The green jobs promise
Promising to replace fossil fuel jobs with an identical number of clean energy roles in coal-dependent communities is overly simplistic and ignores the fact that communities need to be brought onside with credible expectations of better-quality employment.
Ascent Solar acquires Swiss thin-film solar module maker Flisom
Ascent Solar says its acquisition of Flisom will triple its production capacity.
UL Solutions, NREL set cybersecurity standards for distributed energy, inverters
UL 2941 provides testable requirements for energy storage and generation technologies on the distribution grid. The new cybersecurity protocol provides a framework for PV inverters, electric-vehicle chargers, wind turbines, fuel cells, and other distributed resources.
The Hydrogen Stream: Chinese companies push for hydrogen transport
CNPC and Sinopec are working on transporting hydrogen via pipelines, while Matrix Renewables has expanded its green hydrogen partnership with Rolwind Renovables.
US manufacturer releases cold climate heat pump
Rheem has unveiled an air-source heat pump that provides uninterrupted heating under -30.5 C ambient conditions. It has successfully passed the US Department of Energy’s Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge.
Solar panels on downed Chinese balloon could support advanced radar
The US authorities took down a Chinese balloon off the coast of South Carolina earlier this year that featured contained 10 kW of solar capacity – similar to a typical rooftop PV installation.
Inflation Reduction Act triggered plans for 46 factories, says industry group
Since the passage of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) last August, the utility-scale clean power sector has announced $150 billion in funding, 46 new manufacturing facilities, and nearly 20,000 new jobs, according to the American Clean Power Association.
US startup secures $3 million to develop organic PV-coated windows
Next Energy Technologies has secured a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop its organic photovoltaic coating for commercial windows.
The Hydrogen Stream: LCOH of subsidized green hydrogen under $2/kg
Lazard explains in a new report that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is normally lower for green hydrogen than for pink hydrogen, using both PEM and alkaline electrolyzers, with or without subsidies. Meanwhile, Australian authorities are trying to increase the competitiveness of the local hydrogen sector, while car companies are updating their fuel cell plans.
Average solar LCOE increases for first time this year
A new report by Lazard compares the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for various generation technologies on a $/MWh basis. It shows that utility-scale solar and onshore wind LCOE increased for the first time in 2023, at $24/MWh to $96/MWh for solar and $24/MWh to $75 MWh for wind. Nevertheless, the two renewable sources are still the economic frontrunners when compared to nuclear, gas, and coal.
