Green roofs, solar chimneys, passive housing can cool homes & reduce energy use as the US faces rising temperatures and energy demands.

Green roofs and solar chimneys are here – experts say it’s time to use them

The US sweltered under record-breaking heat this year, with new research suggesting that air conditioning is no longer enough to keep homes cool. Spiraling energy demands and costs of indoor cooling now have planners looking to alternative ways to keep buildings cool – some fresh out of the lab, others centuries old.

“The amount of buildings we expect to go up in the next couple decades is just staggering,” says Alexi Miller, director of building innovation at the non-profit New Buildings Institute (NBI). “If we build them the way we built them yesterday, we’re going to use a phenomenal amount of energy. There are lots of ways we could be doing this better. It’s not all fancy, emerging technology – there’s some basic stuff we don’t do nearly enough.”

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Source: The Guardian

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As solar grew in CA batteries were added to store excess midday energy and release it during evening peak demand, addressing the "duck curve"

This chart shows how California is massively extending solar use into the evening

As solar energy became a larger and larger portion of California electricity generation, there were rising concerns about the infamous “duck curve.” Solar energy was starting to dominate midday electricity generation, forcing curtailments even, while peak electricity demand in the evening was a tad too late for solar to be helpful.

The core solution, of course, was for batteries to come in and soak up extra midday electricity generation and then disperse it in the evening. Thus, California has installed a lot of battery storage on the grid in the past few years.

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Source: Clean Technica

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 1006 into law, requiring utilities to evaluate GETs at least every two years in transmission planning.

California bill requires utilities to evaluate grid-enhancing technologies

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1006 into law, requiring utilities to evaluate Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) at least every two years in transmission planning.

“SB1006 will unlock the cheapest generation for Californians and help the grid adapt to climate change,” said Julia Selker, executive director of the WATT Coalition. “WATT applauds Governor Newsom for signing this bill to ensure that Californians get the full value out of grid investments and that utilities are using the most cost-effective tools to manage the energy transition.”

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Source: PV Magazine

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SolarPanelRecycling.com uses AI to recover key materials from used solar panels, promoting a circular economy and reducing waste.

Solar recycling innovation keeps solar panels out of landfills

With many PV systems now starting to reach their end of life, there is growing concern about what happens to solar panels when they are no longer useful. Without an increase in solar recycling, the U.S. will contribute 10 million metric tons of trash in landfills and other waste facilities by 2050, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). To put this into context, the U.S. dumps almost 140 million tons of waste each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The National PV Recycling Program, founded in 2016, is a network of recycling and refurbishment providers approved by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) after undergoing an audit process that assesses procedures and technologies.

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Source: PV Magazine

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First Solar has inaugurated a new $1.1 billion fully vertically integrated thin-film solar manufacturing facility in Lawrence County, Alabama

First Solar inaugurates new $1.1 billion Alabama solar manufacturing facility

The new facility, along with the company’s three operating factories in Ohio, brings First Solar’s domestic nameplate manufacturing capacity to almost 11 GW and its global capacity to over 21 GW, once the facility is in full production. The company is also constructing a $1.1 billion, 3.5 GW facility in Louisiana, which is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2025.

The company expects to have over 14 GW of annual nameplate capacity in the United States and 25 GW globally by the end of 2026.

“This represents a great day for First Solar and for Lawrence County because this production facility is destined to become a major player in the US renewable energy market” said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. “Moreover, the Alabama workers at this facility will help break the nation’s dependence on foreign-made solar panels and contribute to our energy independence.”

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Source: Renewable Energy Magazine

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Solar grazing helps farmers feed their flocks while the expanding solar industry provides more clean energy to the grid.

Under a Texas sun, agrivoltaics offer farmers a new way to make money

At the Azure Sky solar and storage project in Haskell County, Tex., 700,000 photovoltaic panels stretch in uniform rows across the desert landscape, shimmering under a relentless summer sun. Beneath the panels, hundreds of Dorper sheep graze on Bermuda and Johnson grasses, driven there by two border collies named Bucky and Johnny.

The sheep belong to Chad Raines, owner of Key Farms in Lamesa, Tex., and they are part of a new initiative called solar grazing. In addition to providing a low cost, eco-friendly mowing service to energy companies, Raines manages a solar site that provides an estimated 586 gigawatts annually to the booming Texas solar industry.

“We still farm and do everything we used to,” said Raines, “except underneath solar panels.”

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Source: The Washington Post

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The 16MW floating solar project in Guangdong withstood the typhoon, proving its durability & resilience to strong winds in adverse conditions

Floating solar project withstands super typhoon Capricorn

One of the fiercest typhoons to hit the area of Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China, since 1949 was Super Typhoon Capricorn this month. In this wild weather, torrential winds and giant waves, what is the durability of floating solar panels? If you were anticipating seeing some broken panels, think again. Despite considerable damage, including power outages, caused throughout southern China by the sustained gusts, which reached speeds of up to 60 m/s and a maximum wind force of 17 at its core, floating solar PV was fine. Typhoon Capricorn caused containers to break and collapse away, and cranes to plummet. Mibet’s 16 MW floating solar plant withstood and won out.

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Source: Clean Technica

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New York City kicks off Climate Week 2024 with construction of a massive microgrid project at JFK Airport's New Terminal One.

New JFK terminal will utilize novel microgrid, NYC’s largest solar array

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New York City is beginning Climate Week 2024 with a bang, announcing the start of construction on a massive microgrid project at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s New Terminal One.

Energy as a Service (EaaS) provider AlphaStruxure will construct, operate, and maintain a 12-megawatt (MW) microgrid that will distribute energy from solar panels, fuel cells, and a battery energy storage system to power the terminal’s everyday operations, meeting about half its daily load. All of the power generated on-site will stay at the airport.

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Source: Renewable Energy World

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Gov. Newsom vetoed a bill allowing schools and apartments to use on-site solar energy directly, instead of purchasing it back from utilities.

California governor vetoes bill that would have reversed CPUC’s multi-meter solar rules

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation on Friday that would have allowed 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 have reinstated rights that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) took away from properties with multiple electric meters in 2023. Before then, Californian utility customers including schools could use the solar energy they generated on one electric meter, such as one for 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. SB 1374 would have incentivized solar installations on more rooftops and parking lots, thereby accelerating California’s transition to clean energy and letting schools and renters enjoy the many benefits of solar panels, including less pollution, lower electricity bills and a more resilient energy system.

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Source: Solar Power World

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New German research shows residential PV remains optimal despite energy price breaks, with significant savings during 2019-2022 market volatility.

Photovoltaic systems are a no-regret investment decision

Scientists at the RWTH Aachen University have analyzed the influence that the political measures adopted by the German government to combat rising energy prices in recent years have had on residential PV system profitability and have concluded that price breaks on electricity gas do not “reverse” the economical advantage of deploying a solar array.

The researchers analyzed, in particular, the measures taken by the German authorities after the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis and those following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Their analysis focused on the possible savings achieved by PV investments made for single-family homes (SFH) during the period.

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Source: PV Magazine

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