January 8, 2021(Renewable Energy World)-Smarter Grid Solutions (SGS) said yesterday that it has been selected to provide active network management for flexibility management in the groundbreaking QUEST project in partnership with Electricity North West, National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) and Schneider Electric.

Jan. 5, 2021(Renewable Energy World),-In recent years energy stakeholders in Haiti have been daunted by one question: How will Haiti reverse the monumental energy deficit in the country and ensure reliable access to energy to the eleven million Haitians? In short, how will the country meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal No.7 – ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all?

The answer provided by the government under the leadership of President Jovenel Moise has been quite simple: increase the share of Renewable Energy (RE) in the energy mix.

The transformation from an underdeveloped, unreliable, and expensive fossil fuel-based energy system to a modern and sustainable one that relies mainly on domestic renewable energy is a necessity to increasing electricity access to the ill-served 70% of the population. Recent difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic reinforce the importance of relying as much as possible on domestic resources – in our case, renewables – for electricity generation.

Jan. 5, 2021(Renewable Energy World),-U.S. renewable energy consumption in 2019 surpassed coal for the first time in 135 years, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Total renewable energy consumption in the United States grew for the fourth year in a row to a record-high 11.5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2019. Coal consumption, meanwhile, dropped for the sixth straight year and totaled 11.3 quadrillion Btus, according to the EIA analysis.

The overall coal consumption was at its lowest level nationally since 1964. Coal-fired electricity generation also fell to a 42-year low.

(Energy Central), Jan. 1, 2021, -The project is the first of its kind to employ a direct supply of clean power to produce hydrogen for domestic heating – putting Levenmouth at the forefront of the clean energy revolution.

The system will be designed and built to ensure?the same high safety and reliability standards?expected from?the current gas system. An on-site storage unit will hold enough hydrogen to ensure supply won’t be disrupted during even the coldest weather conditions.

(CleanTechnica), Dec. 29, 2020, By Zachary Shahan -EDF Renewables and Jinko Power HK, two of the world’s largest renewable energy developers, have just scored a big one — the financial closing of the 2 gigawatt (GW) Al Dhafra PV2 solar project in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This is a record breaking solar project in a few regards. Masdar and are also project partners.

With the financing — $1 billion — construction can now start on the project. And while I recently wrote about a mind-blowing 30 GW hybrid renewable energy project in India, this Abu Dhabi project will actually be the world’s largest single-site solar power project once completed.

(CleanTechnica), Dec. 27, 2020 -First things first: why bother harvesting solar power in outer space when there is so much of it right here on Earth.

That’s a good question. The problem isn’t not enough solar on Earth. It’s not enough solar at the right place and time. And then there’s that pesky issue of competing land use interests. If you could grab clean kilowatts from outer space on an as-needed basis, you wouldn’t need to invest the big bucks in new transmission infrastructure, and you wouldn’t have to worry about sacrificing farmland or nature habitats for solar farms.

CleanTechnica first took note of space-based solar power back in 2012, when the US-based organization National Space Society launched a solar-scavenging space mission with a research team based in India.

(ScienceDaily), Dec. 22, 2020 - Can you imagine a world powered by 100% renewable electricity and fuels? It may seem fantasy, but a collaborative team of scientists has just shown this dream is theoretically possible -- if we can garner global buy-in.

The newly published research, led by Professor James Ward from the University of South Australia and co-authored by a team including Luca Coscieme from Trinity College Dublin, explains how a renewable future is achievable.

The study, published in the international journal, Energies, explores what changes are needed in our energy mix and technologies, as well as in our consumption patterns.

(Renewable Energy World), Dec. 21, 2020 -A Bloomberg Green article a week or so ago. It reported on future European plans to use hydrogen (H2) as a fuel “in modified gas turbines” to power airplanes. Similar reports have appeared in other reputable energy articles about how hydrogen is the optimal climate solution because its use will not create any air emissions.

What is true is that renewable power like solar or wind can split water into H2 to produce what the reporters claimed – “emissions free” energy. But that requires a complicated and expensive electrolysis process to make H2. That renewably generated “green hydrogen” would then be run through a fuel cell to make electricity. Fuel cells do not produce carbon dioxide (CO2) or other harmful emissions. There are many smart applications for fuel cell-derived power, in cars and heavy vehicles, and in various industrial applications – which is what an intelligent hydrogen economy might look like in the years to come.

(Renewable Energy World), Dec. 15, 2020 -US Solar and Minnesota Power announced that they have entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for a solar-plus-storage project in the City of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. This project is the result of collaboration between US Solar, Minnesota Power, Grand Rapids Public Utilities, the Itasca Clean Energy Team, and the City of Grand Rapids.

US Solar is developing the two-megawatt solar array and one-megawatt/2.5-hour energy storage battery on city-owned land near the Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport. The energy produced by the solar panels can be stored in the adjacent battery to be dispatched during times of high energy demand or when the sun is not shining. The solar array will include single-axis trackers and bifacial modules which significantly increase the efficiency of the solar array.

(abcNEWS), Dec. 14, 2020 -Green hydrogen, an alternative fuel generated with clean energy, is experiencing a global resurgence and has been identified as the clean energy source that could help bring the world to net-zero emissions in the coming decades.

It was initially touted in the U.S. during President George W. Bush's first term, when it was nicknamed the "freedom fuel."

Now, President-elect Joe Biden is promising that the U.S. will be able to access green hydrogen at the same cost as conventional hydrogen within a decade as part of his clean energy plan.

(H2-View), Dec. 3, 2020 -To be located in Denmark, the pilot includes a 3 MW Siemens Gamesa wind turbine owned by local partner Uhre Windpower, that will produce clean electricity to power a 400kW electrolyzer.

The machine will then split the water into oxygen and hydrogen, so that the hydrogen can be stored and later delivered to customers in the mobility sector, as part of a new partnership with Everfuel, who will distribute the hydrogen to refuelling stations across Denmark.

When fully operational, the project’s single turbine will produce enough hydrogen to fuel around 50-70 taxis each day. Carbon-free hydrogen, derived from low-cost, competitive wind power, can be stored and transported for use on demand.

(Renewable Energy World), Dec. 1, 2020 -The missing link between California solar power and Midwest wind energy may be a 600-mile stretch from southwestern Wyoming to northwestern Iowa.

A pair of energy consultants with Upper Midwest roots are promoting a $9.5 billion vision for an interstate transmission-plus-storage project aimed at connecting two long-separated regional electricity grids.

Rob Schulte and Fred Fletcher believe their Power from the Prairie concept would produce massive benefits for utilities, customers and the country’s clean energy transition, enabling variable wind and solar resources from multiple regions to backfill and balance each other out on the grid.

(ZME Science), Nov. 23, 2020 -To help meet the EU’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission last week presented the EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy, which proposes to increase Europe’s offshore wind capacity from its current level of 12 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030 and to 300 GW by 2050. The Commission aims to complement this with 40 GW of ocean energy capacity and other emerging technologies such as floating wind and solar by 2050.

The Commission said the growth will be based on the vast potential across all of Europe’s sea basins and on the global leadership of EU companies in the sector. It will create new opportunities for industry, generate green jobs across the continent, and strengthen the EU’s global leadership in offshore energy technologies. It will also ensure the protection of our environment, biodiversity and fisheries.

(The Revelator), Nov. 20, 2020 - How much of U.S. energy demand could be met by renewable sources?

According to a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the answer is an easy 100%.

The report looked at how much renewable energy potential each state had within its own borders and found that almost every state could deliver all its electricity needs from instate renewable sources.

(Science Daily), Nov. 18, 2020 -Researchers have developed a highly effective, environmentally friendly method for converting ammonia into hydrogen. The new technique is a major step forward for enabling a zero-pollution, hydrogen-fueled economy.

The idea of using ammonia as a carrier for hydrogen delivery has gained traction in recent years because ammonia is much easier to liquify than hydrogen and is therefore much easier to store and transport. This technological breakthrough overcomes several existing barriers to the production of clean hydrogen from ammonia.

(The Guardian), Nov. 14, 2020 -The world’s largest power station is planned for a vast piece of desert about half the size of greater suburban Sydney in Australia’s remote north-west.

Called the Asian Renewable Energy Hub, its size is difficult to conceptualize. If built in full, there will be 1,600 giant wind turbines and a 78 sq. km array of solar panels a couple of hundred kilometers east of Port Hedland in the Pilbara.

This solar-wind hybrid power plant would have a capacity of 26 gigawatts, more than Australia’s entire coal power fleet. The hub’s backers say the daytime sun and nightly winds blowing in from the Indian Ocean are perfectly calibrated to provide a near constant source of emissions-free energy around the clock.

(Renewable Energy World), Nov. 13, 2020 -With wildfires and public safety power shutoffs, it’s not that surprising to learn that California wineries are eyeing micro-grids as a way to boost their sustainability initiatives and also become more resilient.

EDF Renewables North America this week announced that sparkling wine company, Domaine Carneros, has asked it to design, build, and operate a resilient solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery energy storage micro-grid solution that can island the entire facility during a power outage.

The 250-kilowatt (kW) solar PV system will be a combination of carport and ground-mount installations integrated with a 280-kW / 540-kilowatt-hour (kWh) onsite behind-the-meter (BTM) battery storage solution. Along with its integrated electrical infrastructure and controls, the micro-grid system will allow the solar and storage to power the facility and maintain 100% of its operations during a power outage, reducing diesel fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and extend fuel reserves up to a week.

(Renewable Energy World), Nov. 12, 2020 -Using renewable electricity to convert water to hydrogen fuel is one answer for the energy storage needed for solar and wind power to reach their full potential. As prices and technology hurdles fall, supermajors are entering the sector.

Joe Biden has promised that the first day he is President, he will rejoin America to the Paris Climate Agreement. More than that, he can use the power of the presidency to drive the adoption of clean technologies, such as the hydrogen fuel projects that are now advancing worldwide.

Because the giant blades spinning in the wind and the fields of solar panels that are now part of our geography could be doing a lot more for us. When the electricity they generate doesn’t match moment-by-moment demand, it could power electrolyzers that split plain water into oxygen and “green” hydrogen – a fuel you can store for next week, and next season.

(Orsted)), Nov. 10, 2020 -The project, which is expected to be operational in 2024, will comprise a 50 Megawatt (MW) electrolyser system capable of generating one ton of renewable hydrogen per hour or almost 9,000 tons a year. This would be sufficient to replace approximately 20%of the refinery’s current fossil-based hydrogen consumption, avoiding around 80,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent emissions a year – equivalent to emissions from around 45,000 cars in Germany.

It is also intended to support a longer-term ambition to build more than 500MW of renewable hydrogen capacity at Lingen. This could provide renewable hydrogen to both meet all the refinery’s hydrogen demand and provide feedstock for future synthetic fuel production. The electrolyser is expected to be powered by an Ørsted North Sea offshore wind farm.

(ZME Science), Nov. 6, 2020 - We tend to think of fire mostly as something that engulfs wood, coal, petrol, and other flammables. It’s practical to do so — those are the things we burn when we need something to burn. But from a chemical point of view, almost everything burns, given the right conditions — including iron.

The Swinkels Family Brewers in the Netherlands has become the first business to use iron as a fuel for industrial application. It worked together with the Metal Power Consortium and researchers at TU Eindhoven to install a cyclical iron fuel system (more on that shortly) at its Brewery Bavaria, which is able to heat up around 15 million glasses of beer a year.

(News Break), Nov. 4, 2020 -Supported by Breakthrough Energy, the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center will advance a sector that is key to meeting Europe’s net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050. EIT InnoEnergy the leading engine for innovation and entrepreneurship in sustainable energy in Europe, today (November 4th) launched the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration...

(greener ideal), Nov. 3, 2020 -The US solar industry has seen a substantial boom period in the last several years.

Since 2010, we’ve seen a solar growth rate of 68%, thanks to advancements in PV technology, falling costs, and state government incentives that make solar investment a positive move for American homeowners.

But the advancement of solar holds benefits far beyond the financial and environmental. Solar has become one of the fastest growing employment industries in the nation, rising at a rate 17% higher than the US average.

(Renewable Energy World), Nov. 3, 2020 - This week, The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) announced that it has achieved net zero emissions and sourced 100% renewable electricity globally for its direct operations, reaching the target it set when it joined RE100. That is a global initiative seeking to bring corporations together to pledge to meet 100 % of their electricity with clean energy and set other sustainability goals.

Building upon this achievement, the company has also met its goal to set science-based emissions reduction targets for its direct operations and value chain.

(ZME Science), Oct. 27, 2020 -New research at Soochow University, China, is looking at how and why perovskite materials degrade — with the hope of engineering solar panels with much longer lives.

Perovskite panels aren’t the only type of solar panels out there, but they are very popular ones. They’re constructed around an active layer of perovskite, which forms crystal structures. Over time, stresses inside the material sandwich can create distortions in these crystals, which reduces their symmetry — essentially wearing them out. Environmental factors like sunlight or temperatures also degrade the layer.

The paper, together with a research update published in the journal APL Materials looked at the factors that influence the degradation of this layer, how degradation influences its performance, and examined possible approaches to making them more resilient.

(CleanTechnica), Oct. 27, 2020 -Researchers at the University of York in the UK, in collaboration with the NOVA University of Lisbon, say they have found a way to boost the output of solar cells by up to 125%. Regular readers know I am math challenged, so I am not going to get caught up in a discussion of what that claim actually means mathematically. Instead, I am going to let the abstract of their study, published recently by the journal Optica, speak for itself. [Note: the study is made available pursuant to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

There is a lot of technical information contained in that report, so if you are interested in the nuts and bolts of this discovery, feel free to delve deeper. The article is entitled “Light trapping in solar cells: simple design rules to maximize absorption” and is written by Kezheng Li, Sirazul Haque, Augusto Martins, Elvira Fortunato, Rodrigo Martins, Manuel J. Mendes, and Christian S. Schuster.

(Renewable Energy World), Oct. 23, 2020 -A new analysis by Rewiring America — a grant-funded non-profit — shows that transitioning to 100% clean energy would save Americans as much as $321 billion in energy costs. The report, No Place Like Home: Fighting Climate Change (and Saving Money) by Electrifying America’s Households by Drs. Saul Griffith and Sam Calisch, finds that the 100% clean energy transition would be mean up to $2,585 ?per year? in savings to each American household’s energy bills.

The report builds on an earlier analysis by Rewiring America that shows that clean energy electrification could create 25 million new jobs. Every zip code in the country would see employment gains.

Today the average American household spends approximately $4,470 per year on heating and cooling the home, generating hot water, and driving cars, according to the report. Transitioning away from fossil fuels and electrifying the U.S. economy – replacing fossil fuel-based machines with electric versions at every opportunity, and switching our electricity generation from dirty sources such as coal to clean ones such as rooftop solar – would provide significant savings to every American.

(ZME Science), Oct. 22, 2020 - Known as Sun Cable, the world’s largest solar farm will deploy a whooping 10-gigawatt-capacity of solar panels by 2026 in the Australian outback. The $20 billion mega energy project will take up about 12,000 hectares on a cattle station halfway between Alice Springs and Darwin.

Although some of this spectacular amount of energy will be enjoyed by Australians, most of it will be exported to Singapore, where it will meet 20% of the island state’s electricity demand. The project will also involve the longest power cable in the world, as well as the largest battery.

(Renewable Energy World), Oct. 20, 2020 -Today, SunBug Solar, a Massachusetts-based solar solutions provider, announced that it completed construction of a dual-use solar-terra photovoltaic system in Monson, Massachusetts. The design of the system allows the local landowner to harvest both sun from above and crops from below on land which has been in the family for three generations.

The system, dubbed “Million Little Sunbeams,” is the first operational dual-use agricultural photovoltaic (PV) system in the state, said SunBug.

(POWERGRID International), Oct. 16, 2020 -Gasoline-powered vehicles would become a thing of the past, and nine out of every 10 buildings in New Jersey would be heated and cooled by electricity instead of natural gas or oil, under an ambitious plan laid out Thursday by the state’s environmental regulators.

It is an effort so far-reaching and transformative of the way everyday life is lived in the state that its cost is sure to be great — so great that authorities did not even try to estimate it.

Officials with the state Department of Environmental Protection released a report Thursday outlining the state’s progress in meeting goals to reduce the emission of planet-warming greenhouse gases.

Shawn LaTourette, the DEP’s deputy commissioner and chief of staff, predicted the plan would be attacked from the left and the right.

(Renewable Energy World), Oct. 15, 2020 -National Grid, through its competitive, non-regulated National Grid Ventures unit, today announced the launch of National Grid Renewables, the new brand name for its US renewable energy business which includes solar, onshore wind and battery storage. National Grid Renewables is focused on accelerating the clean energy transition through developing, owning and operating large-scale renewable energy assets across the United States.

“National Grid has a critical role to play in the acceleration of a cleaner energy future, which is why we’re pleased to be launching National Grid Renewables to further underscore our commitment to reaching net zero,” said Daniel Westerman, President, Renewable Energy for National Grid. “In addition to being positive for our planet, developing new renewable energy projects creates jobs and spurs economic development in communities across America. We look forward to expanding our positive social and environmental impact as we look ahead, all while delivering strong shareholder value.”

(ZME Science), Oct. 15, 2020 - Led by solar power, renewable energy could account for 80% of the growth in electricity generation over the next decade, according to a report by the IEA. It’s now consistently cheaper to generate electricity from the sun than by burning coal or natural gas in most countries, IEA said.

Maturing technologies and policies have significantly reduced the cost of solar power investments, making photovoltaic cells one of the cheapest sources of electricity. These energy systems can be used not only in large-scale solar parks but also in homes or businesses across the world.

Lisa Friedman,(ZME Science), Oct. 9, 2020 -Tech giants, major retailers and other corporate leaders are making investments in clean energy. The group collectively installed 1,286 megawatts (MW) of new commercial solar capacity in the United States in 2019, the second largest year on record according to the latest Solar Means Business report. The annual report, released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), tracks both on-site and off-site installations and highlights the strong appeal of cost-saving solar energy for American businesses.

Apple and Amazon remain in first and second place when it comes to the top corporate solar users, followed by Walmart, which installed the most solar in 2019 and increased its solar use by 35%. This year was also the largest year yet for onsite commercial solar installations with 845 MW installed.

(CleanTechnica), Oct. 5, 2020 - A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which is part of the US Department of Energy, suggests that if floating solar panels are deployed on the more than 379,000 hydro reservoirs globally, the resultant hybrid systems could generate anywhere from 16% to 40% of the world’s demand for electricity.

In a press release, the NREL says adding floating solar panels to bodies of water that are already home to hydropower stations could produce as much as 7.6 terawatts of potential power a year from the solar PV systems alone. That’s equivalent to 10,600?terawatt-hours of electricity annually. In comparison, global final electricity consumption was just over 22,300 terawatt-hours in 2018, the most recent year for which statistics are available, according to the International Energy Agency.

(Renewable Energy World), Sept. 30, 2020 -Yesterday, PepsiCo Inc. and REI Co-op announced major renewable energy commitments. PepsiCo now aims to source 100% renewable electricity across its company owned and controlled operations globally by 2030 and across its entire franchise and third-party operations by 2040. While REI Co-op announced that is has completed a 14-year commitment to be carbon neutral in its operations by 2020. REI Co-op also launched a new climate platform that will more than halve its carbon footprint over the next decade – even as the company anticipates future growth.

PepsiCo’s transition could reduce approximately 2.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040 according to the company. This announcement also builds on PepsiCo’s efforts to increase use of renewable energy sources and transition to renewable electricity in the U.S., under the Business Ambition for 1.5°C pledge, announced earlier this year. The company is also a part of RE100, an initiative led by the Climate Group.

(Renewable Energy World), Sept. 28, 2020 -The community project is comprised of 557kW of rooftop solar paired with 490kW four-hour Tesla Powerpack lithium-ion battery storage.

It is expected to provide the participants with approximately 10% savings on their monthly electricity bills over 25 years, as well as provide power to 12 Tesla electric vehicle charging stations.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority(NYSERDA) provided nearly $800,000 in support of project.

Installation was by IPPsolar and it is owned and operated by the property company Urstadt Biddle Properties.

(Renewable Energy World), Sept. 24, 2020 -It's the first virtual energy storage program in the US. StorageShares allows SMUD’s commercial customers to invest in an off-site battery storage system and enjoy energy cost savings without siting batteries at their facilities. In this newly launched pilot program, eligible commercial customers make an up-front payment to SMUD for program participation; in exchange, they receive a monthly on-bill credit. SMUD bundles the investments from program participants with its own capital, procures a battery, and installs it in a location that optimizes grid benefits.

The program provides guaranteed savings to the customer without impacting their business operations, imposing maintenance obligations, or requiring physical space at their business for a battery system. All SMUD customers benefit from the Energy StorageShares program because SMUD’s costs are reduced through peak demand reduction and deferral of distribution system investments.

(Renewable Energy World), Sept. 25, 2020 -Entergy Corp. will collaborate with Mitsubishi Power on bringing decarbonization projects to the utility’s businesses in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

A major part of the collaboration will be focused on hydrogen-fueled technologies. Hydrogen does not contain a carbon atom and can be produced via electrolysis fueled by renewable or carbon-free nuclear resources.

“For two decades, sustainability has been a priority for Entergy,” said Paul Hinnenkamp, Entergy’s Chief Operating Officer and executive vice president. “We have pledged to conduct our business in a manner that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable that will benefit all our stakeholders...

(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.

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.

(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.

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 - 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.

Dec. 15, 2017 - 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.

May 13, 2019, -A new floating solar farm in Albania crossed the CleanTechnica radar last month, and going by the comment thread it appears that not everyone in the whole entire world thinks that waterborne solar panels are such a great idea. On the other hand, the skeptics are being overruled by some heavy hitters in the renewable energy industry.

Among those in the latter category is Christian Rynning-Tønnesen, CEO of Norway’s Statkraft. He sat down with CleanTechnica last week to provide his insights on renewable energy in general and floating solar in particular.

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.

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.

Jan. 2, 2019 Arcadia Power -Despite a number of alarming climate change headlines, 2018 had many big wins for renewable energy. The proliferation of solar and wind power went beyond almost all previous predictions, a record number of states, communities, and companies have joined the renewable energy 100 pledge, and many more.

Here’s a small collection of some of our favorite renewable energy headlines and milestones from the past year. Sneak preview: the future is bright.

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 -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.