Solar panels increase grasses for sheep and cows by 90%
Researchers have determined that an Oregon solar facility altered the microclimate variables of mean air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and soil moisture beneath itself significantly – increasing water efficiency, allowing for much greater biomass growth.
Lazard, Lazard, LCOE – what’s the cheapest energy?
Lazard’s newly released Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis 12.0, and Storage 4.0, finds that where utility scale wind works, it dominates – and that the unsubsidized cost to build new utility wind and solar facilities is equal to, and often less than running already-built fossil facilities.
Dispatchable solar coming to Kaua’i
The cooperative utility on the Hawaiian island has signed a contract for design and engineering of a 25 MW pumped hydro project, plus an unspecified volume of solar, to provide “dispatchable” renewable energy and allow the island to integrate an unprecedented level of solar.
Demand-side flexibility: helping solve solar’s curtailment conundrum
This op-ed by WattTime takes a look at solutions to solar curtailment, including new software to enable greater demand-side flexibility.
Operating solar with reserve capacity enables more solar on the grid
A solar plant can increase its output by starting from a curtailment status and then reducing curtailment. If grid operators schedule in advance both solar curtailment and increased solar output, the cost-saving level of solar increases substantially.
PJM subsidiary to test blockchain for trading RECs
The platform will be designed to enable tracking and peer-to-peer trading of certificates at the kilowatt-hour scale, at low cost and with improved ease of use.
53 investments in the sun
The Department of Energy announced funding for 53 new through “advance early-stage” solar technologies. The projects in solar PV, CSP, finance and workforce training will receive up to $53 million in funding.
U.S. companies set to procure more than 5 GW of renewables by year’s end
RMI’s 2018 Corporate Renewable Energy Procurement Mid-year Market Update shows that corporations are buying more renewable energy than ever before and show no signs of slowing down.
Tesla secures 210 acres in Shanghai for its first international Gigafactory
Tesla is planning accelerated development and construction of this new battery and EV plant, which will mark the company’s first soirée into international production.
DOE seeks solar power situational awareness
The DOE has launched a program to find unique and innovative solutions that increase grid operators’ situational awareness of solar PV systems deployed throughout the grid at strategic locations – and that are seek to go beyond pure R&D, seeking field validation.
