Obama’s $1.5 Billion Battery Boost
US President Barack Obama yesterday announced $1.5 billion in grants to go to USA based manufacturers to produce hi-tech batteries, components and to expand battery recycling capacity.
Spinning Batteries – Flywheel Energy Storage
Flywheels are an alternative to deep cycle batteries or molten salt for storing energy that can be transformed into electricity. Flywheel energy storage works by accelerating a rotor (flywheel) to incredibly high speeds and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy, which is converted back by slowing down the flywheel.
New Power Inverter Efficiency Record Set
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany has set a new world record of 99.03 % efficiency for inverters used in solar energy systems.
Walmart Moves Closer To 100% Renewable Energy
The world’s largest public corporation by revenue, Walmart, is moving closer to achieving its stated goal of 100% renewable energy with the recent announcement to install rooftop solar power systems on five of its stores in Puerto Rico; with the potential for 23 stores over five years.
China’s wind power capacity doubles
In just the first 6 months of this year, China’s installed wind power capacity increased to 11.81 gigawatts, more than double the amount of the previous year.
USA Wind Power Capacity Approaches 30 Gigawatts
The US wind power industry installed 1.2 gigawatts of new capacity in the second quarter of 2009, bringing the total added this year to just over 4 gigawatts – 1.1 gigawatt more than the amount added to the end of June in 2008.
Energy Matters At The NAB’s Mini-Environmental Expo
Energy Matters will be attending the National Australia Bank Environment Expo; showcasing renewable energy and energy efficiency information to over 5,000 South Australian and New South Wales NAB employees.
USA’s Largest Rooftop Solar Array
Fedex announced last week the construction of the nation’s largest rooftop solar power system at its distribution hub in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
Solar Power – From Dumpsters?
Any space exposed to the sky is fair game for solar panel coverage these days it seems – including dumpster storage areas.
Hunt’s ATRAA Address: Vision For A Solar Continent
Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, Greg Hunt MP, addressed the Appropriate Technology Retailers Association of Australia (ATRAA) conference yesterday, outlining what he calls his “vision for a solar continent”.
