First Solar posts a strong Q2, global operations to be 100% renewably powered by 2028
Another stalwart of the solar industry was able to take the necessary precautions in order to maintain some sense of normalcy during the pandemic, leading to a quarter of increased sales, net cash and a positive outlook to finish off the year.
NREL looks to tackle PV waste before it’s too late
With up to 80 million tons of solar photovoltaic panels expected to hit landfills globally by 2050, the national lab has taken a look into refining how crystalline silicon module recycling is done — in order to establish a circular market.
Morning Brief: California ISO brings the largest battery storage resource in the nation online
Also in the brief: IREC on energy storage interconnection, Wunder Capital and partners to invest more than $100 million in U.S. commercial solar, Photosol buying land rights near coal plants with eye toward transmission, and NREL on recycling solar panels.
CEO of residential solar installer survived gangs and prison, only to face structural racism in his career path
Solar workforce development can help win independence from systemic racism
How to replace 187 GW of coal with renewables, and save customers money
Several financing options could ease the replacement of uneconomic coal plants with renewables and storage, with some of the savings used to help coal workers transition to new jobs, says a report from climate advocates.
Global demise of coal-fired generation driven by idle and unprofitable plants
China grapples with overcapacity by slowing coal plant construction while more U.S. plants have closed during the first three years of the Trump administration than in Obama’s two terms.
Sustaining the future of indoor vertical farming with microgrids
Schneider Electric’s Don Wingate discusses how microgrids can help the indoor vertical farming movement realize its full potential.
pv magazine’s Roundtables go virtual and reach a global audience
The Covid-19 pandemic featured prominently at this week’s inaugural pv magazine Virtual Roundtables Europe, which took place last week. Not only did the pandemic lead to the virtualization of pv magazine’s established June Roundtables, but it was a big topic in the final session dealing with markets and specifically the further development of power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Europe.
Updated: A roundup of venture capital funding in clean energy
Batteries have won the lion’s share of recent cleantech venture capital — but here are some recent funding rounds for fusion, graphene, electrical panels, circuit breakers, geothermal drilling and direct-air capture of CO2.
90% clean power by 2035 is ‘challenging but feasible’
“90% by 2035 is the sweet spot” for a pathway that uses existing technology, allows “judicious use” of existing generation assets, and “achieves near-complete decarbonization in a realistic timeframe,” said study co-author Nikit Abhyankar of UC Berkeley. The resulting lower wholesale cost of electricity by 2035 “was a surprise for us.”
