The DOE is making money available to promote long-duration energy storage solutions that can power the grid in the future.

Utility-scale energy storage is a vital part of the clean energy revolution. There is a critical difference between thermal generation of electricity and electricity from wind and solar. A thermal generator can run for as long as there is fuel to burn. The downside is that the price of that fuel can vary. When it gets more expensive, so does the electricity produced.

With wind and solar, renewable electricity is generated when the wind blows or the sun shines. What is needed is a way to store some of the electricity for later use. That’s where utility-scale batteries come in. They have become extremely popular in the last few years. In 2020, California had 500 MW of battery storage. Today, it has 5,000 MW, representing almost 8% of the state’s nameplate capacity, according to the California Independent System Operator.

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Source: Clean Technica

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According to the latest “U.S. Energy Storage Monitor” report, the US energy storage market added 5,597MWh in Q2 2023, a new quarterly record.

The U.S. energy storage market added 5,597 MWh in Q2 2023, a new quarterly record. This is according to the latest “U.S. Energy Storage Monitor” report from Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association.

The grid-scale segment led the way in Q2 with a record-breaking 5,109 MWh in Q2, beating the previous record in Q4 2021 by 5%. The grid-scale segment also achieved 172% growth quarter-over-quarter. California dominated activity, with 738 MW and a 49% share of installed capacity.

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Source: Solar Power World

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The Solar Futures House began as an entry in the Solar Decathlon, a national collegiate competition organized by the US DOE that encourages budding designers to create high-performance structures powered by renewable energy.

Tucked alongside a large dorm building on the fringes of Woodbury University’s campus in Burbank is a small but very eye-catching house. The 425-square-foot home is contained by a gently curving concrete form equipped with a generous porch and a dramatic sloping roof. Slender, carefully staggered floor-to-ceiling windows gently illuminate the interior.

It’s a nice piece of architecture. What makes it truly remarkable is who built it — and how.

The Solar Futures House, as it is formally known, was designed by Woodbury architecture students and constructed out of concrete using the latest 3-D printing technology. It is the first such permitted structure in the city of Los Angeles, according to Woodbury architecture dean Heather Flood. And it was built by Emergent, a 3-D printing construction firm based in Redding. (A quick geography explainer: While Woodbury has a Burbank address, a piece of the campus, where the house was built, is located within Los Angeles city limits — hence the L.A. permits.)

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Source: The Union Democrat

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Redflow Limited will be the battery provider for a 34.4 MWh long-duration energy storage & solar microgrid to power a hospital in California.

Redflow Limited will be the battery provider for a 34.4 MWh long-duration energy storage and solar microgrid to power a hospital in California.

Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, California aims to replace diesel generators with cleaner sources yet ensure uninterrupted power supply.

Australia-based Redflow will collaborate with Faraday Microgrids on the project, named the Children’s Hospital Resilient Grid with Energy Storage (CHARGES).

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Source: Power Engineering

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Sonora is looking to export clean energy to California and Arizona through a new solar farm project.

Sonora is looking to export clean energy to California and Arizona through a new solar farm project. Sonora’s governor envisions a role for the state in the semiconductor supply chain, given Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) substantial US$40 billion investment in Arizona.

The initial phase of the Puerto Peñasco solar plant, situated in this border state known for its scorching temperatures, was inaugurated in February. This project is part of President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador’s flagship solar initiative, which could potentially see the establishment of four more plants. During a visit to Taiwan, Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo highlighted the significance of the “Plan Sonora” solar energy project. He emphasized its dual purpose of enhancing domestic connectivity to the national power grid and exporting energy to the US.

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Source: Mexico Business News

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The US Department of Transportation has given a grant of nearly $202m to California’s ongoing solar-powered high-speed rail project.

The US Department of Transportation has given a grant of nearly $202m to California’s ongoing solar-powered high-speed rail project.

The money will fund the construction of six grade separations in the city of Shafter, Kern County. They will vertically separate roads from current freight railways and future high-speed railways where the roads and railways intersect to avoid accidents and smooth the flow of road and rail traffic.

The grant was made through the federal 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements programme.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority, the state-mandated body delivering the scheme, said it was the largest award it has received since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021.

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Source: Global Construction Review

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The BLM has started accepting public comments related to the environmental assessment of an up to 400-MW solar project to be partly located on public lands in California.
The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has started accepting public comments related to the environmental assessment of an up to 400-MW solar project to be partly located on public lands in California.
Feedback for the Easley Solar scheme will be gathered for 30 days, until October 15, BLM said on Friday.
The project was put forward by IP Easley, a subsidiary of Intersect Power LLC, which intends to build, operate and maintain a photovoltaic (PV) farm in Riverside County. The complex will cover around 2,700 acres (1,093 ha) of BLM-administered public lands and 990 acres of private lands north of Desert Centre. The area will be developed in line with the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, which covers 10.8 million acres of public lands in the desert regions of seven California counties and aims to streamline renewable energy development while preserving desert ecosystems.

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Source: Renewables Now

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The solar carport industry is harnessing the sun’s power to revolutionize electricity generation while simultaneously providing essential shade and shelter for parked vehicles.

According to the Comprehensive Report on the Global Solar Carport Market, Size, Share, Growth Analysis, Product and Application Insights for Industry Forecast 2023-2030,the solar carport market, valued at USD 509.3 million in 2021, is projected to experience substantial growth, with forecasts reaching USD 770.01 million by 2030, showcasing a compelling Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.7%.

Positioned at the intersection of renewable energy and parking infrastructure, the solar carport industry is harnessing the sun’s power to revolutionize electricity generation while simultaneously providing essential shade and shelter for parked vehicles.

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Source: Solar Quarter

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The Energy Department announced Friday a $325M investment in new battery types that can help turn solar and wind energy into 24-hour power.

The Energy Department has announced a $325 million investment in new battery types that can help turn solar and wind energy into 24-hour power.

The funds will be distributed among 15 projects in 17 states and the Red Lake Nation, a Native American tribe based in Minnesota.

Batteries are increasingly being used to store surplus renewable energy so that it can be used later, during times when there is no sunlight or wind. The department says the projects will protect more communities from blackouts and make energy more reliable and affordable.

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Source: ABC News

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The solar water heaters in Hato Chami school allow students to take hot showers and make it easier for staff to boil water when preparing meals.

A few dozen kilometres inland from northern Panama’s coast is the Hato Chami school.

Set amid winding roads, green trees and stunning mountains, it has more than 1,000 pupils, most of whom hail from one of Panama’s largest indigenous groups, the Ngäbe.

The single-storey school stands out from other buildings in the impoverished Hato Chami region because of the solar water heaters fitted to its roof. The recently installed devices allow students to take hot showers and make it easier for staff to boil water when preparing meals.

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Source: UN Environment Programme

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