Plus: A Chinese start-up may have cracked solid state batteries; repowering old turbines boosts power 171%; 3D printed motorcyle
Hi Everyone,
I was reminded this week that a utility in Spain has been balancing the grid with wind power since 2016, showing technology is in place to make this possible.
Yours truly was interviewed by David Dodge at Green Energy Futures. Check it out below.
Let’s continue to broaden understanding: send this to a friend or colleague that’d be interested.
Thanks,
Peter
Koning gets interviewed by David Dodge at Green Energy Futures
The interview is posted here, with other blogs by David at Green Energy Futures. Thanks for the plug, David!
A Chinese startup may have cracked solid-state batteries
Comment: This is an early report, so let’s be careful with what this really means. Though these solid state batteries are said to offer at least 30% more energy density (imagine what that would do for EV range), no information is available on the price point.
Excerpt: Solid-state batteries have long been heralded as The Next Big Thing after lithium-ion, with companies from all quarters racing to get them into high-volume production. Dyson, BMW and car manufacturer Fisker are just a few names that have been working on the tech for the last few years, but now, reports suggest a Chinese start-up might be the first to have cracked it. …more from Engadget
DC advances bill to mandate elimination of fossil fuels by 2032
Excerpt: Washington, D.C., on Tuesday took another step toward adopting the nation’s first 100 percent renewable energy bill, which would require the district source all of its electricity from wind and solar by 2032 and set tough new energy efficiency standards for buildings. …more from Washington Examiner
VW wants to storm car market with cheaper electric model
Excerpt: Volkswagen intends to invest 44 billion euros ($50 billion) in the electric and autonomous car technologies expected to reshape the industry — and said it would make battery-powered vehicles more accessible to mass-market auto buyers by selling its new I.D. compact for about what a Golf diesel costs. …more from AP News
Repowering the UK’s oldest wind farms could boost energy generation by 171%
Excerpt: Repowering doesn’t come without its challenges, however. It can change how a wind farm looks, which is not always popular with the general public. On average, repowering has reduced the number of turbines on a site by 24%, but turbines have got 89.5% taller. This has caused difficulties for local planning authorities when assessing the visual impact of planning applications. …more from The Conversation
Comment: I learned something new here. I thought repowering of wind turbines was limited to refitting the existing turbine with a new gear box and generator.
Korea’s Largest Power Provider to Use Blockchain for Eco-Friendly Micro Grid
Excerpt: Korea’s largest power provider KEPCO says it will use blockchain and other innovative energy solutions to develop its next-generation micro grid (MG), according to an official press release Nov. 19. …more from Yahoo Finance
Customer demand drives Arizona utility to add 1 GW new solar by 2025
Excerpt: The Arizona utility plans to build deliberately, adding approximately 200 MW of new solar annually through 2025, to ensure the grid remains reliable and to build on its growing solar operating experience. Customer requests for more renewable energy led SRP to the decision. …more from Utility Dive
Equinor invests in 10% stake in solar developer Scatec
Image: Scatec Solar
Excerpt: Equinor (formerly Statoil) has purchased a 9.7% stake in the firm, which specialises in the development and operation of utility-scale solar farms, for a sum of NOK700 million (£64.5 million). …more from Current
Comment: Statoil didn’t just rebrand itself from being an oil and gas company, they are backing it up with real moves like this one, albeit a small investment for the big company it is.
For the grid geeks: FERC rejects generator proposal for CAISO capacity market
Excerpt: The battle over a capacity market in California highlights how the growth of renewable power, spurred by California’s ambitious clean energy policies, is stressing the finances of conventional generators. …more from Utility Dive
FedEX is getting a fleet of 1,000 electric vans from Chanje EV startup
Excerpt: FedEx said that they plan to use the electric vehicles as part of their FedEx Express fleet “for commercial and residential pick-up and delivery services in the United States.” …more from Electrek
3 new(ish) ideas for catalyzing decarbonization in industrial sectors
Comment: A new report by the Energy Transitions Commission was released this week: intro, 32p summary and 172p full report). The diversity of commissioners is noteworthy, ranging “from huge oil companies such as BP and Shell to energy technology players such as EVgo and Schneider Electric to utilities such as China Light and Power and Engie to all manner of NGOs and humanitarian organizations,” says Heather Clancy from GreenBiz.
Excerpt: The commission figures that attention to circularity could reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by plastics, steel, aluminum and cement production by 40 percent by 2050.
What developments are necessary? First, models that making better use of existing stocks of materials through recycling and reuse. And second, a focus on reducing materials requirements in the first place. The latter could include everything from the simple act of designing products to last longer to ones that would affect consumption, such as thing-sharing services that would ensure the stuff that does exist is used more efficiently. …more from GreenBiz
The Nera E-Bike is the Electric, 3D-Printed Motorcycle of the Future
Excerpt: This bike is made with just 15 parts and weighs only 132 pounds. …more from The Drive