Extension Of U.S. Wind And Solar Tax Credit Applauded
The recently passed extension of an investment tax credit (ITC) will bring further massive growth to the USA’s wind energy and solar power capacity; plus generate more than a hundred thousand new jobs. The ITC is a 30 percent credit for wind, solar power and energy storage systems installed at eligible residential and commercial properties. […]
Bokpoort Solar + Storage Facility Operational
The ACWA Solafrica Bokpoort CSP Power Plant is now fully functional and supplying clean electricity to thousands of homes in South Africa. Bokpoort CSP has an installed capacity of 50 MW, plus two thermal energy storage (TES) tanks measuring 36/40 meters diameter and a height of 18 meters. The tanks hold molten salt capable of […]
Solar Balloons Could Soon Soar
We’ve reported on space-based solar farms before, where orbiting satellite arrays beam uninterrupted energy back to Earth via microwave or incredibly huge electrical cables. A French researcher has suggested a simpler method of unimpeded solar electricity production: ‘solar balloons’. The idea, according to electro-chemist Professor Jean-François Guillemoles, is to rise above the pesky clouds that […]
LG Chem Announces 1 GWh Lithium-ion Battery Deal
LG Chem has announced a multi-year supply agreement for a minimum one gigawatt-hour of lithium-ion battery capacity for use in AES Advancion grid-scale energy storage units. LG Chem says 1 GWh of batteries is capable of powering 250 – 1,000 MW of energy storage installations, depending on configuration. The supply agreement covers battery modules with […]
Australia’s Top Solar Postcodes – December 2015
Australia’s solar revolution is continuing and while not at the breakneck pace of years gone by, there are still plenty of households wanting to slash their power bills and turning to the sun to do so. With next-generation home energy storage on our doorsteps; the potential for further reducing reliance on the mains grid will […]
Hydricity – Sustainable Energy For All?
Researchers from the USA’s Purdue University have released details of a new system that uses solar energy to generate electricity while simultaneously producing and storing hydrogen for round-the-clock, emissions-free power production. The concept is called “hydricity”, a theoretical closed system in which solar concentrators produce superheated steam to drive electricity-generating turbines and solar reactors for […]
Round 3 Of Solar Towns Programme Now Open
Applications for funding through the 2015-16 Solar Towns Programme (Round 3) can now be submitted. Part of the Australian Government’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the $2.1 million Solar Towns Programme provides funding to community organisations wanting to install solar power systems or solar hot water systems on existing buildings that provide services to […]
Detroit Zoo Switches To 100% Wind Power
Operations at Detroit Zoo are now even greener after a move to sourcing its electricity from renewables. The wind power has been acquired through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) with the support of ITC Holdings Corp. In the USA, a Renewable Energy Credit is similar to the REC system in Australia. According to […]
Solar Farm Moratorium Story Goes Viral
While the benefits of solar energy are now widely accepted, it seems some myths about solar power are still alive and well. Woodland is a town in Northampton County, North Carolina; with a population of around 800. The Woodland Town Council recently rejected a proposal to rezone a section of land north of town; which […]
Cryogenic Energy Storage Plant Opens
The University of Birmingham’s cryogenic energy storage (CES) pilot facility was officially opened in the UK last week. A project of the Birmingham Energy Institute, it’s the UK’s first dedicated research facility for energy storage using cryogenic liquids. The technology is also sometimes referred to as Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES). A CES system uses […]