 ||Building Better Bay Area || Perched along the Russian River, the town of Healdsburg is best known for its excellent wine and weekend getaways. But these days, the sun does more than just ripen the grapes. It produces energy in an unusual setting. Healdsburg has now become home to United States’ largest floating solar [...]
After six power plants went down unexpectedly Last Friday — and with hot weather expected across Texas— the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on Friday evening was seen asking consumers to conserve electricity through Sunday. The sudden drop in electricity supply rattled the system through the weekend.  However, luckily there wasn't any major [...]
CPUC Seeks Industry Feedback  Net metering is a critical policy to advance rooftop solar, and it has been incredibly effective in California. So effective, that it has driven down the wholesale cost of electricity in the middle of the day. However, because it allows customers to effectively turn their meters backward if [...]
Solar adoption continues to grow. The gear needed is still relatively large, though, requiring dedicated space on something like a rooftop. However, innovators around the world have been working on ways to avoid that problem. Some take the approach of building solar panels on existing flat surfaces and some are using entirely different materials. Inventing [...]
An artist’s rendering of a crewed Martian biomanufactory powered by photovoltaics and capable of synthesizing food and pharmaceuticals, manufacturing biopolymers and recycling biological waste. (Artwork credit: Davian Ho) While the debate between solar energy and nuclear energy continues on Earth, some people are looking to the stars. As humanity turns its attention to Mars, with [...]
The Golden State, which is on the road to having a carbon-free power grid within 25 years, got a short glimpse of that possibility earlier this month. On April 3, 2022, California’s main grid ran on more than 97% renewable energy. At 3:39 p.m. when the grid was at its peak, it broke the previous [...]
 With constant news reports about the threat climate change poses to a livable future, you might be wondering what you can do to join the fight against climate change. Using less energy or buying an electric car are options we’re all familiar with to reduce your impact on the planet, but one idea you [...]
Seems unrealistic, right? After all, it is one of the biggest drawbacks of solar energy. But thanks to science & engineering, it is well within your reach. At night the lack of sunlight cannot generate electricity - a disadvantage for solar energy. However, what if they worked at night? That’s no joke, according to [...]
Solar and wind power can grow enough to limit global warming to 1.5C. According to a recently published report, if the 10-year average compound growth rate of 20% can be kept to 2030, it is achievable. Independent climate think tank Ember announced this news on Wednesday. "If these trends can be replicated globally, and [...]
Solar panels provide pollution-free energy that delivers far-reaching benefits to people, the environment, the economy, and the electric grid. But unbelievably energy systems development is driven more by financial considerations than environmental ones. Resultantly, it leaves customers more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Sean Kennedy, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [...]
