Sustainability

Accelerating deployment of rooftop and community solar with supportive policies would help New York meet its goal of 70% renewable power by 2030 at lower cost, says a solar trade group.

The provincial government of Prince Edward Island, Canada, has signed an agreement with the Canadian federal government to implement the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program. The scheme offers grants to low- and medium-income households to install heat pumps and has nationally delivered more than 7,000 units to date.

Elastocalorics have the potential to replace current air conditioning and heating systems, offering significant energy savings when paired with technologies such as photovoltaics.

Statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows that if the world were to continue with a 14% annual growth rate in renewables capacity, as seen in 2023, it will fall 1.5 TW short of meeting deployment targets set at COP28.

The retail giant matched 100% of the electricity used in its operations with investments in renewable energy in 2023.

Researchers in Spain have investigated the potential of using photovoltaic (PV) or photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems in microbreweries and have found that PVT systems can cover more energy demand but have a longer payback time.

It may seem counterintuitive to operators who are familiar with traditional grid management methods, but the key to stabilizing the destabilizing effects of more renewables on the grid is–more renewables.

Also on the rise: University solar projects model institutional responsibility. Public input sought for large-scale solar project in Arizona. And more.

With a goal of achieving net neutrality by 2030, the University at Buffalo is not just generating clean energy with its solar installations, but serving as an example of how solar can become part of the landscape.

The university is working with SolarEdge to study the practices of agrivoltaics, or co-located solar and farming.