World:
¶ Norway is hoping to become the “green battery of Europe” by using its hydropower plants to provide instant extra electricity if production from wind and solar power sources in other countries fade. Engineers believe they could use the existing network to instantly boost European supplies and avoid other countries having to switch on fossil fuel plants to make up shortfalls. [Climate News Network]
Norwegian dam. Statkraft photo.
¶ Much of the new electric capacity in Italy is in small installations. There were 190.1 MW of wind farms in the first half of 2015, spread among 384 installations. The 127.4 MW of new solar capacity included 46 MW in systems of 3 kW to 6 kW, and 27.86 MW in systems in the 20 kW to 200 kW range. The 53.9 MW of hydropower was spread among 95 plants. [SeeNews Renewables]
¶ Solar power company Canadian Solar is close to complete construction of a 100-MW project Grand Renewable Solar Project, in Haldimand county, Ontario, with 445,000 of the company’s CS6X MaxPower high-performance modules. GRS is expected to produce approximately 170,000 MWh of electricity per year. And the solar energy will help power about 17,000 homes. [Greentech Lead]
¶ Gamesa, a leader in wind technology, will supply nine wind turbines to repower a wind farm in the UK, developed by a joint venture between utility E.ON and renewable generator Energy Power Resources Ltd. Old turbines commissioned in 1993 will be updated with modern technology to produce twice as much power using fewer than half as many turbines. [Windpower Engineering]
¶ Japan approved an increase in compensation payments for the Fukushima Disaster to ¥7.07 trillion ($57.18 billion), as tens of thousands of evacuees remain in temporary housing more than four years after the disaster. TEPCO, the operator of the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station, will also receive ¥950 billion more in additional public funds. [Reuters India]
¶ Statkraft has started construction on a 3-MW battery project at a run-of-river power plant in Dörverden, Lower Saxony, Germany. Three batteries of 1-MW installed capacity are being mounted on site. The aim of the pilot project is to deliver control reserve power to the German transmission grid. The company expects the batteries to be in operation by the end of the year. [reNews]
Image: Site of Statkraft run of river battery project (Statkraft)
US:
¶ FERC issued its monthly report on new US generating capacity. CleanTechnica added a careful estimate of new rooftop solar capacity, and here are the numbers: 44% of new capacity came from wind power, 41.5% came from solar power, 13% was biomass, and 2% was natural gas. Overall, for the first half of 2015, renewables accounted for 78.4% of new capacity. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Warren Buffett joined leaders of a dozen major US businesses at the White House in calling for robust action on global warming. Berkshire Hathaway, Apple, Walmart, General Motors, Cargill, Bank of America and others announced over $140 billion in investments in low-carbon projects and other actions as they shift toward greater reliance on renewable energy. [Omaha World-Herald]
¶ The Clean Power Plan is expected to be finalized soon, and two new reports refute opponents’ claims that the plan will increase electric bills. A Synapse Energy Economics scenario includes investments in renewables and energy efficiency. It finds the average US household participating in energy efficiency programs should save $35 on its electric bills in 2030. [Morrow County Sentinel]
¶ A study released Monday by the University of Wyoming Wind Energy Research Center presents a case for California regulators to turn to Wyoming wind power to help offset the natural ups and downs of wind and solar power generated in their state. The report says Wyoming wind could help California over a billion gallons of water annually and help Californians reduce utility bills. [KOLO]
¶ Installation of the turbine foundations for Deepwater Wind’s 30-MW Block Island project started Sunday and will take about eight weeks. Submarine cable installation is to commence in the spring of 2016, followed by turbine installation in the summer. With completion of grid connection, the wind farm is planned to be producing power in the final quarter of 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]
Alstom Haliade wind turbines. ©Alstom / Nicolas Job
¶ Pumped hydro storage has potential on Oahu. It uses cheap solar energy during the day to pump water uphill to a reservoir, and then releases that water at night, running down a pipe, turning a turbine and making electric power. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative has decided against battery technology, and has opted to implement pumped-hydro storage. [Pacific Business News (Honolulu)]
¶ Southern California spot wholesale power prices slumped to negative levels, a signal for generators to cut output, after wind production surged above forecast. Wind turbines, primarily in the lower half of the state, produced an estimated 1,981 MW in the hour ending at 10 a.m. local time, 73% more than the California Independent System Operator Inc had predicted. [Bloomberg]
¶ A Texas company is moving forward with an effort to build a massive wind power project in Aroostook County, Maine, that would be the largest of its kind in New England. Applications in, EDP Renewables awaits the green light from the state before it can begin building the 250-MW wind project in northern Maine that could power roughly 70,000 homes. [Fort Worth Star Telegram]
¶ Bill Fehrman, CEO of MidAmerican Energy, said Monday the company could get up to 57% of its energy from wind with its latest renewable energy project. Wind’s growing presence in MidAmerican’s portfolio is encouraging, and so is news that the utility is looking to invest in Iowa solar projects; both community solar and utility-sized solar are being considered. [DesMoinesRegister.com]
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