Opinion:
¶ “Why Bigger Is No Longer Better In Energy” A product, technology, or energy source that is both cost-effective and bankable will scale, and this is the key to victory. The good news for photovoltaics is that nothing scales like silicon. And the earth’s silicon supply is virtually infinite. Silicon Valley is not called Germanium Valley for a reason (though it could have been). [OilPrice.com]
Science and Technology:
¶ An Entrade Energiesystems E3 micro-scale biomass CHP plant has passed 1000 hours of operation (nearly seven weeks), with almost no human interference. The plant produces 22 kW of electrical energy and 55 kW of thermal energy, and plants can be connected in series. The unit fits in a standard shipping container, and can be installed in less than a day. [Renewable Energy Focus]
Photo: © ENTRADE Energiesysteme AG
World:
¶ Tougher national caps on the emissions of common air pollutants may soon be headed to the European Union, following the approval of European Commission proposals by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. The new caps call for the emissions in question to be reduced by 70% by 2030 (saving an estimated €40 billion in air pollution costs). [CleanTechnica]
¶ New Delhi-based ACME Solar Energy Pvt Ltd commissioned two solar power plants in the Indian state of Rajasthan with a combined capacity of 150 MWp, it announced on Friday. The complex consists of five PV plants in the Thar desert. ACME Solar is a joint venture of ACME Cleantech Solutions Ltd, EDF Energies Nouvelles, and EREN Renewable Energy. [SeeNews Renewables]
¶ The latest challenge at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is to remove a 20-ton piece of debris from a pool holding over 500 spent fuel rods. More than four years after the plant was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami, Fukushima Daiichi’s operator TEPCO said it would start work on the critical task this week using a crane especially designed for the work. [Wall Street Journal]
US:
¶ Schneider Electric, S&C Electric Company, and Oncor, which does transmission and distribution, teaming up to put together a microgrid featuring nine separate distributed generation sources along with energy storage infrastructure. Oncor says the project is the “most advanced microgrid in North America,” and will provide insight into optimization strategies. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Although Kodiak Island relied on hydropower for 80% of the electricity, it also burned 2.8 million gallons of diesel oil, costing $7 million, per year. Kodiak Electric Association set a goal of producing 95% of the community’s electrical needs with renewable energy by 2020. They actually arrived there well ahead of time, and are now 99.7 % renewably powered. [GreenBiz]
Alaska’s Kodiak Island has switched from diesel fuel dependence to relying almost entirely on renewable energy. Flickr/Mandalit.
¶ A bipartisan energy bill that includes a 50-GW National Geothermal Goal is awaiting the Senate Finance Committee’s markup on Tuesday. The bill would have federal agencies identify priority areas for geothermal development, and facilitate new discoveries by allowing limited non-competitive leasing of adjacent lands where a new discovery has been made. [SeeNews Renewables]
¶ Developers of a plan by a Swanton family for what could become Vermont’s latest large-scale wind power project want to ask for state approval before the end of the year in hopes that construction can begin on what may be a seven-turbine, 20-MW installation before the end of 2016. The Swanton Wind project would be on a ridge northeast of St. Albans. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]
¶ Southern California Edison has launched its sixth renewable energy solicitation for renewable electricity as part of a program to procure resources sized between 3 and 20 MW. The company is seeking a total of 104.8 MW, 54.8 MW to meet the its RAM procurement targets, and 50 MW of solar resources to support launching the company’s Green Rate program. [AZoCleantech]
¶ New Jersey is making good progress toward achieving the goals its four-year-old Energy Master Plan, lowering costs to consumers, promoting a diverse set of in-state generation, and supporting renewable energy, the state Board of Public Utilities says. The BPU is gearing up for a series of public hearings on the plan, and some people are likely to contest its opinion. [NJ Spotlight]
¶ General Electric Co wants to be a “sizable” player in the market for systems that store energy to manage power volatility, a sector the company expects to quadruple to $6 billion by 2020. Demand for industrial battery systems is being driven by increasing reliance on renewable energy sources and the potential to add energy to the grid quickly when power needs spike. [BusinessDay]
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