A geospatial approach to evaluating potential solar sites
High-resolution data let the study group drill down to individual parcels in order to figure out how much land is available for solar in both optimal and preferred sites.
Sunrise brief: GOP bill aims to ban federal funds to buy solar equipment made in China
Also on the rise: Concentric Power builds a microgrid, research pegs smoke’s impact on 2020 solar output, SolRiver buys a Carolinas development portfolio, jobs growth could signal good times for solar installations, and Plug Power plans another green hydrogen plant.
EPRI nets $2m to study why people choose solar energy
EPRI will look into how residential and commercial utility customers make decisions related to adopting solar power along with other technologies, such as energy storage and electric vehicles.
Commercial trucks are ripe for electrification, if policies back EV adoption
A Berkeley Lab report says that a lack of policies is blocking wider adoption of electric trucks. Even so, ventures are under way to shift the diesel-to-electric transition into high gear.
Sunrise brief: Clouds and storms are impacted by lingering wildfire particles, researchers say
Also on the rise: Coal is down but not out as nukes and gas are forecast to decline in 2021, solar for an airport enters service, and landfill gas flows for SoCalGas from a facility slated to add a battery energy storage system.
New optical coating could extend lifetime of solar PV cells
The research project is a collaboration between Case Western Reserve University in Ohio and the University of Rochester in New York.
University of Wyoming, 9H partner on a 3 MW solar research facility for students
The solar installation will use First Solar Series 6 modules and the research facility will return up to $10 million to the university through energy savings and services.
Sunrise brief: A Texas-sized ‘oops’ for grid operator ERCOT
Also on the rise: Researchers use AI to model how grid failures cascade in a disaster, VEIR raises capital for its novel transmission line technology, NV Energy issues a community solar RFP, Freedom Solar gains two new partners, and Daqo New Energy signs a polysilicon supply deal.
Sunrise brief: Hit with a $1.8 billion bill, a Texas co-op files Chapter 11
Also on the rise: Siemens Energy will assess its hydrogen technology to supply a Utah power plant, and Hyzon Motors will build a plant to bolster the fuel cell supply chain for big trucks.
NREL looks at barriers to lithium-ion battery recycling and sees opportunities
The analysts assessed the current state of reuse and recycling of large-format lithium-ion batteries used in EVs and battery energy storage and found there is plenty of room for improvement.
