Renewables

Renewable energy in Brazil will get a boost after the chief executive of Petrobras, the country’s state-run oil giant, said the company will begin buying solar power and onshore wind projects in an effort to build a clean energy portfolio. Jean Paul Prates, in an interview with the Reuters news service published Jan. 22, said […]

Climate change has led many states and countries to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power systems. Oregon, for example, has set targets for all power sold to retail customers in the state to have GHG emissions cut by 80% by 2030, 90% by 2035, and 100% by 2040. It’s a challenging […]

Israel-headquartered SolarEdge Technologies is expected to cut about 900 jobs from its global workforce as the company seeks to reduce operating costs. SolarEdge on Jan. 21 said it would lay off about 16% of its employees. CEO Zvi Lando in a statement said, “We have made a very difficult, but necessary decision to implement a […]

A European group that produces and supplies hydrogen has joined with a UK-based renewable energy developer in a deal to build commercial-scale green and renewable hydrogen production units in Britain and Ireland. London-headquartered Source Galileo, known for developing large-scale offshore wind projects, as well as energy storage and solar power installations, on Jan. 22 announced […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected a consortium that will work to foster demand for commercial clean hydrogen at seven regional hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs), which the agency in October 2023 selected to receive $7 billion in federal funding. The Hydrogen Demand Initiative (H2DI) consortium will be tasked with designing and implementing demand-side support mechanisms, […]

Virginia-based AES Corp. said the company added 3.5 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to its global portfolio in 2023, an amount nearly double that built in the previous year. The projects, including solar power, wind power, and energy storage, were built in several locations worldwide, including the U.S., and will serve a variety […]

Total corporate funding for solar energy projects hit a 10-year high in 2023, according to Mercom Capital Group’s annual report focused on the solar power sector. Mercom, an integrated communications, research, and media firm focused on global clean energy markets, said groups raised $34.3 billion to support solar projects last year, including $6.9 billion in […]

Most countries will not meet zero-goals by 2050 based on current trajectories. It’s an unfortunate situation that needs to be taken seriously. While there are many factors delaying decarbonization efforts, the lack of clean energy-powered electric grids is perhaps the most significant barrier for nations. The United States is not exempt—despite the recent influx of […]

The farm-to-table movement has changed the way many people look at food. But these days the agriculture business can be more than just growing and harvesting vegetables and grains. Many farmers are investing in farm-to-grid, particularly agrivoltaics, the practice of growing crops on the same land as a solar farm, to produce food and provide […]

In the face of unprecedented weather events driven by climate change, the global electrical utilities sector is grappling with disruptions, and the state of Texas in particular has been significantly impacted in recent years. From the winter storms of February 2021 to challenges posed by heat events in the summer of 2023, Texas has faced […]

JERA, the largest power generation company in Japan, said the 112-MW Ishikari Bay New Port offshore wind farm has entered commercial operation. The utility, along with Green Power Investment Corp. (GPI), JERA’s partner in the project, announced the installation was commissioned on Jan. 1. Ishikari Bay is now Japan’s largest offshore wind park. The site […]

Solar, wind, and nuclear power, as well as battery storage systems, are the obvious winners as the world aims to decarbonize energy systems. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been following trends

Data analysis is helping operators in the solar power sector develop more efficient systems that optimize operations and deliver cost savings. Utilities and other developers of solar power installations know

Azerbaijan’s First Utility-Scale Solar Project Online. Officials in Azerbaijan in November announced the country’s first and largest utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant is now operating. The

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation demonstrated the largest absolute growth of all renewable technologies in 2022, surpassing wind for the first time in history, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA has said continuous growth in the economic attractiveness of PV, massive development in the supply chain, and increasing policy support, especially in […]

Germany-based RWE, among the world’s leading companies in development of offshore wind energy, said it will acquire three major projects off the East Anglia coast of the UK from Sweden’s Vattenfall in a $1.2 billion deal. RWE on Dec. 21 said the projects, each with planned generation capacity of 1.4 GW, are in the Norfolk […]

India’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) module maker is moving some of its manufacturing to the U.S. Mumbai-based Waaree Energies on Dec. 21 said it would build its first U.S.-based facility in Brookshire, Texas, near Houston. Waaree, a major equipment supplier for the U.S. solar power sector, on Thursday said the new plant would have an […]

The U.S. is facing energy and climate challenges on multiple fronts. Rising energy costs, extreme weather events, and a transition away from fossil fuels have placed increasing pressure on governments and consumers. Residential solar is a compelling, multi-purpose solution that continues to experience rapid adoption among Americans. Six GW of home solar was installed in 2022, and […]

Life cycle analysis or assessments (LCAs) are a quintessential tool for power and utility industry professionals and tradespeople. They determine the environmental and financial value of new technologies. Consumer products get the most attention, but LCAs for renewable energy systems (Figure 1) should be discussed more. It is time to synthesize known information to create […]

Work continues on what would be the largest hydropower project in Angola, a $5.2 billion run-of-river power station that Angolan officials have said could come online as early as 2026. Technology group Voith on Dec. 19 said it is supplying all the electrical and mechanical equipment for the Caculo Cabaca facility, located in the midstream […]

Construction of what would be the largest solar array in Kentucky is underway. National Grid Renewables on Dec. 14 said the company’s 160-MW Unbridled project, located in Webster and Henderson counties about 40 miles south of Evansville, Indiana, and 160 miles southwest of Louisville, is expected to enter commercial operation next year. Unbridled is National […]

Following a difficult period for the renewable energy industry, firms must begin prioritising foreign exchange (FX) risk management against the rising threat of currency movements. It has been a tough year for the renewable energy industry. The post-COVID inflationary pressures that have gripped the global economy over the last two years are weighing heavily on […]

The energy transition is an increasingly important trend, not just for power generation but also for communities across the U.S. As regions that have been dependent on hydrocarbons begin to shift production to renewable resources, they not only lower global carbon emissions, but also reap new economic opportunities from income-producing renewable energy. The Energy Community […]

According to a guidebook issued by Sandia National Laboratories, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) multi-mission laboratory, microgrids are defined as a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources (DERs) that act as a single controllable entity. A microgrid can operate in either grid-connected or island mode, which includes some entirely off-grid applications. A […]

GE Vernova said the company’s turbines will play a major role in supporting renewable energy in Spain through a collaboration with Forestalia, one of that country’s leading clean energy developers. The companies on Dec. 14 said they had a framework agreement in which GE Vernova will install as much as 693 MW of onshore wind […]

Investments in renewable energy resources across the U.S. continue to grow, supported by increased federal funding, legislation that improves project economics, and growing demand for cleaner energy. Deloitte, which provides insights and solutions for several industries including the energy sector, on Dec. 5 released its industry outlook for 2024 for renewable energy in the U.S., […]

Colorado-based cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will accelerate the closure of a coal-fired unit in the northwestern part of the state, and also announced a retirement date for an Arizona coal plant, as part of the utility’s latest electric resource plan (ERP). Tri-State on Dec. 1 also said it wants to acquire at least […]

Upgraded equipment, new software, and innovations to serve both residential, and commercial and industrial customers are changing the solar power industry. Decentralized power generation continues to grow

Indonesian officials said they would increase their use of renewable energy and move away from coal-fired power generation in order to receive funding from an international public and private decarbonization

Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations designed to support agriculture across the European Union (EU) received a boost in late October. BayWa r.e., a major Germany-based renewable energy developer, announced it