“There are many eyes on this [local rooftop solar and microgrid] project,” said Alexis Massol González, founder of Casa Pueblo. “This is a top-notch model. … We Puerto Ricans are proud of having a project like this. May the Department of Energy come and study it.”
CLEAN ENERGY
Must Be Equitable
Puerto Rico is building a local clean energy revolution. The Energy Department has allocated $1 billion to accelerate solar power in Puerto Rico, and local advocates want those funds spent on community-driven rooftop solar rather than utility-scale grid projects. Community organizations like Casa Pueblo have become a model for developing solar-powered microgrids that support local businesses and can run independently during grid blackouts. Drawing from their experiences in the aftermath of recent hurricanes, advocates say local rooftop solar arrays are a vital investment that can support resiliency and energy independence instead of reliance on the island’s troubled electrical grid. (Energy News Network)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is Affordable
EV battery minerals are getting cheaper. So far this year, lithium and copper prices have each dropped roughly 20 percent, while cobalt prices have dropped by half. Analysts estimate that the global supply of lithium, which is commonly used in batteries and other clean energy technologies, will need to increase 42-fold to achieve the worldwide transition to clean energy. Those projections have driven industry to seek stability in their supply streams. Now mining and mineral processing companies are scaling up operations to capitalize on the roaring market for battery materials — driving mineral prices down and prompting automakers like Ford and Tesla to cut EV prices. (New York Times $)
CLEAN ENERGY
Has Many Benefits
Strategic EV charging could avoid the need for new power plants. If EV chargers are placed in the right locations, EV drivers can help reduce electricity demand, store solar energy, and avoid costly infrastructure investments, according to a new study from MIT. Investing in workplace charging would ensure that employees can charge during the workday when solar power is abundant instead of contributing to an electricity demand spike in the evening. This type of solution can be implemented without asking EV owners to change their behaviors, and without requiring additional electrical supply or transmission investments to meet high charging demand in the evenings. (CleanTechnica)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is A Good Investment
IRA sparks a domestic EV manufacturing gold rush. VW is building a $2 billion EV manufacturing facility near Columbia, South Carolina, thanks in large part to incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. Executives say the incentives make the current moment the best time to build a factory in the U.S. The IRA was reportedly pivotal in VW’s decision to open their own factory instead of outsourcing production. VW’s site, expected to open in 2026, will employ 4,000 workers and will produce 200,000 EVs per year. (Bloomberg $)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is Replacing Fossil Fuels
Renewables grew 10 percent worldwide last year. Last year the world added 3,372 gigawatts of renewable energy, a 9.6 percent increase from the previous year, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Eighty-three percent of all new energy added last year was from renewable resources. Solar and wind dominated these deployments, representing roughly 9 in 10 renewable energy resources added in 2022. But IRENA warned that this pace is still not fast enough — to meet global climate targets, clean energy needs to grow at three times the current rate. (Reuters)
New battery chemistries could quadruple EV range. Scientists at the U.S. Energy Department have developed a new type of battery up to four times more powerful than the batteries that dominate the market today. Their lithium-air battery uses a solid electrolyte that increases the battery’s energy density four-fold compared to today’s batteries while avoiding the safety issues that come with liquid electrolytes, such as overheating and catching fire. While past lithium-air prototypes were hindered by short life cycles, the team says their design has a long lifespan that could allow them to replace traditional lithium-ion batteries. (Energy Monitor)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is Challenging
IPCC urges immediate action to secure a “livable future.” The latest report from the UN body warns that current and future risks from climate change are worse than previously estimated, but there is still a narrow window to avoid the worst impacts. Synthesizing findings from its latest major assessment, the authors write we can still halt warming past 1.5 degrees C, but only if we cut global climate pollution 43 percent compared to 2019 levels by 2030. The authors note that there is already enough global capital fund mitigation and adaptation efforts, and the plummeting cost of clean energy is making it easier to transition off of fossil fuels. The report is expected to guide negotiations at this year’s UN climate conference, COP28, and advocates and UN officials hope the latest warnings will encourage countries to accelerate their energy transition efforts even further. (Grist)
MULTIMEDIA
Video: Here’s proof that solar panels can be recycled
