Science and Technology:
¶ Human societies will soon start to experience adverse effects from manmade climate change, economist Richard Tol warned. He predicts the downsides of warming will outweigh the advantages at a 1.1° C increase, which we have nearly reached already. He had previously commented on positive effects of climate change. [BBC]
AFP photo
World:
¶ Apple announced a deal that will see its Singapore operations fully powered by solar energy, expanding on similar efforts in countries like the US and China, and also confirmed an upcoming local Apple Store that will be the first in Southeast Asia. Developer Sunseap Group will supply Apple from panels on 800 roof tops. [Apple Insider]
¶ Automotive giant Daimler announced that it plans to connect the old lithium-ion cells to the grid in Lünen, Germany, building the world’s largest stationary storage facility made out of re-used electric vehicle batteries. The system will allow excess renewable energy from the area to be stored and returned to the grid later. [Ars Technica UK]
¶ Iran has a package for $25 billion of investment in its booming power industry, the head of Iran Power Transmission, Generation and Distribution Company says. It is a key to the country’s economic recovery. Iran needs to invest $7-8 billion a year in its power generation and distribution sector to keep pace with demand. [Payvand]
Wind turbines in Manjil, Iran
¶ As Germany executes what may be Europe’s most ambitious transition to clean energy, the dirtiest form of coal-fired power has held fast to a major share of the country’s power supply. Meanwhile, some of the most efficient gas plants in Europe are shutting down. New legislation aims to correct the situation. [Big News Network.com]
¶ Six large LG Chem lithium-ion battery storage units will be put into service at Steag power plants in Germany. The €100-million project will see 15-MW energy storage systems installed in power stations at Herne, Lünen and Duisburg-Walsum, Bexbach, Fenne and Weiher. The batteries will be used for grid stabilization. [Energy Matters]
¶ India announced conclusion of a civil nuclear deal for buying uranium from Australia to increase conventional fuel supplies to overcome chronic shortages. The announcement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey. [Livemint]
US:
¶ A joint project of Roeslein Alternative Energy and Smithfield Food Hogs Production will convert manure from hogs on nine farms into renewable natural gas. Gas sales should start in 2016. A second phase would add native prairie grasses planted on erodible or marginal farm land to the manure to increase the biomass. [The Rakyat Post]
Bio-gas storage.
¶ Findings from real estate appraisal experts and a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggest that adding a photovoltaic solar power system to a home increases the home’s value across six states. The study looked at markets in California, Oregon, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. [Daily Californian]
¶ Green Cow Power, a large digester facility, is now converting off-farm organic wastes and dairy manure into energy with two Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow digesters from DVO Inc. The Goshen, Indiana plant it is the largest waste-to-energy facility in Elkhart County and the eighth largest digester operation in Indiana. [Renewable Energy from Waste]
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