'Mega' floating solar power plants open in Japan
Two floating solar power plants capable of providing electricity for 1,000 homes have been completed in Japan.
The latest such "mega-plants" at Nishihira and Higashihira Ponds in Kato City are the work of electronics giant Kyocera Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation, and took just seven months to install. The plant's 11,250 modules are expected to generate 3,300 megawatt hours (MWh) every year.
According to Kyocera, besides being typhoon-proof (due to their sturdy, high-density polyethylene and array design) floating solar plants are superior to their land-based equivalents because of the cooling effect of the water, which allows them to function more efficiently. Reservoirs are also an ideal location because the panels produce shade, which reduces water evaporation and promotes algae growth. A report by Korea Water Resources Corporation found that the lower temperatures of the floating modules mean they are 11 percent more efficient than land-based equivalents. The report identified unsolved issues with the plants, too, however. It said the study had to discard data collected when the panels moved in the wind, and said research into new mooring systems was "continually needed".
WINAICO supplies 2.6 MW of modules to Europe's largest crowdfunded solar project
WINAICO supplies 2.6 MW of solar modules to almost 750 roofs across Berwickshire, Scotland, in Europe's largest ever crowdfunded solar project
Circular Energy Urges Texas Senator To Extend Solar Investment Tax Credit
James D. Steffes, CEO of Circular Energy, today included his signature on a letter by SEIA to Congress concerning extending the 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC).
MIT invention uses solar power to make ocean water drinkable
USAID recently announced the winners of the Desal Prize, part of a competition to see who could create an affordable desalination solution for developing countries. The idea was to create a system that could remove salt from water and meet three criteria: it had to be cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and energy efficient.
The winners of the $125,000 first prize were a group from MIT and Jain Irrigation Systems. The group came up with a method that uses solar panels to charge a bank of batteries. The batteries then power a system that removes salt from the water through electrodialysis. On the most basic level, that means that dissolved salt particles, which have a slight electric charge, are drawn out of the water when a small electrical current is applied. In addition to getting rid of salt (which makes water unusable for crops and for drinking), the team also applied UV light to disinfect some of the water as it passed through the system.
Using the sun instead of fossil fuels to power a desalination plant isn't a totally new idea. Larger solar desalination plants are being seriously investigated in areas where water is becoming a scarce resource, including Chile and California. While proponents hope to eventually could provide water to large numbers of people, the technology is still expensive (though prices are dropping) and requires a lot of intricate technology.
Chinese Suppliers Continued to Lead the Solar PV Module Market in 2014, IHS Says
Trina Solar rose to become the top global PV module supplier in 2014
FUGRO COMPLETES OF ONE OF OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY'S LARGEST EVER GEOTECHNICAL CAMPAIGNS AT HORNSEA PROJECT ONE
Fugro has successfully completed one of the largest seabed investigation campaigns in the history of the offshore wind industry in preparation for DONG Energy's 1.2 gigawatt Hornsea Project One project.
Deploying 72-cell SolarWorld solar panels, USDA system will be biggest in D.C. area
Project totaling 1.5 megawatts of photovoltaics will power office and research facility
Japan's $21 Million Microgrid Investment Boosting Renewable Sector, says GlobalData
Ministry of Energy encouraging microgrid development in Japan, with $21 million funding for independent demonstration projects
---- Reduced approval time for renewable projects will help Japans renewable energy capacity to almost double between 2014 and 2025, says analyst
Radiance Solar Completes Installation for Wilsonart
Global Manufacturer Adopts Solar Power to Meet Economic and Sustainability Goals
ViZn Energy Systems' Zinc-Iron Flow Battery Commissioned at Randolph-Macon College as Part of Dominion Solar Project
Project demonstrating grid-scale energy storage with solar generation
Axiom Exergy Slashes Supermarkets' Energy Bills by Converting Refrigeration Systems into Low-Cost Energy Storage Assets
Axiom Exergy's Refrigeration Battery enables commercial buildings with high refrigeration-based energy loads to intelligently "store refrigeration" for later use, reducing peak electricity demand by up to 40 percent. This new, low-cost approach to energy storage enables supermarkets to boost their razor-thin profit margins by: a) shifting electricity demand to inexpensive, overnight hours; and b) providing backup cooling to avoid catastrophic food spoilage during power outages.
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas Completes Multimillion Project to Reduce Carbon Footprint
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas has completed a multimillion-dollar cogeneration plant on the Island of Kauai. It is the first instance in the Hawaiian Islands where a cogeneration system has the capacity to generate up to 100% of a resorts energy needs.
SolBid Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Raise Funds for Initiative 'Brighter Classrooms'
Solar energy start up, SolBid has made it their mission to help schools from the looming educational budget deficit in the U.S. through the use of solar energy.
Infocast's 6th Offshore Wind Development & Finance Summit Returns to the East Coast this June
Is 2015 Going to be the Year for the North American Offshore Wind Industry?
Solectria Introduces the PVI 36TL Transformerless Three-Phase String Inverter
Solectria - A Yaskawa Company, a leading U.S. PV inverter manufacturer, announced the introduction of the PVI 36TL adding to its three-phase, 1000 VDC, transformerless string inverter line.
Records 9991 to 10005 of 10290
First | Previous | Next | Last
Other Renewables - Featured Product
Quality assurance in the manufacturing industry
Efficiency and precision with CSP software. In the highly competitive world of manufacturing, quality assurance is a critical factor for success. CSP offers you state-of-the-art software solutions specifically designed to ensure the highest standards of quality assurance in the manufacturing industry.
