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.
NABCEP conference 2024 shining bright in Raleigh
The 14th annual continuing education conference of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is the largest ever, with over 1,000 registrants.
IRENA says world needs 1.1 TW of renewables per year
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a new report on the sidelines of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue this week describing the actions needed so the world complies with targets set at the recent COP29 conference in the United Arab Emirates. IRENA President Francesco La Camera says renewables are the only energy sources with the speed and scale to achieve the ambitious targets set in Dubai.
Systemic barriers that stand in the way of clean energy investment
The Middle Island Solar Farm stands today as a beacon of innovation and sustainability after public perception, outdated zoning laws and bureaucratic red tape presented significant hurdles to its development.
Solar can help with marijuana’s green problem
Indoor cannabis growth was estimated to use 1% of all U.S. electricity consumption back in 2012, before any states had legalized it. This number has grown like a weed, creating an opportunity for solar to decarbonize operations.
U.S. steel solar module frames have one tenth embodied carbon of Chinese aluminum alternatives
An independent study commissioned by Origami Solar and conducted by Boundless Impact Research & Analytics found that U.S.-made recycled steel module frames show a 90.4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional virgin material aluminum module frames shipped from China.
