New Report Finds Thermal Energy Storage Could Add Value To Solar Energy
A new report from NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, could help spur the development of more utility scale concentrating solar power plants with thermal energy storage features while boosting the market for solar cells, too. The report indicates that CSP/energy storage projects could add value to utility scale solar energy in California, and they would enable more solar cell development by creating additional grid flexibility.
California’s ambitious renewable energy goal for 2020 also plays a key role, so keep in mind that the NREL added-value findings for thermal energy storage are transferable to only to other states with similar aspirations.
Residential Energy Generation and Storage Will Reach $71.6 Billion in Annual Revenue by 2023, Forecasts Navigant Research
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which enable customers to generate some of their own electricity and sell unneeded power back to their utility, are the most visible form of the broad disruption caused by distributed energy resources (DER). The growing affordability of DER technologies is altering utilities’ traditional relationship with residential customers by giving customers greater control of their energy consumption. According to a new report from Navigant Research, worldwide revenue from all forms of residential distributed generation and energy storage will grow from $52.7 billion annually in 2014 to $71.6 billion in 2023.
“Rooftop solar PV is just one of the technologies that are transforming the traditional residential power industry,” says Neil Strother, principal research analyst with Navigant Research. “Some of these technologies, such as residential combined heat and power, are in the early stages of market development, while solar panels are more mature. Nonetheless, these energy innovations and attractive financing mechanisms provide residential customers with new options.”
One key driver for this sector, according to the report, is continuing advances in new technologies, such as more efficient energy storage systems (ESSs). These advances, along with government subsidies for ESSs, often in the form of feed-in tariffs, are enabling the combination of rooftop solar PV systems and residential energy storage in order to collect and store energy for use when sunlight is unavailable or there is a power outage.
Buffett to double his $15 billion solar, wind investments
Warren Buffett is ready to double his $15 billion investment in renewable energy, according to reports.
Speaking at the Edison Electric Institute’s annual convention in Las Vegas Monday, Buffett described how he had briefly lost track of how much Berkshire Hathaway had invested in the sector and needed a reminder from a deputy. Buffett said he responded “there’s another $15 billion ready to go,” according to Bloomberg News.
Buffett’s investments include wind farms in Iowa as well as solar farms in California and Arizona.
Buffett also vowed to keep investing in utilities. The sector may not make you rich, but it will keep you rich, the legendary investor was quoted as saying in another report.
Berkshire Hathaway’s MidAmerican Energy last year bought two co-located solar-power projects that combined are the largest solar project in the world. Last month, MidAmerican said it will supply Google Inc. facilities in Iowa with electricity from wind power.
The most efficent wind turbine
A new windmill design loosely based on Archimedes’s screw principle, aims to change this, however. A Dutch startup aptly named The Archimedes has re-worked the concept of the windmill to move away from the traditional concept of using the pressure differential between the front and rear of the device to move the rotors.
The Liam F1 Urban Wind Turbine, modeled after a Nautilus shell, measures about 1.5 meters wide and weighs 75 Kg — an ideal size for installation in a residential setting. The turbine is rated to achieve an efficiency “80 percent of the maximum that is theoretically feasible."
According to the creators, the device is designed to provide enough electricity to power an apartment or small home. “The Liam F1 generates an average of 1,500 kilowatt-hours of energy [per year] at a wind-speed of 5 m/s [16.4 ft/s], which resembles half of the power consumption of a common household.” The Liam can even adjust to wind direction, which enables it to maximize power generation even with changing conditions.
The Liam is priced at Eur 3,999 or about US$ 5,450 and will start retailing by July 1st. The Archimedes says it has sold 7,000 units in 14 countries so far. The company says it has undertaken field tests for efficiency and power generation “over 50 times,” in which it has achieved its rated output and efficiency.
WINNERS OF THE INTERSOLAR AWARD 2014 AND THE ELECTRICAL ENERGY STORAGE (EES) AWARD 2014
Intersolar Europe, the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry and its partners, pays tribute to the solar industry's innovative strength for the seventh time. The ten most innovative companies were honored during an official ceremony that took place today at Intersolar Europe's Innovation Exchange. The Intersolar AWARD was presented to groundbreaking solutions in the categories of Photovoltaics (PV) and Solar Projects in Europe. For the first time, the electrical energy storage (ees) AWARD recognizes innovations in battery and energy storage technology.
This year, around 3,500 companies from all international Intersolar exhibitions and the electrical energy storage (ees) exhibition were invited to impress the jury with their innovations. Applicants could only put forward products, projects, services and solutions which were undergoing testing, which were already in use or which showed significant developments to existing technologies at the time of submission. All solar projects had to have been completed within the last two years. The assessment criteria reflected the challenges posed by the market. Experts examined the degree of technological innovation, the benefit for industry, the environment and society, the economic viability of the solution and proof of its innovative quality.
Full Release:
Making Solar Panels in China Takes Lots of Dirty Energy
Manufacturing solar panels can be a dirty business, from the mining of raw materials to the chemical-laced process of purifying silicon to the assembly of silicon wafers.
Solar energy is a renewable source, of course, but it’s essential to examine the full supply chain to gauge its total environmental impact. One potential concern is the use, containment, and disposal of toxic chemicals. Another is the energy-efficiency of the manufacturing process and the source of the energy used.
Researchers at Northwestern University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory recently examined the solar panel production process in different locations and published their findings in the July issue of the journal Solar Energy. “We estimated that a solar panel’s carbon footprint is about twice as high when made in China and used in Europe, compared to those locally made and used in Europe,” says Fengqi You, a co-author of the paper and an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern. “While it might be an economically attractive option to move solar panel manufacturing from Europe to China, it is actually less sustainable from the life cycle energy and environmental perspective.”
The primary differences, the researchers found, are the less stringent enforcement of environmental regulations in China coupled with the country’s more coal-dependent power sector. “It takes a lot of energy to extract and process solar-grade silicon,” says co-author Seth Darling. “And in China, that energy tends to come from dirtier and less efficient energy sources than it does in Europe.”
EPA Sets Draft Rule to Cut Carbon Emissions by 30% by 2030
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday released a draft rule to regulate carbon emissions from hundreds of fossil-fired power plants across the U.S., the cornerstone of President Barack Obama's climate-change agenda. The proposed rule mandates that power plants cut U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions 30% by 2030 from levels seen in 2005, an aggressive target that marks the first attempt at limiting such pollution.
The carbon framework seeks to strike a balance between what environmentalists want—an ambitious overall target—with what the utility industry wants—flexibility, a long compliance timeline and an earlier base-year calculation from which to meet the goal. Carbon emissions have dropped since 2005, making the overall reduction smaller than it would have been if the EPA had used a more-recent year for a baseline.
Unorthodox Forms of Alternative Energy
Not all of these technologies will make it out of the concept stage, and many are decades away from becoming practical. What may seem weird today might just be a reality in the future.
Intersolar North America 2014 - Special News Report
News announcements from show. Open for exhibitors - publish your news here.
Powering NASA'S Off-grid Operations
Planetary Power's HyGen is a complete reinvention of the diesel generator that combines innovations in renewable energy, battery storage and engine efficiency for a robust power generation platform.
Energy from Agricultural Waste
Even a small farmer could join a co-op and get in on this trend. These co-ops are growing and are being promoted by organizations interested in furthering the cause of renewable energy.
The Smart Grid And Multifamily Dwelling Challenges
We need to apply good systems engineering principles to policy creation to address the benefits gaps that confront multifamily stakeholders today.
Learn About Three New Finance Models for Non-Profits Wanting to Go Solar
REC Solar has developed new solar financing partnerships that are tailored to the needs of non-profits, such as churches, hospitals, HOA's, and charitable organizations.
Survival Strategies in the Atacama Desert: Chilean Lithium Miners Manage by Playing the Regs
Lithium is an essential component of batteries for small electronics and large electric vehicles as well as for materials for the housing and construction industry. In this interview with The Mining Report, economist Daniela Desormeaux, founder of signumBOX and widely quoted expert on industrial chemicals, shines a light on the lithium industry for investors looking for a new opportunity.
Energy Star Certified Homes in the US
Texas leads the ENERGY STAR certified homes in 2013 and continuing its leading position in Q1 2014.
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