World:
¶ “The Warming Planet Is Changing The Ecosystem. It’s Also Bad For Automakers” • When Swedish automaker Volvo opened its proving ground in Kiruna, Sweden, 30 years ago, the mission was clear: “Making sure that our products are truly fit for the harshest of winter conditions.” The area had snow until mid-May in those days. Not any more. [ABC News]
Electric Volvo EX30 Cross Country (Volvo image)
¶ “Pharma Firms Extend Chinese Renewables Procurement” • AstraZeneca and GSK partnered with pharmaceutical suppliers to procure renewable power in China. In collaboration, twelve companies will unlock roughly 225 GWh of electricity per year for operations that include the research, development, and manufacture of medicines. [reNews]
¶ “UK Group Promotes Heat Pumps With Home Visits” • UK nonprofit Nesta helps people learn about heat pumps by word of mouth. It connects those who are interested by heat pumps with people who have already installed them. Instead of a sales pitch, the potential customers get to speak with people who have the equipment in their homes. [CleanTechnica]
How a heat pump works (State of Rhode Island)
¶ “NTPC’s 300-MW Kolayat Solar Power Plant Now Fully Operational” • State-owned NTPC announced that its 300-MW Shambu ki Burj-2 solar PV project in Rajasthan is now fully operational. The project was commissioned by NTPC Green Energy in a phased manner, with the final 18.32-MW portion recently going online. [pv magazine India]
¶ “Nordex Secures 112-MW Brazilian Turbine Deal” • Nordex has received a 112-MW turbine order for a wind project in Brazil. Brazilian energy holding company Auren Energia commissioned Nordex to supply and install nineteen N163/5.X turbines. The turbines are destined for the Cajuina 3 wind farm in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. [reNews]
Wind turbine (Nordex image)
¶ “2025 Offshore Capacity To Reach 19 GW” • The offshore wind industry is poised for a rebound in 2025, with capacity additions expected to reach 19 GW and sector-wide expenditure projected to hit $80 billion. According to research from Rystad Energy this recovery follows a slowdown at the end of last year, when new installations dropped to about 8 GW. [reNews]
¶ “Reports Reveal Australia’s Record Renewable Year” • Australia is kicking net zero goals, with three industry reports highlighting the country’s latest milestones, including a record amount of renewable electricity generation and emissions reductions in 2024. Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions are now 29% below 2005 levels. [Utility Magazine]
Wind farm in Australia (Nachoman-au, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
¶ “France And Spain Lead Europe’s Onshore Wind Potential” • Europe has been steadily ramping up its wind energy capacity. In the last quarter of 2023, the region succeeded in producing more power from wind than coal for the first time. Also, France and Spain alone could produce enough electricity to meet the EU’s 2050 energy demand. [OilPrice.com]
¶ “Austria Regains Electricity Exporter Status Due To Renewable Energy” • Austria regained its status as an electricity-exporting country for the first time since 2009, driven by its transition to clean energy, with electricity exports reaching 4,747 GWh last year. Austrian Power Grid attributed this to a large expansion of renewable energy systems. [MSN]
Archimedes screw turbine (Hydro-Connect GmbH, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Nuclear Power Struggling To Maintain Its Level Of Stagnation, Let Alone Achieve Any Growth” • The current push in Australia to deploy nuclear reactors contrasts an excessive optimism by nuclear proponents against the continuing stagnant situation of nuclear power worldwide. And the latest nuclear proposals are built on speculations. [RenewEconomy]
US:
¶ “Domaine Carneros Takes Control Of Its Energy Future With A Schneider Electric Microgrid” • The Domaine Carneros winery in Napa, California, partnered with Schneider Electric to turn their onsite solar and generator systems into a classic microgrid. Schneider Electric invited CleanTechnica for a tour of the facility and a look at the microgrid. [CleanTechnica]
Domaine Carneros (Schneider Electric image)
¶ “In Solar Vs Gas Matchup, It Was Energy Storage That Killed The Beast” • Despite the efforts of Pres Trump, new technology is prying gas out of the US power generation profile. Energy analyst Lisa Martin Jenkins details this in an article for Latitude Media, in which she shows how batteries and renewables can defeat new natural gas plants. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Solar Power Project Completed At Gateway Center” • The City of Albuquerque announced the completion of the final phase of a major solar energy upgrade to the Gateway Center. The new solar system includes four canopy solar PV rays, three solar edge inverters with power optimizers, and a steel tee canopy for a parking shade. [AOL.com]
Have an enormously enthusiastic day.
geoharvey 