Ethanol corn uses farmland area the size of New York — could solar do it better?
U.S. corn growth for fuel – not food occupies 29.7 million acres. A study from Cornell University finds that corn grown for ethanol fuel requires 31 times as much land as solar per unit of energy.
ASU to receive $70 million to research clean energy industrial processes
Arizona State University will establish the Electrified Processes for Industry Without Carbon to electrify industrial heating processes.
Solar for dryland soil health
Biocrusts are microbe-rich deposits in soil that are crucial to ecosystem sustainability in arid environments. Researchers are restoring biocrusts with the help of shade from solar.
Ultrathin solar cells self-repair radiation damage in space
Third-party testing confirms a high level of resilience to the conditions of space in silicon-based solar cells developed by Arizona-based Solestial.
Military microgrids demonstrate Xendee platform to enhance operations
Xendee is designed to model up to 25 different distributed energy resource technologies and calculate a techno-economic solution for each site to meet organizational goals including reducing costs, cutting CO2 emissions, increasing resilience, or a combination of all three.
The panel and the city
Researchers have investigated how rooftop PV systems may affect air and building temperature in urban environments and, conversely, how the urban heat island (UHI) effect may have a negative impact on PV system performance. Their work considered urban air temperature, urban air pollution, the partial shading of the PV system, soiling, building heating and cooling loads, and outdoor shade.
Federal grants aim to spark investment in U.S. solar manufacturing
Seven early-stage solar manufacturing firms have won U.S. Department of Energy grants to develop prototypes, which they could use to help attract private investment. DOE’s 21 PV research and development grants may hold more interest for established manufacturers.
Arizona’s potential to develop unbiased 15-year resource plans is up for grabs
An Arizona regulator has advocated for using a modeling tool being developed by Arizona State University, to help the state plan how to phase in more renewable energy. Yet the university’s initial plan for the modeling tool would not serve that purpose well.
pvMB 3/6/19: Hawaii stays at 27% renewables, GameChange Solar ups production capacity
Happy Hump Day and welcome to your Wednesday edition of the pv magazine USA morning brief. Today we’ll check out a GreenPeace co-founder comparing the Green New Deal to the End Times, ASU dominating the Solar Energy Technology Office awards, GRID Alternatives’ “Solar Spring Break” program and everything else interesting in the industry today.
APS unveils its largest utility-scale solar plant
The 40-MW Red Rock Solar Plant, developed, owned and operated by Arizona Public Service will supply power to Arizona State University and PayPal.
