Sustainability
Why rooftop solar’s emissions math is changing
As clean energy grows, so do the limits of how it’s measured. A new Nature Climate Change study warns that rooftop solar’s emissions impact is shrinking as the grid cleans itself. The first solar panels practically yeeted coal off the grid. But progress doesn’t simply solve our fossil-fueled problems; it reshapes them. As solar dominates […]
Unlimited low-cost energy storage
In its latest monthly for pv magazine, the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) explains how pumped-hydro energy storage combined with PV power generation could provide 24/7 power to data centers. From pv magazine Global Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) provides a vastly available, highly mature, lowest-cost, lowest-impact, longest-lifetime solution to dunkelflaute. PHES constitutes 95% of […]
Solar recycling: Driving down costs before volumes spike
The U.S. may reach 10 million retired panels per year before 2030, more than IEA estimates. Waiting until the industry hits the “millions of panels per year” scale to build recycling infrastructure could lead to catastrophic costs for asset owners. As an entrepreneur building a global solar recycling business, I was very interested to see the latest […]
Residential geothermal systems positioned to save energy for new construction projects
Dandelion Energy CEO says OBBBA provisions open new pathways to make geothermal more accessible and affordable. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is widely perceived as a setback for renewable energy, particularly in combination with executive orders from the Trump administration placing additional restrictions on solar and wind. While solar developers are looking to […]
Solar tariffs kill Americans
Researchers show how solar panel imports saved nearly 600 American lives over a decade, while industry data indicates that the Suniva solar tariff may have caused more than one hundred preventable deaths. Burning fossil fuels drives air pollution, intensifies heat, and accelerates climate change. These forces, in turn, fuel increasingly destructive hurricanes, some now so […]
New York awards $7 million for co-located solar and farming
Grant funds were administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to demonstrate the efficacy of agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics, the practice of installing solar arrays raised above crops or livestock, is gaining interest nationwide as a solution to boost clean energy generation while not compromising productive farmland. The New York State Energy Research […]
Work underway on ‘river’ heat pump complex in Massachusetts
The U.S’ largest district energy provider has started building a 35 MW heat pump complex in Massachusetts that will replace a natural gas boiler. The system will harness heat from the Charles River to produce carbon-free steam. From pv magazine Global Vicinity Energy, the largest district energy provider in the United States, has begun building a […]
Agrivoltaics provides benefits and possible pitfalls for solar developers
NREL study examines Massachusetts’ comprehensive approach to deploying solar on farmland. A new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, described how agrivoltaics, the practice of co-locating solar projects with farming and grazing activities, can be a double-edged scythe. One the one hand, developers engaging with the agricultural community can bring […]
Elon Musk proposes solar powered AI satellite network to fight global warming
Elon Musk says a constellation of solar-powered artificial intelligence satellites could regulate the planet’s energy balance and limit global warming. From pv magazine Global A large constellation of solar-powered artificial intelligence satellites could help prevent global warming by making small adjustments to the amount of solar energy that reaches Earth. Elon Musk made the claim […]
Protecting the grid from extreme weather
IEC Standards help to make the grid more resilient as the impact of climate change intensifies. From pv magazine Global The electricity grid is expected to be increasingly affected by climate change and the resulting severe weather episodes, which are predicted to multiply as our world heats up. Fires, floods, hurricanes and even extreme heatwaves […]