Author: solarenergy
Exploring Renewable Energy Sources Renewable energy sources are types of energy that come from natural processes that are constantly replenished. Unlike fossil fuels, which can run out, renewable energy sources are sustainable and help reduce environmental impact. The main types of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal energy. Solar Energy Solar energy is one of the most well-known types of renewable energy. It harnesses the power of the sun using solar panels, which convert sunlight into electricity. Solar panels are made of photovoltaic cells that absorb sunlight and generate electric current. This energy can be used to…
The African Development Bank is seeking expressions of interest from consultants to conduct a feasibility study for a floating solar project at a dam in southern Zambia. The deadline for registration is June 15. May 22, 2024 Patrick Jowett Image: Manfidza, WikiMedia CommonsThe African Development Bank has opened a tender inviting consultancy firms to express interest in providing consultancy services for a floating solar project at the Kariba Dam, a hydroelectric power station in Zambia. The dam is located on the Lake Kariba reservoir on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.The selected consultant will be tasked with feasibility studies for…
Sunnova Energy has added QuickBOLT‘s solar roof mounts to its approved vendor list (AVL). This approval allows Sunnova dealers to access QuickBOLT’s innovative and solar mounting solutions. QuickBOLT, a family-owned business, has developed solar mounts for a range of roof covering styles and profiles, from stone-coated steel to composition shingle. “We are excited to bring our industry-leading solar mounts to Sunnova dealers,” said Aaron Robbins, communications manager of QuickBOLT. “Our inclusion on the Sunnova AVL represents another acknowledgment of the simplicity and reliability of QuickBOLT mounting solutions. It’s an important step in our mission to solve problems for solar installers.”…
Researchers in Niger have proposed using photovoltaics to power the operation of evaporative cooling greenhouses. The proposed experimental solution uses locally made pads and is said to be competitive with commercial counterparts. May 22, 2024 Lior KahanaA group of researchers from Abdou Moumouni University in Niger has proposed using photovoltaics to power evaporative cooling greenhouses (ECGs) in Africa’s Sahel region.ECGs are a kind of greenhouse that cools the plants using the natural evaporation process. The evaporation process is carried out by pumping water onto special wet pads while fans push air through them.“Under dry and hot weather conditions in the…
GoodWe Technologies announced that it has been added to the approved vendor list of Sunnova Energy to provide GoodWe’s SMT-US inverter for medium- to large-scale C&I sites. This partnership allows GoodWe and Sunnova to meet the growing demand by commercial and industrial customers that want to stabilize energy costs, take advantage of IRA production and investment credits and benefit from selling clean energy. Already available through Sunnova’s extensive distribution network, GoodWe’s SMT-US three-phase, 50/60 kW inverter provides improved safety and design flexibility, while also improving performance over the system’s lifetime. Meeting safety shutdown standards, the string inverter includes a built-in…
The Cutlass Solar 2 project in Fort Bend, Texas, has been completed and is generating electricity at full capacity. Bechtel built the 218 MW project, which is owned and operated by Sabanci Climate Technologies. “We are excited to get Cutlass Solar 2 up to maximum capacity to deliver more renewable energy to Texans, support America’s energy transition and help achieve the Lone Star State’s goal of becoming the nation’s largest producer of solar energy ,” said Scott Austin, Bechtel General Manager of Renewable Energy and Clean Energy. “Bechtel is proud to partner with Sabanci Climate Technologies in their efforts to…
Only 30% of people had even heard of ‘green skills’. Image: Pexels A report commissioned by UK energy supplier OVO Energy has found that fewer than one in ten people report having received special training in green skills at work, which the company says is a major risk to the rollout of solar energy and other green technology. The research, carried out in partnership with Energy and Utility Skills, found that only 7% of people are developing green skills, while less than one in three (30%) have even heard of ‘green skills’. The report also highlighted the extent of the…
Prices for solar panels with tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) continue to fall. Martin Schachinger, founder of pvXchange.com, explains how this will affect sales of passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) PV modules. May 22, 2024 Martin Schachinger, pvXchange.comThere is little movement this month in the price of solar panels in the low-power class. However, there was a significant price adjustment for modules with an efficiency level above 22%.The prices of these modules, which are now mainly equipped with n-type/TOPCon cells and double glazing, are increasingly in line with those of regular modules. There are only upward outliers for some…
Zenobe said a specific battery storage rating downgrade method for the capacity market should be introduced. Image: Zenobe. National Grid ESO is reviewing the methodology used to calculate energy storage derating factors, with project managers saying they currently undervalue the technology. Increasingly, British capacity market auctions have signed contracts for the purchase of reserve energy capacity from energy storage. The amount paid for a resource depends on its reliability: how well the resource will provide standby capacity. The ESO is reassessing the way it determines how much surcharge is paid on the capacity market, the so-called ‘derating factor’. The derating…
Energy Vault and Enel have unveiled plans to build 18 MW/36 MWh of gravity storage in the United States. They say the project will be the first large-scale storage of gravitational energy in a Western country. May 22, 2024 Pilar Sanchez MolinaEnel Green Power, the renewable energy unit of Italian utility Enel, and British gravity storage specialist Energy Vault have jointly announced plans to build a large-scale gravity storage facility in the United States.The system will operate in the ERCOT market. It will also serve the Solutions Excellence Center in Texas, a research facility for innovative storage technologies currently under…