Solar & Energy Storage News Roundup (+ Personal Travel News)
I’m headed to Florida (from Europe) on Saturday, and will have an extremely busy week there, so I don’t expect to do news roundups during this time. If you want to keep an eye on the latest and coolest solar energy and energy storage stories beyond those published on CleanTechnica, I recommend you watch Solar Love, Greentech Media, SolarWakeup, Energy Transition, and Renewables International. In the meantime, here’s some cool solar energy and energy storage news from around:
Nearly One Million Could Learn From Community Solar Projects
Clean Energy Collective has signed an agreement with First Solar to use its solar power technology for a number of CEC community solar projects. Colorado-based CEC specializes in community-based solar. Arizona-based First Solar provides community solar solutions — among others such as utility-scale — and has 10 GW of solar technology installed around the world.
Florida Supreme Court Ruling: Municipalities To Issue Bonds Funding Green Energy
A Florida Supreme Court ruling the first week of October is a fine affirmation for commercial property owners in Florida looking to green their properties. More aptly, it is a win for all, as it is a considerable victory for the environment in the Sunshine State. Good for business — excellent. Good for energy efficiency — beautiful.
$446,670 In Donations For Florida Solar Advocacy Campaign
Floridians for Solar Choice, a nonprofit solar power advocacy campaign, recently reported it had taken in $446,670 in new donations as of the end of September. The organization also had $211,701 cash on hand.
25,000 Solar Interconnection Applications Processed In Five Months
25,000 solar interconnection applications were processed by PowerClerk Interconnect in just five months, according to Clean Power Research. These applications were processed for five utilities, including NV Energy and Southern California Edison. PowerClerk allows utilities to improve the interconnection application processes. For example, NV Energy reduced its interconnection application time by about 63% when it used the system.
Solar Industry Swings Back at Lies, Fake Studies
Mark Twain said it best, there are “lies, damned lies and statistics.” It’s hard to tell which is which after closely reviewing the latest hatchet job on solar energy by the Koch brothers’ front group, The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA).
APS Estimate – Solar Customers Underpay Significantly
Customers with solar panels pay about one-third of the cost of supplying them with power, a summary of a new study filed by Arizona Public Service Co. concludes.
Webcor Home Solar Program For Employees, Family, And Friends
Webcor Builders of San Francisco is offering a home solar program to its employees and their friends and family. It offers a 15% discount on regular prices.
Sunrun Partners With Los Angeles Dodgers
Solar power company Sunrun has partnered with the Los Angeles Dodgers in order to educate Dodger Stadium visitors about solar power. “We’re excited to expand our portfolio of professional sports partnerships by serving as an official residential solar company of the National League West champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers,” explained Michael Grasso, Sunrun’s chief marketing officer.
IBM Will Collaborate With Univ of Michigan Solar Race Car Team
When the University of Michigan solar race car team competes in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in the Australian Outback beginning October 18, 2015, it will have a partner in IBM. The solar race car team will be able to employ IBM’s cognitive computing to help determine how much solar power will be available during.
Princeton Power Systems + NRG EVgo Partnering To Provide Solar-Powered Charging For UC Irvine Entry In Solar Decathlon
The noted electric vehicle charging company NRG EVgo is partnering with the energy management company Princeton Power Systems to provide solar-powered charging technologies to the University of California–Irvine entry into the Solar Decathlon.
New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision and Its Discontents
Last April, New York launched its Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative, the biggest, boldest effort yet to adapt a state’s entire energy infrastructure for a future of distributed, resilient, green energy. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gave state energy and utility agencies a mandate to overhaul energy regulations and create open data-sharing between utilities and customers, distributed energy services marketplaces for third-party players, and market-based earnings for regulated utilities.
New York State Pledges to Start Talks on a North American Carbon Market
As another round of global climate negotiations approach, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has positioned his state to be a national and global role model for aggressive climate action.
Pakistan’s Sindh Province Plans 100 MW Solar Power Projects
Pakistan continues to look toward renewable energy sources to address the issue of power deficit and rising electricity tariffs. The latest initiative has been taken by the provincial government of Sindh. The Sindh government has announced plans to set up 5 solar photovoltaic power plants, each with 20 MW capacity.
Student-Funded Solar Power Structure Installed At NC State
A 1.5 kw solar power structure somewhat resembling a tree has been unveiled on the Centennial campus at North Carolina State University. The structure is about 16 feet tall and was funded by students to raise awareness about solar technology and sustainability.
How A Solar Panel Works
A solar panel largely relies on chemical action to create that flow. So, while there aren’t obviously moving parts with photovoltaic (PV) solar power creation, there is a lot going on when sunlight hits a solar panel.
Sunrun: Conservative Support for Solar Puts ITC Deal Within Reach This Year
New polling conducted by three prominent GOP pollsters shows that 83 percent of Republicans support ramping up clean energy sources like solar. But most GOP lawmakers already knew that.
Hotspots: How Germany And Belgium Became Global Solar Leaders
American student Wilson Sink visited Europe to see what lessons he could take home for the solar sector. Today, he writes about what he learned in Belgium.
Does Germany Even Have Enough Space For Renewables?
A new study finds that Germany has physical space for roughly 50 percent more onshore wind capacity than the country would need for 100 percent green electricity – and the official target is only 80 percent. Craig Morris takes a look.
The Co-Benefits of Community Energy
Proponents of renewables (including this website) often praise “energy democracy.” Nonetheless, hard data on the benefits are few and far between. Now, a new study provides an overview. Craig Morris reports.
NREL Cuts Solar Staff After Years of Flatlined Funding
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory laid off 15 people on Monday, about 10 percent of its solar research workforce.
The US Needs A Solar Energy Revolution. But It’s Laying Off Solar Energy Researchers
On Monday, Oct. 5, Stuart Farrell had planned to take the morning off from his job as a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., after being awake all night taking care of his sick 2-year-old son. But at 10:30 a.m., he received a call asking him to come in for an 11:30 meeting.
Future Transport Systems Has Developed An Energy Buffer System Utilizing Used EV Batteries
A new energy buffer system for charging stations utilizing used (second-life) electric vehicle batteries has been developed by the UK-based company Future Transport Systems, according to recent reports. With the use of the new system — the FTS E-STOR concept — higher capacity EV fast-charging from a 3 kilowatt (kW) electrical connection is possible.
Tailoring Distributed Battery Storage To Grid Needs
Power storage must be tailored to the needs of the grid. Optimizing the smallest units on the grid â households â to be independent of the grid does not add up to an overall system optimization (quite the opposite, in fact). Now, the Rocky Mountain Institute has put a finer point on the matter, investigating a new pilot service in California.
Ohio To Add Solar Energy Storage
It appears energy storage for a solar facility in Ohio is now being regarded as a fundamental operational consideration by participants. According to pv magazine, construction will begin in October on this Ohio 7 MW solar electricity storage facility. Completion of this project is expected some time next February.
Citibank – How Investments in Clean Energy can Save Trillions
A number to remember: $44 trillion. It’s what Citibank estimates that climate change will cost the global economy by 2060 unless we take decisive steps to rein in greenhouse gas emissions.
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The Citi study can be summarised: BAU outlays on energy to 2040, $192 trn; transition outlays ditto, $190.2 trn; net cost, minus $1.8 trn. Avoided damage to 2060, $44 trn. To which we should add let’s say $66 trn of avoided health costs to 2060. (UNEP’s $3trn a year declining straight-line). $110 trn is a lot of money.
Question to Zach: Is there/has anybody any business of selling stored energy, as in charge batteries and transport the charged one to be used at a different location ( sort of what we do with FF, I know the energy density is not there yet but maybe soon or someday) ?
Technically, yes.
There are people who travel around underdeveloped people with a charged car battery and charge cell phones for people with no grid access or solar panels. But I don’t think that’s what you had in mind…. ;o)
No that is not what I had in mind.
What I was thinking about: there are developed hydro sites (in Canada) that are just about abandoned, but not interconnected to the grid.
Sites like that could be developed to produce/charge power units (batteries) and then transport them off site.
The one site I am thinking about you can get to it only by sea plane or ship (no land access).
I am sure there are other sites like that in the world as well.
The retail cost of electricity would have to be very high for that to work out. Storage isn’t cheap and hauling storage would add to the cost.
If there is adequate power available in those sites someone should hook them to the grid and sell the power south of the border.
That particular site, to run power lines through the mountains (with glaciers) would be very expensive. (maybe almost impossiable)
But you could produce something at that site for which you need lots of power and then ship it off site.
Some of the islands in BC and isolated places still have diesel power at a rate of 20- 30 cents/kwh.