Buildings can offer gigawatts of new peak capacity as ‘batteries’
Modeling shows that shifting just one-third of the electricity consumption of commercial and institutional buildings in Australia to the middle of the day, coinciding with peak solar supply, would create almost 12 GW of new peak capacity in the National Electricity Market.
Improving solar panel recyclability with lasers
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed a proof of concept for a method to remove polymers from solar panel manufacturing to enable more efficient recycling.
Johnson Controls releases new residential heat pump series
The new heat pumps use R-454B as a refrigerant and are specifically designed to be matched with Johnson Controls’ residential gas furnaces. Their size ranges from 1.5 tons to 5 tons and their coefficient of performance (COP) spans between 3.24 and 3.40, according to the manufacturer.
High interest rates are challenging the global transition to renewable energy
A report from Wood Mackenzie examines how the global shift to heightened interest rates to combat inflation is squeezing the energy transition.
EcoFlow unveils air-to-water heat pump, PV-powered water heater
EcoFlow has launched a new air-to-water heat pump for residential applications. The new product, equipped with R290 refrigerant, is available in 9 kW and 20 kW versions.
How AI can contribute to environmental sustainability
Artificial intelligence models can be used during the solar pre-construction planning and design process, as well as afterwards to help with monitoring, weather forecasting, predictive maintenance and more.
Massachusetts city that mandates solar on new buildings celebrates latest success
Watertown, Massachusetts, a city with a model energy plan, now has a Gold LEED certified building with 252 kW solar and 125 kW storage system, along with 15 EV charging ports.
Environmental lifecycle assessment of PERC solar modules
IEA PVPS Task 12 analyzes the environmental impact of passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) technology in PV installations in comparison to the monocrystalline silicon technology (AI-BSF) and the trend towards installing horizontal single-axis tracker systems as opposed to fixed tilt systems.
IRENA says solar capacity rose by 345.5 GW in 2023
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says developers installed 345.5 GW of solar throughout the world in 2023. China mainly drove the surge, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all new renewable energy, but IRENA says more equitable growth will be needed to hit 2030 deployment targets.
Sunrise brief: Walmart makes big commitments to solar energy
Also on the rise: Maxeon claims 24.9% efficiency for IBC solar panel. Potential effect of the 2024 solar eclipse on solar energy production. And more.
