July 19, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -A new report finds that installing rooftop solar panels and community solar systems to serve the equivalent of 30 million American homes would create significant economic benefits — including 1.77 million jobs and $69 billion electricity bill savings over the next five years — while addressing the climate crisis and historic inequities.

The report, “The National Impact of 30 Million Solar Homes: A Vision for an Equitable Economic Recovery Built on Climate Protection and Energy Democracy,” builds on federal policy recommendations developed by the Initiative for Energy Justice, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and Solar United Neighbors as part of the 30 Million Solar Homes campaign.

July 12, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -Earlier this month, the New Jersey legislature passed two pieces of legislation that will help increase solar development across the state.

S2605 establishes the SREC-II program at the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), which includes incentives for at least 1500 MW of behind-the-meter solar facilities and 750 MW of community solar by 2026. It also includes a new competitive solicitation process to incentivize at least 1500 MW of large-scale solar power facilities by 2026, and develops siting criteria for large-scale solar projects.

July 9, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) - Most people don’t give the color of their roofs a second thought, but it could be costing their business a lot of money.

White or light gray roofs can increase rooftop bifacial PV energy yields by up to 25 percent and increase the return on investment by up to 10%, according to new research by Opsun, a bifacial PV racking company.

Other companies are improving performance more directly. According to Reuters, a German company called Enerparc improved their bifacial performance by adding a field layer — they covered the ground with gravel, which reflected more light on the panels. They also found that performance changed with the season, improving during the winter when there’s presumably ice and snow on the ground.

July 9, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo this week announced that New York plans to explore the potential role of green hydrogen as part of the state’s comprehensive decarbonization strategy.

To support this effort to study green hydrogen and its possible applications, the state is collaborating with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), joining two hydrogen-focused organizations to inform state decision-making and making $12.5 million in funding available for long duration energy storage technologies and demonstration projects that may include green hydrogen

July 5, 2021 (CleanTechnica) -The siren call of the ultra-cheap, highly efficient perovskite solar cell has lured many a researcher into the lab, and now the big investors are getting into the act — including a company that has roots in the fossil energy industry. The new venture is yet another sign that some oil and gas stakeholders can pivot their R&D resources to push the renewable energy revolution into high gear — so why aren’t they all doing it?

Plenty of ink has been spilled on the perovskite solar cell topic of late, and for good reason. Synthetic perovksite crystals are relatively cheap and easy to grow, and their superior optical qualities are a perfect match for the next generation of low cost solar cells.

July 2, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -Over the past decade or so, the dominant trend has been the retirement of coal plants and the steady advance of renewable sources of generation. The next wave appears to be the phasing out as many natural gas-fired facilities as is feasible as more wind and solar resources are deployed.

But there has been an unintended consequence in this headlong rush to displace rotating generation assets – grid instability. The steam turbines and gas turbines of power coal plants, combined cycle and natural gas peaking facilities play a vital role in terms of grid inertia, stability, and the provision of reactive power in the form of VARs (Voltage Ampere Reactive).

The story contains an informative graphic.

June 30, 2021 (POWERGRID) -The Mayor of Rockford, Ill., this week joined community solar provider Nexamp and ComEd to launch Give-A-Ray, a new 15-year program to provide solar energy benefits and savings to low and moderate income customers in Rockford and the surrounding area for free. With the help of local support services, including the Rockford Housing Authority, outreach to potential participants is underway.

“Rockford places a high priority on using more renewable energy to generate electricity and on making sure the many benefits are available to customers regardless of income level,” said Mayor Tom McNamara. “We thank Nexamp and ComEd for bringing this innovative offering to Rockford and we look forward to working with them to increase access to solar among residents who are most in need.”

June 22, 2021 (InvestorIdeas) -The global push for a transition to cleaner energy, driven by strong policies and financial support, will heavily impact the future of renewables, according to GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that renewables are expected to take almost 40% of the power mix by 2030.

Their latest report, Global Power Mix in Transition, reveals that there is increasing investment in solar and wind plants, and new technologies such as hydrogen, energy storage, carbon capture and smart grids are driving change in the power sector - supporting a path to smart decarbonization.

June 18, 2021 (Scientific American) -Restrictions on land use for greenfield solar projects, roof orientation, and inherent technical advantages, may prove floating solar, or floatovoltaic to be a viable energy alternative.

When it comes to large-scale solar projects, the most common alternatives to rooftop solar panel systems include ground mounts or solar canopies. There’s a newer alternative that’s making quite the splash in the solar industry: floating solar.

Floatovoltaic is defined as solar panels arrayed to float on the top of a lake or reservoir, placed on a buoyant sub-structure, and anchored with a measure of flexible movement. The technology is relatively-new starting in 2008 with China, Japan, and the U.K. as the early adopters.

June 18, 2021 (INHABITAT) -A new, 53,000-square-foot building in Aspen is set to become one of the first multi-family structures to run entirely on electricity and solar energy in Colorado.

The $19 million project, funded by Aspen Skiing Company and set to open in early June 2021, is a response to the area’s affordable housing and climate crises.

June 15, 2021 (Energy Central) -Winston Churchill once famously described Russia as "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma". These words from the iconic world leader arguably ring true for that conceptually puzzling initiative popularly known as the Hydrogen Economy.

Just what is the "Hydrogen Economy"? Currently, there are different flavors of hydrogen which add to the confusion and each flavor has a different "level" of green, or sustainability, attribution. These broad categories are:

Fossil fuel hydrogen;
Hydrogen produced with electrolysis using renewable or other energy;
and Green hydrogen made with existing microbial processes.

June 14, 2021 (reNEWS.BIZ)-Eco Wave Power's wave energy conversion unit has arrived on site at the Port of Jaffa, Israel, ahead of installation.

The device will be located on land, just like a regular power station, enabling an easy access for operation and maintenance, the company said.

The project, known as EWP-EDF One, is a collaboration with EDF Renewables, with co-funding from the Israeli Energy Ministry.

June 10, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) achieved a major milestone by surpassing 40% completion of its “30-by-30” plan to install 30 million solar panels by 2030. To date, FPL has installed more than 12 million solar panels in Florida, putting the company well on its way to achieving its “30-by-30” plan. FPL says this is one of the largest solar expansions in the U.S.

By the end of this month, FPL is on track to have 42 solar energy centers in Florida, including its Discovery Solar Energy Center at Kennedy Space Center, which just became operational. The solar panels installed across the company’s sites are expected to save customers about $421 million over the lifetime of the assets, while making Florida third in the nation for solar generation, with a trajectory to be a world leader in solar capacity by the end of the decade, according to FPL.

June 7, 2021 (Renewable Energy World), -The EPC firm announced its strategic agreement with Drax to create Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) plants around the world. The focus for both companies working together is identify design optimization for engineering and building BECCS plants

Drax already has undertaken what it calls the largest decarbonization project in Europe—converting its power station in North Yorkshire, England, to use biomass instead of coal.

June 7, 2021 (Duke Energy), -Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a non-regulated commercial brand of Duke Energy, today announced the start of construction of the 250-megawatt (MW) Pisgah Ridge Solar project in Navarro County, Texas.

Once in operation, it will be the largest utility-scale solar facility in that fleet.

June 4, 2021 (offshorewind.biz), -The hydrogen production system will be installed at the SEM-REV demonstration site, off the coast of Le Croisic in France where it will be linked with the Floatgen wind turbine. According to Centrale Nantes, this will be the world’s first offshore green hydrogen production facility to go into operation.

The project will be set up by French renewable hydrogen project developer Lhyfe, in collaboration with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, who will install the electrolyser on GEPS Techno’s floating platform at the SEM-REV site and connect it to various marine renewable energy sources, including Floatgen.

(power-grid.com), June 1, 2021 -Germany and Norway inaugurated a new undersea cable Thursday that directly links the two countries’ electricity networks, a project that has been described as a key step in Europe’s effort to shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The 2-billion-euro ($2.4 billion) project, called Nordlink, will allow Germany to export excess electricity from its wind parks to Norway, effectively banking it in Nordic nation’s vast hydropower reservoirs. During periods of little wind, electricity can be released from Norwegian reservoirs again to meet German demand.

(NY Times Climate Forward), May 28, 2021 - The United States is now aiming to bring emissions down to net-zero by 2050, meaning the country would eliminate as much greenhouse gas as it emits. To reach that goal, Americans will need to get a lot more of their energy from renewable sources like wind and solar farms.

One of the most recent studies on the subject, Princeton University’s Net-Zero America Report, charted five pathways to net-zero, and all of them required the United States to exceed the current pace of building for solar panels and wind turbines.

(Renewable Energy World), May 28, 2021 -The Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) in Southern California is working toward achieving its sustainability goals by adding solar canopies at 21 of its schools. The projects are being developed by Standard Solar, which is also funding the project and will be its long-term owner and operator.

The project was developed in partnership with EMCOR Services Mesa Energy Systems. Of the 21 school sites, 14 of them are now operational. The remaining will be completed by October.

(Yale Climate Connections), May 27, 2021 -Demand for solar power is growing. And recent research suggests that people should consider installing solar panels not only on fields and rooftops, but above waterways as well.

Brandi McKuin of the University of California, Santa Cruz, says canopies of solar panels can be installed over canals. The approach would generate clean energy, and by shading the water, reduce evaporation.

Her research estimates that covering California’s 4,000 miles of open canals with solar panels could save about 65 billion gallons of water a year.

(Renewable Energy World), May 26, 2021 -New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the New York Power Authority’s Board of Trustees has approved three low-cost hydropower allocations that will create 102 jobs across Western New York and spur $145 million in private capital investments.

The approved awards of 3.58 MW of hydropower from NYPA’s Niagara Power Project in Lewiston are to Americold Real Estate in Chautauqua County, SGS Recoveryin Niagara County and Sumitomo Rubber USA in Erie County.

May 17, 2021 (reNEWS.BIZ) -Orsted has broken ground on its first renewable hydrogen project, which is located in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The H2RES development will have a capacity of 2MW and will be situated on Orsted's premises on Avedore Holme.

It will investigate how to best combine an efficient electrolyser with the fluctuating power supply from offshore wind, using Orsted's two 3.6MW turbines at Avedore Holme.

May 10, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -Fort Chipewyan is an isolated community in Canada that is not connected to the main power grid. The community, which used to rely on diesel for power generation, is now home to the country’s largest community solar and storage microgrid project.

Before the microgrid, diesel fuel was the source for all electricity production but since delivery of fuel depends on a shrinking window of winter ice road access, a new solution for electricity was needed.

May 6, 2021 (CleanTechnica) -Fresh off its triumphant foray into statusy e-mobility with the all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV, the Ford Motor Co. is now setting the bar on rooftop solar power with an array of 2,159 panels covering the top floor of its Deck 400 parking garage. We say it’s the best ever because now you can’t park any cars there even if you wanted to. The less cars the better, right? And yet…and yet…something is missing from this picture.

May 6, 2021 (CleanTechnica) -Some airports have plastered their roofs with solar panels or installed solar farms on their abundant green space. However, that’s still a tiny percentage of the world’s airports, and there’s an enormous amount of potential sitting there and waiting to be tapped at airports around the globe.

Airports generally have two things that are ideal for solar power systems:
1) large, wide open areas with minimal tree cover that won’t be in the shadow of skyscrapers any time soon, or ever;
2) large, flat roofs. Either of these can easily be home to hundreds or thousands of solar panels.

May 4, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) - Southern Power has awarded a combined 640-MWh energy storage project to Mitsubishi Power Americas and Powin LLC.

The two-site utility-scale battery project is designed to enhance California’s grid reliability with additional and flexible resource capacity paired with renewable energies. Southern Power is the wholesale energy wing of Atlanta-based utility owner Southern Co.

The battery energy storage systems (BESS) represent some of the largest retrofits of solar and storage in North America, the companies said. Southern Power’s 205-MW Garland Solar Facility in Kern County will add 88 MW/352-MWh of energy storage, while the 204-MW Tranquility Solar Facility in Fresno County will add 72 MW/288 MWh of BESS capacity.

May. 3, 2021 (THE CONVERSATION)-Climate change and water scarcity are front and center in the western U.S. The region’s climate is warming, a severe multi-year drought is underway and groundwater supplies are being over-pumped in many locations.

Western states are pursuing many strategies to adapt to these stresses and prepare for the future. These include measures to promote renewable energy development, conserve water, and manage natural and working lands more sustainably.

May. 3, 2021 (CleanTechnica)-In late 2020, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission asked the state’s electric and gas utilities to discuss what infrastructure projects they had in queue that could be accelerated to support the COVID-battered economy.

Tucked into a proposal from Xcel Energy, the state’s largest electric company, was a comparison of two proposed solar projects: one, a giant solar array on the site of a closing coal plant; the other, a small collection of rooftop solar projects to serve low-income residents.

In a nondescript table was a bombshell revelation about the relative economic benefits of solar at small scale: for every million the utility proposed spending on rooftop solar, it would create 30 times more jobs than $1 million spent on utility-scale solar.

Apr. 28, 2021 (Investorideas.com)-Renewable energy has become more mainstream in recent times especially in the US. According to data presented by TradingPlatforms.com, Solar Power Generation in the US increased by 26% YoY in 2020 - producing just under 91,000 Million Kilowatt Hours of solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) power.

Apr. 27, 2021 (greener ideal) -As countries look forward to the post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery, the focus is now shifting to green jobs to jumpstart economies. Indeed, the future is green, and as such more people are transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

The race to a net-zero carbon world will see green jobs grow significantly as every industry seeks a workforce that can plan and implement innovative solutions for sustainable development.

Apr. 24, 2021 (The Guardian)-In the year 2000, the International Energy Agency (IAEA) made a prediction that would come back to haunt it: by 2020, the world would have installed a grand total of 18 gigawatts of photovoltaic solar capacity. Seven years later, the forecast would be proven spectacularly wrong when roughly 18 gigawatts of solar capacity were installed in a single year alone.

Ever since the agency was founded in 1974 to measure the world’s energy systems and anticipate changes, the yearly World Energy Outlook has been a must-read document for policymakers the world over.

Apr. 22, 2021 (Renewable Energy World)- In honor of Earth Day, Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) announced that through the contributions of its employees, partners and shareholders, it has repurposed brownfield sites, including former coal mines, for utility-scale renewable development. As of April 2021, the company has more than 400 MWs of renewable energy projects in advanced development within the PJM region on former coal mine sites.

The renewable projects, spread out across Pennsylvania and Maryland, will put these sites that have limited use to good work by creating renewable energy while providing economic growth for host communities.

Apr. 22, 2021 (YaleEnvironment360), -Texas will add 10 gigawatts of utility-scale solar power in the next two years, meaning it will soon rival California as the state with the most large-scale solar power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The EIA said that Texas will add 4.6 gigawatts of utility-scale solar this year and 5.4 gigawatts in 2022, giving the state a total capacity of 15 gigawatts within two years. Factoring in the intermittency of solar energy, that’s enough to power roughly 5 million homes, according to Reuters.

Apr. 22, 2021 (INHABITAT), -Mocean Energy, a U.K.-based wave power company, has unveiled Blue X, a machine prototype that will be used to harvest tidal energy. The prototype was unveiled on Wednesday, April 21 in a ceremony at the Forth Ports’ Rosyth Docks. Weighing 38 metric tons and measuring 20 meters long, the prototype will be deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre’s Scapa Flow site for trials. If the trials go according to plan, the machine will be moved to the EMEC’s Billia Croo testing site for large-scale trials.

Apr. 22, 2021 (CleanTechnica, -The Intertubes are ablaze with news that Royal Dutch Shell will test its first hydrogen fuel cell cargo ship in Singapore. That’s great news for green hydrogen fans, but don’t whip out the pom-poms just yet. Natural gas is still a factor in Singapore’s decarbonization plan, and Shell appears to be leaning on fuel cells to un-strand some of its soon-to-be-stranded natural gas assets before they become stranded.

June 15, 2021 (Energy Central), by John Benson -Geothermal Power, a renewable energy source that was first used to generate electricity in Larderello, Italy, in 1904, and thus is one of the oldest renewable energy sources. It has been used in my home state (California) to generate a significant amount of our electric energy since the early 1960s.

In 1985 I became heavily involved with the Geysers Geothermal Generating Field, what is now (still) is the largest in the world by several metrics.

However I have never posted a paper about Geothermal Power. I have decided to rectify this failure and write this post. As I started researching this, I found that this technology has not only been amazing in the past and present, it will be important to our efforts to overcome climate change in the future.

June 14, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -The New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced this week that it will launch a project with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to explore the use of crushed rock thermal energy storage to provide reliable and effective energy storage in a market with significant renewable energy resources.

The project will be led by EPRI and funded by a $200,000 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant. It will investigate the feasibility of a thermal energy storage (TES) technology developed by Brenmiller Energy, an Israeli developer and manufacturer of thermal energy storage systems.

If determined to be feasible, the investigation team will pilot the technology and evaluate its ability to provide effective and economical energy storage at NYPA’s Eugene W. Zeltmann Power Project in Astoria.

June 10, 2021 (CleanTechnica)-Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $14.5 million to support active field testing of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technologies and techniques within existing wells. EGS, like all geothermal resources, supplies secure, resilient renewable electricity and heating and cooling that is always-available regardless of weather, and with a small environmental footprint.

June 9, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -Enel Green Power has published an article noting the use of 3D printing in their flagship Geyser project at Santa Barbara metallurgy labs in Cavriglia, Italy.

The idea to use 3D printing to repair essential components was spawned at a roundtable discussion organized by the project Geyser team. A group of technicians and experts from the geothermal, thermal and hydroelectric sectors gathered to discuss how to optimize the management of geothermal plants.

“It all started from our curiosity and desire to use the 3D printer that we had in-house,” says Nicoletta Mazzuca, Enel Green Power’s project manager for Geyser. “We wanted to repair parts that were going to end up in landfills because they couldn’t be fixed with conventional forging techniques.”

June 8, 2021 (Renewable Energy World), -his sets into motion Phase II of the $70.4 million contract. KenGen’s managing director and chief executive officer, Rebecca Miano, through a statement, said the works began over the last weekend in May.

“The exercise started on May 29, 2021, whereby the first hole section was drilled to 29 meters within eight hours. So far, drilling operations are running smoothly as the team moves to the next hole section. Drilling a single well takes about two months to complete. We however hope to shorten this period despite the prevailing circumstances brought about by COVID-19),” she said.

Apr. 30, 2021 (CleanTechnica) -The US geothermal energy industry has been left at the starting gate as wind and solar race ahead, but it looks like the geothermal tortoise is finally putting one foot ahead of the other. In the latest development, the iconic coal state of West Virginia just nailed down federal funding that will help West Virginia University shut down a coal-fired cogeneration plant on campus and switch to renewable energy.

Mar. 16, 2021 (CleanTechnica) -Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized Iron Mountain Data Centers for its commitment to energy efficiency through DOE’s Better Buildings Challenge. Since joining the program in 2016, Iron Mountain met its first energy-savings goal of 20% and has now set a new goal of improving data center power usage efficiency (PUE) by 30% over a five-year period across three data centers — or nearly 600,000 square feet of built space.

Mar. 7, 2021 (CleanTechnica) -The geothermal energy industry has never realized its true potential in the US, despite the seemingly magical promise of nonstop, 24/7 renewable energy sitting just below the surface of the Earth. However, it seems like things are finally starting to gel. No, for real!

For the inside scoop on the prospects for a geothermal revolution CleanTechnica sought out Nneka Uzoh, the director of energy innovation at the climate-tech accelerator Elemental Excelerator.

Mar. 3, 2021 (Renewable Energy World) -Renewable energy businesses can be promising investments for larger companies looking to improve their carbon footprints. Sometimes, what some might assume to be the least likely investors will pour funds into renewables. That’s the case with Eavor Technologies’ most recent round of fundraising.

Oil giants BP and Chevron were among the chief investors in the $40 million funding round for the Canada-based geothermal startup.

Feb. 24, 2021 (CleanTechnica) - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that its Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) Initiative at the University of Utah has selected 17 projects to receive up to $46 million in funding for cutting-edge, domestic, and carbon-free geothermal projects with potential to supply power to homes in the United States.

(NBC News), Jan. 4, 2021, -Ecotricity is to buy the electricity generated by Geothermal Engineering's United Downs Demonstration Project in Cornwall under a power purchase agreement (PPA), the first time that geothermal electricity will be produced and sold in the UK.

The PPA follows the latest round of successful testing at the deep geothermal site, Geothermal Engineering said.

Under the terms of the deal, Ecotricity will receive a minimum of 3MW of baseload electricity.

(Energy Central), Dec. 14, 2020 -The Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia announced the publication of a draft decree that promotes the use and exploitation of clean energy from geothermal energy.

Below we will observe the main aspects of the draft which is available for consultation and comment:

Legal entities that acquire the Geothermal Registry prepared and required by the MME will be able to carry out the activity of exploiting geothermal resources; this person will be called the Developer. This Register is independent of each activity, that is, a Register will be required for the exploration activity and another Register for the exploitation activity.

(CleanTechnica), Sept. 19, 2020 - That means the electricity it provides is dispatchable whenever it is needed regardless of how windy or sunny it is. Deep Earth Energy Production (DEEP) is a Canadian company that wants to use the hot water located beneath the Deadwood Formation in Saskatchewan to produce geothermal energy. The temperature of the brine sequestered beneath the surface averages 122º C.

Engineering reports indicate the Deadwood Formation aquifer is capable of supporting multiple geothermal generating facilities but first a plan has to be created to collect the groundwater, bring it to the surface, use it to generate electricity, then inject it back underground to be reheated. The process uses advanced drilling techniques developed by the fracking industry.

DEEP says it has completed a preliminary subsurface design that optimizes the well spacing and configuration to produce 20 MW of geothermal power using ten horizontal wells — 6 producers and 4 injectors.

(Renewable Energy World), by Jay Dauenhauer -Sept. 4, 2020, I don’t mean to pick favorites, but geothermal is definitely near the top. It is renewable, base-load, and potentially abundant.

The problem is that we have only been accessing geothermal energy where there is naturally occurring underground water and geology to allow it to pass.

Enhanced Geothermal Systems artificially add water and fractures to the geology to create far more geothermal potential.

July 19, 2020,(CleanTechnica ) -Scientists at the KIT Energy Center at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology say there is enough lithium dissolved in the groundwater extracted by German geothermal heating and electricity installations to meet the needs of most if not all of the battery manufacturers in the country.

“As far as we know, there can be up to 200 milligrams per liter,” says geoscientist Dr. Jens Grimmer of the Institute of Applied Geosciences at KIT. “If we consistently use this potential, we could cover a considerable part of the demand in Germany.”

The implications are enormous.

Sep. 24, 2020 (AENewsa)- Nevada is poised to lead in producing energy from geothermal heat sources in the entire US. Presently playing second fiddle to California, the day is not far off when it will overtake California in converting geothermal heat into electricity.

Nevada is experiencing a rush of developers who have already companies producing power or with projects under development. Projects by people like Enel Green Power and Nevada Geothermal Power are fast putting the state on the road. Veterans and newbie’s vie with each other to start production.

May 1, 2020 (Renewable Energy World) - The University of Utah and Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) announced FORGE Solicitation 2020-1.

This is the first formal call for research proposals on enhanced geothermal system technologies from the FORGE program. Up to 18 awards are anticipated for up to a total of $46,000,000 and each award has a maximum period of performance of three years.

The topic areas for technology testing and evaluations, their maximum potential funding and potential number of awards can be viewed in the article.

Apr. 24, 2020 (Energy Central) - There is a virtually limitless supply of energy right beneath us: geothermal heat. The Earth’s core holds heat that radiates out to the subsurface. This heat can be harnessed for a variety of uses including electricity generation, heating and cooling of buildings, and other industrial and hybrid applications. Geothermal energy is clean, safe, and renewable. Because geothermal electricity is reliable, always-on energy, it is an excellent match for a grid replete with intermittent renewables like wind and solar energy.

Geothermal technologies have been employed for over one hundred years. But while wind and solar energy have grown rapidly over the past few decades, geothermal has struggled to scale up beyond niche applications. Geothermal energy’s relatively slow growth can be attributed to a combination of unmet technical challenges and policy barriers, and an inability to fully leverage state and federal renewable energy policies that have boosted wind and solar energy’s growth.

Dec. 13, 2019  (InvestorIdeas)- The UK's geothermal potential has been known for decades. While high cost and fears over its connection to seismic activity have historically made investors wary, a new push for the resource is on the horizon.

GlobalData's power technology writer Scarlett Evans says: "BGS researchers joined geologists from across the country in a report published in Petroleum Geoscience, which urges energy providers to turn their focus to this untapped resource, labelling geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage as ‘critical' to moving the UK towards its target.

"Previous geothermal projects have failed to get off the ground due to financial issues, yet reasons to pursue the resource remain as strong as ever. Dependent on a more consistent source than that of solar or wind, geothermal plants operate more than 90% of the time and use far less land per MW than other renewables. As the BGS report says, with 99.9% of the planet at a temperature greater than 100°C, geothermal is a renewable resource with great potential."

Aug. 13, 2019 (inhabitat)) -The Polish city of Lublin will soon be home to an environmentally friendly bus station that not only offers a new and attractive public space, but also combats urban air pollution. Designed by Polish architectural firm Tremend, the Integrated Intermodal Metropolitan Station in Lublin will be built near the train station and aims to revitalize the area around the railway station. The contemporary design, combined with its environmental focus and green features, earned the project a spot on World Architecture Festival’s World Building of the Year shortlist.

Aug. 9, 2019 (Renewable Energy World) -South Australian energy storage company 1414 Degrees and Stone & Wood Brewing Company have agreed to undertake a feasibility study for the integration of 1414 Degrees’ electrically charged Thermal Energy Storage System (TESS-IND).

If it goes ahead, the 10MWh system will be installed at the brewer’s Murwillumbah brewery in northern New South Wales.

Stone & Wood is actively scoping innovative and more sustainable energy solutions and 1414 Degrees’ says its TESS-IND can provide reliable heat sourced from renewables on the grid.

July 29, 2019 (Renewable Energy World)) -Last week, Corvias announced that it had entered the final phase of its geothermal installation and energy upgrades effort at the U.S. Army’s Fort Polk in West-Central Louisiana, a milestone that once complete will not only modernize the aging infrastructure but save the Army significant money and benefit military families.

Part of the U.S. Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), a program through which the Department of Defense works with the private sector to revitalize military family housing, the work includes the installation of geothermal heat pumps and ENERGY STAR electric and water saving devices. All upgrades associated with this project, which began in 2018, are slated to be completed in early 2020 and will significantly reduce the community’s carbon footprint, said Corvias.

Geothermal Social Council, Jan. 18, 2019 -Some Gisborne power bills could be about to fall by more than $300 a year, following the commissioning of a new $136m geothermal power plant.

First initiated in 2011, Eastland Group’s 25 MW geothermal power plant, Te Ahi O Maui, became operational in October last year after building started in earnest in 2017.

Now, Eastland Group chief executive Matt Todd said the Kawerau-based power plant\’s performance, combined with the group’s ongoing investment in innovative electricity retailer Flick Electric Co, meant Eastland Group and Flick Electric had been able to announce a new electricity product for Tairawhiti: FIXIE by Flick.

Geothermal Social Council, Jan. 15, 2019 -The power plant is owned and operated by Zorlu Energy, a major Turkish contractor, investor and industrial holding company. Kizildere-3, Turkey’s largest geothermal power plant, is one of the world’s only triple-flash plus combined-cycle configuration geothermal plants — an arrangement that combines two well-known types of technology to increase efficiency. With the addition of this 165 MW geothermal plant to Turkey’s generation fleet, the country can further reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Aljzeera, Dec. 8, 2018 -Geothermal power comprises about 43% of Kenya’s electricity supply, even as millions of Kenyans still depend on trees to make charcoal.

As climate talks proceed in Poland at the ongoing COP24 summit, the East African nation’s efforts are an example to the world’s big emitters.

Visit our Alternative Energy Transport section, filled with photos and information on the latest technology.

Warning: Your'e Going to want one.

1. Is your location’s climate suitable for solar?

2. Is your home suitable for solar panels?

3. Do you have access to solar financial incentives?

4. How much do you pay for electricity?

5. Have you found a solar installer?

Chris Lord’s FREE Site Lease vs. Buy Modeling Calculator allows users to compare a lease rate against a potential purchase of a solar PV site where the lease rate (including escalator) is known.

Mar. 31, 2021(INHABITATs), -France keeps making green headlines lately… the Eiffel Tower’s wind turbines, the tree-shaped wind turbines being installed in Paris, and now an exciting new law that is sure to have a huge environmental impact in urban centers.

Every new commercial building in France must meet a new building requirement; the roof must be at least partially covered in either solar panels or plants.

Environmental activists had originally called for all for all rooftops to be 100% green, but the Government limited the scope of the law to include commercial buildings only. In an effort to make it less onerous for businesses, the rooftops will also only have to be partially green.

(AE News), Apr. 13, 2020 -German Architect Andre Broessel believes he has a solution that can “squeeze more juice out of the sun”, even during the night hours and in low-light regions. His company Rawlemon has created a spherical sun power generator prototype called the beta.ray. His technology will combine spherical geometry principles with a dual axis tracking system, allowing twice the yield of a conventional solar panel in a much smaller surface area. The futuristic design is fully rotational and is suitable for inclined surfaces, walls of buildings, and anywhere with access to the sky. It can even be used as an electric car charging station.

(The Guardian), Dec. 8, 2020 -The race is on to find a steady source of lithium, a key component in rechargeable electric car batteries. But while the EU focuses on emissions, the lithium gold rush threatens environmental damage on an industrial scale

(greener ideal), Oct. 19, 2017 -After solar power, solar water heating is often the next step that homeowners take to make their home more sustainable.

A solar water heating system works by converting sunlight into heat using a solar thermal collector. This heat is then used to heat water in homes and swimming pools.

If you plan to install a solar water heating system in your home, make sure to include domestic hot water as well. There’s little point in installing a solar water heating system if you can’t benefit from domestic hot water which is a necessity all year round.

Jan. 31, 2020,(SAGE journals) -Over recent years, few areas of international development research have seen as much transformation as those relating to energy access and low carbon transitions. Ghana, amongst other African economies, has seen an increase in energy demand surpassing the supply of energy in the last decade. The incorporation of the incorporation of renewable energy into the mix is, therefore, seen as a significant role in addressing the energy needs by replacing conventional fuels with clean and reliable domestic electricity with the advantage of local economic opportunities.

The country has adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG); SDG goal 7 targets ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. This target presents a formidable challenge to Ghana because the country still relies mainly on non-renewable energy sources. The country has a huge potential for renewable energy that remains underexploited. This study, therefore, seeks to assess the current renewable energy resource situation, examine the trend in Ghana’s energy consumption and undertake a comprehensive review and critical evaluation of Ghana’s renewable energy drive and policies.

April 1, 2020 (AENews)-Since 2011, French Company Ciel & Terre has been developing large-scale floating solar solutions. Their innovative Hydrelio Floating PV system allows standard PV panels to be installed on large bodies of water such as: drinking water reservoirs, quarry lakes, irrigation canals, remediation and tailing ponds, and hydro electric dam reservoirs. This simple and affordable alternative to ground-mounted systems is particularly suitable for water-intensive industries who cannot afford to waste either land or water.

The main float is constructed of high-density thermoplastic (HDPE) and is set at a 12 degree angle to support a standard 60 Cell PV solar module. A secondary non-slip HDPE float is then used to link the main floats together and provide a platform for maintenance and added buoyancy as illustrated when you click on the link to the story.

Dec. 16, 2019  (ScienceDaily)- Artificial Intelligence may be just the thing to accelerate spray-on solar cell technology, which could revolutionize how consumers use energy.

It's a stunning example of how 3D printing is not only a viable and affordable construction method of the future but also a revolutionary system that can help reduce plastic waste.

A research team at the University of Central Florida used Machine Learning, aka Artificial Intelligence to optimize the materials used to make perovskite solar cells (PSC). The Organic-Inorganic halide perovskites material used in PSC converts photovoltaic power into consumable energy.

Sept. 18, 2019 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)-In 2018, about 4,178 billion kilowatthours (kWh) (or 4.18 trillion kWh) of electricity were generated at utility-scale electricity generation facilities in the United States.1 About 63% of this electricity generation was from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases). About 20% was from nuclear energy, and about 17% was from renewable energy sources. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that an additional 30 billion kWh of electricity generation was from small-scale solar photovoltaic systems in 2018

Bright Hub -One of the most beneficial ways of increasing the efficiency of a wind turbine is to modify the design of the turbine blades. Although there are already many types of blade designs already in the market, only a few designs have turned out to be useful.

Whalepower, a Canadian company that uses bio-mimicry, a concept of adapting the designs of nature into developing mechanical machine, has changed the design of the conventional turbine blades from flat smooth blades to a ridged design similar to that of whale fins. The blades of whale power turbine features a series of ridges just like the tubercles or bumps found on the humpback whale fins.

Apr. 4, 2019 (Power Technology) —How are modern stadiums using renewables as a source of energy and which are the best stadiums for renewable energy in the world?

Sports stadiums require a huge amount of power, in particular on match-days when lighting, air-conditioning and video screens all electricity, along with a vast multitude of other energy-intensive demands. Even when not in use, stadiums and other sporting arenas need large amounts of power for maintenance.

The possibilities for incorporating renewable energy technology into stadiums and the surrounding areas provide a huge opportunity for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This can include placing solar panels on roofs and on the roads leading towards the arenas.

In the U.S. several landfills have already been converted into solar farms. The project also provides the opportunity to convert an unusable land and turn it into something that can become the asset of the community.

Water is a finite resource, as water wars in California can attest. Reducing our water footprint is essential to conserving this life-giving substance.

Solar Thermal Magazine Feb.10, 2019 -You would think that a state that refers to itself as the sunshine state would be rushing to install solar power technology. I mean with all that sunshine ( not to mention wind, wave and tidal energy) available why buy electricity from out of state.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), already a self proclaimed leader in solar energy, has announced a groundbreaking “30-by-30” plan to install more than 30 million solar panels by 2030 and make the state of Florida a world leader in the production of solar energy.

Jan. 7, 2020 (Arcadia Blog) -One of the most popular clean energy sources in North America, solar power, has skyrocketed in use in the U.S. over the last decade. Current estimates show that the volume of solar energy generated across installations nationally is enough to power 12-million American homes, and that number is only expected to grow.

They’re limited to generating energy during the day — but function less efficiently the cloudier it is outside, collecting an estimated 10 to 25 percent of their typical output on cloudy days.

But recent research from Soochow University in Suzhou, China, stands to change this. In 2018, a research team from the Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials crafted a solar cell that simultaneously generates electricity from sunlight and rainfall — allowing solar panels to continue to collect energy at full capacity during storms and subsequently expanding the duration of time at which a panel can function in any given day. Unlike typical solar panels, these panels would continue working on cloudy days and crucially, could even work at night.

January, 2019 Arcadia Power Blog -The fight against climate change is a fight for everyone, from individuals to businesses, national and local governments.

Among many leaders driving change towards a 100% renewable energy future, find these 156 major global companies—each of whom have pledged to go 100% renewable in the near future.

Look for your trusted bank, service, or a favorite brand, and see when and how each of them are working to meet their goals. Click to read on.

Around the world, cities, states, countries, and companies (and people just like you!) are making the switch to clean, renewable energy to help confront climate change – and because it just makes good economic sense.

Renewable energy is both a clean alternative to the fossil fuels driving the climate crisis and an engine for job creation. What’s not to love? But like any new technology, as it starts to take hold, there are bound to be questions.

While it’s hard to miss a massive solar array or a field full of wind turbines, so much of the action with geothermal energy happens out-of-sight that it tends to not generate as much love as its buzzier brothers in the renewable energy landscape.

And that’s too bad, because geothermal energy is pretty awesome. It takes the natural functions of the Earth and puts them to great use heating homes, creating electricity, and helping to propel the global shift from the dirty fossil fuels driving climate change to renewables.

May 11, 2018 -California has faced its fair share of challenges due the climate crisis. But now it’s fighting back with a powerful weapon: renewable energy.

More than that, the Golden State is proving that we can start a renewable energy revolution right now.

With the White House stepping out of the climate fight, California has stepped up in a big way, leading a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia suing to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from weakening fuel efficiency standards.

Renewable energy is energy generated from ongoing natural processes like wind or sunlight that are not depleted when used. Unlike fossil fuels, these types of energy are theoretically unlimited. In contrast, fossil fuels like oil and gas are finite resources formed in the earth over hundreds of millions of years from the remains of plants and animals.

Importantly, and unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy is clean and doesn’t release carbon pollution into the atmosphere (which drives climate change). Burning fossil fuels does.

Mar. 20, 2018 -Months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is still struggling to become fully energized. A number of grassroots efforts think solar energy can speed the recovery and prevent a total blackout when the next storm hits.

Feb. 27, 2018 -Are you passionate about green energy and protecting our planet? Are you looking for a career you can be proud of that offers possibilities we aren’t even aware of yet? Look no further than the renewable energy industry.

You could be working in wind or solar power in no time with the right education and tools to get you set on this exciting path. Here are some of the best degrees to pursue and the career choices that may come your way.

Here’s a quick primer on what a hydrogen fuel cell is…
Simply put, it’s an electromagnetic cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (for our purposes, hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (oxygen) into electricity through a chemical reaction.

Arcadia's Solar Energy Is available to both renters & homeowners - without solar panels. Get renewable energy at home without switching providers or installing any equipment •easy to use dashboard •wind sources •experts on hand.

July, 2020 (NREL)-A floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) system is an emerging technology in which a solar photovoltaic (PV) system is placed directly on top of a body of water, as opposed to on land or on building rooftops. An NREL blog post from Jan. 24, 2017 discussed FPV and was based on forward-thinking state energy offices inquiring about the technology through NREL’s state technical assistance programs. The blog post introduced the technology and discussed the benefits of FPVs, as well as different examples of pilot FPVs in the United States.

Jan. 21, 2018 - A team of talented scientists from Stanford University situated in Stanford, in Silicon Valley, 20 miles (approximately 30 Km) out of San Jose, California, USA have successfully displayed the usage of nanotechnology. The method to manufacture crystalline silicon (c-Si) thin-film solar cells which are being claimed to be more efficient at capturing solar energy.

Jan. 2, 2018 - From Clean Technica : Not too long ago, the mention of hydrogen, or concentrating solar power, or both at the same time, would be met by a roll of the eye from alternative energy insiders. Hydrogen is an abundant and clean-burning fuel, but the primary source of hydrogen is natural gas. Concentrating solar power has a built-in energy storage element, but it is more complicated and expensive than other solar technologies. Et cetera, et cetera, and so on and so forth.

From Natiional Geographic: There are many benefits to using renewable energy resources, but what is it exactly? From solar to wind, find out more about alternative energy, the fastest-growing source of energy in the world, and how we can use it to combat climate change.

Dec. 15, 2017 - From Renewable Energy World: It is easier to believe in the future of solar today than it was decades ago. This article honors eight of the women who believed and persevered and pioneered the PV industry of today and without who it might be a very different industry indeed.

Each woman has in her own way championed the cause of climate change as well as the cause of the solar industry and has worked tirelessly educating, conducting research and deploying solar technologies to ensure the future of the industry.

July 6, 2020,(4C Offshore) -Transmission System Operator (TSO) 50Hertz has launched an economic and climate initiative for the grid area the company is responsible for: the eastern German states as well as the city states of Berlin and Hamburg. With the slogan “From 60 to 100 by 2032: for an economy with prospects”, 50Hertz has set itself the specific goal of getting the electricity demand in its grid area covered – and securely integrated – with 100 percent renewable energies by 2032. In 2019, the annual average share of renewables attained about 60%.

0Hertz stated it will align its entire corporate strategy with this new objective and use all its know-how to that end in the scope of its statutory duty to operate the grid securely and reliably. This involves new approaches to system operation, a consistent digitization of the integration of an increasingly volatile electricity supply as well as the participation in innovative models of sector coupling to generate heat and produce hydrogen from “green” power.

From Wageningen University: Experiments have proven that plants can serve as a source of clean and renewable energy.

As part of the European project PlantPower, researchers are studying whether this technology is suitable for large-scale applications.They are also examining the technical feasibility and the economic profitability.

Scientists all over the world are looking for alternatives to fossil fuels. Plant materials are already used as an energy source through bio-fermentation. Now it appears that living plants can also contribute to energy production. In a plant microbial fuel cell, living plants work together with micro-organisms to create electricity.

This results in clean and renewable energy, while the plant remains alive. The first practical tests have been very promising. In projects supported by the EU and Agentschap NL (an agency of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs), European and Dutch institutes, universities, and businesses are cooperating to gain more knowledge about this technology and its applications.

Nov. 25, 2019  (Environment Florida) —Clean energy is sweeping across America and is poised for more dramatic growth in the coming years.

Wind turbines and solar panels were novelties ten years ago; today, they are everyday parts of America’s energy landscape. As recently as 2010, energy-saving LED light bulbs cost $40 apiece; today, they cost a few dollars at the hardware store. Just a few years ago, electric vehicles seemed a far-off solution to decarbonize our transportation system; now, they have broken through to the mass market.

Virtually every day, there are new developments that increase our ability to produce renewable energy, apply renewable energy more widely and flexibly to meet a wide range of energy needs, and reduce our overall energy use — developments that enable us to envision an economy powered entirely with clean, renewable energy.

Sept. 1, 2019 (Union of Concerned Scientists)-Innovative programs around the country now make it possible for all environmentally conscious energy consumers to support renewable energy directly by participating in the "green" power market. The willingness to pay for the benefits of increasing our renewable energy supplies can be tapped within any market structure and by any size or type of energy consumer.

Forbes Magazie, Jan. 14, 2019  - Two recent developments in the world of fusion power are giving scientists and policymakers newfound optimism for the elusive ‘holy grail’ of energy technologies. The first is a discovery by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) which uses radio frequency (RF) technology to greatly reduce so-called ‘plasma disruption’ – the leading challenge to achieving a sustained, net energy gain fusion reaction. This is a key element in making fusion a feasible source of electricity.

Environment Florida, May 31, 2019  - Solar power is expanding rapidly. The United States now has over 60 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed — enough to power nearly one in every 11 homes in America. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have invested in solar energy and millions more are ready to join them.

America’s major cities have played a key role in the clean energy revolution and stand to reap tremendous benefits from solar energy. As population centers, they are major sources of electricity demand and, with millions of rooftops suitable for solar panels, they have the potential to be major sources of clean energy production as well.

View a chart showing all of the reported projects in North and Central America that have 100% renewable energy goals, including some you would not have expected.

Feb. 14, 2017 - Here is a vision of the future in a warming world without fossil fuels.

No switching on the air conditioning because your roof re-radiates the sun’s heat back into space.

You don’t have to worry that the current from solar energy will turn off at night, because the same sunlight that powered the refrigerator has also turned two greenhouse gases into hydrocarbon fuel that serves as battery back-up.

The new Solar Farmhouse contains everything the quintessential home possesses -- the quaint front porch, the white wood siding, the gabled roof, and the simple lines -- updated with a slew of net-zero features, including a passive solar design, air-tight building envelope, and open plan.

In 2017 renewable energy represented 17.5 % of energy consumed in the EU, on a path to the 2020 target of 20 %.

The share of energy from renewable sources used in transport activities reached 7.6 % in 2017.

These stats will be updated in Feb. 2020. Stay tuned.

Gardens by the Bay will be Singapore's largest garden project and is central to their continued development of Marina Bay.

There are various incentives being offered. The article explains it in detail.

The world needs widely available reliable, affordable, carbon-free energy. New tools are needed to power the world.

Bill Gates, George Soros and others are behind this.

Affordable, lightweight, and versatile, batteries made of porous materials could soon transform energy storage.

Nov. 25, 2019  (Environment Florida) —Wind turbines and solar panels were novelties ten years ago; today, they are everyday parts of America’s energy landscape. As recently as 2010, energy-saving LED light bulbs cost $40 apiece; today, they cost a few dollars at the hardware store. Just a few years ago, electric vehicles seemed a far-off solution to decarbonize our transportation system; now, they have broken through to the mass market.

Virtually every day, there are new developments that increase our ability to produce renewable energy, apply renewable energy more widely and flexibly to meet a wide range of energy needs, and reduce our overall energy use — developments that enable us to envision an economy powered entirely with clean, renewable energy.

Feb. 10, 2017 -From The Greener Ideal: Here is an inconvenient truth that advocates of alternative energy sources are reluctant to admit – traditional solar panels can be a bit of an eyesore.

Especially in a residential setting, bulky solar panels may detract from the aesthetic of any house, no matter how much the owner tries to convince you otherwise.

Think about the streets in your neighborhood, and ask yourself how many of the homes actually have visible solar panels, and you will quickly realize that they are not very popular.