Storing Solar and Wind Energy

Solar energy is only generated while the sun is up, and wind energy while the wind is blowing. But power grids need to respond to demand whenever it occurs.  If we ever want a power grid that relies on solar and wind energy, we’ll need to come up with ways to store them. A Vox video by Sam Ellis.

 More:

“A mountain, a tower, a thermos of molten salt. These are the batteries that could power our renewable future.” Neel Dhanesha, Vox

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How Solar Energy Got So Cheap

In 1976, a watt of energy generated by solar photovoltaic cost over $100. In 2019, it was less than 50 cents per watt, a price decline of 99.6%. Even since 2009, solar has declined 90% in price. What’s behind that drop? Industry helped, but the main driver was government policy and subsidy of solar by countries like the US, Japan, Germany, and China.

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The US isn’t ready for clean energy

The US isn’t ready for renewable energy. The electric transmission grid doesn’t have the capacity to move it where it needs to be. A vox video by Madeline Marshall, animated by Matt Dunne.

Related:

“Old Power Gear Is Slowing Use of Clean Energy and Electric Cars,” Ivan Penn, New York Times

“2020 was the worst year yet for power outages in the US,” Justine Calma, The Verge

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Spice Up Solar Panels With Chili Peppers

“Here’s some news hot off the press. Researchers have found a secret ingredient for making solar panels that absorb the sun’s energy more efficiently. Depending on what you like to eat, there’s a good chance you can find it at home. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chili peppers their spicy sting, also improves perovskite solar cells – the devices that make up solar panels.

Electricity: Renewables Beat Coal

“In April, renewables eclipsed coal generation in the US for the first time. The Energy Information Administration estimates renewables outperformed coal by 16% in April and will generate 1.4% more in May.”

— “Renewables generated more electricity than coal for the first time in US history,” Michael J. Coren, Quartz

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Why there are twice as many solar jobs as coal jobs

“The past decade has seen a revolution in residential solar systems. Cheap panels and creative financing options have led to a massive increase in solar installations– and that increase is driving an employment boom. At the same time, the coal industry is experiencing a major downturn. But despite the current political rhetoric, it’s a downturn that’s been in the works for nearly 100 years. Automation, technical advances, and more recently, the rise of cheap natural gas have led to a significant drop in demand, one that the industry may never recover from.”

A Vox video.

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How to Win Over Republicans On Renewable Energy

Gun-totin,’ Trump-votin’ Tea-Party environmental activist Debbie Dooley:  “If you think fossil fuel is not damaging the environment, pull your car in a garage, start up your engine, and inhale the exhaust fumes for a few minutes and see what happens.”

Ms. Dooley runs Conservatives for Energy Freedom, and advocates for the expansion of renewable energy. She explains how to explain renewable energy to her fellow conservatives: “If you lead off with climate change, they’re not going to pay a bit of attention to anything else you say.”

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Energy Sector Jobs

Last year 1.9 million Americans were employed in electric power generation, mining and other fuel extraction activities, according to a Department of Energy report. In short, there are twice as many people working in solar energy than in coal:

Oil: 515,518
Natural gas: 398,235
Solar Energy: 373,000
Coal: 160,000
Bioenergy: 130,677
Wind: 101,738
Nuclear: 76,771
Hydroelectric: 65,554
Geothermal: 5,768

Another 2.3 million jobs were in energy transmission, storage and distribution (powerline and pipeline workers, etc.) and more than 900,000 retail jobs (gas station workers and fuel dealers, et al.). If workers involved in manufacturing and installing energy-efficient products are included, the total number of energy-related jobs totals 6.4 million.

More:

“Today’s Energy Jobs Are in Solar, Not Coal,” Nadja Popovich, New York Times

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Coal Mining Museum Goes Solar

The Kentucky Coal Mining Museum in Harlan County is switching to solar power, reports the Washington Post:

“’We believe that this project will help save at least $8,000 to $10,000 off the energy costs on this building alone, so it’s a very worthy effort and it’s going to save the college money in the long run,’ Brandon Robinson, communications director of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, which owns the museum, told WYMT.”

“’It is a little ironic,’ said Robinson, ‘But you know, coal and solar and all the different energy sources work hand-in-hand. And, of course, coal is still king around here.’”

— “Kentucky Coal Mining Museum in Harlan County switches to solar power,” Travis M. Andrew, Washington Post

Rick Perry Named Secretary of ‘Oops’

President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Texas governor Rick Perry as Secretary of  Energy, a department GOP candidate Perry would have abolished if he could have remembered what it was: