Science and Technology:
¶ “Kitemill Aims For Wind Energy With 90% Less Infrastructure” • The idea of sending a kite into the sky to harvest wind energy has been around for 20 years or more, and now it’s beginning to pay off. The Norwegian firm Kitemill has just got a competitive EU grant of €2.5 million to get its KM2 airborne wind energy project off the ground. [CleanTechnica]
Kitemill kite (Courtesy of Kitemill)
¶ “Elastocaloric Heating And Cooling More Efficient Than Heat Pumps” • This technology is based on a simple principle. Heat can be removed from a space by stretching wires and releasing them again. Shape-memory wires made of super-elastic nitinol absorb heat in the cooling chamber and release it to the outer environment. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Agricultural Robots – Clean Food Without Pesticides” • Weeds are the bane of all farmers. Chemical eradication has become the method of choice for controlling weeds. Farmers often spray or otherwise apply several weed-killing chemicals to their fields in a single season. Now agricultural robots that remove weeds are becoming more common. [CleanTechnica]
Farm (Courtesy of Idaho National Laboratory)
World:
¶ “EV Industry Growth In Mexico” • Mexico, a country with big EV market potential, has begun to see the takeoff of EVs thus far found mostly in Europe, China, and the US. But while Mexico offers a promising location for EV growth, adoption of passenger EVs in Mexico has thus far not been supported by significant government incentives. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “UK Solar Industry Rejuvenated By Labour Resurgence” • UK energy secretary Ed Miliband has lit a fire under the country’s renewable energy ambitions, particularly with regard to rooftop and grid-scale solar. Citing a story in The Observer, Carbon Brief reports that the newly elected Labour government has plans for a “rooftop revolution.” [CleanTechnica]
Farm used for hay production (Advanced Solar Products image)
¶ “Federal Government Targets 9,000 MW From Renewable Energy” • The Federal Government of Nigeria said it expects the renewable energy sector to contribute about 9,000 MW by year 2030 as part of a vision to end energy poverty in the country. The Minister of Power said, “The lack of grid reliability has hampered economic productivity. [Vanguard News]
¶ “Australia Rated Global Leader In Hybrid Solar And Battery Energy Solutions” • With more than 300 large-scale solar and battery storage projects in the pipeline nationally, Australia has been identified as a global leader in hybrid solar and battery systems in a new whitepaper released by global energy company Hitachi Energy. [pv magazine Australia]
Solar and battery project (Hitachi Energy image)
¶ “Shanghai Plans To Install 29 GW Of Offshore Wind Capacity” • China’s largest city, Shanghai, plans for 29.3 GW of offshore wind capacity to be installed and feeding its grid. The plan, by the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, aims to have offshore wind generating around 100 TWh of green electricity annually. [OffshoreWIND.biz]
¶ “Ramaphosa Reveals 22,500 MW Renewables Pipeline In South Africa” • South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his first speech since forming a coalition government in May, said the nation is experiencing a “renewable energy revolution,” with projects expected to attract around R400 billion ($21.9 billion) in private investment. [pv magazine International]
Cape Town (Tim Johnson, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station Delayed Again And At Further £3 Billion Cost” • Completion of the Hinkley Point C power station has been delayed again, puting it a decade behind its original schedule. The projected cost is now in the range of £25 to £26 billion. Originally, it was to be finished in 2017 at a cost of £18 billion. [Yahoo News Canada]
US:
¶ “Red States Shower Incentives On Coal-Killing Thin Film Solar Factories” • With their business-friendly policies, politically conservative states are sought-after locations for new factories. The latest news involves the US solar cell innovator First Solar, which has tapped Alabama and Louisiana to ramp up production of thin film solar modules. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array in Australia (Courtesy of First Solar)
¶ “US DOE Provides $65 Million For Connected Communities” • The US DOE announced Connected Communities 2.0, a funding opportunity of up to $65 million to drive innovation to manage growing building, transportation, and industrial electric loads on the grid. This FOA accelerates progress toward the goal of a clean energy economy. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Holy Cross Energy Well On The Way To Getting 90% Of Its Electricity From Renewable Sources” • Holy Cross Energy has pledged to get 95% to 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The electric cooperative seems to be ahead of schedule. CEO Bryan Hannegan said by the end of 2023 it was using roughly 50% renewable energy. [VailDaily.com]
Glenwood Springs (Nils Huenerfuerst, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “Clearway Starts Work On Two Large Renewable Projects In Southern California” • Clearway Energy Group announced that it has begun construction on two major energy projects in Fresno and San Bernardino counties in California. Luna Valley is a 200-MW solar project, and Daggett Storage is a 113.5-MW standalone battery energy storage project. [Solar Power World]
¶ “California Proposes Purchasing 7.6 GW Of Offshore Wind Over The Next Decade” • The California PUC proposed an initial need determination of up to 7.6 GW of offshore wind, up to 1 GW of enhanced geothermal systems, up to 1 GW of multi-day long-duration energy storage (LDES), and up to 1 GW of LDES with a discharge period of at least 12 hours. [Power Engineering]
Have a wholly fortuitous day.
geoharvey 