Science and Technology:
¶ The Harvard quinone flow battery got worldwide media attention in early 2014 for its inexpensive non-metal electrolytes. Now, a team of developers at Sustainable Innovations have verified Harvard’s results. This success, with funding from ARPA-E, this cleared the way for building a prototype test battery. [PR Web]
¶ New graphs show some new light on the falling costs of solar technology – both at utility-scale and on rooftops, and show how much further they may fall in coming years. They were released this weekend by the International Renewable Energy Agency at its annual conference in its home base of Abu Dhabi. [RenewEconomy]
World:
¶ Welspun Energy has announced fresh investment plans to expand its solar and wind capacity in India. Welspun Energy has signed agreements with the state government of Gujarat to install 1.1 GW of renewable capacity. The agreement includes 500 MW of wind energy capacity and 600 MW of solar energy capacity. [CleanTechnica]
¶ SunEdison has signed yet another landmark deal with a state in India to set up large-scale renewable energy projects. SunEdison will set up 5 GW of solar and wind energy capacity in the southern state of Karnataka. This is the second such deal the company has signed but the first to include wind energy as well. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The cost of unwinding nuclear is uncertain as estimates range widely, but concerns are rising. The International Energy Agency has said that almost 200 of the 434 reactors in operation around the globe would be retired by 2040, and estimated the cost of decommissioning them at more than $100 billion. [Yahoo News]
¶ For the second consecutive year, Canada has set a record for the installation of new wind energy capacity. According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, a total of 1,871 MW of wind energy capacity was installed in five provinces in Canada in 2014, with most growth centred in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. [Renewable Energy Focus]
¶ Spanish company Gamesa says it will construct a 24-MW wind farm in Jamaica. Under the contract, signed with Wigton Windfarm Ltd, the company will deliver and install 12 2-MW turbines. Gamesa will ship its equipment in the third quarter of 2015. The company did not disclose the value of the deal. [SeeNews Renewables]
US:
¶ In Hawaii, Parker Ranch announced that Parker Ranch Foundation Trust has entered into an agreement with an affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources. This agreement provides NextEra Energy Resources with long-term access rights to PRFT lands to develop renewable energy derived from PRFT’s wind resources. [AZoCleantech]
¶ Like it or not, Idaho is going solar. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has recently approved agreements with 13 solar power projects. Together, federal regulations, tax incentives, cheaper solar panels and a rate-calculating method developed by the commission itself have made solar power financially attractive. [Idaho Press-Tribune]
¶ An empty lot in Plymouth, New Hampshire has become one of the largest solar arrays in the state. The 121-kilowatt system is projected to generate a quarter of the annual electric needs of the Plymouth Village water & Sewer District. It should help with the electric bill, which last year totaled nearly $70,000. [Washington Times]
¶ Kwigillingok, Alaska is off the power grid because it is too remote to be on one. It generates its own power, which now includes electricity from wind turbines. This is a microgrid, which can be independent of a larger power grid, as needed, to keep the power on. Such small systems could be the future of power. [Motley Fool]
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