Opinion:
¶ “Solar Doesn’t Need A Toxic ‘Friendship’ With Nuclear Power” • A report released this week by the Queensland Conservation Council reinforces what other experts are saying, that rooftop solar and nuclear cannot co-exist. It reveals just how detrimental any proposal for nuclear power would be for Queensland solar homeowners’ hip pockets. [RenewEconomy]
Solar panels (Biel Morro, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “The Volvo EX30 Leads The Way As Battery EV Sales Continue To Grow In South Africa” • In the first 6 months of this year, 749 battery EVs were sold in South Africa. A total of 931 battery EVs were sold in the whole of 2023. The Volvo XC40 was the top selling battery EV in South Africa in 2023, getting 150 sales across those 12 months. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Bonkers ‘Wall Of Floating Wind Turbines’ Not So Bonkers After All” • There is a method to the madness of a crazy-looking new floating wind turbine concept, and the outlines of the method have just come into sharper focus with a preliminary seal of approval from the independent assurance and risk management firm DNV. [CleanTechnica]
Windcatcher 40-MW floating wind turbine concept
(Courtesy of Axess Group via Wind Catching Systems)
¶ “Hottest Day On Record 3rd Day In A Row – Global Heating Is Here” • Extreme heat has been ravaging North America, Europe, and Asia this summer. We’re collecting records, yet again, and the worst thing is that we know this is only the beginning. Sunday was the hottest day on record, but Monday was hotter. And then Tuesday was hotter than that. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Sterling And Wilson Renewable Wins 1 GWh Battery Storage, 20 MW Floating Solar Projects” • Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Ltd, an Indian renewable EPC provider, announced that it has received the order for setting up a battery plant with a capacity of 500 MW, 1 GWh in Rajasthan and a 20-MW floating solar plant in Karnataka. [pv magazine India]
Floating solar power (Wzhkevin, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “Nation Sets Example For Green Transition” • China’s installed wind and solar power capacity has overtaken its coal. China has installed 1,180 GW of wind and solar capacity as of the end of June 2024. This is only 20 GW behind the goal of 1,200 GW capacity by 2030, and it will reach the goal this year, a senior analyst for Rystad Energy said. [China Daily]
¶ “Construction Starts At Greek Solar Giant” • Ameresco Sunel Energy has started building Lightsource BP’s 560-MW Enipease solar project in Greece. The Enipeas project, co-funded by the EU through the “NextGenerationEU” fund, is in the regions of Larissa and Fthiotida and it is expected to reach completion within 18 to 24 months. [reNews]
Solar array (Chelsea, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Climate Change Is Making The UK Hotter And Wetter Met Office Reports” • Human induced climate change is causing more frequent spells of hot weather and rainfall extremes, the State of the UK Climate report says. The number of hot days more than doubled in the most recent decade, while the entire country had greater rainfall. [Yourweather.co.uk]
US:
¶ “How Can Hurricane-Proof Houses Become More Common Across The US?” • A warming climate means stronger winds, higher storm surges, and record rainfalls. Deltec Homes, a North Carolina firm, makes prefabricated circular houses with tightly sealed roofs and walls pinned to the foundations to survive hurricanes with 190 mph winds. [CleanTechnica]
Storm damage in Vermont (US Fish and Wildlife Service)
¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Advances Clean Energy Projects On Western Public Lands With Potential To Power Nearly 2 Million Homes” • The Interior Department announced that the Bureau of Land Management is advancing nine solar projects on public lands that could potentially power nearly 2 million homes with clean energy. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “California Replacing Nuclear With Solar Plus Storage” • In California, Clearway Energy has financing for the 200-MW Luna Valley Solar & Storage facility and the 113.5-MW Dagget energy storage project. These projects have signed PPAs that are among those intended to replace the potentially retiring Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. [pv magazine USA]
Solar at Phipps Bend Nuclear Plant (United Renewable Energy)
¶ “Pioneering Project To Cover Canals With Solar Panels Nears Finish” • The US is about to get its first solar-covered canal, a huge win for clean energy. Nearing completion on tribal lands in Arizona, the Casa Blanca Canal project will generate solar power while also helping preserve precious water resources, according to Canary Media. [The Cool Down]
¶ “Colorado Power Provider Will Add 760 MW Of Renewable Energy” • Platte River Power Authority’s board of directors approved the utility’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan on July 25, including the recommended “optimal new carbon” portfolio that adds 760 MW of new renewable energy projects between now and 2030. [POWER Magazine]
Solar array in Colorado (US DOE image)
¶ “Starbucks Invests In Solar For 170 Illinois Stores” • Starbucks is partnering with Nexamp as a long-term renewable electricity purchaser, anchoring deployment of over 40 MW of solar energy in Illinois communities. The Coffee giant will purchase sufficient electricity coverage for 170 of its Illinois stores through Nexamp solar projects. [Chain Store Age]
¶ “Nuclear Power Startup Plans 6-GW Fleet of US Plants” • The Nuclear Company, based in Lexington, Kentucky, has announced plans to build a 6-GW fleet of nuclear power stations in the US, looking to take advantage of bipartisan support for nuclear power and the perceived need to build more zero-carbon, baseload sources of energy. [POWER Magazine]
Have a pleasantly reflective day.
geoharvey 
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