Science and Technology:
¶ “ClearPower Solar Windows Could Transform The Building Environment” • ClearPower has a new type of solar window. The company says its ClearPower window not only produces power at an efficiency and power density comparable to PV modules, but also provides solar heat gain control to reduce air conditioning and heating costs. [CleanTechnica]
Solar window vs solar panel (ClearPower image)
¶ “Nuclear Reactors Still Expensive, Slow And Risky” • A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found that small modular reactors are expensive, too slow to build, and too risky to play a significant role in moving away from fossil fuels in ten to fifteen years. They could delay the transition away from fossil fuels. [Environment America]
¶ “Electrifed Firebricks May The Answer To Low Carbon Process Heat” • Daniel Stack and Joey Kabel found that by slight changes to the recipe of the metal oxides used to make firebricks, they could make bricks that would conduct electricity and generate heat. They founded Electrified Thermal Solutions to bring their invention to market. [CleanTechnica]
Bricks (Marek Studzinski, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Labour Outlines Great British Energy Vision” • Labour leader Keir Starmer outlined more details of his plans for Great British Energy, a publicly owned company that will develop renewables projects. Launching the website for Great British Energy, he said that if a Labour government is elected, it will get working within months to build clean power across the UK. [reNews]
¶ “The Global Automaker Rating 2023: Who Is Leading The Transition To Electric Vehicles?” • The International Council on Clean Transportation released its annual assessment of progress by automakers in the transition to zero-emission vehicles. It is still accelerating, with growing sales, improving performance, and more ambitious visions. [CleanTechnica]
Woman and her Hyundai (Hyundai Motor Group, Unsplash)
¶ “UK Energy Production Decreases, Consumption Stabilises” • Recent government data spanning January to March 2024 reveals shifts in the UK’s energy sector compared to the same period a year earlier. Electricity generation by major power producers saw declines in coal (0.7%), gas (4.9%), and nuclear (16%). Renewables increased by 5.8%. [Energy Live News]
¶ “Behind Spain’s First Agri-PV Solar Park By BayWa RE” • The first agri-voltaic solar park in Spain is ushering in a new era for sustainability. The 54-MW PV park by BayWa re integrates renewable electricity production, agriculture and biodiversity. It is also a step towards VELUX Group achieving its 100% renewable electricity goal. [Energy Digital Magazine]
Agrivoltaics in Spain (BayWa re image)
¶ “Landmark Renewable And Storage Tenders Open Amid Amid Questions Over Duration” • Two landmark renewable energy tenders opened in Australia, with the federal government seeking a record 6 GW of new solar and wind capacity, and NSW seeking offers for up to 1 GW of long duration storage capacity. Similar tenders will come every six months. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “42% Of Electricity In Ireland Came From Renewables In 2023” • A total of 42% of electricity in Ireland came from renewables in 2023, according to EirGrid’s annual report for 2023. The report also announced the first Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auction. The EirGrid Group is responsible for operating and developing the Irish power grid. [BreakingNews.ie]
Dublin (Gregory Dalleau, Unsplash)
¶ “Finland Awarded $30 Million To Expand Solar Power” • The European Union’s renewable energy financing mechanism has awarded €27.5 million ($30.1 million) to seven solar power projects in Finland. These seven projects have a combined capacity of 212.99 megawatts-peak (MWp). They range in size from 7.8 MWp to 40.16 MWp. [Rigzone]
US:
¶ “California Heat Pump Partnership Aims For Six Million In Six Years” • The newly launched California Heat Pump Partnership has a solution to heating and cooling without fossil fuels. And they are not kidding around, with the power of a partnership that includes companies covering more than 90% of the consumer heat pump market. [CleanTechnica]
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
¶ “Cut Gas Line At Center Of NTSB Investigation Into Deadly Ohio Explosion” • The National Transportation Safety Board said a cut to an inactive but still pressurized gas line will be a central focus of their investigation into what caused an explosion that rocked downtown Youngstown, Ohio. One question is why an abandoned service line was pressurized. [ABC News]
¶ “Texas Town Deploys Snow Plows After 50°F Temperature Swing And Two Feet Of Hail” • Severe weather: The temperature in the village of Marathon, Texas, fell over 50°F tumbled from around 105°F to the mid-50s in about one hour on Wednesday afternoon. This was followed by hail so deep they had to deploy snow plows to clear the streets. [ABC News]
Marathon Texas (Talshiarr, CC-BY-SA 2.5, cropped)
¶ “These Abandoned Oil Wells Near Bakersfield Could Store Enough Solar Power For 300,000 Homes” • When a small firm leased an oil field in California’s Central Valley six years ago, it quickly realized that drilling for oil wasn’t going to be viable. But its team discovered that it could use old oil wells for a different purpose: storing solar power. [Fast Company]
¶ “Alliant Energy Completes The Grant County Solar Project” • Alliant Energy announced the completion of its 200-MW Grant County solar project in Potosi, Wisconsin. It can generate enough electricity to provide the annual needs of over 50,000 homes. The project is the culmination of Alliant Energy’s buildout of twelve utility-scale solar projects. [WKOW]
Have an utterly untroubled day.
geoharvey 
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