Sunrise brief: Texas can shut down coal and run on solar and wind
Also on the rise: Underserved communities get a clean energy boost from DOE. Michigan renewable energy program so popular that the utility has “thousands of megawatts” of clean energy planned to meet demand. Ampyr Energy USA plans 5GW solar development in US. Nextracker unveils all-terrain tracker.
Texas has enough solar and wind planned to permanently shut down coal
Texas could meet the state’s energy needs by replacing coal with a fraction of what is proposed in solar and wind, according to Rice University researchers.
Nextracker unveils all-terrain tracker
pv magazine sat down with Nextracker CEO Dan Shugar to discuss how customer feedback drives engineering innovation, and the potential unlocked by expanding the terrain that trackers can be installed on.
Photoluminescent solar PV for greenhouses
Heliene, a solar panel manufacturer, and UbiQD entered a joint development agreement for light-optimizing, energy-producing modules designed to top agrivoltaic greenhouses.
US DOE invests $5 million in advancing lithium battery manufacturing and workforce
This workforce initiative is intended to boost the nation’s global competitiveness within battery manufacturing, while strengthening the domestic economy and clean energy supply chains.
Sunrise brief: CHARGE Act lays groundwork for making critical changes to energy transmission planning and operations
Also on the rise: DOE introduces five-year plan for reducing environmental impacts of solar. Three Wisconsin utilities to buy stake in $433 million Paris solar-plus-storage project. A group of 22 bi-partisan California legislators call on regulators to maintain net metering. Maxeon to provide 400MW of solar modules to Origis Energy. Source Renewables, Sol-REIT partner to develop 100MW of low-income solar.
Greening solar energy with end-of-life plan
DOE’s five-year plan aims to reduce the environmental impacts of solar panels at the end of life, plus cut in half the cost of recycling the panels.
Solar-powered data server network developed to frame the internet as a natural resource
The Solar Protocol website maps solar exposure across the globe, activating data cloud centers when the sun shines. Developed by the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, the project intends to draw attention to the energy intensity of data processing, and to offer a more climate-friendly solution.
Newer and larger solar plants perform better, while older plants pick up steam with repowering
US government lab sees utility scale solar fleet degrading faster than projected at 1.2% a year, while newer and larger plants are degrading at only 0.7% a year. Older plants appear to be getting repowered in year seven, yielding lasting performance increases.
US consortium aims for solar PV with a 50-year lifetime
The Department of Energy’s durable materials consortium is a multi-laboratory unit that stress-tests solar modules for durability. It seeks to extend the useful life of PV.
