The bill, AB 2316, establishes a state community renewable energy program making clean energy more accessible.

California assembly passes community renewable energy legislation

The California State Assembly passed a bill that will significantly expand community renewable energy in the state as well as increase grid reliability.

The bill, AB 2316, establishes a state community renewable energy program making clean energy more accessible, including to businesses regardless of whether they rent or own property. The law also includes energy storage requirements on community solar projects designed to increase grid reliability, which can help the state during power crunches as the result of high demand or natural events.

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Source: Environmental Leader

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Shell plans to construct a 50 MW solar park and a 50 MW wind farm in the Netherlands. They will both share the same connection point.

Shell to build 100 MW hybrid wind-solar project

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Shell has revealed plans to construct a hybrid wind-solar energy facility at an unspecified location in the Netherlands. The installation will consist of a 50 MW solar park and a 50 MW wind farm. They will both share the same connection point.

“This complementary nature of solar and wind can stabilize the intermittent nature of the energy production and maximize grid connection utilization, leading to significant benefits in terms of dispatchability, flexibility, and reliability,” Shell said, in reference to the grid capacity issues that are currently affecting renewable energy development in the country.

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Source: PV Magazine

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The researchers found that by using bifacial solar modules, snow losses could be cut from double digits to just 2% on an annual basis.

Bifacial solar modules shine in snowy environments

As solar costs have dropped, it now makes economic sense to implement them even in the deep north, yet there is concern about the effects of snow on energy generation. While solar panels operate best in colder temperatures, panels covered in snow will generate less energy, known as snow loss.  A study conducted at Western University in Ontario, Canada, shows how to beat snow losses using solar energy systems.

The difference between bifacial and monofacial modules is that bifacial modules absorb light from the front and back, while monofacial only collect sunlight on the front. The study analyzed snow losses on these two types of systems using hourly data including energy, solar irradiation and albedo, the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation.

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Source: PV Magazine

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BNEF says Auxin Solar used data inaccurately in petitioning the Commerce Department to consider new tariffs on imported solar panels.

BloombergNEF says Auxin misinterpreted its research in calling for solar tariffs

The tariff circumvention inquiry that has brought U.S. solar installations to a shuddering halt is predicated at least in part on a misinterpretation of data, Canary Media has learned.

U.S. solar-panel manufacturer Auxin Solar relied heavily on research by BloombergNEF, a respected clean energy analysis firm, when it successfully petitioned the U.S. Commerce Department earlier this year to investigate potential circumvention of tariffs on solar cells and modules. Auxin cited BNEF solar-manufacturing research as it attempted to build a case that Chinese manufacturers are funneling components through factories in four Southeast Asian countries to get around U.S. solar import tariffs. It mentioned BNEF 38 times in its petition.

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Source: Canary Media

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People all over the world need energy but lack access to reliable power grids. Solar boxes are changing that forever.

Solar boxes may be the next gen trend for renewable energy

People all over the world need energy but lack access to reliable power grids. Solar boxes are changing that forever. In fact, this innovation in renewable energy could be the future of renewable power. It is already changing lives across the globe and paving the way for creative solutions to today’s energy challenges.

Most people have heard of solar panels, but solar boxes are likely news. So, what is a solar box? It is a combination of solar panels for collecting energy and a durable, portable battery unit for storing that energy. A single solar box could potentially power an entire home. Solar boxes can be used completely independently, no matter how far someone is from a main power grid.

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Source: Renewable Energy Magazine

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With the help of a new solar module, the efficiency in the daily operation of heavy duty cargo bikes can be vastly improved.

New solar solution increases range of electric cargo bikes by up to 20%

Leading custom solar panel manufacturer OPES Solutions has partnered with the green logistics experts from Urban Mobility to equip e-cargo bikes with robust and lightweight solar panels. Developed especially for vehicles, the integrated solar solution provides up to 20% more range in delivery practice if the heavy payload of 250 kg plus driver is fully utilized.

The Germany based Urban Mobility GmbH has developed an heavy duty cargo bike for urban delivery services. The heavy duty UM CargoBike has a very large 2,0m³ cargo box and is classified as Pedelec25, an e-bike with a maximum speed of 25km/h. It can be operated tax-free, and without a driver’s license. Additionally, it can be used on bike lanes and some pedestrian areas. These aspects give it an enormous commercial and operational advantage compared to classic delivery trucks.

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Source: Automotive World

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Hawaii leads the country with nearly 20 solar customers per 100 households, followed by California and Arizona.

Western states lead the nation in home solar installations

Home solar power usage has boomed in the U.S. in the past decade, but most of that growth has come from just two states.

The number of homeowners and businesses that linked up solar panels to utility grids has grown more than tenfold since 2012, rising from nearly 234,000 customers to about 3.2 million this year. Arizona and California account for half of those customers, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Energy Information Agency, or EIA.

When the numbers are adjusted for population, Hawaii leads the country with nearly 20 solar customers per 100 households, followed by California and Arizona.

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Source: NBC News

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The UK believes that beaming electricity from space using the sun could help the country meet its target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

A solar power plant in space? The UK wants to build one by 2035

The United Kingdom is getting serious about beaming solar power from space and thinks it could have a demonstrator in orbit by 2035.

Over 50 British technology organizations, including heavyweights such as aerospace manufacturer Airbus, Cambridge University and satellite maker SSTL, have joined the U.K. Space Energy Initiative, which launched last year in a quest to explore options for developing a space-based solar power plant.

The initiative believes that beaming electricity from space using the sun could help the U.K. meet its target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 more cost-effectively than many existing technologies. The requirement to stop carbon emissions entirely by mid-century is part of global efforts to halt progressing climate change outlined at the United Nations’ COP 26 summit that took place in Glasgow in November 2021.

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Source: SPACE.com

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Solar growth is spreading into new U.S. markets as developers tackle grid challenges and new demand pockets open up in central states.Panel The Planet

Gov. Newsom’s clean air regulators prioritize rooftop solar expansion in California climate action plan

SAN FRANCISCO – California’s top clean air regulators this week released a proposed plan to fight the climate crisis by cutting carbon dioxide emissions, with policy priorities including an effort to expand rooftop solar throughout the state.

The 11-point “Strategies for Achieving Success” draft plan responds to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, to identify strategies for eventually making the state carbon neutral. On page 164 of the plan, CARB says:

  • Target programs and incentives to support and improve access to renewable and zero-carbon energy projects (e.g., rooftop solar, community solar, battery storage, and microgrids) for communities most at need, including frontline, low-income, rural, and indigenous communities.

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Source: EWG

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To stand apart from the competition, one popular strategy of many craft breweries is to invest in onsite renewable energy.

6 craft breweries pairing solar power with suds

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As the number of craft breweries in the U.S. continues to grow, with more than 9,000 counted in 2021 by the Brewers Association, companies are looking for ways to stand apart from the competition. One strategy gaining popularity is investing in onsite renewable energy. Many breweries use “solar-powered beer” as a marketing tool and sometimes even name certain brews after solar power, like Minnesota brewery Invictus Brewing Company’s new “1.7 Million Megawatts Summer Ale.”

Here are six breweries that have added solar power in the last few years:

  • Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Vermont
  • Ithaca Beer company in New York
  • Ferus Artisan Ales in Alabama
  • Rock Art Brewery in Vermont
  • Lagunitas Brewing Company in California
  • Firestone Walker Brewing Company in California

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Source: Solar Power World

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