Tag Archive for: solar

Giant batteries are delivering solar power after dark in California and helping to stabilize grids in other states.

Giant batteries are transforming the way the US uses electricity

California draws more electricity from the sun than any other state. It also has a timing problem: Solar power is plentiful during the day but disappears by evening, just as people get home from work and electricity demand spikes. To fill the gap, power companies typically burn more fossil fuels like natural gas.

That’s now changing. Since 2020, California has installed more giant batteries than anywhere in the world apart from China. They can soak up excess solar power during the day and store it for use when it gets dark.

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Source: New York Times

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Scientists in China have developed a PV-driven direct-drive refrigeration system for electronic device cooling.

Photovoltaics for vapor compression refrigeration

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Researchers at the Hebei University of Technology in China have designed a solar photovoltaic direct-drive refrigeration system with low energy consumption for high heat-flux electronic device cooling.

“The proposed system integrates photovoltaic power generation with direct-cooling and vapor compression refrigeration (VCR),” the research’s lead author, Xiaohui Yu, told pv magazine. “The combination of micro-evaporator and direct cooling method can achieve good heat exchange efficiency.”

The system consists of two subsystems: a PV unit including a battery and an maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller; and a VCR unit comprising a DC rotary compressor, a fin air-cooled condenser, an electronic expansion valve, an embedded direct cooling evaporator, and a dry-filler.

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Source: PV Magazine

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Solar is the major driver of this energy transition. EIA said that solar will provide 41% more electricity in 2024 than in 2023.

Solar to contribute over 60% of new US electricity generation in 2024

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The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Short-Term Energy Outlook report, forecasting that the total electricity generation capacity in the United States will increase 3% in 2024 and 1% in 2025.

“Renewable energy sources—chiefly solar—will supply most of that growth,” said EIA.

Solar, wind, and hydropower in 2023 combined for roughly 21% of electricity generation in the United States. EIA expects this figure to grow to 24% in 2025.

Solar is the major driver of this energy transition. EIA said that solar will provide 41% more electricity in 2024 than in 2023. EIA said the 19 GW of solar capacity added in 2023 and the over 37 GW expected this year account for the large jump in generation. In 2025, total solar generation is expected to grow another 25%.

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Source: PV Magazine

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The US DOE is amending its list of categories of projects which qualify for the simplest form of environmental review under the NEPA.

US DOE reduces regulatory hurdles for solar, energy storage, & transmission projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is amending DOE’s list of categories of projects which, because they typically do not have significant environmental impacts, qualify for the simplest form of environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). DOE is simplifying the environmental review process for certain energy storage systems such as battery systems, transmission line upgrades, and solar photovoltaic systems. In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to promote the development of clean energy and supporting infrastructure, DOE is taking these steps to reduce the cost and time for environmental analysis incurred by DOE, project developers, and the public for these projects.

DOE based the proposed changes on years of experience evaluating the environmental impacts of these types of projects through research, conducting environmental reviews, and engaging with industry, local communities, and other government agencies. DOE carefully considered its experience with energy storage, transmission line upgrades, and solar energy projects before simplifying the environmental review process. Under the changes, DOE will continue to look closely at each proposed project while being able to complete its environmental review responsibilities in a faster and less expensive manner.

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Source: Clean Technica

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NASA is preparing to test a new, highly advanced solar sail design. It could one day allow spacecraft to travel without bulky rocket fuel.

NASA will unfurl a 860-square-foot solar sail from within a microwave-sized cube

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NASA hitched a ride aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron Launcher in New Zealand yesterday evening, and is preparing to test a new, highly advanced solar sail design. Now in a sun-synchronous orbit roughly 600-miles above Earth, the agency’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) will in the coming weeks deploy and showcase technology that could one day power deep-space missions without the need for any actual rocket fuel, after launch.

The fundamentals behind solar sails aren’t in question. By capturing the pressure emitted by solar energy, thin sheets can propel a spacecraft at immense speeds, similar to a sailboat. Engineers have already demonstrated the principles before, but NASA’s new project will specifically showcase a promising boom design constructed of flexible composite polymer materials reinforced with carbon fiber.

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Source: Popular Science

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Burundi installed 340 kW of energy capacity in 2023, the UNDP told pv magazine, adding that the country could increase this in 2024.

Solar key to easing Burundi’s severe energy crisis

Burundi installed 340 kW of energy capacity in 2023, the UNDP told pv magazine, adding that the country could increase this in 2024. The local office was unable to provide a forecast for 2024 or the total installed capacity in 2022, as that many small-scale projects often go unnoticed.

“Photovoltaics could help to cushion the country’s energy complexities, if properly maintained and monitored, through standalone or pairing solar with hydropower, like in the case of Nyabikere mini-hydroelectric plant in Karusi,” said UNDP spokesperson Aloys Sahiri.

Analysts say that several configurations could help the poorest country on Earth secure its energy needs. Some even speak about a possible “renewable energy revolution.”

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Source: PV Magazine

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CA is being powered by more clean energy than ever before, breaking records & accelerating our progress towards a 100% clean electric grid.

California’s grid keeps setting new clean energy records

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WHAT TO KNOW: California is being powered by more clean energy than ever before, breaking records and accelerating our progress towards a 100% clean electric grid.

SACRAMENTO – Heading into Earth Week, the state’s electric grid racked up a series of accomplishments never before seen in California history. By bringing on more sources of clean electricity and diversifying the state’s energy portfolio, clean energy has been exceeding the demands of nearly 40 million people and the world’s 5th-largest economy.

EXCEEDING DEMAND WITH 100% CLEAN ELECTRICITY: During 31 of the past 43 days, clean energy exceeded grid demand consumed at a point during the day; that’s compared to only seven days all of last year. And, it was only two years ago in May that California first even momentarily met demand with 100% clean energy.

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Source: CA.gov

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California’s grid operator proposes $6.1B in transmission projects aimed at increasing reliability and providing access to solar, geothermal & wind resources in AZ, NV, NM and offshore.

California grid operator proposes $6.1 billion in transmission projects

California’s grid operator proposes $6.1 billion in transmission projects aimed at increasing reliability and providing access to solar, geothermal and wind resources in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and offshore. (Utility Dive)

ALSO:

The Southwest Power Pool formally proposes a day-ahead power market for Western utilities, setting up a competition with the California grid operator’s rival plan. (Utility Dive)
Federal investigators offer a $25,000 reward for information regarding a 2023 attack on an electrical substation in southern California. (Press-Telegram)

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Source: Energy News Network

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The photovoltaic and steel industries can work together to meet climate targets and develop a greener manufacturing environment.

Solar and green steel: A growing symbiotic relationship

The photovoltaic industry is quite literally built on steel. As a crucial component of racking and trackers for solar PV systems, a reliable steel supply is a necessity for the transition to solar-powered energy. And as a material, steel is the most sustainable choice for mounting systems, producing just one-third of the emissions per kilo of aluminum.

The steel industry is also working to incorporate sustainability in other ways, such as the use of protective coatings made with plant oils rather than fossil fuel oil. But the sustainability relationship is not one-sided: solar energy is also becoming increasingly important for the steel industry. As pressure grows for steel manufacturing to decarbonize, the two industries can work together to meet climate targets and develop a greener manufacturing environment.

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Source: Solar Power World

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For the first time in history, solar accounts for over 50% of new electricity capacity added to the grid..

Solar installations skyrocket in 2023 in record-setting first full year of Inflation Reduction Act

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The U.S. solar industry added a record-shattering 32.4 gigawatts (GW) of new electric generating capacity in 2023, a 37% increase from the previous record set in 2021 and a 51% increase from 2022.

According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight 2023 Year in Review released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, solar accounts for 53% of all new electric generating capacity added to the grid last year. This marks the first time in 80 years that a renewable electricity source has accounted for over 50% of annual capacity additions.

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Source: SEIA

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