#renewableelectricity

The International Energy Agency site is a treasure trove of statistics about all aspects of energy generation and consumption, from electric vehicles to global generation investments. Their latest report on renewable energy brings good news. High fossil fuel prices combined with supply concerns related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have made renewables more attractive both economically and from an energy security perspective. China, India, the EU, and the United States are all moving more quickly than previously anticipated. 

Seagrass is wonderful stuff. It sequesters more carbon per acre than terrestrial rainforests, it provides food and habitat to support marine ecosystems, and it helps reduce coastal erosion. Unfortunately, seagrass meadows also face similar threats to terrestrial rainforests, thanks to dredging and agricultural runoff. As a step toward better understanding of this “blue carbon” resource, US Environmental Protection Agency scientists are examining how carbon storage in seagrass meadows varies across New England. 

With more than 25 GW of capacity actively under construction, solar generation is now the centerpiece of US renewable energy plans, accounting for 70% of planned utility-scale capacity through 2025. As recently as 2013, the Energy Information Administration didn’t even bother to report solar generation. Now, further acceleration of solar deployment is a likely effect of the Inflation Reduction Act’s $370 billion investment in renewable energy and climate measures. 

Solar Windows

The same perovskite crystals that are at the heart of solar technology are now also being tapped for the development of a new kind of “smart” windows.

Essentially, these windows are expected to darken in the sun, thus providing shade. And because they contain perovskite, they can also simultaneously generate electricity.

This project is still in development, but if successful, it could revolutionize solar power generation, as well as the building and construction industry by providing an efficient means for cooling a building while at the same time generating power.

Cheaper Electricity

As we continually develop nonrenewable energy technology, and continue to build up the resources and infrastructure to build up a good supply of sustainable energy, the cost of electricity will also go down. It is estimated that by 2020, wind and solar energy will be at the same price range as fossil fuels. In the succeeding years after this, it is hoped that the costs of wind and solar energy will continue to fall, thus making it a viable and cheap alternative to the more traditional sources of electricity.

This is great news, particularly for poorer countries where basic electricity services are still minimal or non-existent.

Companies Shifting to Renewable Energy

T-Mobile is planning to shift to renewable electricity.

That’s good news. According to the CEO of T-Mobile, they plan to cut energy costs by $100 million because of this, which means, hopefully, that the lower costs will also translate to lower charges to its customers.

And, of course, there’s the environmental impact of shifting completely to wind power.

This shift is expected to be completed by 2021.