97006155
submission
Socguy writes:
Jim Robo, CEO of NextEra Energy has said in a conference call to investors that by the early 2020's it will be cheaper to build new solar or wind capacity than it will be to continue running existing coal and nuclear facilities. Additionally, renewables are increasingly being combined with storage which is allowing renewables to come onto the market as firm capacity instead of just energy.
95944357
submission
Socguy writes:
The relentless downward march in cost of both solar + battery storage is poised to displace 10GW worth of natural gas peaker plant electricity production in the USA by 2027. Already we are seeing the net cost of combined solar + batteries cheaper than the equivalent natural gas peaker plant. Some particularly aggressive estimates from major energy companies predict that we may not see another natural gas peaker plant built in the USA after 2020. GE has already responded to the weakness in the gas turbine market by laying off 12,000 workers.
93423495
submission
Socguy writes:
After being unable to complete the Levy County Nuclear Plant a few years ago, Duke energy abandoned it, leaving rate payers on the hook. Duke is now in the process of settling legal action as a result. As part of the settlement Duke will construct or acquire 700MW of solar, construct 50MW of battery storage, undertake grid modernizations and the install 530 electric car chargers.
89777961
submission
Socguy writes:
With the cost of gas rising and the cost of storage falling, true cost renewables (renewables + storage) have become the cheapest option in Austrailia.
Carbon capture technology will not be ready for prime time till perhaps as late as 2030 and by then there may be no appetite to build new base-load generating stations as they are too inflexible to compete in the modern electrical infrastructure.
84976091
submission
Socguy writes:
The city of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, achieved the highest level of wind power integration in North America at 46%. It has achieved this remarkable feat through the creation and utilization of a smart grid that controls thermal storage in hot water heaters and furnaces within community homes.
83060777
submission
Socguy writes:
The Keith group has posted an expert analysis basically saying that their 2008 and 2011 projections were wrong. In those papers the group projected that the cost of solar had a 50% chance to drop to $0.03/W by 2030. In the most recent analysis they note that the current unsubsidized cost of PV in optimal locations is $0.04/W and could easily be $0.02/W by 2020 making solar the cheapest source of electricity on the planet. http://www.keith.seas.harvard....
82913951
submission
Socguy writes:
A typical Lithium-ion battery breaks down badly between 5000-7000 cycles. Researchers at the University of California may have discovered a simple way to build a Lithium battery that can withstand 100,000+ cycles.
This was a serendipitous discovery as the researcher was playing around with the battery and coated it in a thin gel layer. The researchers believe the gel plasticizes the metal oxide in the battery and gives it flexibility, preventing cracking.
82640105
submission
Socguy writes:
Scientists in China have developed a prototype solar panel with a single atom thick layer of graphene on the surface. This layer allows the panel to generate electricity, not just from the sun but also from any rain that falls on it. This development promises to further boost the output of solar panels during times of less than optimal conditions.
81442351
submission
Socguy writes:
Colville Lake, high in the Canadian arctic will be the first community to be entirely powered by solar through the summer months. To this end, the community has installed a large array of solar panels and batteries. What's more, the community will not rely on the grid to smooth out any bumps as the community is not grid connected. The community expects the main benefits to come from a lessening of pollution and noise.
79384855
submission
Socguy writes:
Woodland, North Carolina has rejected a rezoning application, effectively blocking a solar farm, after a town hall meeting where residents expressed fear that solar farms suck up all the energy from the sun and block photosynthesis. Other residents were afraid that solar farms cause cancer, while still others felt that solar farms drive away jobs and young people.
http://www.independent.co.uk/n...
77223837
submission
Socguy writes:
Bloomburg reports wind has now crossed the threshold to become the cheapest source of energy in both the UK and Germany. Notable because this is the first time it has occurred in a G7 country. In the US, wind and Solar have started biting into the capacity factor of fossil fuel driven plants as generators opt to idle plants more often in favor of nearly free renewable energy. This is leading to changes in the lifetime profitability of those plants.
67948707
submission
Socguy writes:
Development of new engine technology could enable a plane to fly anywhere on earth in about 4 hours. This even includes space. The key development? A massive precooling system with a staggering 400 MW of cooling power enabling speeds of mach 5 "pretty easily".
51544617
submission
Socguy writes:
Apparently the claims that digital downloading is killing music and movies is overblown according to the London school of economics. In fact, there is some evidence to indicate that it actually generates more income in certain cases.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/digital-piracy-not-harming-entertainment-industries-study-1.1894729
40156501
submission
Socguy writes:
New research indicates that the use of nano particles suspended in a fluid can absorb sunlight and release it into the surrounding fluid creating steam without wastefully heating the surrounding liquid.
Broad potential applications include: desalinization, distillation, sterilization and sanitation.
14910890
submission
Socguy writes:
Has Digg been compromised? Alternet is reporting massive censorship of sites like Digg, twitter, Stumbleupon and others by a group going by the name of Digg patriots. The process is simple: When a story is submitted that the group likes, they place it on a mailing list and thousands of members 'Digg' it. This means that it gains popularity and often rises to the main page where most of the viewers reside. When a story comes up that doesn't like, they, place it on a 'bury' mailing list and the membership down votes the story often to such an extent that it is removed from the upcoming section and can never make it to the main page. This group is reasonably well organized as they have gone so far as to develop their own tools to expedite this process.
