Solar News of the Week 4.17
SunFarm Energy
Your local solar experts specializing in residential solar, battery storage, off-grid solutions, and EV charging.
This week we're highlighting a new way to increase grid capacity. Is "reconductoring" the answer? Plus, Texas solar surges past coal for the first time, EVs get more efficient, California revisits the controversial NEM 3.0 policy, and Europe installs its largest PV plant.
FEATURED STORY
The New York Times
“It’s not the only thing we need to do to upgrade the grid, but it can be a major part of the solution.” – Dr. Amol Phadke, University of CA, Berkely
One of the biggest obstacles facing the transition to renewable energy is a lack of transmission lines. A new process called “reconductoring” could make an impact by replacing existing power lines with cables made from carbon fiber. These advanced cables can carry twice as much current as older models.
Canary Media
Last month Texas’s solar production outpaced coal-fired generation for the first time. Historically, the state relied on a mix of natural gas and coal to keep the grid up and running. But last month’s reporting shows that coal slipped below ten percent of overall generation following a high of 36 percent just ten years ago.
In March, solar capacity surged and the Texas grid received 47 percent of its electricity from zero-carbon sources including solar, wind, and nuclear.
领英推荐
The Washington Post
Today’s electric vehicles get the equivalent of about 106 miles to the gallon. With new advances in efficiency technology, that equivalency could be raised to 200 miles per gallon and help ease the strain that EVs may place on the grid.
PV Magazine
California’s rollout of NEM 3.0 sent shockwaves through the solar industry. The controversial policy slashed rooftop solar net metering incentives in the state, which subsequently tanked the residential solar industry there. More than 17,000 solar jobs were lost with companies up and down the state filing for bankruptcy.
Now, the California Supreme Court has agreed to review a petition that challenges the policy, offering hope for a limping industry.
PV Magazine
A 605 MW solar facility in Germany is now Europe’s biggest commercial photovoltaic plant. The new facility was built on top of a former coal mine and utilizes 1.1 million solar modules – enough to power roughly 360,000 homes.
We'll be back in two weeks with more solar and renewable energy news!
Did we miss an important story? Send our editor, Samantha Prue , an article at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!