A solar cell that does double duty for renewable energy
industry, renewable energy, solar energy
"In the quest for abundant, renewable alternatives to fossil fuels, scientists have sought to harvest the sun's energy through "water splitting," an artificial photosynthesis technique that uses sunlight to generate hydrogen fuel from water. But water-splitting devices have yet to live up to their potential because there still isn't a design for materials with the…
Study: Forage May Benefit From Solar Panel Shade
carbon free, renewable energy, solar energy
Power demands are set to increase by two-fold within the current century and a high fraction of that demand should be met by carbon free sources. Among the renewable energies, solar energy is among the fastest growing; therefore, a comprehensive and accurate design methodology for solar systems and how they interact with the local environment…
Utilities benefit from renewable energy growth
financial reportings, industry, renewable energy, solar energy
"Even at a glance, NextEra Energy's (NYSE: NEE) third-quarter results are impressive. Earnings per share grew 18 percent, thumping management's long-term compound annual growth target of 6 to 8 percent. That keeps the utility on track for another 12 to 14 percent dividend boost early next year. But the best news is inside that performance.…
Can Illinois handle a 2000% jump in solar capacity? We're about to find out.
solar energy, US
"Illinois is about to learn what it takes to manage a nearly 20-fold increase in solar power. A new state law requires utilities to dramatically increase their purchases of renewable energy, with a goal of getting at least 25 percent of the state's electricity from clean energy by 2025, a large part of it from…
PG&E's record-breaking battery proposal wins approval from regulators
battery system, california, CPUC, PG&E, solar energy
"California utility regulators approved Pacific Gas & Electric's proposal to build the two largest battery systems in the world. The 4-1 vote marks a landmark development in California's quest to decarbonize its electrical system by shifting from natural gas to non-emitting sources for flexible power. "Not only will this help California integrate solar and reduce…
Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications
renewable energy, research, solar energy
Designing, financing, and operating successful solar heating, concentrating solar power, and photovoltaic systems requires reliable information about the solar resource available and its variability over time. In the past, seasonal and daily variability has been studied and understood; however, with new solar technologies becoming more important in energy supply grids, small time-scale effects are critical…
Portland General Electric to develop 'smart grids' in 3 Oregon towns
micrgrids, renewable energy, solar energy, storage
"The Oregon towns of Hillsboro, Portland and Milwaukie will make up PGE's Smart Grid Test Bed, where the utility will leverage advanced communications capabilities and distribution system upgrades to deliver demand response signals to customers using a range of smart-home technologies. Almost all of the utility's customers have been using smart meters since 2010." Click…
Ancient pigment can boost energy efficiency
renewable energy, solar energy
"A color developed by Egyptians thousands of years ago has a modern-day application as well – the pigment can boost energy efficiency by cooling rooftops and walls, and could also enable solar generation of electricity via windows. Egyptian blue, derived from calcium copper silicate, was routinely used on ancient depictions of gods and royalty. Previous…
The Magic Kingdom is going green
"Before the end of 2018, Disney will flip the switch on a sprawling 50-megawatt solar power facility composed of more than a half-million solar panels, just outside Disney's Animal Kingdom. The move is aimed, in part, at helping Disney achieve its larger plan to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent worldwide by 2020,…
Organic Valley to share its solar power with nearby communities
electricity, renewable energy, solar energy
"That status makes it a natural move to work with rural communities "to create new sources of energy right here at home that can be shared by all," said George Siemon, one of Organic Valley's founding farmers who now is the company's CEO. "We are committed to achieving 100 percent renewable electricity for our cooperative…
Pairing Wind + Solar for cheaper, 24-hour renewable energy
energy storage, solar energy, wind farm
"Invenergy is starting with a 175 megawatt wind farm. Within the wind farm, it plans to build a 150 megawatt solar farm. Together, they would produce enough electricity for about 75,000 homes. The wind and solar energy complement each other. They hit their peaks at different times of day and night, allowing them to provide…
Chernobyl is producing energy again
nuclear, renewable energy, solar energy
"With the land unfit for much else other than nuclear tourists, and a direct connection to the country's power grid already in place, the solar plant could become quite large. According to Agence France-Presse, Ukrainian authorities have offered investors another 6,425 acres to expand the size of the solar plant at a relatively low price.…
We gotta get a better battery. But how?
batteries, solar energy
"If batteries are to play their part, they must cost less than one-fifth the likely minimum cost of lithium-ion batteries (around $100 a kilowatt hour). To solve that problem, material scientists have turned to alternatives to lithium-ion, creating heavily capitalized companies like Aquion, which manufactured salt-water batteries, or LightSail, which wanted to store energy as…
Summer solstice sets solar record in California
record, solar energy, solar generation
"On June 21, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, CAISO reported a total solar electricity generation record of 112 GWh. This is equivalent to 16% of all electricity consumed during the day." Click here to read more from PV Magazine.
Scientists create 'artificial photosynthesis' to generate clean energy
photosynthesis, solar, solar energy, solar panels
"Solar panels are fine and all (they're certainly a lot better than they were a few decades ago) but this form of solar energy collection and storage is inherently flawed. Despite their growing popularity, solar panels are nowhere near as efficient as, say, living plants at turning sunlight into power. For one thing, solar panels…