Tag Archives: global renewable energy development

One third of the world’s power now comes from renewable energy

By Perry Miller, Inhabitat

After years of hard work and dedication, a third of the power generated around the world is now linked to renewable energy. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) just released new data that shows impressive growth in both wind and solar energy, which has contributed to the changes in energy sources around the globe. Read more here.

Photo posted by Inhabitat via IRENA.

ALSO IN THE NEWS – PLUS A FEATURED VIDEO

T ri-State Generation Change Could Bring More Wind, Solar To Rural Utilities, Colorado Public Radio. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association says it will change how it sells power to rural utilities. At its annual meeting this week, Tri-State’s 43 member utilities voted to change subscription agreements. Tri-State members include cooperatives in Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Largescale solar project planned, Gunnison Country Times
PV panels eyed for five Gunnison County buildings: Since county buildings are served by the City of Gunnison, a three-way agreement must be reached between the city, the county and the city’s energy provider, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN). This is a requirement by MEAN for any solar project over 25 kW. The agreement would specify the price at which MEAN will buy back any excess energy produced by the county. Currently, MEAN will pay about 4 cents for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) put back on the city’s grid for projects under 25kW. However, the county’s rate must be negotiated with MEAN because of the large size of the project to ensure adequate infrastructure is in place, said Gunnison City Manager Russ Forrest.
Solar Power’s Benefits Don’t Shine Equally on Everyone, Scientific American
‘Opportunity is ripe’ for Kansas wind after Missouri OKs Grain Belt Express, Energy News Network John Hensley, senior director for research and analytics with the American Wind Energy Association, said the Grain Belt Express “is what’s going to unlock the market in Kansas. The infrastructure is critically important in this area.”
$2.4B Wind Transmission Project Gains Momentum and Investors, Energy News-Record
SOO Green Renewable Rail: The project, named for Canadian Pacific Railway’s Soo line, would run an underground high-voltage direct current transmission line along 349 miles of the rail firm’s existing U.S. track, from Mason City, Iowa, to near Chicago. Right-of-way is in place for about 85% of the route.
Standard Solar Opens New Office in Chicago to Support Growing Midwest Solar Business,
Business Wire
IN DEPTH: Renewable energy growing in Wisconsin, Juneau County Star-Times
America’s Top Colleges for Renewable Energy: Who’s Leading the Transition to 100% Renewable Energy on Campus?, Environment Maine. Resource: Learn more about Environment America’s campaign for 100% renewable energy on college campuses.
Repowering old mines with new energies in the southwestern United States, by Paolo Natali, Senior Associate, Rocky Mountain Institute. Published by GreenBiz. Over the last several years, Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI’s) Sunshine for Mines Initiative has embarked on several key partnerships with mining companies on the redevelopment of closed mine sites in the Southwest.
Utilities See a Money Maker in Electric Vehicle Charging Business — And Growing Competition, Inside Climate News
Featured Video: Frank Conversations – Past and Present of renewable energy in Nebraska, NTV

OP-ED

You can’t kill the solar industry — and all attempts just make us stronger, by Tony Clifford, Chief Development Officer of Standard Solar, PV Magazine

Illinois is beginning to build a robust solar industry in the wake of passing its Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016, and they’re in the process of following it up with a Clean Energy Jobs Act this year. And they’re not the only Midwestern state to join the Solar Revolution. Minnesota is the birthplace of the best community solar program in the nation, and Michigan is (albeit slowly) bringing its solar policies into the 21st century.

Can a three-story building really get all its energy from its own solar panels?

By David Brooks, Concord Monitor

People tend to over-estimate how much electricity is put out by solar panels, so I was very dubious when I heard that a 29-unit apartment complex coming to West Lebanon would get all of its energy, including heating and cooling, strictly from panels on the building. There’s no chance that’s correct, I told myself, secure in my poorly informed certainty. Somebody misunderstood something, I said; I’ll double-check and set the record straight. Shows how much I know.

“There are more and more people who realize this isn’t rocket science. They have to change some practices,” said Bill McLay, an architect whose advocacy for energy savings includes his book, The New Net-Zero about design and construction methods for buildings that create as much energy as they use. Continue reading here.

Image: Architect’s rendition of Tracy Street Community Housing in West Lebanon. Courtesy Twin Pines Housing

The New Net-Zero, Published by Chelsea Green

Publisher’s Excerpts
Preface and Chapter Two – Defining the New Net Zero
Chapter Three – The Roots of Net Zero Design

ALSO OF POTENTIAL INTEREST

Solar Installers Should Bundle Panels With Heat Pumps, Study Says, Contributor, Forbes. Solar installers could offer rooftop customers even more savings by bundling solar panels with heat pumps and other electric appliances, according to a recent study by the Rocky Mountain Institute.
‘Electrification of Everything’ Would Spike US Electricity Use, but Lower Final Energy Consumption, Greentech Media
How to start a solar panel manufacturing facility in the United States, Solar Power World. U.S. demand is enough that companies are building new facilities exceeding what Suniva and SolarWorld (previously the country’s largest c-Si manufacturers) were producing at their peak. Tariffed or not, the United States needs more panels, and major global brands are ready to step in.
Utilities are reluctant to invest in coal plants, even after Trump tries to save them, Washington Examiner. Many coal plants are too old to make upgrades worth investing in. Others have already done the efficiency work EPA outlines in its proposal, experts say. In addition, the rule won’t be implemented for years, and will be contested in court, meaning coal plants may die prematurely.
Setting an example: Three ways for U.S. jurisdictions to make solar energy a priority, Solar Builder Magazine

MORE NEWS FROM STATES & REGIONS

Mount Rushmore plans to add solar panels this fall, KOTA News

How solar power saved $6.7 million on a Tuesday, PV Magazine
A report analyzing the week of a heat wave in the Northeast estimates that solar power saved $30 million in wholesale electricity costs due to lowering demand at its peak during mid-day – including $6.7 million in savings on July 3rd.
Navy now considering plans for ocean wind farms — and Morro Bay is a top prospect, The San Luis Obispo Tribune
Connecticut public-private partnership deploys solar to underserved communities, Energy News Network. In Connecticut, a private solar company is working with the state’s green bank to help low-income homeowners save money on their energy bills.
Arizona Supreme Court rules 50% renewables initiative will appear on ballot, Utility Dive
‘It sort of exploded’: the rapid rise of solar energy in North Carolina, The Daily Tar Heel
Spokane Tribe launches ‘Children of the Sun’ solar initiative, with long-range plans for energy independence, The Spokesman-Review
GRID Alternatives launches fund to solarize Native American communities, PV Magazine
Commercial solar is about to become a reality in Alaska, Anchorage Daily News
California leads on sustainability innovation while Trump digs coal, by Steve Cohen, Earth Institute, Columbia University, Phys.Org

CORPORATE RENEWABLES PROCUREMENT

Behind the scenes: How Mars sources renewable energy, GreenBiz

News Release: Salesforce Announces Largest Renewable Energy Agreement to Date, on Path to Achieving 100 Percent Renewable Energy. This week Salesforce has made two announcements that sees it leading the way on a clean agenda. The first was when Marc Benioff announced: “the ethical and humane use of technology, a strategic initiative at Salesforce.” It saw the creation of a new position at Salesforce that will oversee the issue. The second was an announcement that it has signed up its largest renewable energy deal as part of its goal to achieving 100% percent usage of green energy. The announcement comes just before the Global Climate Action Summit begins on September 12^th in San Francisco.
Exxon Is Looking to Buy Cheap Renewable Energy, Greentech Media
A recent report from GTM Research forecasted that solar prices could bottom out around $14 per megawatt-hour in coming years. Current wind bids in the U.S. are averaging $20 per megawatt-hour — with prices at the lower end near Exxon’s headquarters in windy Texas. “In general, corporate interest in long-term PPAs for wind and solar is growing rapidly across all sectors,” said Colin Smith, a senior solar analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. “Corporate adoption of renewable PPAs is becoming an arms-race; more and more you need to do it in order to keep up with your competitors who are doing it to earn profit or lower long-term costs.”

CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS

Schuette goes to bat for ExxonMobil; brief calls climate change ‘unsettled science’, Bridge Michigan
The company has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. ExxonMobil now states on its website: “The risk of climate change is clear and the risk warrants action. Increasing carbon emissions in the atmosphere are having a warming effect. There is a broad scientific and policy consensus that action must be taken to further quantify and assess the risks.”

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Renewable energy dominating global M&A sector in 2018, Electric Light & Power
A solar-paneled German car aims to make your daily commute free, Quartz

ENERGY STORAGE NEWS

Grid-connected battery energy capacity grew 68 percent last year

Canadian company reboots northern Minnesota solar panel factory

By Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News

Ontario-based Heliene, Inc. has begun operations in a 25,000-square-foot factory in Mountain Iron, a city of nearly 3,000 people on Minnesota’s Iron Range, and it plans to hire 130 employees by September . . . Minnesota’s growing community solar garden program, the largest in the country, has been a boon for the company, and Illinois may represent the next big market for Heliene. Read more here.

Thinkstock Photo

NEBRASKA IN THE NEWS

WEC Energy bets on solar, wind and natural gas. So, what about coal?, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin Public Service, the subsidiary of WEC Energy Group that operates in northeastern Wisconsin, and Madison Gas and Electric plan to invest a total of $390 million to buy 300 megawatts of generating capacity — enough electricity for more than 70,000 residential customers — in two solar power projects . . . WEC also plans to invest $424 million in wind projects in Illinois and Nebraska that will sell power to other companies.

MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY FROM OTHER STATES

Guest Commentary: State’s solar potential just starting to show, The News-Gazette
Solar energy is a bright spot in Illinois’ economy, rapidly creating jobs across the state. And we’re just getting started….
Future Energy Jobs Act
40 acres of farmland near Belleville could be turned into a solar farm, Belleville News-Democrat
With soybean prices falling to their lowest levels in years, farming the sun instead of the land is becoming an increasingly attractive, and sometimes more profitable, use of property for some landowners.
Invenergy partners with Pacific Power to supply solar power to Facebook, Power Technology
Community solar installation begins in Edina, Sun Current
Cooperative Energy Futures is a local, member-owned energy cooperative. The organization is working to make solar affordable by building large solar arrays on sunny rooftops or open areas throughout the metro. Alongside Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, which helped recruit subscribers for the Edina array, and other partners, the cooperative is a founding member of the Just Community Solar Coalition. The coalition’s goal is to ensure community solar gardens are accessible to low-income households, create local, sustainable jobs, protect the environment and provide a new avenue for how energy is created and used.

FEATURED RESOURCE: LOW-INCOME SOLAR POLICY GUIDE

The Low-Income Solar Policy Guide was originally developed and launched in 2016 by nonprofits GRID Alternatives, Vote Solar, and the Center for Social Inclusion, to help drive the proposal and adoption of new low-income solar policies and programs, both as stand-alone efforts and as part of broader renewable energy programs. GRID Alternatives and Vote Solar are current contributing partners to the Guide. It is meant to be a tool for policymakers, community leaders and others who are working on solar access at the federal, state and local level.
Resources Include:
Financing
Federal And State Tax Credits
Grants And Technical Assistance

NEW EV ANALYSIS

Electric vs. Diesel vs. Natural Gas: Which Bus is Best for the Climate?, by Jimmy O’Dea, Vehicles Analyst, Union of Concerned Scientists

GLOBAL NEWS

Global renewables capacity set to surge amid huge investment in China, Power Technology
The world’s renewable energy capacity is set to rise sharply over the next five years, as the world adds more solar power than fossil fuels in 2018.
A Week In Japan: Meeting Ministers And Celebrating Ambitious Corporate Leadership,The Climate Group. RE100 is gaining momentum in Japan, going from zero to 10 members in just over a year and gaining significant political support. As temperatures hit new record highs in Japan, The Climate Group’s Head of RE100, Sam Kimmins, writes about his recent visit and the growing interest in renewables in a country long reliant on fossil fuels.

Wind farms boost tax base for local U.S. governments-Moody’s

By Hillary Russ, Reuters

NEW YORK, May 7 (Reuters) – Wind farms have boosted local tax bases and generated new revenue as they expand across the United States, especially for rural areas, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report on Monday. “What we’re seeing is wind farms generate new operating revenues, lower the tax burden for local residents,” Moody’s analyst Frank Mamo told Reuters. “In many cases, local governments are using this new money to address what was a growing backlog of deferred capital expenditures.” In Adair County, Iowa, construction of 10 new wind farms has grown the tax base nearly 30 percent over the last decade, giving it money to fix bridges and streets. Read more here.

Photo: Renewable Energy Park by hpgruesen / Creative Commons

RELATED READING – PLUS FREE WIND ENERGY COURSE

Northeast helps fuel economy through wind energy program, by Dr. Michael Chipps, Northeast Community College President
Seeking a balance on wind energy, by Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning, Norfolk Daily News Opinion
Archived Article: What are wind techs, why are they so much in demand, and how do you become one?
Free Online Course: Wind Energy – From Wind Turbines to Grid Integration. Available at Alison, online provider of free courses and workplace skills training.

CENTER FOR RURAL AFFAIRS PUBLICATIONS

ADDITIONAL WIND ENERGY INFORMATION

Wind Energy Generation in Nebraska, Nebraska Energy Office
Nebraska Wind Energy Fact Sheet, American Wind Energy Association
AWEA Interactive Infographics: Wind Energy in the United States

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

RE employs 10.3 million people, solar PV leads charge with 3.4 million jobs – IRENA

Major Solar Energy Project Announced by Florida Municipal Utilities, Press Release
ORLANDO – Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), in conjunction with 12 Florida municipal electric utilities and NextEra Florida Renewables, LLC, today announced plans for a large-scale solar energy project to provide renewable energy for customers in the most cost-effective way.
Steel town that voted for Trump banks on renewables, E&E News
Last year, the City Council passed a resolution to go 100 percent renewable by 2035. The county government followed with a similar vote last month. Now comes the greatest shift of all: A plan by Xcel Energy Inc., Colorado’s largest utility, to shutter two of Comanche’s three units a decade early.
TP&L now operates largest wind component distribution center in North America, Windpower Engineering Development
Industry Report Finds Tri Global Energy Among Texas And National Wind Development Leaders, PR Newswire. The company develops and owns utility-scale wind projects in Texas, New Mexico and Nebraska.

U.S. Utilities Look To Electric Cars As Their Savior Amid Decline In Demand

By Samantha Raphelson, NET

The U.S. electricity sector is eyeing the developing electric car market as a remedy for an unprecedented decline in demand for electricity. After decades of rising electricity demand, experts say the utility industry grossly underestimated the impact of cheap renewable energy and the surge of natural gas production. For the first time ever, the Tennessee Valley Authority is projecting a 13 percent drop in demand across the region it serves in seven states, which is the first persistent decline in the federally owned agency’s 85-year history. Read more here.

MORE NATIONAL NEWS & AN OP-ED

Ride-Hailing Drivers Are Ideal Candidates for Electric Vehicles, Rocky Mountain Institute Outlet
The Solar Foundation has released its new Solar Jobs Map, a follow up to the National Solar Jobs Census 2017. Here are Nebraska’s 2017 statistics.
Fossil Fuels Squeezed by Plunge in Cost of Renewables, BNEF says, Bloomberg
Update: 131 RE100 companies have made a commitment to go ‘100% renewable’. Read about the actions they are taking and why.
180 US mayors call for use of solar energy in updated letter, Smart Cities Dive
Will Storage Be at the Heart of Residential Communities of the Future?, Renewable Energy World
A Utility Wants to Build America’s Largest Wind Farm—And Get Customers to Pay for It, Bloomberg
Aging Wind Farms Are Repowering with Longer Blades, More Efficient Turbines, Inside Climate News
Michigan City Schools to Celebrate Solar Project, Inside Indiana Business
Central Texas city wants to pay people to install solar panels, KXAN. A central Texas town that already uses 100 percent renewable energy is working out a plan to generate more electricity locally so it can stop buying power to meet demand.
Arizona’s solar leaders form Distributed Energy Resources Alliance, AZ Big Media
It’s Time for Harvard to Stop Funding Climate Change, The Harvard Crimson

GLOBAL NEWS

From Billions to Trillions: Pledge Calls for More Green Bonds, Renewable Energy World
New Chinese Policies Favor Wind and Solar, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
Saudis, SoftBank Plan World’s Largest Solar Project, Bloomberg. Venture may cost $200 billion, add 100,000 jobs in the kingdom. Plan envisions 200GW of solar capacity in Saudi Arabia by 2030.

Changing tides: Utilities and solar

By Christian Roselund, PV Magazine

An increasing number of U.S. utilities are embracing the low and predictable costs of utility-scale solar. But conflicts remain over distributed generation, and the real question is who will own the solar that is being built. Continue reading.

Photo: Utility-scale solar plant operated by Duke Energy. Duke is one of many U.S. utilities starting to move away from coal and nuclear towards renewables. Credit: Duke Energy

ALSO IN THE NEWS

COP23: Forward-Thinking Companies Are Shifting Markets and Driving the Clean Energy Transition, EcoWatch
US states, businesses highlight climate efforts at UN meeting in Bonn, Utility Dive
Renewable potential can be tapped in next round of climate negotiations, says IRENA, Windpower Engineering Development
100% global renewable electricity more cost-effective than current system, REnew Economy
Pittsburgh’s Microgrids Technology Could Lead The Way For Green Energy, Iowa Public Radio
Another Utility Bets Billions on Renewable Energy, The Motley Fool. AES will spend more on renewable energy projects in the next three years than on fossil fuels, a huge shift for the coal giant.
Vote Solar Expands U.S. Advocacy Team With New Hires, Solar Industry Magazine
2017 Special Report: Energy Access Outlook, International Energy Agency
Senate GOP tax bill preserves wind PTC, EV tax credits, Utility Dive
California tops Gridwise modernization index again, Electric Light & Power
The Smartest Money for C&I Solar Is Coming from Inside the House, Renewable Energy World
John Kerry is plotting a renewable energy future … starting in Vietnam, Grist
How Your Electric Car Could Help Power Your Home, Singularity Hub
Study: Cars can’t yet match electric vehicles on efficiency, USA Today

Moniz: Utilities should prepare for very low carbon future

Herman K. Trabish, Utility Dive

While the Trump Administration is taking a number of steps to bolster coal-fired generation and rescind climate regulations, electric utilities should prepare for a very low-carbon future, former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz told Utility Dive at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas last week.

Despite the White House’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, “there is no going back on the fight against climate and the innovation prize is enormous,” Moniz said. “We are talking about multi-trillion-dollar markets. The real issue is that the U.S. needs to capture a big part of that market to keep its innovation edge.” Click here to read more.

ALSO OF POTENTIAL INTEREST

Universal energy access by 2030 is now within reach says IEA, Press Release, Renewable Energy Magazine
New Texas wind farm is Amazon’s largest, Utility Dive
The Corporate Renewables Market Is Ready for Smaller Buyers, Rocky Mountain Institute Outlet
Clean Power Plan Repeal Won’t Stop Clean Energy Future in IL, Natural Resources Defense Council
A Tidal Wave of Local Clean Energy in California, Rocky Mountain Institute Outlet
Georgia Power Announces New Community Solar Program, Solar Industry
New website: Shared Mobility Principles For Livable Cities. A consortium of transport experts, led by Zipcar cofounder Robin Chase, recently launched Shared Mobility Principles for Livable Cities to help guide urban decision makers and stakeholders toward new mobility options that benefit all.
These City Bus Routes Are Going All Electric – and Saving Money, Inside Climate News
Electric bus startup Proterra is leading a shift away from diesel-powered public transit to help cities save money, improve health and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
4 Questions About Climate Change and the California Fires, Inside Climate News
Devastation in Puerto Rico Could Produce a Revolutionary Power Grid, Brookings
Butterfly Wings Could Lead the Way to More Efficient Solar Panels, Renewable Energy Magazine
Tesla wins contract to supply Powerpacks at world’s first solar+wind+storage project, Electrek
Listen Up: Running a Successful Local Solar Business, The Energy Show on Renewable Energy World

Elon Musk says he can rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid with solar

BBC News

The company says it has powered small islands, such as Ta’u in American Samoa. There, it installed a solar grid which can power the entire island and store enough electricity for three days without any sun. “The Tesla team has done this for many smaller islands around the world, but there is no scalability limit, so it can be done for Puerto Rico, too,” Mr Musk tweeted.
Click here to read more.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

Elon Musk says Tesla can help rebuild Puerto Rico’s grid. Governor says ‘let’s talk,’ Utility Dive
Storms Spur $22 Billion Investment in Battery-Packed Grids, Bloomberg
California energy storage siting bill signed into law, Utility Dive
Harvard survey: Only one-third of businesses have developed resiliency plans, Utility Dive
How Target uses demand response to cut energy, supply chain costs: Target boasts 815 locations in 31 states enrolled in 140 different programs, Utility Dive
After first year, on-bill financing by Michigan utility enabling bigger efficiency upgrades, Midwest Energy News
Minnesota solar garden program passes 100-megawatt milestone, with 180 more community solar projects in the design and construction phase. The Community Solar Garden program was created by the legislature and launched in 2014, Star Tribune
Xcel claims nation’s largest community solar capacity, PV Magazine
Editorial praises Ameren Missouri’s announcement that it will add at least 700 megawatts of wind generation by 2020, The Missourian
IEA: Renewable electricity set to grow 40 per cent globally by 2022, Eco-Business
China leading in green energy growth, China Daily

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International Solar Energy Society’s Solar World Congress 2015 Proclamation

“Dedicated Commitment to Accelerating the Energy Transformation to 100% Renewable Energy” – The International Solar Energy Society’s World Congress 2015 Proclamation states:

“The International Solar Energy Society is committed to accelerating the transformation of the global energy system to 100% renewable energy for all, used wisely and efficiently. This transformation is necessary for the long, and short, term health and well-being of our planet and our people. We know this goal is technically and economically achievable and we know the challenges this entails. The renewable energy movement needs a strong, unified voice to accelerate this transformation, and ISES is expanding its mission to be this voice.

To do this, ISES will continue to grow its strong core of solar energy and related renewable energy and environmental professionals, essential for the technical foundations of the movement. In addition ISES will expand its partnership building and outreach with like-minded groups and individuals who can help strengthen the movement through their support. Future ISES events, webinars, publications, participation in global decision making, and other outreach activities will continue to provide the highest quality information on solar energy, and through collaboration with its growing partnership base, address the other wide range of issues central to achieving a 100% renewable energy world.

The [November 8 -12] Congress brought together a wide range of contributors to the renewable energy movement. Hundreds of participants from 58 countries presented recent developments in solar technologies, and latest updates on financing, policies, access and public support around the world.

Young professionals joined with long time solar energy mentors to enrich the discussion of challenges and opportunities for making a difference in all of these areas. The Congress provided an excellent environment for fruitful collaboration and planning, and resulted in the affirmation that we can and will attain the needed energy transformation.”

Media Release

About the International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
The International Solar Energy Society (ISES) was founded in 1954 and is now incorporated as a non-profit membership organization with members in over 100 countries. ISES serves as a center for information on research and development in solar energy utilization. Through its publications and conferences, the Society provides a global forum for the science and advancement of solar energy.

Nebraskans for Solar

Solar: the energy of life