Month: January 2024

Duke Energy expects its electricity charge for residential customers to ease somewhat, although exactly how much and what to expect for the following two years remain to be determined, the utility informed state regulators on Wednesday. There are many moving parts to Duke’s preparation for setting rates for the next three years, including declines in fuel and other costs and expected investments ahead to harden electricity distribution systems and bring on more solar energy. “This proposal offers what our customers want – a more reliable energy system using cleaner energy,”…

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In a lecture room at the Electrical Engineering Department of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology in Lae, Morobe Province, participants of a three-week long ‘Renewable Energy’ Training stood in awe as the lecturer demonstrated how a smart electricity grid works. As the students gathered around the device, the lecturer explained how the grid could simultaneously utilise wind, hydro and solar power to produce clean energy. When one energy source turned off, the others would continue to produce power and ensure continued electricity supply. The lecturer asserted that such…

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Oxford PV says it has set a new world record for most efficient solar panel, produced in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.  The panel achieved a 25% conversion efficiency, an increase from the more typical 24% efficiency of commercial modules, the company added. Oxford PV, a spin-out of the University of Oxford, is developing perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells, which have a theoretical maximum efficiency of more than 43%. “Our record-breaking solar panels demonstrate that we are on the cusp of the next solar revolution, which will…

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Moreover, for six months of the year, the gold mine’s electricity demand will be met entirely by renewable energy. Currently, much of the gold mine’s electricity is supplied by three hydropower stations. According to Barrick Gold Corporation, the Kibali gold mine is located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, about 220 kilometres east of the capital of the Haut Uele province, Isiro. Aside from the gold mine in DRC, Canadian resource company Erdene Resource Development has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Mongolian Mining Corporation’s affiliate…

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Oxford PV’s technology combines a thin layer of perovskite, a synthetic solar conversion material, with mainstream silicon solar cells to create more powerful solar panels that can generate around 20 per cent more electricity than silicon-only cell technology. The latest Oxford PV solar panel was produced in partnership with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. Using the Institute’s Module-TEC (Technology Evaluation Centre), the Oxford team optimised the existing production line for its tandem technology, producing a silicon perovskite tandem solar panel that delivered an output of 421W on an…

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Researchers in Spain have developed a new system that simultaneously produces PV power and disinfects wastewater. January 31, 2024 Lior Kahana Researchers from Spain’s University of Jaen have developed a novel technology for wastewater disinfection and the production of PV energy. The Open SoWat system is designed for tertiary treatment – the third and final process in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). It is an upgrade of SolWat technology, which consists of a photochemical technology integrating PV modules and water disinfection reactors. “To extend the system to commercial use, preliminary experimental…

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In 2023, around three-quarters of global renewable energy capacity additions came in the form of solar power, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that this energy source will continue to account for the lion’s share of new renewable energy capacity to the end of the decade. Improvements in the efficiency of solar power are, therefore, a big deal.  Our first innovation this month is a next-generation solar panel that has set a new standard for solar conversion efficiency. Elsewhere, another startup is focused on solar panel performance in a…

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Scientists in China have used computer simulations to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence the adoption of residential PV. January 31, 2024 Lior Kahana Researchers from State Grid Corp. of China, the nation’s largest state-owned grid operator and power utility, have explored the effects of individual behavioral interactions on the adoption of residential PV technology. The scientists conducted their analysis based on surveys and behavior-driven computer simulations. “This study adopts the agent-based modeling method (ABM),” they explained. “It can better simulate the formation of consumer preferences, information…

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The average U.S. household spends about $1,747 annually on electricity, according to electricity cost and consumption data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Over 25 years, that adds up to $61,520 (assuming 2.45% annual inflation). You can easily lower (and sometimes even eliminate) these costs by installing a rooftop solar panel system.  Most households need an 11 kW system to fully cover their electricity usage. In 2024, an 11 kW solar panel system costs $22,022 upfront including installation costs and the federal solar tax credit (more on that later). This…

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