Wind power was Spain's top source of electricity in 2013
Remarkable new figures from Spain's grid operator have revealed that greenhouse gas emissions from the country's power sector are likely to have fallen 23.1% last year, as power generation from wind farms and hydroelectric plants soared.
Red Eléctrica de España (REE) released a preliminary report on the country's power system late last month, revealing that for "the first time ever, [wind power] contributed most to the annual electricity demand coverage". According to the figures, wind turbines met 21.1% of electricity demand on the Spanish peninsular, narrowly beating the region's fleet of nuclear reactors, which provided 21% of power.
In total, wind farms are estimated to have generated 53,926 gigawatt hours of electricity, up 12% on 2012, while high levels of rainfall meant hydroelectric power output was 16% higher than the historical average, climbing to 32,205GWh.
"Throughout 2013, the all-time highs of wind power production were exceeded," the report stated. "On 6 February, wind power recorded a new maximum of instantaneous power with 17,056MW at 3:49 pm (2.5 per cent up on the previous record registered in April 2012), and that same day the all-time maximum for hourly energy was also exceeded reaching 16,918MWh. Similarly, in January, February, March and November wind power generation was the technology that made the largest contribution towards the total energy production of the system."
An increase in wind power capacity of 173MW coupled with an increase in solar PV capacity of 140MW and solar thermal capacity of 300MW meant that by the end of the year renewables represented 49.1% of total installed power capacity on the Spanish peninsula.
School in Croatia crowdfunding its way to energy independence
One primary school in Croatia has an ambitious plan to become one of the first energy independent schools in the world. Its first step towards that goal is to gather the funds for the PV system on the roof through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.
Solar Energy World Launches the S.U.N Report
Maryland-based Company Launches New Website & Blog to Educate Consumers About Solar Energy
Major solar energy plan for Minnesota wins support over gas
In an unprecedented decision, a Minnesota judge this week held that utility supplier Xcel Energy should invest in the solar energy developer Geronimo Energy rather than in natural gas generators because that choice is the better economical and environmental deal for the state.
Judge Eric Lipman's ruling must be approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which initially ordered the proceeding to force energy companies to compete on price. The commission is expected to issue its final ruling in March.
Lipman said in the 50-page ruling, issued Tuesday, that the Geronimo project "will have numerous socioeconomic benefits, minimal impacts on the environment and best supports Minnesota's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases."
The decision, if approved, would help Xcel fulfill its requirement to attain 1.5 percent of its power from the sun by 2020 under a new state energy law.
Geronimo Vice President Betsy Engelking said the decision marks a turning point for the solar industry because it is the first time that unsubsidized solar energy has gone head-to-head with natural gas resources and been selected as the best option.
"The judge decided that it was the best option for economic and environment reasons," Engelking told Al Jazeera. "Economically, the judge found that it was the lowest cost option offered."
If the decision stands, Geronimo plans to build roughly 20 solar arrays at a cost of $250 million.
Let the Sun In: Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept Goes Off the Grid, Gives Glimpse of Clean Vehicle Future
Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept harnesses the power of the sun by using a special concentrator that acts like a magnifying glass, directing intense rays to solar panels on the vehicle roof.
Canadian Solar Completes the Sale of Mississippi Mills Solar Power Plant to TransCanada
The Mississippi Mills 10 megawatt AC solar power plant is located in the town of Mississippi Mills in Eastern Ontario.
Hanwha SolarOne to Supply 11.5 MW to Ikaros Solar
Leading Belgian solar company to install high-quality modules in UK
Ensupra Solar Installs 100-Kilowatt (kW) Solar Project at Viswa Lab
Ensupra Solar team is installing 100KW of solar panels at a commercial building in Houston, Texas. The company has been installing solar panels on commercial and residential buildings across the USA.
SunModo Partners with Community Solar Solutions for Go Solar Campaign
SunModo Corp., an innovative racking solutions provider for solar power systems, is proud to partner with Community Solar Solutions (CSS) on Go Solar South Kitsap, bringing solar power to homes and businesses in Washington.
Architects, Engineers Score More LEED® Points with Kingspan at NYC 2014 AHR Expo
Kingspan Solar Thermal and Commercial Rainwater Harvesting systems help Architects, Engineers and Designers boost LEED® points at 2014 AHR Expo
UC Riverside to Host Solar Energy Conference
Conference on Feb. 6 will focus on solar energy technologies, public policy and environmental issues in Inland Southern California
One year after winning trade ruling, SolarWorld works to finish job of restoring U.S. competition
Actions counter China's ongoing erosion of U.S. manufacturing industry
GOOGLE GLASS IMPROVES SAFETY, EFFICIENCY AND PROCESSES FOR SULLIVAN SOLAR POWER
First Solar Company in U.S. to Utilize Google's Latest Innovation for Corporate Efficiency
SEIA Calls for Negotiations to End China Solar Trade Dispute
SEIA has encouraged the U.S. and Chinese governments and key industry stakeholders to find common ground, even putting forth a settlement proposal.
PVinsights : Polysilicon price remains a significant price improvement in the first week of 2014.
polysilicon suppliers are strategically raising prices seeing solid downstream PV system deployment, although there is no obvious polysilicon shortage.
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