Vermont brewery installs the largest solar canopy in the state

Good News Notes: “Lawson’s Finest Liquids announced the completion of what it says is the largest solar canopy in the state of Vermont. The Waitsfield Brewery and Taproom was generating about 10% of the electricity to run its operation, but with the addition of 215 kW from 495 solar modules, it expects that 60% of…

California solar bill would extend access, savings to renters and low-income families

Good News Notes: “California has been the clean energy frontrunner in the United States, and it has been particularly strong in deploying distributed, rooftop solar. Distributed generation, especially when paired with energy storage, has numerous advantages in cost savings, efficiency, a lessened carbon footprint, the preservation of land, and more when compared to centralized resources….

A new tidal turbine generates as much power as 12 solar panels

Good News Notes: “A Canadian renewable energies company dubbed Idenergie has unveiled a new hydrokinetic design turbine that harnesses power from flowing water and converts it to electricity. With countries looking to switch away from fossil fuels, there is a need to develop means to tap into renewableenergy sources. While solar panels and wind turbines have been…

California grid set record of 97% renewable power on April 3

Good News Notes: “In another sign of progress toward a carbon-free power grid, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) set a new record on April 3, when 97.6% of electricity on the grid came from clean, renewable energy. The peak, which occurred briefly at 3:39 p.m., broke the previous record of 96.4% set on March…

Instant Long Duration Energy Storage: Just Add Carbon Dioxide

Good News Notes: “Long duration energy storage has yet to make a significant dent in the global energy profile. To date, the only widespread form of storage technology that can last longer than a few hours is the century-old “water battery,” in the form of hydropower reservoirs and their cousins, pumped hydro reservoirs. On the plus side, hydropower dams and…

Solar energy can now be stored for up to 18 years, say scientists

Good News Notes: “Solar-powered electronics are one step closer to becoming an everyday part of our lives thanks to a “radical” new scientific breakthrough. In 2017, scientists at a Swedish university created an energy system that makes it possible to capture and store solar energy for up to 18 years, releasing it as heat when…

250MW solar project planned for former West Virginia coal mine

Good News Notes: “SEVA WV has gained approval to build a solar project on the site of a former coal mine, the likes of which West Virginia has never before seen. Not only is the Sun Park installation set to be the largest solar project in the state, its 250MW of capacity multiplies the state’s…

Stanford engineers create solar panel that can generate electricity at night

Good News Notes: “A team of engineers at Stanford University have developed a solar cell that can generate some electricity at night. The research comes at a moment when the number of solar jobsand residential installations are rising. While standard solar panels can provide electricity during the day, this device can serve as a “continuous renewable power source…

Solar panels, made from food waste, produce energy without sunlight

Good News Notes: “Maigue says the system could be applied to entire buildings such as the Montreal Convention Centre. (CREDIT: James Dyson Foundation)   Solar panels are a cornerstone of the clean energy revolution. And yet, they have one great flaw: when the clouds roll in their productivity dives.   Now, a new type of…

Ultrathin “honeycomb” solar panels achieve record efficiency

Good News Notes: “One day, cities and hopefully everything else will be powered by renewable resources like wind and solar. To do that, though, we will need to continue to improve on our renewable tech, like creating solar panels that can absorb solar energy in many different levels of sunlight. A new development out of England may…