Originally published on the NRDC Expert Blog. By Arjun Krishnaswami The cost of energy storage is plummeting as performance is improving, and Congress is moving to help storage technologies continue to advance. Spurring innovation is far from all we need to do to address the climate crisis facing us, but it’s a necessary component and a
The winning projects of a global competition for innovative carbon-free and resilient urban projects were announced in Oslo and sent to us by C40 CITIES. Have a look.
The 2018 New Energy Outlook from BNEF predicts a surge in battery storage in coming years, leading to half of all electricity coming from renewable sources by mid-century.
Tesla Motors is not an electric car company that also makes batteries. It is a battery company that also makes electric cars. Those batteries will be necessary to complete the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy says Elon Musk.
Entering into a 37-year agreement with Dominion Virginia Power, the Department of the Navy (DoN) recently announced plans for a 21 MW direct current, or DC solar facility in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Following closely on the heels of a 10-year purchase contract for 25 MW DC for Naval Station Norfolk, the new DC solar facility
This country’s utilities are addressing disruptive changes taking place in a number of different ways. Some adhere to more standard business models, moving at a painstaking snail’s pace in order to make any kind of change, no matter how timely the alterations. Then there are others who are embracing innovation, looking at the universe of changing technologies
Originally published on Apricum. By Florian Mayr If you ask a random person on the street what a battery is used for, they would probably first think of the useful items keeping their laptops, smartphones and (electric) cars working. In fact, mobile devices account for the most widespread usage of batteries these days (about 85%
Prices for German solar power storage systems have reportedly fallen 25% since the spring. The data come from the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar). Also according to BSW-Solar, approximately 15,000 German households now use battery storage combined with solar power, and that number has been growing faster and faster as the costs have come down. As an example
Five years ago, not many people had any idea the home solar PV market would grow so fast. But it did, and there’s no stopping its momentum now. Similarly, I don’t think many people realize how fast the home storage market is going to grow. Home energy storage is not financially practical for many people
Living off the grid has great appeal to a lot of people. It sounds idyllic. You are no longer dependent on broader society (well, at least not for electricity). You no longer send your money to a greedy monopoly month after month. You largely rely on the clean electricity generated by your rooftop solar panels
This article is part of the ‘Think Further Thursday’ series, sponsored by Fred Alger Management, Inc. For more ‘Think Further’ content and videos, visit thinkfurtheralger.com. http://youtu.be/VLN0F2aldlI In 2064, solar power and wind power will be have become so cheap that fossil fuel or nuclear power plants will be ancient relics of another era. However, solar
This year, we have seen the largest-ever outpouring of reporting and planning for inevitable climate change in the Anthropocene. One of the latest studies, REthinking Energy, draws on worldwide research and financial analysis to form some conclusions about changing our mix of energy, one of the major drivers of the phenomenon, as earth’s population continues to
Suntech was the largest solar module manufacturer in the world for years, then a combination of some illegal moves and a harsh financial environment for solar module manufacturers crushed the company, leading it to bankruptcy. Suntech is finally on the upswing after all of that. However, rather than focusing solely on solar, the Chinese company is
Houses in select KB Home communities located in in Irvine, El Dorado Hills, and San Diego, CA, will be able to not only generate their own clean energy with home solar power systems, but will also be able to store that energy, thanks to the pilot program in a collaboration between SunPower and KB Home.
In what could be a potential gamechanger for wider adoption of renewable energy as a bigger component of utility grids, a large modular battery storage system is planned for construction later this year in Aachen, Germany. The system, which is being billed as the world’s first modular large-scale battery storage system, is called the Modular
Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been under development for years, and have already demonstrated the ability to store 400 Wh per kg of batteries. However, this time, there is an all-solid lithium-sulfur battery that could do even better. Will it last longer than previous lithium-sulfur batteries? Lithium-sulfur batteries have been stated to last “few tens of cycles” before
We’re trying to get more solar energy stories going here on Planetsave. To catch readers up, I’m doing a short series on the top 50 solar energy stories of 2013 so far. Learning from the Top 33 EV Stories article I recently published, I’m splitting this one into 5 posts. Otherwise, the page would take
Wind power is the cheapest option for new electricity in many, many places now. Partly due to that, more power capacity was added in the U.S. last year from wind than from any other power source. And the U.S. isn’t the only place it’s been growing — it saw 20% growth worldwide last year. This is all
It seems we always take the most basic things for granted. With regards to adequate water, air, and soil (things we assume will always be there) we are gradually becoming more mindful of them, and their limits. But how many of us are worried about phosphorus (P) running out? Well, lately, more and more agricultural
Gravity power module — a step toward utility-scale energy storage. The grid — that seemingly amorphous structure that delivers power on demand — requires instantly available power to light up our world. Renewable sources of energy are inherently cyclical and intermittent, making energy storage a primary factor for future development of reliable utility-scale renewable energy sources. Of
Are energy storage islands the green solution we need? Denmark is a windy place. Windy enough to provide 20 percent of the country’s power generation from both onshore and offshore wind farms. As growth in wind power continues, the problem of large-scale energy storage from wind becomes an increasing challenge. With a focus on the
