Science and Technology:
¶ “See-Through Solar Windows, Coming Soon To A Farm Near You” • Some people object to solar PVs, saying they don’t look good. Research indicates that transparent, see-through solar technology can use some sunlight while passing some. Solar cells can be the glass in a greenhouse, so a farmer’s greenhouse can generate electricity. [CleanTechnica]
Glass solar PV (Courtesy of Michigan State University)
World:
¶ “Indonesia’s Palm Oil B50 Biodiesel Blend Aims For Green Energy Without Risking Global Palm Oil Supply” • Indonesia, the world’s leading palm oil producer, aims to harness its vast reserves as a renewable energy source. Since 2008, the country has been blending palm oil with fossil fuel-based diesel to create biodiesel. [The Independent Singapore News]
¶ “Tata Power Commences Production Of Solar PVs At India’s Largest Solar Manufacturing Plant” • TP Solar Ltd, a subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd, announced the opening of commercial production from the 2-GW solar cell line at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. The plant will benefit India’s economy. [Tata Power]
Tata Power Manufacturing Plant (Tata Power image)
¶ “Panel Installation Complete At Solar And Battery Project Built To Power Pilbara Mining Giants” • Leading Australian energy infrastructure business APA Group announced that it completed installation of all solar panels at the 45-MW Port Hedland solar farm, which will also feature a 35-MW, 36.7-MWh battery energy storage system. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “India Announces Country’s Largest Wind Energy Project To Power 3 Million Households” • India has announced its largest wind energy project, which will power 3 million households, Asian News International reported. The government-owned NTPC Green Energy Limited has partnered with Suzlon Group for the 1,166-MW project. [Energy Central]
Indian wind farm (Sharada Prasad, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Telstra Signs Up To Buy Half The Output From Big Riverina Solar Farm, Sheep Not Included” • Australian telecoms giant Telstra signed a deal to buy 50% of the electricity generated by the Glenellen solar farm, a 260-MW project under construction in New South Wales. The solar project will allow ongoing grazing within its area. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “Great Britain Generates Over 80% Of Summer Electricity From Renewables” • Great Britain had its greenest summer on record, with roughly a fifth of electricity from non-renewable sources, data commissioned by The Guardian shows. Data from Ember shows fossil fuel use was just over 62% in 2014, but it fell to about 21% for August 2024. [EcoWatch]
Unloading turbine blades (Flickr.com, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “At Japan’s Fukushima, A High-Stakes Recovery Of Deadly Radioactive Debris Resumes” • In Japan, an extendable robot resumed its mission to retrieve a fragment of melted fuel debris from one of three damaged reactors at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, nearly three weeks after an earlier attempt was suspended. [South China Morning Post]
Sweden:
¶ “Sweden To Introduce Wind Incentives” • The government of Sweden is to implement proposals to help expand wind power. The plans include a provision that municipalities where wind farms are built will receive support in an amount equivalent to the property taxes on the array. The trade body has pursued the issue for over 10 years. [reNews]
Wind farm (Waldemar, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “The World’s First Electric Timber Truck With A Crane Takes Sustainable Forestry To The Next Level ” • The forestry industry just saw a major leap towards sustainability with the debut of the world’s first electric timber truck with a crane. It was unveiled in Sweden at the Elmia Lastbil fair. It is the result of a collaboration between SCA and Scania. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Northvolt’s Initial Outcomes From Its Strategic Review” • Northvolt announced it will focus its resources on sustainable large-scale cell manufacturing. This endeavor entails ramping up the first phase of the Northvolt Ett gigafactory in Sweden, whilst continuing to leverage the world-class R&D facility Northvolt Labs, in Västerås, Sweden. [CleanTechnica]
Northvolt Ett factory (Courtesy of Northvolt)
US:
¶ “The US Is Dismantling Nuclear Warheads To Power The Next Generation Of Reactors” • Inside a highly classified facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, workers are turning old, unexploded nuclear warheads into fuel that will power cities. The process involves melting weapons-grade uranium with low-enriched uranium in a crucible at around 2,500°F. [CNN]
¶ “US Solar Power Booms Under Biden” • A report published by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie highlights how effective the Biden-Harris administration has been in advancing solar power in the US, and especially solar panel production capacity. Solar module production capacity has risen above 31 GW per year. [CleanTechnica]
Solar power (Karl Callwood, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Clean Energy’s Secret Weapon: Rural Electric Cooperatives” • In one of the great ironies of American political life, many of the conservative rural communities in the continental US get their electricity from ratepayer-owned, not-for-profit utilities called rural electric cooperatives. These rural areas had once been left in the dark by for-profit utilities. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Biden Administration OKs Major Nevada Power Project” • The Biden administration announced it is approving a major transmission project as well as a solar project in Nevada. The Greenlink West Transmission Project will run power lines from North Las Vegas to Reno. It could transmit enough electricity for 4.8 million homes. [The Hill]
Have a scrupulously improvised day.
geoharvey 