Hybrid solar cell captures energy from the sun and raindrops Written by Michael Irving, New Atlas, March 7, 2018 As useful and ubiquitous as solar energy is becoming, it still has one major Kryptonite: gloomy weather. Now, a team of Chinese engineers has developed a hybrid solar cell that can produce electricity come rain or … Read more
MIT discovery resurrects potential of molten salt batteries for grid level power storage New Atlas, January 22nd, 2018 One of the primary problems with renewable energy, particularly wind and solar, is that power gets generated when the wind or sun is available, rather than when it’s most needed. This problem would more or less disappear if … Read more
Beer Maker Sierra Nevada Lauded for Energy Efficiency Energy Manager Today, January 19, 2018 Beer giant Sierra Nevada runs its massive brewing operations with energy from a $4 million unit that delivers solar energy and natural gas, with a slight draw from utility reserves. According to chicoer.com, the Chico, California-based company made its mark when it installed … Read more
Zeroing in on energy: Planned buildings expected to make as much energy, or more, than they burn The Post and Courier, September 3, 2017 Every hour, the sun beams more energy onto Earth than it needs to satisfy global energy requirements for an entire year, according to National Geographic and other sources. Of course, harnessing … Read more
Solar For Hospitals: Here’s What to Consider The Energy Collective, August 26, 2017 A hospital is not just a place for healing; it’s a place of discovery. It is not only a place to diagnose, but also to develop. It represents the community it serves and contributes to its health and prosperity. And as the second … Read more
Lisa Markowski, ERS, for Zondits Whether last Monday’s solar eclipse lived up to the surrounding hype is a matter of widely varying opinion, but it clearly fell short in terms of predicted power demand. Grid operators and utility spokespeople expected increased electricity demand to fill the gap left by the temporary lack of the sun … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits Coober Pedy is currently playing out a worst-case scenario for energy transition, and it behooves us all to understand what led them there. The South Australian mining town currently operates a very costly 3.9 MW diesel power plant to supply power to the region. After making the seemingly wise choice … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits Stephen Lacy, the editor-in-chief of GreenTech Media, sat down with Shayle Kahn, Senior VP of GTM Research for a special podcast on the solar industry’s record-setting 2016. The 36-minute podcast is worth the listen, but we’ve summarized some of the highlights here: America’s solar market nearly doubled in size last … Read more
Iowa’s new energy plan: More renewable energy, stronger power grid The Des Moines Register, December 21, 2016 Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds released the broad energy report Wednesday that looks at Iowa’s energy needs over the next decade. It provided 45 recommendations ranging from modernizing the state’s electric power grid to improving state tax credits for … Read more
Renewables surged past coal in 2015 to become world’s biggest source of electricity: IEA CNBC, October 25, 2016 Renewable energy moved past coal in 2015 to become the biggest source of global electricity capacity, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday. Last year “marked a turning point for renewables” the body said, with clean … Read more