Tag Archive for: renewableenergy

USC marked a major milestone in its sustainability efforts by adorning the rooftops of graduate student housing locations around the University Park Campus with state-of-the-art solar panels.

Latest solar venture powers USC toward a greener future

This summer, USC marked a major milestone in its sustainability efforts by adorning the rooftops of graduate student housing locations around the University Park Campus with state-of-the-art solar panels. 

This investment reduces the university’s dependency on the electrical grid and also propels it closer to achieving carbon neutrality by 2025, a key goal of the Assignment: Earth sustainability initiative. 

The project kicked off in July, as cranes hoisted the giant panels atop the Windsor, Vista, Stardust and Seven Gables apartment complexes. Zelinda Welch, associate director of sustainability with USC Facilities Planning and Management, watched the project unfold from its inception. 

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Source: USC News

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Domain Capital Group and its subsidiary Domain Timber have announced the sale of almost 1,300 acres of timberland to a utility in Richmond, VA, to develop a solar project on the land.

Domain Timber sells 1,300 acres of timberland for solar project

Domain Capital Group and its subsidiary Domain Timber have announced the sale of almost 1,300 acres of timberland to a utility in Richmond, Virginia, to develop a solar project on the land, a move that is said to help reduce carbon emissions in the area in addition to adding renewable energy.

Domain maintains a portfolio of more than 23,000 acres of timberland designated for renewable energy projects, mostly for solar and wind. Closing of this transaction keeps the company on track towards their projected 75 sales in 2023, which amounts to over 17,500 acres from their total inventory of 254,000 acres.

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Source: Environmental Leader

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Iron-air batteries capture that energy and turn it into electrical current—then recharge by reversing the reaction, “unrusting” the iron and returning it to its metallic form.

How iron-air batteries could fill gaps in renewable energy

Weirton, West Virginia has iron in its blood. The town got its first iron furnace back in 1790. Then, in 1909, Ernest Weir bought 105 acres of land to build one of the country’s largest steel mills. The mill named for Weir employed more than 10,000 workers, provided essential town infrastructure, and eventually became West Virginia’s largest employer. “My grandfather worked in the mill, my father worked in the mill, my brother, myself,” Weirton city councilor and former steel worker Enzo Fracasso told West Virginia Public Radio in 2019. “The mill made a lot of people, tens of thousands of people, raise a family, send children to school, live the American dream.”

But just as happened in other parts of the Rust Belt, business sagged as international competition heated up. Weirton Steel declared bankruptcy in 2003 and was eventually bought out by multinational steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal. Much of the original mill was demolished in 2019.

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Source: PBS

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Electrify America said on Tuesday that a new, 75 megawatt solar farm in Southern California is now up and running.

Volkswagen-backed solar farm kicks off operations

Electrify America, the EV charging company created by Volkswagen in the aftermath of its diesel emissions scandal, said on Tuesday that a new, 75 megawatt solar farm in Southern California is now up and running.

Electrify America isn’t operating this solar farm. Instead, the company struck a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with renewable energy developer Terra-Gen. It’s the latest development in Electrify America’s efforts to link itself to renewable energy projects. The firms broke ground on the plant back in February.

Your typical VPPA involves a buyer, which pays a fixed price for whatever energy is generated, and a seller, which generates the energy and sells it via the grid for the buyer at market rates. The buyer assumes some risk, because the seller might wind up selling the energy below the fixed rate. Yet, the buyer could also see the upside if market prices trend above the fixed rate.

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Source: Tech Crunch

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A new energy storage project has been unveiled in Chula Vista, San Diego, which has the capability to power nearly 3,000 homes for each hour it provides electricity to the grid.

The battery boom continues in San Diego with new energy storage project

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A new energy storage project has been unveiled in Chula Vista, San Diego, which has the capability to power nearly 3,000 homes for each hour it provides electricity to the grid. The project, owned and operated by local renewable energy company EnerSmart, consists of six battery storage containers that will deliver six megawatts and 12 megawatt-hours of energy. These batteries will interconnect with a nearby San Diego Gas & Electric substation, helping to reduce strain on the state’s power system and lower the risk of blackouts.

The Chula Vista storage facility will provide stabilizing services to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages the electric grid for about 80% of the state and a portion of Nevada. This localized approach will help to maintain the stability and frequency level of the grid in the Chula Vista area.

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Source: Energy Portal EU

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The 61kW solar photovoltaic energy system produces enough energy to reduce Full Belly Farm’s total annual energy costs by 50%.

Renewable energy investments bring big benefits to Full Belly Farm

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Full Belly Farm, Inc. is a certified organic 450-acre farm located in Yolo County that sustainably grows more than 100 different crops. By investing in sustainable energy production, carbon sequestration through good soil management, cover crop production, and efficiency, Full Belly Farm, Inc. is working to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. A leader in on-farm production of value-added products such as jams, sauces, oils, dried goods, baked goods, and wheat products like pizza dough and pasta, Full Belly Farm, Inc. employs at least 80 people year-round, supporting more than 20 local families.

The California Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy for Agriculture Program awarded a $75,976 grant to the farm, with a 100 percent match commitment from the recipient. Completed and fully operational in August 2020, the project includes  a new 61 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic energy system that produces enough energy to reduce Full Belly Farm’s total annual energy costs by 50 percent and  two Level-2, 10 kW electric vehicle charging stations. These chargers supply power to electric farming vehicles and are available to employees and visitors. The system reduces peak loads on the electrical grid and helps Full Belly Farms meet its goal of 100 percent renewable energy usage.

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Source: CA Climate Investments

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According to US EIA, there are more than 5,000 solar farms across the US. In 2022, they produced 3.4% of the nation's electricity.

Amid record heat, solar farms help ease the strain on US power grids

Next to the rows of alfalfa, another type of farm is taking root in Southern California’s Kern County, one that’s harvesting clean, renewable energy.

Solar Star, one of the largest solar farms in the U.S., has a peak output of 586 megawatts.

“These panels track the sun all day,” said Alicia Knapp, president and CEO of BHE Renewables, which owns Solar Star. (I’ll double-check all quotes)

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Source: CBS News

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Research suggests that suspending solar arrays over canals can not only generate electricity but may also reduce water evaporation in drought-prone regions.

Can America’s canals double as solar farms?

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Some 8,000 miles of federally owned canals snake across the United States, channeling water to replenish crops, fuel hydropower plants and supply drinking water to rural communities. In the future, these narrow waterways could serve an additional role: as hubs of solar energy generation.

A coalition of environmental groups is urging the federal government to consider carpeting its canals with solar panels. The concept was pioneered in India a decade ago and will soon be tested in California for the first time. Early research suggests that suspending solar arrays over canals can not only generate electricity in land-constrained areas but may also reduce water evaporation in drought-prone regions.

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Source: Canary Media

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California now has the capacity to store 5,600 megawatts of power using batteries. That's enough to supply more than 4 million homes.

Batteries, not blackouts: California’s power grid gets boost from battery energy

As California increases its reliance on renewable energy sources like solar and wind, there’s a concern that there may not be enough energy during certain seasons and times of the day to keep the lights on.

But this summer, the state is setting a major milestone in energy storage.

California now has the capacity to store 5,600 megawatts of power using batteries. That’s enough to supply more than 4 million homes.

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Source: CBS News

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San Diego officials predict that over the course of the 25-year agreement, the eight microgrids and battery systems will save the city and its taxpayers about $6 million.

San Diego goes big on microgrids

The city of San Diego is about to join the microgrid movement.

The first of eight microgrid projects to be built at city facilities was unveiled Friday at the Southcrest Recreational Center in South County as part of a $5.5 million public-private partnership designed to reduce energy costs, cut greenhouse gas emissions and save taxpayers money.

“This microgrid specifically will allow the Southcrest Recreation Center to keep the lights on should there be an outage,” said Alyssa Muto, director of the city’s Sustainability and Mobility Department. “It would also allow the city to rely solely on renewable energy generated and stored here on site.”

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Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

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