Science and Technology:
¶ “A Perovskite Makeover Could Help Make Green Hydrogen Happen” • The cost of green hydrogen has been dropping, but it still remains stubbornly high. The figure of $5.00 per kilogram for green hydrogen is commonly cited, compared to just $1.50 for hydrogen from natural gas. That may change with a new perovskite-based nanocatalyst. [CleanTechnica]
Perovskite (Edumol Molecular Visualizations, CC-BY-SA 2,0)
World:
¶ “EVs Take 63.1% Share In Sweden – ID.4 Best Seller” • This December saw plugin EVs take 63.1% share in Sweden, down YOY from the record 74.7% of December 2022, which was boosted by a pull forward ahead of January incentive cuts. Battery EV volumes in full year 2023 were up 17.9% compared to 2022, though plugin hybrid EV volumes fell. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “BYD Is The First Company To Sell Three Million Plugin Vehicles In A Year” • We note that BYD was targeting 3 million vehicle sales in 2023, and it just surpassed that target. It had 3,023,679 EV sales in the year, all of which are plugin vehicles. BYD’s EV sales were split in 2023, as 52% were full electrics and 48% were plugin hybrids. [CleanTechnica]
BYD Song Plus (Courtesy of BYD)
¶ “Nordex Scores 553-MW Swedish Order” • Nordex has received orders for four wind farms in Sweden totaling 553 MW from Renewable Power Capital. A service contract is included. In spring 2025 the Nordex Group will start delivering and installing 80 machines, of which 74 are N163/6.X and six N149/5.X units, for the High Coast wind farm cluster. [reNews]
¶ “Aker To Supply Norwegian Transmission Tech” • Aker Solutions signed a FEED contract with the Marine Energy Test Centre in Norway to pilot new subsea power system technology which could reduce costs and complexity of offshore wind farms significantly. The project will see Aker Solutions provide new power transmission technology. [reNews]
Floating wind turbine in a storm (Aker image)
¶ “UK Use Of Gas And Coal For Electricity At Lowest Since 1957, Figures Show” • The amount of electricity generated by the UK’s gas and coal power plants fell by 20% last year, with consumption of fossil fuels at its lowest level since 1957. The UK’s gas power plants generated 31% of the UK’s electricity last year, and the UK’s last coal plant produced 1%. [The Guardian]
¶ “Bangladesh’s Solar Project Approvals Hit 2.1 GW In 2023” • In December, Bangladesh’s Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase approved tariffs for seven solar power plants totaling 630 MW. Approvals had been granted for 1,566 MW in the year to that point. Most of these projects secured a fixed tariff of around $0.10/kWh. [PV Magazine]
Solar array in Bangladesh (Parasol Energy image)
¶ “Prosumers In Romania Have Installed Capacity Larger Than Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant” • In Romania, there are over 100,000 prosumers with a total installed capacity estimated at 1,400 MW, and additions aren’t slowing down. There is more capacity of rooftop solar than at the country’s one nuclear power plant. [Balkan Green Energy News]
¶ “Spain’s New Radwaste Plan Supports Nuclear Phase-Out” • Spain’s Council of Ministers approved the seventh General Plan for Radioactive Waste, which sets the roadmap for treatment of wastes from nuclear plants. The plan slightly extends nuclear plant operations. Spain plans to close all of its five nuclear plants by 2035. [Nuclear Engineering International]
Nuclear plant in Spain (Jorge Franganillo, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
US:
¶ “Price Cuts Boost Tesla 4Q Sales, Beating Estimates As EV Growth Rate Slows” • Tesla said that it sold 484,507 vehicles worldwide from October through December. That handily beat Wall Street estimates of 473,000 for the quarter, data provider FactSet said. Tesla said it sold just over 1.8 million vehicles in 2023, up 37.7% from 2022. [ABC News]
¶ “Heliostat Consortium Publishes Annual Report Highlighting Impactful Technical Projects, Partnerships With Industry” • The US DOE’s Heliostat Consortium, which is co-led by NREL, has announced publication of HelioCon Annual Report: 2023. The report provides detailed information on progress the HelioCon team has made. [CleanTechnica]
Ivanpah Solar Project (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
¶ “21 GW of US Coal to Retire in Next 3 Years; 88–211 GW of Solar to Join Grid” • Reports on electricity generation and new power capacity in the US clearly show strong trends toward more renewables and less coal. A report shows power capacity growth and retirements the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission expects in the next three years. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Solar Panels Meet Saffron In New Agrivoltaic Project” • The allure of raising a spice crop that retails for $5,000 a pound is enticing. In the unlikely state of Vermont, there is a agrivoltaic experiment under way. If all goes according to plan, it could pave the way for for a saffron boom in the US while it helps save the country’s small farms. [CleanTechnica]
Agrivoltaic array and harvest (courtesy of Next2Sun)
¶ “Pennsylvania Hits Solar Energy Milestone; Advocates Say There’s Much More To Do” • Pennsylvania now has 1 GW of solar energy capacity, enough to power all the homes in Pittsburgh. The Shapiro Administration says it’s an important milestone, but solar industry backers point out that the state should do more to help the industry grow. [90.5 WESA]
¶ “Resilient Power Proves A “Lifesaver” For Mississippi Health Center After Catastrophic Tornado” • After a March 2023 tornado leveled a health center in Mississippi, the organization was able to run operations via a resilient power microgrid system for the better part of a year and continued serving patients, many of whom had lost everything. [Direct Relief]
Have a gleefully happy day.
geoharvey 
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