Science and Technology:
¶ 2014 is currently on track to be hottest year on record, according to new reports from both the World Meteorological Organization and the UK’s Met Office Wednesday. Similarly, NOAA reported two weeks ago that 2014 is all but certain to be the hottest year on record. The last time a record was set was 2010. The time before that was 2005. [Energy Collective]
¶ Researchers at the University of New South Wales are the first in the world to convert more than 40% of the sunlight hitting a solar PV system into electricity. The record was first achieved in outdoor tests in Sydney, before being independently confirmed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at their outdoor test facility in the United States. [solarserver.com]
World:
¶ The European Environment Agency published a report recently stating that air pollution cost the EU up to $235 billion for the year 2012. Most of this air pollution is generated by coal-fired power plants. (In the US, the cost of coal-based pollution has been estimated to be $500 billion, but that goes beyond air pollution.) [CleanTechnica]
¶ JA Solar Holdings Co, Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products, announced that it shipped 100 MW of modules to the first large-scale solar farm in Pakistan. Energy demand in Pakistan has grown approximately 8% annually, creating a production deficit of 6 GW. [Your Renewable News]
¶ A delegation headed by Egypt’s deputy minister of electricity and renewable energy visited Jordan to discuss a memorandum of understanding on nuclear power it plans to conclude at the end of a three-day visit. Jordan’s nuclear program has come a long way in its energy project, according to Egypt’s state news agency. [Ahram Online]
¶ A wind farm will power a Honda car manufacturing facility in Brazil. Honda has a car assembly plant in Sumare, Sao Paulo. The wind farm that will soon power this facility is located in the most southern part in Xangri-la, hundreds of miles away, and has nine 3-MW turbines. Honda wants to achieve a reduction of 30% in CO2 emissions by 2020. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales are working on ways of developing a ‘super grid’ for sharing wind power across Europe, cutting down on fossil fuels. Working with Leuven University in Belgium, the Multi-terminal DC Grid for Offshore Wind project is investigating ways of sharing power generated by offshore wind farms. [WalesOnline]
¶ November was a “big month” for Scottish wind power, according to new figures. Scottish wind turbines produced enough electricity to power 2.6 million homes for the month, equivalent to 107% of households, while eleven days in November saw wind power generate enough electricity to supply every home in the country. [Deadline News]
US:
¶ A paper published in Reviews on Environmental Health suggests that even tiny doses of benzene, toluene and other chemicals released during the various phases of oil and natural gas production, including fracking, could pose serious health risks, especially to developing fetuses, babies and young children. [Huffington Post]
¶ A Wal-Mart spokesman said the company is about a third of the way toward its goal in global renewable energy production. The company has its sights set on using 100% renewable energy and generating 7 billion kWh of power by 2020, which the retailer hopes to transform into real savings. This has had effects on the solar PV market. [Arkansas Business Online]
¶ Sen. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City, sponsored two new bills in the Michigan State Senate, seeking to protect utilities and wind farm developers from “nuisance” lawsuits. Walker was unsure if the legislation would get far enough for a vote before the end of the year. But if not, he felt it was likely to come up in some form in 2015. [The Detroit News]
geoharvey 