pvMB 2/14/19: Lyft adds EV option, Kentucky legislation to kill net metering… and more!

juwi chosen to develop 100 MW project in Colorado – juwi has announced ambitiously plans to add 45% to its total renewable energy generation portfolio via development agreements for a wind farm and 100 MW solar farm. The solar farm will be named the Spanish Peaks Solar Project and will be located in Las Animas County. juwi is developing the project for the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Source: the Daily Camera

Lyft adds EV option – Lyft, the popular rideshare service, has added a new feature called “Green Mode,” which allows users to choose to ride in an electric car. The new option is a part of Lyft’s commitment to producing zero emissions, even though all Lyft rides are already carbon neutral. Lyft is also offering a rental program for drivers who would like to drive EV but do not own one. Source: The Driven

Solar ‘pseudo satellite’ to map earth over 90-day periods – “Britain’s national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey, has teamed up with aeronautic engineers to develop a solar powered High Altitude Pseudo Satellite, or HAPS. In an announcement Tuesday, the organization said that the enterprise, named Astigan, would offer “quicker and better images of the earth” using an aircraft that can fly at almost 67,000 feet. Weighing 149 kilograms and with a wingspan of 38 meters, the plan is for the aircraft to fly for 90 days at a time without needing to land. Astigan has worked with British businesses, universities and industry experts since 2014, and has already undertaken eight full scale flights.” Source: CNBC

Brilliant team of teenage girl engineers develops solar tent to combat homelessness – A group of 12 girls at San Fernando High School in Los Angeles have teamed up with DIY Girls, an organization supporting girls in STEM, to develop and easily-portable solar powered tent for the homeless. The tent’s solar panels connect to a battery pack which powers LED lights and UVC lights, which disinfect the inside of the tent. Source: WBUR

“My Story as the Only African American Certified to Design Solar PV in Tennessee” – In this op-ed, Jason Carney highlights his experiences as, as the title states, the only African American certified to design solar PV in Tennessee. From his struggles even attaining North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners certification to his current fight against fixed-rate charges, Jason is a model of perseverance and accomplishment. Source: cleanenergy.org

Legislation to allow PSC to decide distributed energy value passes Kentucky Senate – “The Kentucky Senate has passed a bill to change how utility companies provide credits to customers with rooftop solar panels. The measure, backed by power companies, cleared the Senate on a 23-12 vote Wednesday, a few hours after it cleared a committee. The bill pitting utilities against solar companies now goes to the House, where its top leaders took steps to put it on a fast track. The legislation would let the Kentucky Public Service Commission decide how much power companies should pay for energy generated from residential solar customers.” Source: WKYT

Illinois solar projects await lottery – The dust has settled, the requests for proposals fulfilled, the hearings held and now dozens of approved solar projects in Illinois wait in purgatory until their development future is decided by a lottery. The lottery and projects proposal monsoon have been because of the state’s Future Energy Jobs Act, which outlines that all utilities must get 25% of their retail power from renewables by 2025. Source: RRStar.com

No power no problem according to this Tesla Powerwall owner – “A Tesla Powerwall 2 owner is thanking his home battery system after it allowed him and his family to stay cool and comfortable despite a widespread blackout in the middle of a heat wave last week in Sydney, Australia. After power was cut in his area, homeowner Carl Prins received a text message from his Tesla mobile app informing him that his Powerwall 2 battery was in backup mode… The homeowner noted in a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald that his system’s transition from grid power to battery power was so seamless, he did not even notice that there was a power outage… The Sydney homeowner was unaffected by the power outage, as his house was fitted with both solar panels and a Tesla Powerwall 2 battery, which stores excess energy and performs load shifting to maximize energy cost savings.” Source: Teslarati

And to end the mb, a hard truth but an honest question: would we value public health differently if environmental factors were put on our death certificates?

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