects that have made it the talk of the town for all sorts of reasons. The most recent is The Green Spine, a gigantic photovoltaic highway that will make all mobility solar-powered and ultra-efficient.

A photovoltaic highway: Dubai aims for a green megaproject

The United Arab Emirates has built up a solid economic power base thanks to oil, of which it still has a monopoly. However, with the world heading towards a total decarbonisation of economies, the state authorities feel a strong sense of urgency to diversify their economy away from dependence on fossil fuels.

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Source: Eco News

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