Author: solarenergy
A group of researchers in Iran analyzed the coefficient of performance and energy consumption of solar and air source heat pumps and found that three factors are crucial to determine their annual performance: changes in irradiation, ambient temperature, and wind speed. April 24, 2024 Lior KahanaAn international group of scientists conducted a year-long comparative analysis of two types of heat pumps for water heating: solar-assisted direct expansion heat pumps (DX-SAHPWHs) and air source heat pumps (AHPWHs). Both systems were examined via numerical models, assuming they were deployed with identical parameters in Tehran, the capital of Iran.“To make those water heaters…
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released its first report on the importance of battery energy storage technology in the energy transition. The study found that tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 would require 1,500 GW of battery storage. April 26, 2024 Marija MaischBatteries must lead a sixfold increase in global energy storage capacity to enable the world to meet 2030 targets, after deployment in the energy sector more than doubled last year, the IEA said in its first assessment of the state of affairs of business across the battery ecosystem. In this scenario, battery energy storage systems would account…
An image of the Lower Road battery from Gore Streets. Image: Gore Street. Investment firm Gore Street Energy Storage Fund has detailed that its portfolio generated an average turnover of £16.1/MWh in January and February 2024. Detailed in its Q4 2023 financial results, the fund achieved a net asset value (NAV) of £549.8 million, up from the previously reported £543.3 million at the end of September 2023. Gore Street confirmed that its UK portfolio also generated an estimated 15% of total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023. The company’s consolidated portfolio is estimated to have generated an average of…
OVO Energy partners with local wind turbines to showcase community-run sustainable projects. Image: NGED Utility company OVO Energy is working with a community-owned wind project in Bristol to highlight the potential of community-driven solar projects. The Ambition Community Energy (ACE) turbine, which OVO is working with, is one such project, wholly owned by the Lawrence Weston community in Bristol. The energy generated by the turbine is sold to the national grid, generating approximately £100,000 per year in income for the local area. OVO now steps in to manage the energy produced and helps residents who are OVO customers to receive…
By SB staff April 16, 2024 Jeff Ellis, president of Seneca Environmental, receives Preferred Provider recognition at the 2024 Tribal Energy Equity Summit.Seneca Environment has been selected as the first Preferred Provider for the Tribal Clean Energy Alliancean Indigenous-led nonprofit organization that provides cost-free capacity building support to tribal nations based on a strong foundation of Native American culture and values.The Alliance advances Native American tribes’ self-determined efforts to transition to clean energy and currently supports more than 75 tribes with nearly 8 GW of clean energy under development. The Alliance’s critical work to propel a tribal movement for clean…
DNV predicts that solar in China will account for 38% of the country’s electricity production by 2050, up from 5% today, with more than a third of solar capacity combining with storage by mid-century. April 26, 2024 Patrick JowettChina is expected to reach 5.5 TW of solar energy by 2050, according to predictions by Norwegian risk assessment specialist DNV in its latest report: “Energy transition prospects China 2024.”The figure includes 3.9 TW of solar and 1.6 TW of solar plus storage. DNV said growth will be driven by the low cost of solar energy and continued policy support.China’s total grid-connected…
Aurora Solar has released its second annual “Solar Industry Snapshot.” This report examines early 2024 U.S. residential solar trends through three unique data sources: Aurora’s solar projects database of more than nine million projects over the past two years; a survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners about their solar adoption behaviors and motivations; and, a survey of 500 U.S. solar professionals on the state of the industry. Key findings include: Interest in solar is high, but homeowners are stuck in the planning stage More than half of homeowners said they believe solar is a good investment. However, 75% of homeowners who…
Minnesota-based solar panel manufacturer Heliene announced today that it will purchase silicon solar cells from Suniva under a three-year contract worth $400 million. Suniva is expected to resume production of solar cells at its Georgia factory within months. Heliene’s solar panel factory in Minnesota. Credit: Solar Power World “Heliene is proud to enter into this historic partnership with Suniva at a time when the US is poised to capture a greater share of the global solar market by strengthening domestic production and onshoring supply,” said Martin Pochtaruk , CEO of Heliene. “By introducing Suniva’s US-made cells into our manufacturing process,…
Research suggests a new lithium source in pyrite Lithium, known for its reactivity and essential role in lithium-ion batteries, is critical for sustainable energy technologies such as electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems. Given the surge in demand for lithium, researchers are looking at less conventional sources than primary sources, such as pegmatites and volcanic clay. A promising pathway is being explored by a team from West Virginia University, led by sedimentary geochemist Shailee Bhattacharya. Their research examines the potential of recovering lithium from pyrite minerals found in shale, specifically from 15 Middle Devonian sedimentary rock samples in the…
German and Swedish researchers calculated the supply of materials for the production of perovskite tandem PV on a scale of several terawatts, which highlighted the difficult supply of gold, indium and cesium, as well as the need to reduce the production of certain materials used for streamline hole transport layers. “Essentially, we may be able to go post-fossil fuels, but we can’t go post-mineral,” the study’s corresponding author Lukas Wagner told us. pv magazine. April 26, 2024 Valerie ThompsonWhile investigating the material supply for perovskite-based tandem technologies with a volume that allows solar energy penetration of several terawatts, a group…