In the U.S., PV module efficiency (median values) rose from 12.7% in 2002 to 18.4% in 2018, much of it in the last decade and a full percentage-point increase in the last year alone. The best modules are even more efficient, says John Rogers at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Improvements have come from manufacturing processes and cell architectures, and the increasing share of more-efficient mono-crystalline technologies: up from 40% in 2016 … [Read more...]
Grid-Interactive Buildings solutions: U.S. govt is looking for you
According to U.S. figures, up to 80% of peak electricity demand comes from buildings. So designing them to be energy efficient, with their own generation (e.g. rooftop solar), storage, and load-flexibility â and making it a cost effective industry standard â would be a game changer. Itâll make the grid more resilient, and take pressure off utilities investing in expanding the underlying infrastructure. Sneha Ayyagari and Matt Jungclaus at Rocky … [Read more...]
Electro-mobility planning, pricing, smart-charging: âPentalateral Regionâ can lead Europe
At the end of October, Ministers and Director-Generals of Energy and Mobility from the Pentalateral Region (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Germany), CEOs and experts came together to understand how electro-mobility can accelerate the energy transition. Reducing vehicle emissions is one thing, but a vast number of âbatteries on wheelsâ can also enable rapid grid expansion. IRENA were one of the experts, and their analysis says … [Read more...]
The 7 battery technologies that can be cost competitive by 2030 for EVs to grids
Rapid performance improvements, falling prices and massive investment is accelerating us towards a time when batteries undercut fossil fuels for storage and despatch, right across the board, according to a report by Rocky Mountain Institute. The authors, Charlie Bloch, James Newcomb, Samhita Shiledar and Madeline Tyson have made forecasts for 7 battery technologies: the current leader Li-ion as well as Li-Metal, Li-Sulphur, Zinc, High … [Read more...]
The rapid liberalisation of Chinaâs domestic gas market
Chinaâs coal-to-gas ambitions are driving big changes to its internal gas markets, says a report âChinaâs Quest for Blue Skies: The Astonishing Transformation of the Domestic Gas Marketâ by the IFRI Centre for Energy & Climate, authored by Sylvie Cornot-Gandolphe. To cope with a doubling of gas demand by 2030, market reforms are liberalising the downstream gas market. Nobody wants a repeat of the winter shortages of 2017-18. And air … [Read more...]
Non-energy firms lead investments in clean energy start-ups
Investments in innovative âblue skyâ companies tell us where the bets are being placed on the energy sectorâs future. Such investments leaped in 2016, mostly directed at clean energy technology. This analysis by Simon Bennett at the IEA usefully includes a long list of firms and their investments. Digital sensors, batteries, electric vehicles and smart algorithms are among the main recipients this year. Other fascinating categories include … [Read more...]
Non-Wires Alternatives for grid expansion: what the U.S. can teach Europe
Grid expansion usually means more power stations and wires. Far from simple, and very expensive. Non-Wires Alternatives (NWA) solve the problem differently by reducing net demand. Modern methods of energy efficiency, demand response, storage, and distributed generation are coordinated and used instead, under the banner of Distributed Energy Resources (DER). Crucially, it can cast utility firms in the role of market makers, not just generators and … [Read more...]
U.S. nuclear plants to produce carbon-free hydrogen
Nuclear is under severe price pressure from renewables now, as well as gas.But rather than throw the decades of investment and knowledge away, the U.S. Department of Energy is launching three first-of-a-kind projects designed to improve the long-term economic competitiveness of the nuclear power industry. Three commercial electric utilities and Idaho National Laboratory have been chosen to adapt plants to make hydrogen by electrolysis, 100% … [Read more...]
Can other technologies replicate Solar PV price reductions?
Catherine Wolfram at the Haas School of Business reviews the new book âHow Solar Energy Became Cheapâ by Greg Nemet. It traces Solar PVâs history from Bell Labs in 1954 through to the present. The phenomenal price drops mean todayâs cost/kWh is 1,000 times lower than in the 1970s. The analysis is split into four epochs when output was dominated by US, Japanese, then German and finally Chinese production. How much were improvements thanks to sheer … [Read more...]
Can Vanadium Flow Batteries beat Li-ion for utility-scale storage?
Itâs taken 40 years for lithium-ion battery technology to evolve into its current state, powering everything from the smallest electronic devices to Teslaâs 100MW battery farm in southern Australia. But utility-scale Li-ion batteries are rare. 99% of grid storage today is pumped hydro, a solution that will always be limited by geographical and environmental constraints. For utility-scale chemical batteries to take off they need a new technology, … [Read more...]
Why coordinated Dutch-German climate action is critical for Europe
Both the Netherlands and Germany are about to propose major new national climate measures. If the proposals become law, they will enforce some of the most stringent national targets for GHG reductions in the world. Itâs why, on 22 August, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will host a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her âclimate cabinetâ. Coordinated Dutch-German climate action can make these neighbouring countries role models for … [Read more...]
Utility-scale batteries can undercut peaking gas and coal
A report by IEEFA looks at trends in the U.S. to install utility scale batteries. The reportâs author, Dennis Wamsted, gives examples of how it is replacing the peaking and seasonal generation being provided by gas and coal. Emissions aside, the numbers are starting to add up. In Hawaii the combination of solar generation and storage is expected to undercut the price for fossil fuel generation. In Texas, Vistra Energyâs batteries are soaking up … [Read more...]
Overbuild solar: itâs getting so cheap curtailment wonât matter
Avoiding curtailment made sense when solar generation was extremely expensive: donât build solar beyond what you can store. However, that means solar must always wait for storage costs to decline and capacity grow. But with solar prices plummeting it can make economic sense to overbuild it, say Richard Perez, University at Albany, and Karl Rabago, Pace University. Oversized solar will deliver more energy in low light and reduce the need for … [Read more...]
Smart Charging: parked EV batteries can save billions in grid balancing
95% of a carâs time is spent parked. Itâs why parked and plugged-in EVs could be the battery banks of the future, stabilising grids powered by wind and solar. More than 1bn EVs could be on the road by 2050, their 14 TWh of EV batteries dwarfing the projected 9 TWh of stationary batteries, according to the IRENA report âInnovation Outlook: smart charging for electric vehiclesâ. Smart charging could therefore save billions of dollars in grid … [Read more...]
IEA clean energy progress report: Only 7 technologies/sectors on track, 38 not
Of the 45 energy technologies and sectors assessed in the IEAâs latest Tracking Clean Energy Progress (TCEP) report, only 7 are on track with the IEAâs Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS). Itâs their latest and most comprehensive assessment of clean energy transitions. âOn trackâ includes energy storage, EVs and solar PV. But buildings, car, flaring and methane emissions are still rising. This yearâs TCEP puts much greater emphasis on … [Read more...]
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