Sep. 22, 2023 -De-coupled photovoltaic-thermal systems utilize liquid filters to absorb non-effective wavelengths, such as ultraviolet, visible light, and near-infrared. However, water, a popular filter, cannot effectively absorb ultraviolet rays, which limits system performance. To address this, researchers from Korea have introduced a novel emulsion filter which facilitates the conversion of solar energy into electricity and thermal energy simultaneously with an unprecedented 84.4% efficiency.

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Sep. 17, 2023 -The Astronaut said the falling cost of launching heavy cargoes into orbit means that complex structures, such as solar power farms, could soon be launched into space, and had the potential to provide significant power.

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Sep. 17, 2023 -A few days ago, private companies in India and Saudi Arabia signed over two dozen agreements on a wide variety of subjects. This article will focus on the building of a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) undersea line which would allow power to be transmitted in both directions between the two countries, and beyond (if more lines are built beyond those countries). This is part of a greater initiative for the countries of the region to work more closely to advance their economies.This article describes the agreement as being between the governments instead of between the private companies. I’m not sure which is accurate, but either way, they plan to work together.

Sep. 17, 2023 -Climate Week NYC is here, and that means another round of big promises, big pledges, and big dollars to grab the media spotlight. That’s all well and good, but community-level action is where the rubber meets the road, as demonstrated by a modest little federal program that is bringing more renewable energy to villages, towns, and cities across the US.

Click now for the whole story.

Sep. 11, 2023 -China's Trina Solar (688599.SS) said on Monday it will invest more than $200 million to build a solar photovoltaic manufacturing facility in Texas.

The manufacturing facility in Wilmar, Texas, will be the company's first in the northern hemisphere, the company said, adding that when complete the facility will produce 5 GW of modules and source polysilicon from the United States and Europe.

Sep. 11, 2023 - G20 leaders on Saturday agreed to pursue tripling renewable energy capacity globally by 2030 and accepted the need to phase-down unabated coal power, but stopped short of setting major climate goals.

The world's 20 major economies have had disagreements on commitments to reduce fossil fuel use, cut green house gas emissions and increase renewable energy targets.

Sep. 8, 2023 -With more than 100 GW in operation today and 150 GW in projected large-scale installations over the next five years, solar is America’s fastest-growing renewable energy source.

Zeitview, a provider of energy and infrastructure inspections, has completed its North American Solar Scan, which includes condition data on over 90% of the United States solar power plant deployments 1 MW or larger. This news comes on the heels of Zeitview’s acquisition of Heliolytics.

Sep. 7, 2023 -Independent power producer Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company has announced a long-term, exclusive partnership with solar panel recycler SOLARCYCLE.

SOLARCYCLE, in its second year of operation, has grown its infrastructure footprint nationally through high-volume contracts. The company deploys research and design to sell higher-purity materials back into the domestic supply chain. SOLARCYCLE recently began a partnership with Ørsted to process and recycle end-of-life solar crystalline silicon (c-Si) modules from Ørsted’s projects, after raising $30 million in a Series A funding round.

Sep. 7, 2023 - A walk through the busy business district of Mombasa Road in Nairobi, or even a rural community in Kisii County, Kenya, highlights something that’s getting attention at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi this week — solar power that is not connected to the grid.

With or without the encouragement of government policy, families and businesses are choosing off-grid solar in the face of an unreliable grid. According to the World Bank, the number of so-called minigrids, meaning solar systems that support a cluster of homes or businesses, has grown from 500 in Africa in 2000 to 3,000 today.

Sep. 6, 2023 -New Hampshire’s electric utilities have come out in favor of continuing the state’s current system for compensating customers who share surplus solar power on the grid.

Eversource, Unitil, and Liberty Utilities surprised clean energy advocates by submitting joint testimony to state regulators last month endorsing the state’s current net metering structure. The program credits customers roughly 75% of the standard electricity rate for any unused solar generation that flows back onto the grid and is used by other customers.

Sep. 6, 2023 -Green hydrogen is being touted around the world as a clean energy solution to take the carbon out of high-emitting sectors like transport and industrial manufacturing.

The India-led International Solar Alliance launched the Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre earlier this year, and India itself approved $2.3 billion for the production, use and export of green hydrogen. Global cooperation on green hydrogen manufacturing and supply is expected to be discussed by G-20 leaders at this week’s summit in New Delhi.

Sep. 5, 2023 -Adequate and reliable energy supplies are crucial to modern life. Those of us fortunate enough to live in well-developed economies take this for granted; we seldom experience disruptions in power supplies. When we flip the switch the lights come on and the television operates. This was the world that Ukrainians lived in until Russia launched its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine some seventeen months ago.

An element of this illegal war has been the relentless targeting of the civilian power infrastructure. Russia has deliberately and repeatedly targeted critical electrical substations and generating capacity with drone and missile strikes.

Sep. 4, 2023 -Southwire has been awarded the supply of a portion of the underground power cables for Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) by NKT, the project’s turnkey cable supplier and cable system technology owner.

CHPE is a transmission project that will deliver 1,250 MW of hydropower from the U.S.-Canadian border to Queens, N.Y., enough power for more than one million New York homes.

Sep. 1, 2023 -America’s hydropower industry is hoping to reestablish some of its former glory by making itself central to the nation’s transition to clean energy—and it’s turning to Congress for help.

The era of big dams arguably ended long ago. At one point referred to as “white coal,” hydropower was once a major source of electricity around the country, with the United States building more than 150 dams on the Columbia, Missouri and Colorado River basins in the 30 years following World War II. But today, hydropower provides just a small fraction of the nation’s electricity and is quickly being outpaced globally by its clean energy rivals in new development.

[POWER Engineering], Aug. 31, 2023 -Jet Zero is working with Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites. They selected Pratt Whitney for the engines.

A West Virginia coal-fired plant that had been targeted for retirement was restarted August 30 by a new owner that plans to retrofit the facility to use hydrogen to generate electricity, Gov. Jim Justice announced.

Last month California company Omnis Fuel Technologies signed an agreement to purchase the Pleasants Power Station on the Ohio River near Belmont in Pleasants County. Justice said Omnis plans to invest $800 million in the plant.

Aug. 31, 2023 -MRWSSD, a special service district of the state of Utah that serves drinking water to the Snyderville Basin area of Park City, has awarded Ameresco a contract to design and install a floating solar photovoltaic array site.

This award precedes the district’s selection for a grant of $400,000 from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program for the district’s Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant. The array will be owned by the district and will be placed on the treatment plant’s holding pond and provide electricity to power the water treatment plant.

Aug. 30, 2023 -Tennessee has secured $7 billion in new clean energy investments over the past year, accounting for nearly 80% of its total capital investments, according to WPLN’s analysis.

Investments in electric vehicles, energy storage, and solar panel materials were worth three times more than all other sectors combined in the past year, WPLN reported. Fourteen projects accounted for the $7 billion invested, and companies committed to creating more than 5,600 jobs. WPLN’s analysis was based on public announcements and the state’s “Transparent Tennessee” business tracker.

Aug. 30, 2023 -Google is launching a program to utilize the tech giant’s data and artificial intelligence to streamline solar deployment around the world.

In 2015, Google launched Project Sunroof in an attempt to help homeowners explore the estimated solar potential of savings in their area. Businesses became interested in this data, Google said, so the company is now releasing a new Solar API tool.

Their Solar API uses mapping and computing resources to make detailed rooftop solar potential data available for more than 320 million buildings across 40 countries, including the U.S., France, and Japan.

[EMBER], Aug. 30, 2023 -The first half of 2023 saw a collapse in EU fossil generation, leading to the lowest output on record. Wind and solar continued their growth, with solar generation increasing by 13% and wind by 5%. Hydro and nuclear are recovering from their historic lows in 2022, though their long term outlook is uncertain.

Aug. 29, 2023 -Bila Solar, a solar module manufacturer based in Singapore, announced plans to invest upwards of $35 million in a new module manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, marking its entrance into the U.S. market.

The 150,000 sq. ft. facility is located in an existing building formerly occupied by Eli Lilly. Indianapolis will also be the home of Bila Solar’s U.S. headquarters, the company said.

Bila manufactures what it calls “ultra-lightweight” solar modules free of glass and frames. The modules weigh 70% less than traditional glass modules, and are 95% slimmer, the company claims.

Aug. 27, 2023 -In 1880, a water-powered turbine generated its first spark of electricity. It powered a theater and storefront in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By 1893, the first commercial hydropower plant was operating in Redlands, California. And according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in 2022, hydropower accounted for more than 28% of all renewable electricity generation in the United States.

Needless to say, hydropower is not new. In fact, hydropower’s consistency, flexibility, and dispatchability (more on that later) have already made it essential to the grid—and to our clean energy transition.

Sep. 13, 2023 -If you read about the energy industry in the ’00s and ’10s, you probably caught some excited, hopeful stories about geothermal, the renewable energy source that harnesses heat hundreds of meters below the earth’s surface. “Enhanced geothermal” — a novel approach in which fluids are poured deep underground, heat up, and then are recovered for their steam heat and used to generate electricity — got particular attention, because it promised a geothermal technique that could work most places on earth, not just in volcanic areas like Iceland or Indonesia.

Click now for the whole story.

Sep. 5, 2023 -Geothermal District Systems can provide an efficient, cost-effective, carbon-free approach to heating one or more buildings.

Before investing in a detailed engineering design study, however, a high-level benefits and costs analysis can be performed to assess how a geothermal heat pump system might compare to alternatives. As there are many potential ways to modernize energy systems to achieve net-zero emissions goals and reduce costs, an up-front estimate regarding which decarbonization projects are the best options from environmental, economic, social, and financial perspectives can avoid a potentially costly path forward.

Aug. 31, 2023 -Clean energy has become synonymous with wind and solar, and with good reason. Thanks to improved technology and declining costs, wind turbines and solar panels are producing a rapidly growing share of the world’s electricity.

But there are many other sources of clean power that could provide abundant, emissions-free energy and help replace fossil fuels. This week, we took an in-depth look at one of those tantalizing technologies:geothermal power.

Aug. 22, 2023 -Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the first cohort of geothermal interns in the NSF INTERN program.

Through this collaboration—the first activity coordinated under the NSF-DOE Memorandum of Understanding—a diverse group of 14 students will work with geothermal companies, national laboratories, or state agencies on projects that advance geothermal technologies. Work conducted under this new internship program will support the goals of DOE’s Enhanced Geothermal Shot™, which aims to bring enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) to Americans nationwide and reduce the cost of EGS by 90% by 2035.

Aug. 14, 2023 - Eversource started drilling this week on approximately 90 boreholes that are an essential component of its networked geothermal pilot program in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Once completed, the energy company’s geothermal “loop” will connect 140 customers across nearly 40 buildings – including residential homes, a cabinet store, a fire station, Framingham Housing Authority buildings, and the community college – to provide a sustainable heating and cooling system regulated by the earth’s natural temperature.

July 21, 2023 -A startup based in Texas has announced a key milestone in geothermal energy. This new technology could finally bring large-scale geothermal energy to the masses. The company, Fervo Energy, successfully completed a 30-day test at its pilot plant in Nevada. The team drilled 2.3 kilometers into the Earth’s surface in order to pump water and obtain clean energy reliably.

July 13, 2023 -Summers are famously humid in New York State, but life in the Maioli household has gotten more comfortable since the couple installed a new heating and cooling system — one that isn’t well known yet in the U.S.

“My wife is pretty happy because in the summer we can keep it to as cold as we like,” typically 69 or 70 F, said Joe Maioli, in Ontario, New York. In 2021, the couple installed a geothermal or ground source heat pump.

July 12, 2023 -The dusty town of Naivasha sits within the Great Rift Valley, where the African continent is being divided into two. About 90 kilometers northwest of Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi, Naivasha welcomes gaggles of tourists each year trekking to Hell’s Gate National Park.

The forces that are splitting apart the African tectonic plate have sculpted the area’s steep cliffs, plummeting valleys and undulating hills — a rugged landscape that inspired the backdrop of Disney’s The Lion King.

June 22, 2023 -The country’s first geothermal well was drilled there in the 1950s. By 1981, Kenya had its first geothermal power plant, harnessing a renewable resource that taps into heat generated deep within the Earth. Today, Naivasha’s Olkaria geothermal power project plus a small facility at another site are capable of generating 963 megawatts of electricity when running at full power.

At the end of last year, Kenya ranked seventh on the list of top geothermal energy countries in the world. Geothermal accounts for 47% of the country’s total energy production — a percentage that’s growing. The only other geothermal energy producer in Africa, Ethiopia, started production in 1998 and has an installed capacity of just 7.5 megawatts.

May 17, 2023 - In tiny Gerlach, just outside the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, residents have watched the Burning Man festival grow over the last 30 years to a spectacle of nearly 80,000 countercultural hippies and tech billionaires, offering an economic lifeline for the unincorporated town. Now, Burning Man and Gerlach are more tightly aligned, joining conservationists and a Native American tribe in an alliance against a powerful adversary: Ormat Technology, the largest geothermal power company in the country.

Both Burning Man and Ormat share a vision for a greener future, yet neither can agree on the road to get there.

Apr. 19, 2023 -Fervo Energy is one of the first geothermal companies to drill and successfully complete a horizontal well pair for commercial geothermal production. It used technologies, skills, and processes that Devon uses for oil and gas production.

Mar. 28, 2023 -There’s a lot to like about geothermal energy. It’s clean, it’s renewable and it generates electricity 24/7. It taps heat from Earth’s interior that, in theory, will last billions of years.

Japan, is a country that sits atop the third-largest geothermal resources of any country by some measures. Chang W. Lee, a photojournalist at The Times produced an article about geothermal power and why it hasn’t taken off there.

Jan. 5, 2023 -Tim Latimer was working as a drilling engineer in South Texas when he couldn't shake a newfound curiosity.

Latimer was new to the oil and gas industry, and in 2012, the industry was at the height of the shale revolution. He was tasked with navigating the challenges created by high drilling temperatures in the Eagle Ford Shale region.

As he did more research Latimer discovered the world of geothermal energy.

Jan 31, 2023 -Wind and solar supplied more of the EU’s electricity than any other power source for the first time ever in 2022, new analysis finds.

They together provided a record one-fifth of the EU’s electricity in 2022 – a larger share than gas or nuclear, according to a report by the climate thinktank .

SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS], Aug. 21, 2023 -The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) offers federal grants and loans to help farmers and rural small business owners go solar. REAP grants have helped thousands of these business owners across the country reduce their energy costs and improve their energy security with solar. Download our guide, Your Rural Business Can Go Solar: A Guide to Applying for a Rural Energy for America Program Grant, to learn more about how your business can go solar with REAP today.

July 3, 2023 -Most individuals are fine with just knowing that the panels are made of a special material that’s able to absorb and use the power of the sun, even storing it for use during periods when the sun isn’t shining, such as cloudy days and, of course, at night.

But if you really want to know more about solar panels and the materials that are used to construct them, click now to learn more.

May-June 2023 Issue *by Bill McKibben- The United States is on the brink of its most consequential transformation since the New Deal. Read more about what it takes to decarbonize the economy, and what stands in the way, here.

Click now to learn more about these Microgrids.

May-June 2023 Issue *by Michael Mechanic- The transition to clean power will require massive solar expansion—not just home rooftop arrays but photovoltaic installations near population centers. Where to mount all the panels? One answer seems obvious: over parking lots, which also bake during the summer, contributing to dangerous “heat island” effects. Shading Walmart Supercenter lots with PV canopies, for instance, would generate loads of power and allow stores to entice shoppers with free EV charging and cooler lots. And a cool customer is a happy customer.

May-June 2023 Issue *by Michael Mechanic- The transition to clean power will require massive solar expansion—not just home rooftop arrays but photovoltaic installations near population centers.

Where to mount all the panels? One answer seems obvious: over parking lots, which also bake during the summer, contributing to dangerous “heat island” effects. Shading Walmart Supercenter lots with PV canopies, for instance, would generate loads of power and allow stores to entice shoppers with free EV charging and cooler lots. And a cool customer is a happy customer.

May-June 2023 Issue *by Michael Mechanic- Microgrids are poised to take off. If you’ve never heard of them, you will soon. “A microgrid,” as journalist Lois Parshley explains in her accompanying story for our Electrify Everything package, “is basically a relatively small, local system that can generate, store, and/or distribute electricity, and can function off of the main grid if need be.

They can be public or private, and consist of anything from a couple of neighbors sharing a solar panel to a bitcoin mine powered by its own wind farm.”

Mar. 21, 2023 -Manufacturing all silicon solar panels to be deployed in the United States domestically would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 23% and energy use by 4% compared to outsourced manufacturing, according to a new analysis. The findings suggest that “reshoring” solar panel production could help the country decarbonize faster.

Sep. 27, 2022 -You can still have all the benefits of solar power in your home without disfiguring it. Thanks to advances in solar technology over the last decade or so, there are now alternatives to traditional solar panels.

Specifically, building-applied photovoltaics (BAPVs) are a discreet way of installing solar technology in your home – no one will even be able to detect them.

Oct. 29, 2022 -Table of Contents:
Solar Myth #1: Solar panels are too expensive.
Solar Myth #2: Solar panels are not reliable.
Solar Myth #3: Solar panels require a lot of maintenance.
Solar Myth #4: Solar power doesn’t work in cold climates.
Solar Myth #5: Solar panels take up too much space.
Solar Myth #6: Solar power is unreliable because it depends on the weather.
Solar Myth #7: Going solar will cause my energy bills to go up.
Solar Myth #8: Solar energy is not safe

Pager Power, Oct. 6, 2021 -Agrivoltaics is the practice of using the same area of land for both solar photovoltaic power as well as for agriculture, which implies that solar panels and crops will share sunlight.

This type of co-development is not new to the industry. Often terrain used for agriculture purposes is also used by wind developers to harness the power of wind, or animals grazing in farms help controlling the height of the grass in solar photovoltaic fields.

Mar. 17, 2022, (The Conversation) -The UK government is reportedly considering a £16 billion proposal to build a solar power station in space.

Yes, you read that right. Space-based solar power is one of the technologies to feature in the government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. It has been identified as a potential solution, alongside others, to enable the UK to achieve net zero by 2050.

But how would a solar power station in space work? What are the advantages and drawbacks to this technology?

March 26, 2022 - The solar industry has come a long way in just the last few years. The latest developments and breakthroughs in solar technology include longer-lasting solar cells, solar cells that you can print onto flexible surfaces, solar panels that track the sun from east to west throughout the day, and solar power plants that work at night.

Mar. 28, 2022, (gtm)-Policymakers looking to speed up renewable energy deployment have a best-practice case study to look to: Australia is rolling out renewables 10 times faster than the global average, offering lessons as to what factors can improve the uptake of clean energy.

Mar. 21, 2022, (orbitalmarine.com)-Manufactured and launched in Dundee earlier in the year before being towed up to Orkney, the O2 is Orbital’s first commercial turbine and represents the culmination of more than 15 years of world leading product development in the UK.

The 74m long turbine is expected to operate in the waters off Orkney for the next 15 years with the capacity to meet the annual electricity demand of around 2,000 UK homes with clean, predictable power from the fast-flowing waters. In a further ground-breaking element of the project, the O2 is to provide power to EMEC’s onshore electrolyzer to generate green hydrogen that will be used to demonstrate decarbonization of wider energy requirements.

Dec. 1, 2021, (POWER)- The vision sounds far-fetched: If a kilometer-scale satellite could be outfitted with a hybrid array of photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) panels and launched into orbit 22,400 miles above Earth, it could continuously harvest 3.4 GW of solar power and beam it down to Earth via microwave radiation for grid consumption, potentially delivering 2 GW of dispatchable and baseload power.

But according to a “whole systems” set of detailed engineering and economic feasibility studies conducted by systems, engineering, and technology-oriented Frazer-Nash Consultancy for the UK government, this concept of a typical space-based solar power (SBSP) system is both technically and economically feasible—and it can be achieved within the next 18 years.

October, 2017, (THE VERGE)The wings of a butterfly have inspired a new type of solar cell that can harvest light twice as efficiently as before and could one day improve our solar panels.

Solar panels are usually made of thick solar cells, and are positioned at an angle to get the most amount of light from the sun as it moves throughout the day. Thin film solar cells, which can be only nanometers thick, have a lot of potential.

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.

-Studio Solarix makes coloured solar panels and facade systems by doing this we can make buildings more sustainable, both in new construction and redevelopment. To this end, it designs, researches and develops aesthetic, sustainable and energy-generating facade elements.

It originated from a joint ambition of Reinier Bosch (product designer, artist) and Marloes van Heteren (architect). With a great deal of substantive knowledge, they are the initiators of Solarix in the market of architecture, product development, design and sustainability; a beautiful facade panel that provides energy to people.

July 27, 2021 (CleanTechnica) -A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical power generator that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as by-products. Simply put, hydrogen fuel cells form energy that can be used to power anything from commercial vehicles to drones.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology offers the advantages of a clean and reliable alternative energy source to customers in a growing number of applications – electric vehicles, including forklifts, delivery vans, drones, and cars – primary and backup power for a variety of commercial, industrial, and residential buildings; and more futuristic-sounding applications like air taxis.

Click now to learn the 5 things.

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.

Click now for the story
with photos and videos.

(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

Click now for more.

(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.

Dec. 22, 2022 -Dec. 23, 2022 -No matter how sustainable, eco-friendly, and clean sources of energy they are, conventional solar panels require a large setup area and heavy initial investment. Due to these limitations, it’s hard to introduce them in urban areas (especially neighborhoods with lots of apartment blocks or shops). But thanks to the work of ingenious engineers at the University of Michigan, that may soon no longer be the case.

The researchers have created transparent solar panels which they claim could be used as power-generating windows in our homes, buildings, and even rented apartments.

Mar. 21, 2022, (Echo Wave Power)-Eco Wave Power (EWP) (Nasdaq US Stock Symbol: WAVE) developed an innovative technology for production of clean electricity from ocean and sea waves.

Echo's aim to generate clean & affordable electricity, using a simple but smart design, allowing our floaters to be attached to existing man-made structures, and thereby simplifying installation and maintenance as well as accessibility.

EWP’s innovative technology has been recognized as a “Pioneering Technology” by the Chief Scientist of the Energy Ministry of Israel and received an Efficient Solution label from Solar Impulse Foundation.

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 ove 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.

Nov. 9, 2021, (Washington Post)-Ocean boosters like to compare the kinetic energy stored in the sea to a ginormous oil reserve that’s never going to run dry.

It doesn’t matter if the sun shines or the wind blows. The tides turn. You can set your watch to them. The trick is how to generate cost-effective, renewable electricity from that limitless, ceaseless motion. They’re working on the problem here on Scotland’s Orkney Islands.

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. 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.

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.

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.