Science and Technology:
¶ “Sheer Chaos As Paint-On Perovskite Solar Cells Take Over” • The latest development in PV technology has low-cost perovskite solar cells created in the form of a solution which can be applied to a thin film or coated onto almost any surface. Results of the latest paint-on solar cell efforts at Oxford University show a solar conversion efficiency of over 27%. [CleanTechnica]
New perovskite (Martin Small via Oxford University email)
World:
¶ “India Gets More Serious About EVs – Increases Public Charging Stations Nine-Fold In Two Years” • Several years ago, India’s prime minister said that India was aiming to be the first all-EV nation. That seemed a little bonkers. But India’s 1,800 charging stations, two years ago, have grown to 16,347 today, a greater than nine-fold increase. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Lilium Logging More Electric Jet Sales” • Lilium is one of the leaders in the early electric vertical takeoff and landing market. It seems to have one of the more appealing and practical aircraft designs, and it is breaking through barriers (or I should say, flying over barriers) quicker. Lately, the big news is that it’s started logging sales. [CleanTechnica]
Lilium eVolare
¶ “Partners Launch 1.1-GW Italian Battery JV” • The renewable energy fund KGAL ESPF 5 is entering into a joint venture with Italian power specialist IMCS to develop four battery systems in Italy totaling 1,100 MW. The emerging market for energy storage systems is gaining strong political support, as batteries can be used to mitigate power fluctuations. [reNews]
¶ “SJVN Green Energy Commissions 90-MW Floating Solar Project in India” • SJVN Limited announced that the 90-MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project was commissioned by its wholly-owned subsidiary, SJVN Green Energy Limited. With this new project, the company’s total installed capacity has increased to over 2,460 MW. [Machine Maker]
Floating solar array (Courtesy of SJVN Limited)
¶ “South Africa’s R89-Billion Wind Power Boom” • Over the past decade, South Africa’s wind industry has attracted more than R89 billion ($4.75 billion) in investments, creating over 23,000 jobs, and provided for the annual power for over three million homes. This is according to data from the South African Wind Energy Association. [MyBroadband]
¶ “South Korea Lays Out New Offshore Roadmap” • South Korean Trade, Industry, and Energy Vice Minister Namho Choe has announced the Offshore Wind Power Competitive Bidding Roadmap at a conference in Seoul. From the second half of 2024 to the first half of 2026, Seoul will launch approximately 7 GW to 8 GW worth of offshore tenders. [reNews]
Offshore windpower (Doosan image)
¶ “Nuclear Danger Warning Over Ukraine’s Kursk Offensive In Russia” • The UN’s atomic watchdog told Ukraine and Russia to show “maximum restraint” as fighting on a new front raises fears for a Russian nuclear plant. Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, said there were reports of “significant military activity” near the plant in Kursk. [The National]
China:
¶ “Largest Battery-Electric Container Ship Now Operating” • Battery prices have come down a ton in recent years, energy density has improved greatly, and a bit of creativity using swappable batteries makes it all the easier and more efficient. And now, it’s being done with an extremely large container ship – in China, of course. [CleanTechnica]
Bridge of the ship (Courtesy of CCTV)
¶ “Coal To Green Power, Shanxi’s Transformation Is Stunning” • Once synonymous with coal mining and known as “the coal province,” Shanxi, which is in North China, is now among the leaders in China’s renewable energy transition. It is making significant strides in developing solar power to drive its green transformation. [China Daily]
¶ “The Rise Of Renewable Energy Puts China On Track To End Its CO₂ Emissions Growth” • As of 2024, China is currently the source of around 30% of all global emissions. But several groups of international analysts consider it possible that it has already reached its peak emissions thanks, mainly, to the massive rise of China’s renewable energies. [EL PAÍS English]
Wind Farm in Shanxi (Hahaheditor12667, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
US:
¶ “Fremont Announces Plan To Use 100% Renewable Energy” • In June Fremont’s city council asked Ava Community Energy, the city’s primary energy provider, to switch its default offering to its “Renewable 100” service. Ava’s board of directors approved the city’s request last month. Fremont is the ninth city in Alameda County to adopt the plan. [NBC Bay Area]
¶ “US Fire Departments Spent Over Half A Billion Dollars On Gas Leak Responses In 2018, Study Finds” • A peer-reviewed study by scientists at PSE Healthy Energy estimates that US fire departments spent over $564 million responding to gas leak incidents in 2018. The cost for New York City was conservatively estimated at $70 million. [CleanTechnica]
House destroyed by a gas explosion (NTSB, public domain)
¶ “Four Northern California Tribes Are Working Together On A Microgrid Project To Improve Power Reliability” • A microgrid will help the Yurok, Hoopa, and Karuk Tribes avoid frequent power outages. Heidi Moore-Guynup of the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe, said these tribes live along one of PG&E’s most unreliable power lines. [Jefferson Public Radio]
¶ “Biden’s $1.5 Billion Deal To Resurrect A Nuclear Plant Is Facing Fresh Drama” • The United States’ effort to reverse the permanent shutdown of a nuclear station for the first time hit a potential snag this week when an ex-employee at the facility went public with safety concerns about reopening the 53-year-old power plant. [HuffPost]
Have an amusingly calculated day.
geoharvey 