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- Kentucky's 100% Solar Factory | Spain's Solar Cemetery | IEA: Energy Storage needs 6X expansion
Kentucky's 100% Solar Factory | Spain's Solar Cemetery | IEA: Energy Storage needs 6X expansion
Solar Brew: Your Energy Joe!
Kenzo Repole
June 01, 2024
CSP Headlines
(3 Minute Read)
The joint venture between VAST and Mabanaft in Port Augusta in South Australia has received the planning go-ahead to build Solar Methanol 1 (SM1). The CSP green fuel system will produce over 7,500 tonnes of methanol annually. VAST’s 30 CSP v3.0 technology will power SM1.
Click here to read the full article.
(5 Minute Read)
Oman’s ARA Petroleum is building a one-of-a-kind desalination plant, in Dhofar, that uses solar thermal energy to turn highly brackish "produced water" from oil wells into clean drinking water. It is expected to produce up to 140 cubic meters of drinking water daily.
The plant uses Austrian startup Heliovis' technology to treat the highly saline water (over 100,000 ppm) through a forward osmosis process and low-cost solar technology. This method is more cost-effective and eco-friendly than traditional desalination plants that rely on fossil fuels.
Heliovis' solar thermal technology utilizes inflatable tubes and reflective films to concentrate sunlight and generate heat for the desalination process. This innovation is particularly suited for remote oilfields with access to brackish water.
The project is expected to be operational in the coming weeks.
Click here to read the full article.
PV Headlines
(3 Minute Read)
Play Mart, a Kentucky manufacturer of playground equipment, is expanding its facilities and becoming one of the state's first net-zero manufacturers. Their $3 million expansion includes a 252-kW solar project using innovative tracking panels from Stracker Solar. Play Mart will be able to generate clean energy, shade their parking lots, and offer onsite electrical vehicle charging. CEO Rebecca Beach wants to inspire other Kentucky manufacturers to follow renewable energy adoption and view it as an investment in the future.
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(2 Minute Read)
Alliant Energy completed the Grant County Solar Project (GCSP), Wisconsin’s largest solar array (200 MW). The GCSP encompasses over 1,400 acres and can power up to 50,000 homes while including and preserving over 350 acres of native pollinator habitat. The system is projected to generate over $30 million in shared revenue with the county and town over the project’s lifetime. The GCSP is part of Alliant Energy’s multi-phase buildout of 12 projects with a capacity of 1.089GW, providing 2,700 jobs and powering close to 300,000 homes.
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(3 Minute Read)
Valencia, Spain, is launching an ambitious project called RIP (Requiem in Power) to install solar panels in its cemeteries. This could become Spain’s largest urban solar farm.
The project aims to generate 440 MW of clean energy for municipal buildings and vulnerable households while saving over 140 tons of CO2 annually. The energy will come from over 6,600 solar panels already being installed across several cemeteries. It is part of Valencia’s long-term goal to
Cemeteries are suitable locations for solar panels because they offer unused space without disrupting their primary function. Other cities like Saint-Joachim, France, have also implemented solar-powered graveyards.
This project is part of Valencia's wider plan to become a leader in renewable energy, generate 27 percent of the city’s energy needs from renewable energy, and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
Click here to read the full article.
Energy Storage
(4 Minutes Read)
The IEA is reporting that the world needs to massively increase energy storage by six-fold by 2030 to handle the three-fold renewable energy growth expected without jeopardizing grid stability. Battery storage plays a crucial role in electric vehicles and commercial-scale renewable energy integration. However, regulatory barriers such as double taxation, inadequate grid compensation, and market participation are slowing the needed adoption. The report predicts India will become the third-largest market for up to 9 GW capacity additions for utility-scale batteries and that the global energy sector has seen a 432% increase of year-over-year in corporate funding.
Click here to read the full article.
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