University of Illinois Chicago students recently built a solar charging station for one of the school’s vehicles used to deliver food and reduce food waste.

UIC students build solar EV charging station

Students at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) recently gained experience with solar technology and EVs by building a charging station for one of the school’s vehicles which is used to deliver food and reduce food waste. The little car even has a name: Gemma, but we’ll get to why that is in a minute.

“To charge Gemma off-grid, we implemented a 300-watt solar panel. The solar panel charges a battery that is used to charge Gemma at night,” Joe Downie, a team member, told UIC Today. “The charge station implements manual solar tracking, and it has 12 settings so that it is angled to be most efficient for each month.”

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Source: Clean Technica

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Adoption of rooftop solar panels has surged on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico as it contends with high energy costs and frequent outages.

Why tiny solar projects play an outsized role in powering Puerto Rico

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On a given sunny day in Puerto Rico, more than 37,100 rooftop solar installations—mounted atop homes, gas stations, malls and hospitals—churn out 255 megawatts of electricity.

That’s only about 2.5% of the island’s overall power generation. But collectively, the rooftops might be considered Puerto Rico’s largest clean power plant, dwarfing the 101-megawatt Santa Isabel wind farm, the island’s largest renewable generator.

As the US territory of 3.2 million people scrambles to shift to 100% renewables by 2050, much of the focus has been on utility-scale initiatives. In March, regulators conditionally approved 18 renewable power plants that should produce 884 megawatts by 2024. But even with that additional capacity, the island will still depend on fossil fuels for more than 84% of its electricity.

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Source: Bloomberg

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Solar EV manufacturer Aptera says if all 22,000 of their EV reservations turn into eventual sales, it would bring $800-million in revenue.

New Solar EV already has over 22,000 reservations

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Aptera has been around for over 15 years, but the company that we know today was only actually launched in 2020, when it revealed an updated version of the solar EV it had shown all those years ago. And this time it had a plan regarding how and where to build it, gaining the confidence of thousands who put their name down for one.

According to the most recent information from Aptera, it reports to already have 22,000 reservations for its EV, with deliveries still slated to commence later this year. The company says that if all these reservations are confirmed with eventual sales, then it would bring some $800-million in revenues.

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Source: Inside EVs

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The nation is set to add 108 gigawatts of solar power to the grid this year, up from 54.88 gigawatts in 2021.

China is on track to double its solar panels from last year’s record

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China will add enough new solar power this year to nearly double last year’s record amount of installations as the the country accelerates its clean energy drives.

The nation is set to add 108 gigawatts of solar power to the grid this year, up from 54.88 gigawatts in 2021, state-owned CCTV reported on Monday, citing the National Energy Administration. There are 121 gigawatts of solar projects currently under construction, the NEA said.

China currently has the world’s largest renewable power fleet with 323 gigawatts of solar and 338 gigawatts of wind. President Xi Jinping is aiming for 1,200 gigawatts combined by 2030, but rapid deployment means the country is likely to reach the target years early.

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Source: Bloomberg

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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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55,000 new solar power panels installed on 24 hectares in the territory of Vienna’s airport. Annual production is estimated at 30 GWh.

Vienna airport completes Austria’s biggest solar power plant

Austria’s capital city intends to reach climate neutrality by 2040 or ten years before the European Union as a whole. Transportation infrastructure is one of the most challenging segments of the economy, as such ambitious goals imply a swift transition to alternative energy technologies. The Vienna International Airport is spearheading decarbonization solutions on the local level.

Flughafen Wien Group claims it would eliminate its net emissions of carbon dioxide, in which the new solar power plant, the biggest one in the country, has a major role. The company, which also operates airports in Košice in Slovakia and in Malta, said the facility in Schwechat started producing electricity.

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Source: Balkan Green Energy News

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Solar thermal is used for harnessing solar energy to generate heat for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors

Solar thermal energy: An industry with untapped potential

When we think about the energy transition, the first images that come to mind might be of roofs covered with solar PV panels, a windfarm – either on land or in the sea – or maybe even electric vehicles. But one technology is often overlooked and underfunded: solar thermal, which is used for harnessing solar energy to generate heat for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors. At a time when the EU is planning to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels before 2030, experts in solar thermal energy emphasise the importance of including this technology into the energy mix.

Following the invasion of Ukraine, the case for a rapid, clean energy transition has never been stronger and clearer. The EU imports 90 per cent of its gas consumption, with Russia providing around 45 per cent of those imports in varying levels across Member States. The EU initiative REPowerEU will seek to diversify gas supplies, accelerate the green transition and replace gas in heating and power generation.

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Source: Climate-KIC

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Google's Mountain View, CA offices feature curved roofs and textured solar panels that optimize the hours they can generate electricity.

At Google’s new campus, ‘dragonscale’ solar panels capture sunlight from all different angles

At Google’s newly opened campus in Mountain View, California, it isn’t immediately obvious that the roofs are covered in solar panels. But the sprawling canopies on each building—looking a little like futuristic circus tents—are covered in 50,000 small, silver-colored “dragonscale” photovoltaic panels, shaped to optimize the times they can generate solar power throughout the day.

It’s part of an approach that the company, along with architects from Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick Studio, took to making the new campus, which covers more than a million square feet, as sustainable as possible. In an area currently undergoing a severe drought, it’s designed to save water. A massive geothermal system, the largest in North America, makes it possible to heat and cool the buildings without fossil fuels. The landscaping helps support biodiversity. The buildings’ solar skins, along with local wind power, will help the campus work toward Google’s goal of running on 100% renewable power, 24-7, by the end of the decade. (Right now, it runs on 90% renewable power.)

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Source: Fast Company

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Ford SA’s assembly plant is now generating 35% of its electricity needs onsite from a newly commissioned 13.5 MW solar carport system.

Ford switches on solar carport to power 35% of South Africa factory

Ford South Africa’s assembly plant is now generating 35% of its electricity needs onsite from a newly commissioned 13.5 MW solar carport system. Through a long term Power Purchase Agreement with SolarAfrica, Ford will offset a significant amount of CO2 from the electricity it consumes from South Africa’s predominantly coal-powered grid. According to an announcement by Ford South Africa, 30,226 solar panels make up the large arrays covering carports for 3,610 vehicles at the Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria. The 13.5MW plant is one of the largest solar PV carports in the world and builds onto the Ford Motor Company’s global targets to use 100% carbon-free electricity across its manufacturing operations by 2035, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

“We are delighted to officially flip the switch and begin receiving 35 percent of our electricity from the solar carports with the completion of the first phase of our Project Blue Oval renewable energy programme,” says Ockert Berry, VP Operations, Ford South Africa. “This project proudly puts the Silverton Assembly Plant on the map as part of Ford’s commitment to sustainability as we migrate our energy supply from fossil fuels to environmentally-friendly, renewable resources.”

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Source: Clean Technica

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12,000 solar panels, the size of 4 football pitches floating on Portugal's Alqueva reservoir will produce enough energy to power 1,500 homes.

Biggest ‘floating solar park’ in Europe will open this year in Portugal

Europe’s largest floating solar park will take shape in July this year, in Portugal’s Alqueva reservoir.

Two tugboats are currently moving a vast array of 12,000 solar panels, the size of four football pitches, to their mooring on the reservoir.

Built by EDP, the country’s main utility company, on Western Europe’s biggest artificial lake, the shiny floating island is part of Portugal’s plan to cut reliance on imported fossil fuels whose prices have surged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Source: Euronews

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