solar – California Climate and Energy Collaborative

Study shows natural gas, wind and solar to be cheapest technologies for generating electricity

November 18, 2018

energy market, industry, natural gas, solar, wind

“Changing market conditions have made natural gas, wind and solar energy the lowest-cost technologies for new electricity generation for most of the U.S., according to updated research released today by The University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute.” Click here to read more from Tech Explore.

After more than a decade, the 500 MW Palen Solar Project is approved

November 18, 2018

Sarina Soor

inland empire, solar

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“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) yesterday released its Record of Decision, authorizing the Palen Solar Project, a photovoltaic facility owned by EDF Renewable Energy, to occupy up to 3,140 acres of BLM-administered lands, approximately 10 miles east of Desert Center, north of Interstate 10, in Riverside County. The BLM noted that the project will…

Largest California solar-plus-storage project agreement signed

November 2, 2018

Sarina Soor

local, microgrids, renewable energy, solar, storage

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“Canadian Solar Inc. recently announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Recurrent Energy LLC, has signed two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Monterey Bay Community Power for a 150-megawatt solar power system with 180 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage. This joint procurement effort represents the largest contracted solar-plus-storage project in California…

SV Clean Energy signs major contracts for California’s largest solar-plus-storage projects

November 2, 2018

Sarina Soor

local, microgrids, renewable energy, solar, storage

No Comments

“Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) signed two long-term agreements for the largest utility-scale, solar-plus-storage projects to be built in California. The two projects will provide 153 megawatts (MW) of solar and 47 MW of storage and will be developed by Electricité de France (EDF) and Recurrent Energy Development Holdings, LLC. (Recurrent). These projects will come…

Solar and wind industries unite to rewrite electric market rules

October 18, 2018

Sarina Soor

economy, renewable energy, solar, wind

No Comments

“A new solar and wind group in Washington is writing new wholesale electric market rules for federal regulators in an effort to “level the playing field” by increasing the amount of electricity that comes from renewables. Grid specialists for the new Wind Solar Alliance plan to ask federal and state regulators, lawmakers and U.S. governors…

Los Angeles households to get 121 MW of solar power from 8minutenergy

October 5, 2018

Sarina Soor

los angeles, renewable energy, solar

No Comments

“8minutenergy has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its interest in the 121 MW-DC Springbok 3 Solar Farm to Capital Dynamics. The project has a 27-year contract to sell power to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.” Click here to read more from PV Magazine.

Solar energy largely unscathed by Hurricane Florence’s wind and rain

September 21, 2018

Sarina Soor

florence, resilience, solar

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“In North Carolina, the #2 solar state, Florence was the first extreme weather test for much of its renewable energy. Nuclear and coal ash had flood problems.” Click here to read more from Inside Climate News.

How China’s giant solar farms are transforming world energy

September 14, 2018

Sarina Soor

china, solar, solar generation

No Comments

“Fly over “Datong County”, a region in northern China, and you’ll see two giant pandas. One is waving at you. They are made of thousands of solar panels. Together, and with the other adjacent panels included, they form a 100-megawatt farm covering 248 acres. It’s actually a relatively small solar park by China’s standards –…

Florence’s brutal winds will test the Carolinas’ solar boom

September 14, 2018

Sarina Soor

florence, hurricane, renewable energy, solar

No Comments

“The nation’s second-biggest solar region is facing the first real-time test of its systems, with Hurricane Florence threatening the Carolinas with winds well in excess of 100 miles per hour and torrential rains. SunPower has already begun preparations, including shifting the angles of its solar-power trackers, according to Werner. It’s a type of preparation new…

How much damage are Trump’s solar tariffs doing to the U.S. industry?

September 14, 2018

Sarina Soor

solar, tariffs

No Comments

“It’s been six months, and while the tariffs are having an impact on jobs and companies, the U.S. solar market is still hot. Company executives and industry analysts say that the effects of the tariffs—increased prices for installations that could depress demand for solar projects and lead to thousands of job losses—have largely been cancelled…

Can solar energy and wildlife coexist?

September 14, 2018

Sarina Soor

solar, wildlife

No Comments

“Scientists from the University of California, Davis, are delving into that question and coming up with some promising solutions through three distinct, yet interconnected, projects.” Click here to read more from Washington Post.

Escondido high schools shifting to solar power

September 14, 2018

Sarina Soor

school, solar

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“For the Escondido Union High School District, it started as a way to save money on its monthly bills. Yet, in so doing, the district has embarked on a broader plan to transition toward using more solar power as part of its energy portfolio. The current iteration of that effort is being led Mark Cavassa,…

Brighter Future: A Study of Solar in U.S Schools

September 6, 2018

Sarina Soor

school, solar

No Comments

The Solar Foundation, Generation 180, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) prepared this second edition of the report, Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. Schools, first published in 2014. This latest study represents the most comprehensive inventory of solar schools across America. The primary goals of this report are to: -Show the…

Two reasons tesla may not be to blame for California’s solar slowdown

September 6, 2018

Sarina Soor

renewable energy, solar

No Comments

“California’s residential solar installations plunged in 2017 for the first time in recent history, and some experts believe Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity is to blame. New solar installations in California’s residential sector dropped 18.6 percent in 2017 from their record high in 2016, according to a new report from Next 10, a San Francisco think…

Scientists pioneer a new way to turn sunlight into fuel

September 6, 2018

Sarina Soor

hydro, photosynthesis, solar

No Comments

“The quest to find new ways to harness solar power has taken a step forward after researchers successfully split water into hydrogen and oxygen by altering the photosynthetic machinery in plants. Photosynthesis is the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy. Oxygen is produced as by-product of photosynthesis when the water absorbed by plants…