Desalination plants require a tremendous amount of energy, making them extremely costly to run. And, if that energy comes from burning fossil fuels, it will only make climate change worse. The Department of Energy (DOE) is looking to tackle both problems by funding research aimed at dramatically reducing the cost of using solar power to get the salt out of seawater.
We have seen solar power in the Middle East come into the low 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) range. We have seen it under 2 cents per kWh in Mexico. Misguided, casual observers claimed these prices only occurred due to heavily exploited labor, but now we have also seen 2.155 cents per kWh in the United States. This contract was one of six contracts that Nevada Power recently signed. All six contracts came in under 3 cents per kWh.
Following up on our “What Changed In The Electric Vehicle Industry In May?” roundup, below is a summary of major solar energy and energy storage news from May. This roundup isn’t just about big project announcements. The point is to highlight notable shifts or milestones here or there in the industry.
Electricity generation from solar resources in the United States reached 77 million megawatthours (MWh) in 2017, surpassing for the first time annual generation from biomass resources, which generated 64 million MWh in 2017.
Solar ponds are a type of passive solar energy technology whereby pools of saltwater are used to collect and store solar thermal energy — making use of the natural formation of a salinity gradient in such bodies of water, whereby heat isn’t easily transferred between a high-salinity layer at the bottom of the body of water in question and a low-salinity layer on top.
Solar walls, glazed solar collectors, and so-called Trombe walls are all different types of passive solar heating technologies based around the use of materials meant to absorb solar radiation (generally, dark-colored materials since dark colors absorb the heat better) and thermal mass. The end goal is to provide space heating, and often ventilation as well.
One of the challenges posed to students was focused on climate change. What can be done at the school to reduce its carbon footprint and more than that, to impact Cape Breton Island in a positive way? The students were filled with ideas and opened up the floodgates to their teachers. Out of the long list and through a process of discussion, several ideas rose to the top and were selected as the focus on action for the project.
Solar chimneys are an ancient passive solar technology whereby natural heat convection processes are harnessed to provide ventilation, amongst other possibilities.
Solar energy has been exploited in direct capacities, for various purposes, well before solar photovoltaic cell and module technology became the most prominent example of “solar energy technology.” Solar stills, solar cookers, sunlight concentrators, solar furnaces, solar fire starters, et cetera, have a long history of use and/or suggestion of use. For instance, there’s fairly good evidence (though disputed by some academics) that solar fire-starters have been in use in Central Asia for a fair many thousands of years.
Further building on our discussions of energy efficient building design — via the subjects of basic passive solar home design elements, the Passivhaus standard, R-value terminology, and earth-sheltered house design — it seems worth highlighting the “PlusEnergy” building design approach.
