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There is no reason to ever build another coal plant in the United States
Read the full article online at https://thinkprogress.org “For the second year in a row, wind and solar accounted for roughly two-thirds of new U.S. generating capacity, while natural gas and nuclear made up most of the rest. That’s because right now, in much of the United States, wind and solar are the cheapest form of power available, […]
What If All U.S. Coal Workers Were Retrained to Work in Solar?
The global economy is in a massive transition from a fossil-fuel-based energy system to one using sophisticated renewable energy technologies. For tens of thousands of fossil fuel workers, though, the energy industry outlook is not promising. For coal industry workers, the future looks particularly bleak. However, research I conducted with Edward Louie of Oregon State University offers hope for a better future based on retraining workers. Our study (published in the journal Energy Economics) quantified the costs and benefits of retraining coal workers for employment in the rapidly expanding solar photovoltaic industry—and it explores different ways to pay for this retraining.
Chile Has Too Much Solar Energy
Read the full article on http://www.bloomberg.com “Chile’s solar industry has expanded so quickly that it’s giving electricity away for free.Spot prices reached zero in parts of the country on 113 days through April, a number that’s on track to beat last year’s total of 192 days, according to Chile’s central grid operator. While that may […]
SOLARKIOSK
SOLARKIOSK enables and empowers the sustainable economic development of Base-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) communities worldwide through the provision of clean energy services, quality products and sustainable solutions. Intertwining an award-winning technology solution with an inclusive business model, SOLARKIOSK fosters local entrepreneurship at the BoP.
Project Sunroof
“In recent years, solar panel prices have gone down dramatically. As a result, more and more people are are choosing to add them to their roofs. However, the cost in getting an appraisal can be a turn off to many homeowners, especially if it turns out solar panels are not a good idea for their home. That’s where Google’s Project Sunroof comes in.
World’s Cheapest Solar
The price of solar power dipped to another record low on May 1 when five international companies bid as little as 2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to develop the latest phase of work at Dubai’s enormous Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park, which will be one of Earth’s largest solar plants when complete.
This Solar Powered Airport has Eliminated Electricity Bills
“Cochin International Airport, the world’s first 100 percent solar airport, is generating so much power from its massive solar array that the airport no longer pays for electricity.
Cochin started its solar journey three years ago when it installed solar panels on the roof of its arrivals terminal. It eventually blossomed into a 12 megawatt solar project after the airport commissioned German multinational engineering and electronics company Bosch to build the impressive $9.5 million plant that features 46,000 panels laid out across 45 acres of unused land near the airport’s international cargo terminal.”
New Solar Technology Possibilities are Endless
Its lightweight! Its flexible! It can be applied to any surface! The possibilities are endless.
Off-Grid Solar Report
“It’s been a big week for reports that will be useful to those working to enable a broad range of off-grid energy solutions for the 1.2 billion people currently lacking access to modern energy.
First, today marks the release of the much-anticipated Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report 2016, published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and the World Bank Group’s Lighting Global program, in cooperation with the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA). The report addresses trends in markets for off-grid solar products and services, noting that annual investments into the sector have risen 15-fold from 2012 to $276 million in 2015 alone. To put this rapid investment spike in context: the total investment in the sector to date is $511 million.”
The First Phase of the World’s Largest Solar Plant
“Morocco’s King Mohammed VI switched on the first phase of the world’s largest concentrated solar plant today in the southern town of Ouarzazate. A ceremony was held to officially inaugurate Noor 1 and break ground on the second phase which includes the Noor 2 and 3 projects.”
