Urban land and aerosols could accelerate hail storm formation
Research from the U.S. Department of Energy has found that urban landscapes and man-made aerosols have the potential to accelerate hail storm formation, make their winds harsher and direct these storms toward cities.
Could agrivoltaics feed our demand for clean energy?
Agrivoltaics could result in more food, more energy, lower water demand, lower carbon emissions, and more prosperous rural communities, says an Oregon State University researcher. He plans to build a farm to prove the point.
Database lists 616,818 global sites for sustainable pumped hydro
Australian researchers said that oOff-river” pumped-hydro is not only able to overcome the typical topographical issues of conventional pumped-hydro but also is cheaper.
Finding the ideal size for a quantum dot
New research describes an algorithm that can calculate the ideal characteristics for a quantum dot to maximize cell efficiency.
VC funding in solar 2020: perovskites, silicon and utility-scale foundations, plus lots of software
Here’s a list of solar firms that VCs funded during this pandemic year.
Swift Solar secures financing to expand its perovskite R&D
The financing round was led by GitLab CEO Sid Sijbrandij and cryptocurrency expert James Fickel. Proceeds will be used to expand R&D, develop prototypes and add staff.
First Solar’s PV module technology completes 25 years of testing at NREL
“Determining how many years a solar panel will last can take, well, years.”
California plans for summer 2021 with 2,000 MW of new storage
CAISO’s new CEO says that rolling blackouts last August were a pivotal moment for the state. For 2021, he is focused on ensuring the grid has ample resources — including DERs — and well-functioning markets.
NYPA focuses on solar and storage in its 10-year plan
The New York Power Authority’s board of trustees approved a 10-year strategic plan for decarbonizing New York’s energy infrastructure. Large-scale solar and storage both figure prominently.
New CESA report claims California needs to deploy 55 GW of long duration energy storage by 2045
The new report is in-line with models developed by state regulators, however helping the state to achieve such rapid and exponential deployment goals will require significant regulatory and procurement overhaul.
