"Austria, home to central Europe’s biggest floatovoltaic array, has rolled out special subsidies for floating PVs and other novel projects that combine electricity generation with an ecological or agricultural aim. Scientific studies show that FPVs improve water quality by reducing algal blooms. Panels can also help save water during times of drought by reducing evaporation and decreasing sunlight penetration."
U.S. scientists hit new fusion energy milestone
"Scientists have worked for decades to develop nuclear fusion as a source of effectively limitless clean energy, but Axios' Alison Snyder notes that there's still a long way to go in overcoming further scientific, technical and financial hurdles for it to become a commercial power supply."
Tesla alum aims to build the power company of the future
"In Equilibrium’s first commercial deal, the startup pays Jupiter Power a monthly fee for the next seven years to operate a 100-megawatt battery system in West Texas. Equilibrium currently dispatches that battery for optimal profit in the wholesale markets of Texas grid operator ERCOT. Of course, actually making money in Texas’ rough-and-tumble merchant power markets is never guaranteed. To increase its odds of success, Equilibrium built an AI-enhanced digital trading platform to orchestrate its bids based on analysis of the myriad variables influencing the markets."
Czech Republic Expanding Nuclear Power Program
"CEZ in May of this year launched a tender to add two generators to the Temelin Nuclear Power Station, a 2,056-MW facility with two VVER-1000 units designed by Russia’s Gidropress. The units came online in 2000 and 2002. CEZ said its wants construction of the new generators at Temelin, representing an investment of about $160 million, to take place between 2028 and 2030. CEZ in March 2022 announced a tender seeking companies to bid on a one-unit expansion of the Dukovany nuclear power plant."
Power to the People: Microgrid Gives Community Control of Its Energy
"Power is generated and distributed locally with multiple levels of security in the BlockEnergy system, which includes protection from cyber and other threats. In the event of an outage, there is no action required of the system as it is 'always-on' and not dependent on the grid for ongoing power reliability. That provides resiliency, as there is no single point of failure—each BlockHome has its own solar generation, energy storage, and controls."
UW researchers develop promising ‘bioplastic’ that can decompose like a banana peel
"The material has a number of additional features. It’s easy to recycle into new items. It’s fire resistant and will self-extinguish and char when exposed to a flame. It’s machinable and potentially strong enough for use in longer-lasting products such as furniture."
America’s first new nuclear reactor in nearly seven years starts operations
"Initial cost estimates for both reactors were $14 billion, and they were expected to power up in 2016 and 2017. But the costs have ballooned to $30 billion so far, and unit 4 is still not turned on, nuclear energy experts Matt Bowen, Rama T. Ponangi, and Andrew Evans from Columbia said."
A Stealthy L.A. Carbon Capture Startup Snags $80 Million From Big Oil And JetBlue
"The system is built around modules about the size of a 20-foot shipping container that pull in ambient air and run it through a series of filters. Water condensation, similar to what occurs in a dehumidifier, is collected, pumped out and stored, and the CO2 flows into tanks, CEO Will Kain told Forbes. He said there’s a 5-to-1 ratio of water produced for every ton of captured CO2. A pilot version of the system will open later this year in Bakersfield, California."
This Oman-based startup turns carbon into solid rock — and does it super fast
"44.01 has partnered with ADNOC and has begun a pilot project in Fujairah that will be the world’s largest peridotite mineralisation project so far, and the first to use seawater to inject CO2. This project will open the possibility of mineralizing billions of tons of captured carbon across the region."
An AI Startup Is Helping North American Diesel Trains Clean Up Their Act
"To solve those puzzles, RailVision collects data from rail operations to simulate train dynamics and uses an algorithm to determine the most fuel-efficient driving pattern. While the AI solution is still in its infancy, Jain says it has helped Metrolinx, a government agency that serves millions of riders in the province of Ontario, save more than 1.5 million liters of diesel fuel during a one-year experiment. RailVision also counts Via Rail Canada Inc., the country’s main intercity passenger train operator, as an early adopter."
Copyright © 2020 Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions