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Harvesting solar power via see-through windows 
CategoriesSustainable News

Harvesting solar power via see-through windows 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Analysts think that 2030 global renewable energy capacity goals are reachable, with the caveat that much still needs to be done, particularly as the volume of power needed by the rapidly growing number of data centres is unknown. California greentech company Ubiquitous Energy’s solution is to make it possible to generate power via a patented transparent solar coating, called UE Power, which could turn almost any window into a solar panel.

The coating is made from naturally occurring sustainable materials, with no toxic ingredients, that capture the energy from ultraviolet and infrared light. The light that is visible to the human eye, meanwhile, passes through the coating just as it does with a standard, uncoated window. The transparency of the coating means that any surface, from high-rise commercial buildings to car windshields and personal device screens can generate solar electricity without interfering with the look and functionality of the original material.

An average-sized window of three feet by five feet, coated in the UE Power glazing, offsets up to 200 watt-hours of electricity per day, which is equivalent to charging a smartphone 13 times daily. What is more, the coating offsets up to 30 per cent of the building’s electricity use, and for residential homes and certain commercial locations, solar-powered windows can provide a direct charge to smaller devices such as security cameras and motorised blinds – without requiring connection to the grid.

Right now, the glazing is available on new or replacement windows only, and Ubiquitous Energy works with a number of leading glass and window manufacturers to make the technology as accessible as possible. The company plans to make retrofitting of older windows available in the future.  

As demand for renewables increases, so too does the versatility of its applications, with innovations spotted in Springwise’s library including floating solar panels and flexible versions for rooftops unable to hold the weight of traditional arrays.   

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Making waves with floating offshore solar panels
CategoriesSustainable News

Making waves with floating offshore solar panels

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to the International Energy Agency’s Renewables 2023 report, last year saw a ‘step change’ in renewable capacity additions, driven in large part by solar power, particularly in China. And, in the year ahead, it is expected that the world will pass an important milestone with the combination of solar and wind forecast to generate more renewable electricity than hydropower for the first time.

Despite this heartening progress, there is still scope for innovation in renewable generation, and not every problem is solved. For example, offshore wind had a difficult year in 2023, and Netherlands-based energy company SolarDuck believes that another offshore technology will become an important part of the energy mix.

The startup believes that offshore solar power will be a key component in the push to meet net-zero emissions goals. The company’s founders all have experience in the energy and maritime sectors, expertise that lent itself to the creation of low-maintenance, offshore, floating solar panels designed specifically to withstand high-velocity winds and waves for up to 30 years.  

The patented design includes built-in safety aspects, along with improved means of access for maintenance teams. The solar panels are arranged in a triangle shape with a 10-degree tilt to help maximise self-cleaning capabilities and are placed on a floating foundation several feet above the water. Being slightly raised helps minimise corrosion and marine growth, and each structure is designed to be easily connected to another for quick scalability of energy supply.  

Sea water provides an important cooling factor that helps the panels maintain higher levels of conversion efficiency. SolarDuck plans to generate at least one gigawatt of energy from its solution annually by 2030.  

From a solar-powered cooker to new means of rejuvenating aging PV panels, solar power is such as important source of renewable energy that Springwise’s library contains a range of examples of innovations working to reduce the world’s dependence on oil and gas.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Solar cycle paths: a bright idea for power generation
CategoriesSustainable News

Solar cycle paths: a bright idea for power generation

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: In its first meeting, the UK’s Solar Taskforce highlighted the “untapped potential of commercial sites for solar.” What many commercial sites have in common is their provision of walkways and carparks for public use. Those areas, fitted into the space that is available, could be valuable producers of renewable energy, as demonstrated by an innovation created by French infrastructure construction company the Colas Group and INES, the French National Institute of Solar Energy. 

The organisations created a subsidiary, Wattway, to market a solar energy system that can be walked, biked, and driven on. Called the Wattway Pack, the turnkey system provides solar panels, an electrical storage cabinet, and a connection to a device needing power. 

The photovoltaic road surface requires nothing more than glue to attach it to paved areas, and the surface of the panels is treated with a solution to provide the same grip as a regular road. The Wattway Pack is modular and scalable, with PV panels available in packs of 3, 6, 9, and 12, and produces power ranging from 375 to 1,500 watts depending on the number of panels in use.   

In December, a new Wattway project was announced, in collaboration with Dutch construction company Royal BAM Group. There are over 35,000 kilometres of cycle paths across the Netherlands. The two companies hope to take advantage of that, and commissioned two cycle lanes, each 1,000 metres squared, across the North Brabant and North Holland provinces in the Netherlands. The goal is for the paths to generate at least 160 megawatt-hours of electricity for the Dutch grid in the first year, and the project will be overseen for the next five years. 

From solar-powered public transport vehicles to off-grid solar systems for disaster relief, Springwise’s library highlights a range of ways in which innovators are scaling down the size of renewable energy systems in order to scale up overall use and electricity production.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

A plant-inspired anti-reflective coating for solar panels 
CategoriesSustainable News

A plant-inspired anti-reflective coating for solar panels 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Most top-end solar panels today work at an efficiency rate of around 23 per cent, and if there was a big jump in that rate, it would be a significant boon for global decarbonisation efforts. Right now, experts predict that renewable energy sources will provide 35 per cent of the world’s power by 2025.  

With an anti-reflective coating applied directly to the top glass layer of photovoltaic arrays, German energy technology company Phytonics is helping improve the efficiency of standard solar panels. The company’s coating could improve each system’s annual yield by 5 to 10 per cent. 

Inspired by the efficient and robust nature of plant photosynthesis, the startup – a spin-out from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) – has used nature’s designs as a starting point for its proprietary technology. The coating combines micro- and nano-technology elements to replicate the sunlight-absorbing capability of rose petals. Available for use with all sizes of energy systems and wavelengths of light, the coating reduces glare from every angle. It also helps extend the lifespan of panels by adding an additional layer of protection from the elements. 

The laminating foil is applied during the solar panel production process and is currently in-situ in two different locations. The company encourages anyone interested in participating in retrofitting sites to get in touch for more information as the process develops. In mid-2023, the company began building its first commercial pilot production facility.

From panels that work in the shade to nanogrids that work off-grid, the versatility of solar power is showcased in a variety of innovations in Springwise’s library.  

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Harnessing solar power to redesign public transport
CategoriesSustainable News

Harnessing solar power to redesign public transport

By Zarkon Group,

According to the International Energy Agency, 10 per cent of passenger vehicles sold globally in 2022 were all-electric – ten times more than were sold five years ago. In sub-Saharan Africa, where solar energy is abundant, electric vehicles (EVs) represent a pathway to a low-cost, low-emissions transport future – which is not only great news in terms of tackling the climate crisis, but also in terms of improving air quality in many cities. Nairobi in Kenya is the fourth most congested city in the world, and suffers from air pollution that consistently exceeds World Health Organization guidelines. Kenyan electric transport company Roam is building affordable, clean energy vehicles which promise to revolutionise transport in Africa.

To date, mass adoption of EVs in African countries has not been possible because most models are not designed for use in Africa, where the vast majority of travellers rely on various forms of public transport rather than private vehicles. While road conditions are generally good in the Kenyan capital, some remain unsurfaced and so develop potholes. And once you are out of the city centre, less than six per cent of roads in Kenya are tarmacked. To overcome this challenge, Kenyan electric mobility company Roam Electric has designed a range of specifically adapted e-motorbikes and buses suitable for African terrain.

The bikes are an affordable and efficient solution for Nairobi’s Boda Boda taxi drivers, who give commuters lifts on motorbikes. The Roam bikes can cut the drivers’ costs by 50 per cent and are more attractive to customers as they offer a smoother ride. For the 43 per cent of Nairobians who use public transport, the ‘Roam Move’ and ‘Roam Rapid’ electric buses have helped to create a more integrated public transport system that can bring people in from more rural areas.

Like other cities around the world, Nairobi is growing fast, and around 200,000 fossil-fuelled vehicles are added to its roads each year. Roam Electric promises a viable alternative, tailored to suit the specific needs of the city’s landscape and people; a model that can be developed and adapted across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Video and article credit: RE:TV

Reference

Image of solar panels on rooftops of main home and ADU - photo
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

We Are the Rare, Repeat Solar Customers

By Zarkon Group,

Our solar story is a long one, and our most recent installers joked that they don’t usually have repeat customers. We love solar so much that we’ve installed it three times over the past decade and saved thousands on energy bills. If you’ve always thought it was out of reach for you, consider that the cost of panels has fallen from around $8 per watt in 2010 to $2 to $3 per watt today. This is still too expensive for many, but with declining costs, extension of the 30% solar tax credit, and accessible financing, solar is more affordable than ever.

2010

Our first install was on a townhouse that Naomi owned. When Joe moved in, he was so excited about solar that he immediately dumped his life savings into twelve 230 W panels (today’s panels are typically over 400 watts) for the roof. We’re not sure this was the smartest move on his part, as we weren’t married yet, and he had nothing left in the bank. But he justified it as a sign of his commitment to the environment and the relationship.

The total system cost was $20,010. Joe paid $14,490, and the installer received an Energy Trust of Oregon incentive for the remaining amount. Because these were early days, we also received the 30% federal tax credit and $6,000 in state tax credits (that don’t exist anymore), which covered an incredible 75% of the total cost over a period of years. Back then, with more generous subsidies but lower performance, the investment took over 10 years to pay back. With today’s improved performance and lower costs, EnergySage finds that, on average, solar panels pay back in 8.7 years.

Image of solar panels on rooftops of main home and ADU - photo

7.2 kW solar system on our family home in North Portland.

2012

Two years later, we moved and weren’t in a position to put that much cash down, but our new home had a south facing roof that was perfect for solar. At that time, solar leases were all the rage, and that option ended up being the right choice for us. Through Sunrun (currently the largest solar installer in the US), we put down $6,000 (all of which we received back in state tax credits over 4 years) for 13 solar panels estimated to produce 3,257 kWh per year. We have the option to buy the panels from SunRun at the end of the 20-year lease.

Because we don’t need all the electricity our panels produce when the sun is shining, and we don’t have batteries to store it, about a third of the energy powers our all-electric home and the rest goes back to the grid and provides a credit on our utility bill.

 2016

Four years later, we built an addition, which gave us more roof space and room for more solar. We entered into another Sunrun lease, with an estimated 4,054 kWh of annual electricity because the panel efficiency increased that much in those 4 years.

Our now-combined 7.2 kW solar system provides about 60% of our energy needs, and that’s for an all-electric property with regular EV charging and six to seven people living on site. (We are a family of four and have a long-term tenant in an accessory dwelling unit as well as an addition that’s typically occupied by an exchange student or Airbnb guests.)

Combined savings

For at least half the year, our utility bill is only about $12, which is the cost of being connected to the grid. We get credit for our excess summer production, and our bill only exceeds the $12 connection charge for several months in late winter and early spring.

All of our efficiency and electrification efforts, combined with our solar panels, mean we spend a mere $850 per year on energy. That’s one-fifth the national household average and a staggering one-tenth the per capita average! Our solar panels saved us a whopping $7,300 in the 11 years since we installed the first set on this house.

We also subscribe to community solar for the approximately 40% of our energy needs that aren’t met by our rooftop panels, helping us achieve our carbon-free home and transportation.

Are You Ready?

In addition to the 8% of US homeowners who have solar, a recent survey found that 39% have seriously considered solar. If this includes you, you’ll need to first determine your roof viability, which depends on 1. the orientation of your roof (south- and west-facing work best) and 2. the  age of your roof (best practice says fewer than 10 years old so it can age with your panels). If your roof is older than 10 years, you can replace it at the same time you install solar. Many contractors offer both services. The Department of Energy presents a number of online resources to understand your roof’s solar potential.

If your roof is a good candidate, you’ll then need to determine how to pay for the panels. Given the average cost of rooftop solar is currently about $20,000 after tax credits, it’s not feasible for most folks to pay with cash. But there are diverse funding options:

  • Outright ownership: If you can swing it with cash, solar is a great investment with a reasonable payback period. This is the route we went for our first house. A home equity line of credit or cash-out refinance could also provide the funds.
  • Solar loan: Many solar companies now offer financing that requires little to no money down and potentially low interest rates with monthly payments that are offset by lower utility bills. You own the panels outright, receive the tax credits, and are responsible for maintenance.
  • Solar lease: If your state offers solar leases, sometimes called Power Purchase Agreements, a solar company could install, operate, and manage panels on your roof and take the tax credits. You commit to paying that company for the power produced by the panels. This is how we got the 28 panels on our current home.
  • Bulk purchasing and Solarize: It’s also worth checking if your area has a bulk purchasing program like Solarize, through which you could get a discounted install if a bunch of neighbors are also going solar. The nonprofit Solar United Neighbors organizes solar co-op programs for households to benefit from discounted pricing with bulk purchases.

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, residential solar systems are eligible for a 30% tax credit through 2032. Your state may also offer additional rebates and incentives.

Cartoon image (evoking WWII) of soldier promoting solar panels. Text reads: Your tomorrow in in your hand today! Buy Victory Panels

Solar panels could be the victory bonds of the war on climate change. Image by Joe Wachunas.

To explore options, reach out to solar companies in your region. We recommend getting three bids in order to compare costs and proposed system design. A basic Google search will turn up lots of local contractors, so pay attention to reviews, and check if your state has recommended solar contractors like Energy Trust of Oregon’s Trade Ally network.

In addition to the decarbonization and financial benefits of solar, we love that our panels give us the independence of being our own energy producer. We’re more insulated from fluctuating energy costs and get the satisfaction of knowing that most of our energy is produced on our own property.

Plus, rooftop solar is fighting the climate crisis. What’s not to love?

 

Decarbonize your life logo

This article springs from a post by Naomi Cole and Joe Wachunas, first published in CleanTechnica. Their “Decarbonize Your Life,” series shares their experience, lessons learned, and recommendations for how to reduce household emissions.

The authors:

Joe Wachunas and Naomi Cole both work professionally to address climate change—Naomi in urban sustainability and energy efficiency and Joe in the electrification of buildings and transportation. A passion for debarbonization, and their commitment to walk the walk, has led them to ductless heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction cooking, solar in multiple forms, hang-drying laundry (including cloth diapers), no cars to electric cars and charging without a garage or driveway, a reforestation grant from the US Department of Agriculture, and more. They live in Portland, OR, with two young children.

 

Reference

Bringing off-grid solar to new sectors
CategoriesSustainable News

Bringing off-grid solar to new sectors

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Chile is a “world-class destination for solar and wind energy developers,” in large part because of the country’s energy planning, which has helped to boost project development, especially in terms of electricity transmission. However, even in a country with such a good record, there are renewable energy applications where connecting to the grid is difficult.

With more than 50 per cent of Chile’s exports coming from mining, particularly for lithium and copper – two key components in green energy technologies – sustainable energy technology company CleanLight has created a way for heavy industry to reduce its emissions by using off-grid renewably powered lighting solutions. 

With mines often located far from stable grid connections, reliable lighting and communication access have long been a challenge. CleanLight is meeting this need through Solar Towers that provide communications, lighting, and surveillance capabilities, while also providing a mobile solar generator named SolBox.

The SolBox is available in various sizes, from a 1,500-watt system with two panels up to a 9,600-watt Plus Pro system that uses eight panels. For industrial users, the eight-panel SolBox supports the most onerous power demands from construction projects to large buildings.

The technology also has domestic uses. Depending on a home’s size and power consumption, a SolBox could save owners anywhere from 40 to 80 per cent on their monthly electric bill. 

CleanLight has sold 550 Solar Towers and provides a fleet of 150 towers for rent. With distribution agreements in place with large chain stores throughout Latin America, the company is in the middle of expansion across the region. A recent partnership with British Columbia company RE Royalties Ltd in the form of a loan and royalty acquisition is financing CleanLight’s expansion into North and Central America.   

Bringing solar to the people through improvements in accessibility is the focus of a number of innovations in Springwise’s database, including solar panels that work in the shade and a rent-to-own solar panel service.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Solar panels that work in the shade
CategoriesSustainable News

Solar panels that work in the shade

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Solar panels offer a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to polluting fossil fuels such as coal and oil. And in full, direct sunlight, they are a highly efficient way to power your home. However, in the shade, they will produce significantly less energy than they would in the full glare of the sun. In fact, US startup Optivolt claims that a shadow covering just 1 per cent of a conventional solar panel will reduce power output by 33 per cent, while a 10 per cent covering will render the panel essentially useless.

The company is tackling this problem with its patented technology, Pulse. When partially in the shade, the Pulse technology ensures the whole panel continues to work effectively by ‘stretching’ the shadow across the entire panel, mimicking a direct sunlight scenario that is slightly dimmer. According to Optivolt, this enables up to 25 times more power to be generated in real-world shading conditions.  

By optimising shaded panels, Pulse claims it unlocks 261 terawatt-hours of untapped energy, which equates to an additional 34 billion dollars worth of solar energy per year.

In addition to the utility and rooftop applications we are all familiar with, OptiVolt’s technology could unlock new applications for solar power. In a field study conducted by Anduril Industries, Optivolt’s solar panel proved capable of powering Anduril’s military devices through harsh winter conditions. The technology is also battle-tested by the United States Homeland Security and Ukrainian front-line units to provide mission-critical power where traditional solar falls short.

Optivolt’s home installations will begin in 2024. 

Solar panels are a vital tool in fighting climate change, and it’s no wonder Springwise has spotted many innovations in the archive looking to make the most out of them. Solar AI provides rent-to-own solar panels to make renewable energy affordable for many, while Terabase Energy is producing a digital field factory to speed up the construction of solar farms.

Written By: Anam Alam

Reference

A digital field factory speeds up the construction of solar farms
CategoriesSustainable News

A digital field factory speeds up the construction of solar farms

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: As the global community seeks ways to scale solutions as part of the commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, experts agree that terawatts of renewable energy are needed. Scaling solar is the mission of California-based company Terabase Energy. With more than 50 terawatts of solar energy needed as quickly as possible in order to achieve world decarbonisation goals, the company recently introduced the world’s first automated field factory for solar farm production. 

Terabase works as the lead construction partner for utility-scale solar plant projects, providing everything from performance modelling and terrain mapping, to in-the-field manufacturing and grid-friendly plant management technologies. The new factories, called Terafab, use robotics-assisted construction, IoT-connected (Internet of Things) sites, and round-the-clock capability. 

By using a digital twin of the solar plant location, Terabase’s systems help developers make the most of limited resources. The Terabase platform can reduce the time engineers need to spend on site by up to 40 times, and its simulation ability helps plant managers track and predict voltage outputs for multiple years.  

The Terafab factories greatly reduce safety risks to human workers by eliminating the need for them to lift and carry heavy panels in harsh weather conditions. The automated aspect means that the construction of a plant can run continuously, thereby reducing the overall time and cost of development.  

Terabase opened its Terafab manufacturing facility – a “factory to make factories” – in Woodland, California earlier this year. The company also recently raised $25 million (around €22.3 million) to support its expansion, and has several commercial projects lined up later in the year that will use Terafab for their construction needs.  

Other innovations from Springwise’s archive that showcase developments in the photovoltaics field include a fully circular and open-source solar cell design and solar-powered cooling sheds for communities without access to steady refrigeration.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Researchers wirelessly transmit solar power in space
CategoriesSustainable News

Researchers wirelessly transmit solar power in space

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The ability to collect solar energy here on Earth is often at the mercy of factors such as nightfall, cloud cover, and other adverse weather conditions. But what if solar power could be collected in space and beamed back to Earth? After all, in space, the energy is constantly available without being subjected to the cycles of day and night, seasons, and cloud cover. That is exactly what a team of researchers has done.

Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project (SSPP) has recently demonstrated wireless power transfer from space. In January of this year, the SSPP launched a prototype – dubbed the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD) – aboard a SpaceX rocket, to test key components of the plan to harvest solar power in space and beam the energy back to Earth.

This month, one of these components, the MAPLE (Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment), succeeded in transferring power wirelessly to receivers in space. It used constructive and destructive interference between individual transmitters to focus and direct the energy it beams out – all without any moving parts.

Caltech Professor Ali Hajimiri, who led the team developing MAPLE, explained: “Through the experiments we have run so far, we received confirmation that MAPLE can transmit power successfully to receivers in space. We have also been able to program the array to direct its energy toward Earth, which we detected here at Caltech.”

Solar energy is growing rapidly, but it still accounts for only around four per cent of the world’s energy needs. A number of recent innovations spotted in the Springwise archive hope to improve on this, however, including floating solar plants and fully circular solar PV cells.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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