S&P 500 nuclear component Constellation Energy (CEG) on Friday reported worse-than-expected third-quarter profit and narrowed its full-year earnings guidance. CEG stock fell solidly early before advancing in Friday’s market. Constellation Energy reported Q3 earnings growing nearly 11% to $3.04 per share while revenue totaled $6.57 billion, running basically flat vs. a year earlier. Prior to the release, analysts expected Q3…
Tag: solar
-
Rising energy prices put AI and data centers in the crosshairs | TechCrunch
As tech companies tout their plans for massive new data centers, consumers are increasingly worried the AI-driven gold rush will ultimately drive up the price they pay for electricity, according to a new survey.
The report, commissioned by solar installer Sunrun, found that 80% of consumers are worried about the impact of data centers on their utility bills.
Consumers’ concerns aren’t unfounded.
Electricity demand in the United States held steady for over a decade, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Over the last five years, commercial users including data centers and industrial users began drinking more deeply from the grid, with annual growth rising 2.6% and 2.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, residential use only grew by 0.7% annually.
Data centers today consume about 4% of the electricity generated in the United States, more than double their share in 2018. By 2028, consumption is forecasted to rise to 6.7% to 12%, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Generation has managed to meet demand thanks to a surge in new capacity from solar, wind, and grid-scale battery storage. Big tech companies have been inking large deals for new utility-scale solar, in particular, attracted by the energy source’s low cost, modularity, and speed to power. Solar farms can start delivering power to data centers before they’re completed, and a new project typically takes around 18 months to complete.
The EIA expects renewables to dominate new generating capacity through at least the next year. The trend likely would have extended beyond 2026, but experts predict a Republican repeal of key parts of the Inflation Reduction Act will hamper the renewables’ growth.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco
|
October 13-15, 2026Meanwhile, natural gas, another source of energy favored by data center operators, hasn’t met the moment. Production has been rising, but most of the new supplies have gone toward feeding exports rather than the domestic market. Consumption by electricity generators rose by 20% between 2019 and 2024, while exporters consumed 140% more.
New natural gas power plants won’t be ready in time, either, since they take around four years to complete, according to the International Energy Agency. A backlog of turbines used by gas-fired power plants has only compounded the problem. Manufacturers are quoting delivery dates up to seven years out, and newly announced production capacity is unlikely to change things.
Slow natural gas buildouts coupled with kneecapped renewables have put data center developers in a bind.
While AI and data centers aren’t entirely responsible for increasing electricity demand — industrial users have been nearly as thirsty — they’ve been leading the headlines.
AI is likely to be the focus of consumers’ ire: More people are concerned about the technology than excited about it, according to a Pew survey. No surprise given that many employers have been wielding the tool as a way to cut headcount rather than improve augment employee productivity.
Throw rising energy prices into the mix, and you can begin to see how a backlash might be brewing.
Tim De Chant
Source link -
Trump’s energy department said wind and solar energy capacity is ‘worthless’ without sunlight or wind. Elon Musk reminds DoE about batteries: ‘Um… hello?’
President Donald Trump’s Department of Energy sparked backlash last week after posting on X that “wind and solar energy infrastructure is essentially worthless when it is dark outside, and the wind is not blowing.”
The message echoed recent remarks from Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a longtime oil and gas executive, who defended Trump’s claim that renewable energy is driving up electricity costs, though he acknowledged the picture is more complicated.
He also argued that wind and solar are “intermittent” and, without large-scale batteries, “worthless” when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Greater reliance on renewables, he added, effectively creates “a whole separate grid” that raises overall costs.
Still, the DoE’s X post drew millions of views and many mocking replies, including a community note reminding readers that batteries exist to store power when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
Among the most prominent replies was from Elon Musk, who cut through the noise with just two words: “Um … hello?”
Alongside his reply, the Tesla CEO boosted his company’s large-scale battery business, which had recently touted a 370-megawatt-hour storage project in Australia designed to stabilize the grid and expand renewable use. His post garnered a little over half a million views. Tesla also has a solar panel business for use in homes.
The Department of Energy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Several users also pointed out Musk’s extensive campaign support for the president last year despite Tesla’s focus on green energy.
Musk spent nearly $300 million on Republican candidates in the last election cycle, endorsing Trump after he survived an assassination attempt. After he was elected, Trump installed Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE,) and the two men seemed inseparable, with Musk writing in February that he loves Trump “as much as any straight man can love another man.”
But the two also had clear ideological differences from the start, particularly around renewables. Musk heads one of the world’s leading electric-vehicle companies, and has long supported all kinds of renewable energy, including solar and wind.
The alliance unraveled in a very public break-up earlier this year over the One Big Beautiful Bill, which sparked Musk’s fierce opposition because it ended Biden-era tax credits for renewable energy and is expected to add to U.S. debt.
In a now-deleted X post, Musk escalated the feud even further, accusing Trump of being named in the Epstein files and of blocking the release of more details. Since then, Musk has said that he’ll do “a lot less” political spending in the future.
“I think I’ve done enough,” he said in a video interview with Bloomberg News at the Qatar Economic Forum.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has sought to cripple clean energy, blocking nearly $19 billion in renewable energy projects and announcing that it will not approve any wind or solar projects.
The president himself has used various justifications for his anti-renewable stance, saying that wind mills kill birds and are ugly, while he wrote in a Truth Social post that solar panels are “farmer destroying.”
“The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!!” Trump added.
Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.Eva Roytburg
Source link -
Trump’s 19-year war on wind power is ‘weaponizing bureaucracy to undermine American energy production,’ critics say
A nearby offshore wind farm was already planned when Donald Trump purchased coastal land in northern Scotland to develop the Trump International Golf Links—a project he envisioned as an homage to his Scottish-American mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump.
“I am not thrilled. I want to see the ocean; I do not want to see windmills,” Trump told BBC News in May 2006. It was the first-known example of Trump’s years-long war against wind power.
It took another five years for the Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm to initiate permitting and, in 2012 as the golf course was nearing its opening, Trump launched an all-out media and legal assault against the wind project—a campaign that proved unsuccessful. “Tourism will suffer and the beauty of your country is in jeopardy,” Trump warned in a 2012 advertisement.
Trump wrote in a 2013 Daily Mail article that he would fight “for as long as it takes—to hell if I have to—and spend as much as it takes to block this useless and grotesque blot on our heritage.” By the time he was first running for president in 2015, Trump had tweeted negatively about wind or “windmills” more than 130 times.
Much to Trump’s chagrin, the Scottish wind farm opened in 2018. But he’s carried that fight much more aggressively in his second term as U.S. president.
Upon his return to Scotland this July, he emphasized: “We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They’re killing us”. Trump added Aug. 20 on Truth Social that he “will not approve” wind or solar projects. “The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!!” he posted.
While Trump may not prevent every new wind turbine installed in the U.S., he certainly is trying.
Apart from a rapid phasedown of tax credits for wind and solar projects in the One Big Beautiful Bill signed into law in July, the Trump administration has ramped up its attacks on wind—and solar—into a full-scale war, including all but banning new wind and solar projects on federal lands and waters, keeping wind turbines away from highways and railroads, investigating turbines for eagle deaths, and, most recently, making it harder for renewables to even qualify for the short-lived credits eliminated after 2027.
Potentially most onerously, wind or solar projects must now go through three levels of federal review, including personally by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who said in August that “gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects hold America back from achieving U.S. energy dominance.” These secretary-level reviews include many proposed on private land. Earlier this month, the administration canceled the massive Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, yanking permits approved last year.
While Trump has long despised wind turbines, he’s only made it a top political priority in 2025. More wind projects were built during Trump’s first term than during the Biden administration. It’s only now though that U.S. power demand is surging—thanks to the AI data center boom—and it’s happening just when renewable energy is being handicapped.
Average electricity bill costs are up 7% year over year as of May, according to the Department of Energy, and they’re projected to keep rising.
“It’s a triumph of polarization over pragmatism,” American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet told Fortune. “What is mind-boggling is that, after eliminating the subsidies, the administration has then gone on the attack with federal mandates and buckets of red tape to actively oppose projects being built.”
Executive ‘double-cross’
The last-minute compromise in the “Big Beautiful Bill” focused on keeping the renewable energy tax credits in place for now—but quickly phasing them out.
To qualify, projects must break ground by July 4, 2026, or be completed by the end of 2027. The key is really on breaking ground by next summer because few started after July 2026 are likely to finish by year-end 2027.
As soon as the omnibus spending law was passed, the Trump administration went to work making it harder to qualify for the tax credits—specifically what counts as breaking ground. Those revised rules were finalized on Aug.15.
It used to be that developers only had to pay 5% of the costs up front to lock in the tax credits. Instead, the 5% rule is eliminated for all but small solar farms, requiring all others to demonstrate that “physical work of a significant nature” has begun on or off-site, such as foundation excavation.
Grumet calls it a “double-cross” to immediately change the rules after reaching a deal that was already tough on the clean power sector. “This is basically an ‘America Last’ energy policy,” he said.
The fear was the administration would change the rules even more dramatically, but some Republican senators—including John Curtis of Utah and Chuck Grassley of Iowa—threatened holds on confirming some Trump nominees until the rules were released. After all, most new wind and solar farms are being built in so-called red states.
Also troublesome for the industry are new foreign-sourcing rules that penalize projects for using Chinese parts in a renewables industry dominated by Chinese supply chains.
Other regulatory aspects are potentially worse for the industry too. For instance, Burgum’s Interior Department went a step further on Aug. 1 to also include “enhanced” reviews for power line transmission projects that are deemed to help enable wind or solar projects.
That order came days after the Energy Department revoked a loan guarantee for the 800-mile Grain Belt Express transmission project from Kansas to Indiana.
Christina Hayes, executive director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, told Fortune that the transmission policy move adds more “uncertainty” when the nation rapidly needs more power infrastructure, especially when power lines are agnostic to electricity generated by wind or coal burning.
“There’s no sorting hack for electrons. Once an electron is on the system, it is like all the other electrons,” Hayes said, proceeding to make a Harry Potter reference. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, you’re a Gryffindor electron, you’re a renewable electron, you’re Hufflepuff, you’re coal.’ That’s not how this works.”
Rising obstacles
Potentially the most insidious changes for wind and solar aren’t the outright policy revisions, but the behind-the-curtains roadblocks created: federal websites going dark, meetings canceled, phone calls repeatedly unanswered.
“In order to permit a project, you have to interact with the federal government,” Grumet said. “You’re a developer, and you’ve gone through your 63 of 64 steps, and suddenly you can’t get your final meeting. And now future permits are going to be politicized at the cabinet secretary level for everything from where you put a fence to how you create a road. It’s weaponizing bureaucracy to undermine American energy production.”
For instance, Hayes said Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts contributed to the Energy Department’s staffing for the Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permits Program (CITAP) shrinking from about 60 people to six—critical for transmission siting and permitting.
Grumet likened the process to going to the Department of Motor Vehicles in the 1950s-era Soviet Union. “The government is challenging enough when everyone is working towards solutions; it’s impossible when the government is working to create problems.”
All the false claims
Trump has repeatedly called “windmills” a green energy scam and accused them of killing birds and marine life. He’s even falsely said the noise can cause cancer. But mostly, he loathes wind turbines for their aesthetics.
On the other hand, air pollution from fossil fuels can be carcinogenic, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found that oil pits cause three times more bird deaths than wind turbines, which were deemed responsible for fewer than 0.01% of human-caused bird fatalities.
Outside of, yes, cats, the leading cause of bird deaths is building and glass collisions, including Trump’s towers in New York and around the world. Trump’s Aberdeen golf complex also was built on sand dunes that housed multiple species of endangered birds.
“The American public sees past the idea that a wind blade is a carcinogen,” Grumet said. “The issue the president really focuses on is the aesthetics. That’s a matter of personal opinion if the president thinks that staring at a natural gas facility is a source of American beauty, and staring at a wind turbine is an assault on the landscape.”
So, why now? One, this Trump administration is more filled with partisan players who were prepared to hit the ground running. Two, the energy fight increasingly has become more politically biased.
“Between 2020 and 2024, I think the whole energy debate became more partisan, and wind power, in particular, got locked into the ‘us versus them’ imagination of the way America works,” Grumet said.
Yes, it’s a tough time for renewable energy in America. Fewer projects will come to fruition. The extent of that decline is unclear. But new natural gas-fired plants and nuclear facilities will take five to 10 years to build. Retiring coal plants will have their lives extended, but only temporarily. New power generation is needed more quickly, and renewables, especially solar power, will still fill most of the short-term gap—with or without tax credits.
“We are inexorably moving toward a more efficient, lower-carbon energy system,” Grumet said. “The president’s actions certainly could slow that down for a couple years, but the direction is not going to change.”
Jordan Blum
Source link -
HEXA Renewables Commissions the World’s Largest Offshore Floating Solar Power Plant in Taiwan
CHANGHUA CITY, Taiwan, November 5, 2024 (Newswire.com)
–
HEXA Renewables, a leading independent power producer in the Asia Pacific region backed by global infrastructure fund I Squared Capital, has teamed up with the Taiwan government’s offshore solar division and completed the commissioning of the world’s largest offshore floating solar power plant. Located in Changhua County in Taiwan, this groundbreaking project spans four plots totalling 347 hectares.The initial stage of the project consisted of two plots (1 and 2) with a nameplate capacity of 181 MWac which was developed and built by Chenya Energy, a then-subsidiary of HEXA’s current investor, I Squared Capital, in 2020. After the divestment of Chenya Energy in the same year, HEXA progressed with the development of the second stage of this project in collaboration with the Taiwanese government. This involved adding in an additional 192 MWac of power generation, making the combined project an aggregated capacity of 373 MWac, which is currently the largest offshore floating solar project in the world.
Driving Taiwan’s Energy Transition
Beyond its impressive scale, HEXA’s floating solar project marks a significant contribution toward Taiwan’s decarbonisation targets, which include achieving 20 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2025 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. This project offsets 136,000 CO2 emissions annually and is able to supply renewable energy to approximately 74,000 households in Taiwan.
HEXA’s achievements exemplify the power of public-private partnerships in advancing the clean energy transition. Constructed on land leased from the Taiwan government, this floating solar project not only expands the nation’s renewable energy infrastructure but also strengthens Taiwan’s position on the global stage as a pioneer in innovative floating solar technology.
Built on expertise, innovation, and a commitment to sustainability, the project not only benefits the Taiwanese community by enhancing sustainable energy security but also supports global efforts in the fight against climate change.
About HEXA Renewables
HEXA Renewables is a leading renewable energy provider with a diversified portfolio of over 2,500 MW of renewable energy projects across Asia, including India, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Backed by global infrastructure investment manager I Squared Capital, HEXA Renewables focuses on accelerating the energy transition by developing, designing, constructing and operating state-of-the-art renewable energy projects across the Asia Pacific region.
Source: HEXA Renewables Asia Advisory Pte Ltd
-
K-POP HOTSPOT: October 2024 Comebacks & Debuts Roundup
What a time to be a K-Pop fan! We at THP are so excited to share our October K-POP HOTSPOT with you all. This month blessed us with so many new K-Pop comebacks and debuts. Have you been keeping up?
Don’t miss out on October K-Pop comebacks we’ve already covered. Check out our reviews of all new songs from groups like Xdinary Heroes, AB6IX, ITZY, KISS OF LIFE, and aespa! It’s also been a great month for solo artists like Woosung, LISA, JENNIE, ROSÉ, NCT Jaehyun, and Jin!
Alright, let’s catch you up on everything you may have missed in the K-Pop world!
THIS MONTH’S NEWS
Well, honey bees your favorite subsection is here! We are here to bring you everything K-Pop news that you might have missed this past month! First of all, we have some fun releases that might have flown under the radar like BTS Jin’s full version of ‘Super Tuna’ which got us ready for his first full comeback with a fun music video! Next up we had one of our favorite groups XG giving us another earworm with ‘IYKYK,‘ like turn this bop up and make sure you listen here and pre-order AWE here! Additionally, our girls from aespa finally gave us some solo songs! Before the girls dropped their new banger mini, they released solo songs from the SYNK : PARALLEL LINE world tour, and the girls delivered and really captured their personalities in each song. make sure you listen to them here. Well, that’s it for music news.
But stay with us because do you want to see your faves in concert? Yes? Well then, OMEFA X announced their 2024 US tour ISLAND : Beyond the Horizon, in November and December 2024. Tickets have been on sale since the 15th so make sure you grab yours asap! Another artist that already hit the stage in the US on the 23rd is SEVENTEEN. The boys are on the road for the time being so check out if there are still tickets available on official sites! Now, we have some exciting news because our boy Wonho is back from the army and is finally coming back to the US for the first time since 2019! 2024 USA FAN MEETUP
kicks off in Houston, Texas on December 4th and tickets have been on sale since October 28th. Let’s go and support our boy! As a final piece of exciting news is the fact that BABYMONSTER just dropped their first full album and to honor that Spotify just selected the girls as the newest RADAR KOREA artist. What an honor! We are so proud of these girls.
EXO CHEN
Chen. The man that you are. He didn’t have to bless us with two new songs for this October hotspot, but he still did. ‘Love you’ and ‘Brighter than’ from his latest single, Beyond, are such emotional ballads that bring tears to our eyes. And the live clip for ‘Love you’ hits even harder. Forget the fancy sets and special effects; all we need is Chen and his beautiful voice. He knew exactly what we needed to hear and worked on these songs with us in mind.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHEN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBEBTOB CHANGSUB
Speaking of our fave K-Pop men, Changsub of BTOB is officially back with his new solo studio album, 1991. Last month, he gifted us five pre-release songs from the album, and we haven’t stopped listening since. This album is an ode to Changsub’s life journey, and we’re so happy to take part in it just by listening. If there’s one thing we know about Changsub, it’s that he has the ultimate range of vocals for any style of song. From dance songs like ‘Saturday Night’ to headbanging rock tracks like ‘Chivalry,’ Changsub has it all on lock!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHANGSUB:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | CHANGSUB’S INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBESF9 YOO TAEYANG
SF9’s Yoo Taeyang is back with an emotional new single, ‘Hug Me!’ He sings about longing for comfort and warmth when you’re feeling lost. The guitar instrumentals and Taeyang’s vocals hit us right in the feels. It sounds like it belongs in a romance drama, specifically when the two main characters go through a rough patch. They miss one another but need the time apart for the plot. Does anyone else feel that way, or is it just us?
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOO TAEYANG:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TAEYANG’S INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBEHUI
We got the collab of the summer with ‘Easy dance’ a couple of few months ago, and now Hui is back with another timeless collab! This time, he joins forces with Jang Hye-Jin to showcase mind-blowing vocals and emotions in the most beautiful and heartbreaking way with ‘Nameless.’ Hui never fails to deliver with his songwriting because ‘Nameless’ is simply the perfect ballad.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HUI:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | HUI’S INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | TIKTOK | YOUTUBEEPEX
Were you ready for a groovy EPEX experience in the October K-POP HOTSPOT? The boys stole our hearts with the cute pre-release ‘My Girl,’ and we will gladly point you in the direction of this single so you can join us in loving the group’s music. Who doesn’t like an adorable love song? And when EPEX is this good at bringing us just the right delivery of emotions and atmosphere, there’s only one thing to do. Stream ‘My Girl’ and stream their music.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EPEX:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBECNBLUE
Got sleepless nights? We recommend you fill them with CNBLUE’s music. It took us exactly one second (no joke) to know that ‘A Sleepless Night’ would be a banger, and after listening to the whole song, we concluded that we were correct. But when has CNBLUE’s music disappointed us? Their entire album 𝘟 reminds us just why we love the band. With a versatile set of tracks to choose from, you won’t go wrong with any of the songs. And in the spirit of diverse musical colors, here are our recommendations from the B-sides: ‘BAD BAD,’ ‘RACER,’ and ‘Tonight.’
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CNBLUE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBESEVENTEEN
When it comes to SEVENTEEN, is it even a question if we love their music? ‘LOVE, MONEY, FAME (feat. DJ Khaled)’ immediately climbed into our hearts and settled there (as well as on our playlists.) SEVENTEEN has this talent for creating songs we’ll love, title tracks, and B-sides alike. SPILL THE FEELS is yet another proof of the group’s immense talent. Among the two group side tracks, we are also gifted new unit songs, making for an ideal SEVENTEEN release. With a tracklist like this one, we experience the many sides of the artists, including their group colors and the different vibes that each unit brings to the table. Constantly growing and showing us their new musical sides, it is impossible for us not to love SEVENTEEN.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEVENTEEN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBEBILLLIE
Billlie has returned with their fifth mini-album, Of All We Have Lost! And dare we say, this is one of the best EPs they’ve released so far? Every one of their comebacks has been simply *chef’s kiss*, but there’s something about this one. The title track, ‘Remembrance Candy,’ is perfect for playing on a chill afternoon. And the pre-released title track, ‘trampoline,’ is a groovy and jazzy song reminding us of the comfort we can find in simple things from childhood, like a trampoline. We’re also obsessed with the b-sides, ‘Bluerose’ and ‘Shame!’ Of All We Have Lost is a THP-certified, no-skips mini-album!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BILLLIE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBESAYMYNAME
SAYMYNAME has made their official debut in this October hotspot with their first mini-album, SAY MY NAME! The title track, ‘WaveWay,’ is so refreshing and fun, and it has an addictive melody! The animated and plush cats are adorable next to these girls in the music video. (Can we also discuss how cute the album cover art is?) Don’t sleep on their b-sides either. It’s safe to say we’ll keep our eyes on SAYMYNAME in the future!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SAYMYNAME:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBEILLIT
ILLIT has made their first comeback with their second mini-album, I’ll Like You! The title track, ‘Cherish (My Love)’ is super catchy and dreamy with a quirky, tooth fairy-esque music video to match. We catch ourselves singing the chorus randomly throughout the day. And their b-sides are so good! ‘Pimple’ is our absolute favorite, and it deserves to be on repeat on your feel-good playlist.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ILLIT:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBEPURPLE KISS
It’s always good news to know Purple Kiss is making a comeback – and what a comeback they just had with HEADWAY! ‘ON MY BIKE’ is everything with love about Purple Kiss: addictive, overflowing with confidence and talent, yet fun and an absolute banger. But, of course, in great Purki fashion, the b-sides are just as worthy to rave about. If you’re like us and haven’t forgotten the masterpiece, ‘Sweet Juice,’ then their songs, such as ‘Sweet Nightmare’ and ‘Encore,’ and this entire comeback, are made for you!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PURPLE KISS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBEAMPERS&ONE
AMPERS&ONE having an October comeback means only one thing: we’re all over it! The boys have us obsessed with yet another title track, ‘He + She = We.’ The song is an addictive, funky piece that chooses a fun way to express one’s love and how two people who are meant to be together simply complete each other. And that’s not the only thing we love about their comeback. We’ve been swaying to the B-sides, having fun listening to AMPERS&ONE’s music. We have just 𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘘𝘜𝘌𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕 for you. What are 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 favorite songs from this album?
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMPERS&ONE:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBEBOL4
BOL4 is back! This is not a drill! We got a new single, ‘Bloom,’ and we haven’t been able to talk about anything else since it dropped. Fans of house music, this one’s for you! The beat drops in ‘Bloom’ are simply everything we’ve needed, especially in the last chorus. BOL4 never misses; this new concept and sound fit her well. We can’t wait to blast this at our next solo dance party.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BOL4:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBEDIA EUNICE
Next on our list of October K-Pop comebacks, DIA’s Eunice is back with her new solo single, ‘Daydream!’ And we always love to see her pop up on our playlists. ‘Daydream’ is her third single of the year and another banger courtesy of Eunice. It’s the type of song we’d play frolicking through a field or just sitting with nature. Her voice does not disappoint. We’re obsessed with how well it pairs with the rock ballad sound!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EUNICE:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTERMISAMO
MISAMO’s style team seriously deserves a raise! This trio has returned with their second mini-album, HAUTE COUTURE. And it’s everything we could’ve wanted it to be! Their pre-release track, ‘New Look,’ covers Namie Amuro’s song. Mina, Sana, and Momo are breathtaking in this feel-good tribute. ‘Identity’ is an empowering self-love anthem about being yourself and slaying no matter what. They know what the people want, and we’re living for this comeback.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MISAMO:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBETHE BOYZ
It is known The Boyz can pull off every concept, but something constantly shifts in the air when they come back with a dark concept, and ‘TRIGGER’ did indeed just rearrange our brain chemistry. While ‘TRIGGER,’ with its glorious and intense sound, already makes this comeback a masterpiece, every song in the mini-album adds to it while having its own identity and style. And we finally got the studio version of ‘Bite Back!’ That alone was enough to have us on the edge of our seats for this comeback, but it shouldn’t be a surprise at this point that The Boyz exceeded all of our expectations!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOYZ:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | OFFICIAL TWITTER | MEMBERS’ TWITTER | YOUTUBESOLAR
Don’t let this October K-Pop comeback slip under your radar! Solar’s latest single, ‘First Love,’ is a remake of Utada Hikari’s song. She translates the lyrics into Korean, which sounds just as beautiful and healing as the original. Solar has somehow wowed us even more with her talents, soft voice, and the feelings she brings out of us. We’ll forever be glad we stan a queen like Solar!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOLAR:
INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBESNSD SOOYOUNG
Speaking of queens, SNSD’s Sooyoung has made her official Japanese debut with ‘Unstoppable!’ This inspiring track has the high energy of someone who can do anything. They’re simply unstoppable, just like Sooyoung! And the chorus, rap verse, music production, and visuals? Sooyoung didn’t come to play with this debut, and we’re so glad she’s finally given the spotlight she deserves!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIRLS’ GENERATION (SNSD):
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SOOYOUNG’S INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBEJAMIE
Everyone, sit down! Jamie is back with a new single, and we’ve been missing her from our playlists for too long. ‘Bad Luck’ is a catchy heartbreak anthem about wishing an ex bad luck. It’s dedicated to everyone who played you or did you wrong, and honestly, real. Jamie’s releases are always fire, and we’ve been repeating this track since it dropped. We hope this comeback means she’ll be in the studio again. (Please?)
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JAMIE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBEBTOB
Not only did we get a Changsub solo album in this month’s hotspot, but we also got a BTOB unit comeback! How did we get so lucky? Our kings have dropped ‘Please Stay,’ the most beautiful ballad we’ve heard in a long time. And you know it’s serious business when Minhyuk and Peniel sing their hearts out, too. We already planned to stay by BTOB’s side no matter what, but this song only makes us sure of our decision. Here’s hoping we get a full 6TOB comeback soon!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BTOB:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBEG-DRAGON
It’s happening, everyone! STAY CALM! After seven years, the king of K-Pop, the one and only G-DRAGON, made his triumphant return with ‘POWER.’ We don’t know about anyone else, but we’ve been freaking out this past week trying to figure out when his comeback or pre-release track would drop. And wow, was it worth the wait! ‘POWER’ proves G-DRAGON’s true artistry, especially with the references to iconic solo and BIGBANG songs. There’s no one doing it like GD, and we’re even more hyped for his future releases. It’s still the year of the dragon, after all!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT G-DRAGON:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBEMOON JONGUP
Fellow BABYs we are actually getting so fed this year as long-time B.A.P fans. First a reunion now more and more solo music by the boys! Jongup has always been one of our favorite boys and he proved it again this month with his new mini album and title song ‘Twist Ya.’ The groove in this one is insane we love the more retro sound and the beat. Jongup’s vocals are up to par and he performs the heck out of this song. The entire album is full of bangers and we can’t get enough of it for now. It’s the perfect way to end this spooky month!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOON JONGUP:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER |That’s a wrap on this month full of K-pop treats! What was your favorite comeback of the month? Which comebacks are you most excited about for next month? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!
Need more K-POP content? Don’t worry; we got you!
thpmag
Source link -
New Use Energy Wins Honorable Mention at DHS Clean Power for Hours Challenge
The SunKit™ 5050 EXT by New Use Energy recognized for its outstanding performance and innovation in renewable energy solutions.
PHOENIX, July 15, 2024 (Newswire.com)
–
New Use Energy (NUE), a finalist in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Clean Power for Hours Challenge, is honored to announce that it has received an Honorable Mention and is a prize winner for its innovative domestically manufactured SunKit™ 5050 EXT.The Clean Power for Hours Challenge is part of DHS’ efforts to foster resilient, sustainable infrastructure that keeps essential services functioning during power outages. Competitors were tasked with providing renewable, domestically sourced power solutions that could maintain critical emergency operations for extended periods.
NUE’s SunKit™ 5050 EXT, showcased in the final demonstration round hosted by Daisy Mountain Fire and Medical Citizen Corps (DMFMCC), stood out for its capability to operate indefinitely off the grid as a stand-alone solar + battery system. The SunKit’s performance was exemplary, powering essential equipment while eliminating radio frequency interference—a crucial improvement over traditional power solutions.
“Receiving an Honorable Mention at this prestigious national competition underscores the reliability and innovation of the SunKit™ 5050 EXT,” said Paul Shmotolokha, CEO of New Use Energy. “Our commitment to advancing clean energy solutions that ensure safety and operational continuity during emergencies is stronger than ever.”
The SunKit™ 5050 EXT is recognized for its portability and versatility, proving essential in emergency operations across various applications, including communications, healthcare and powering shelters. Its design not only meets but exceeds the stringent requirements of such high-stakes environments, making it a cornerstone in disaster response strategies.
For more information about New Use Energy and the SunKit™ 5050 EXT, visit New Use Energy’s website.
About New Use Energy
NUE is at the forefront of designing and distributing cutting-edge, mobile solar generator systems. Our solutions are tailored to meet the challenging demands of commercial and industrial applications worldwide, delivering clean, renewable power wherever it is needed most.
Source: New Use Energy
-
China is plowing $11 billion into a solar, wind and coal energy project
A state-owned power company is splashing out 80 billion yuan ($11 billion) on an energy base that will generate electricity from , and sources. China Three Gorges Renewables Group, a subsidiary of the country’s largest hydropower company, plans to build a plant with a 16-gigawatt capacity and a five-gigawatt storage facility, reports.
This is part of China’s aim to build 455 gigawatts worth of renewable energy projects in the desert by 2030. This plant is being constructed in Inner Mongolia, which will get 135 gigawatts of the total planned output.
The China Three Gorges Corporation is looking to diversify its energy sources as building large hydro dams is becoming less feasible. According to Three Gorges, wind and solar generation from the plant will depend on grid accessibility. The coal plant is set to start operations in three years.
It’s somewhat disappointing that the new plant will have a coal power element, though it’s not fully surprising given the way China has bristled at renewable energy commitments during . As Bloomberg notes, China has been struggling to put all of its clean energy into the power grid. It often relies on coal when renewable sources like solar and wind aren’t available.
Kris Holt
Source link -
What’s Up With These Crazy Northern Lights?
The aurora borealis is usually visible only way up north, but two weeks ago the night sky was filled with shimmering curtains of pink and green light that could be seen all the way down into the southern US. People in Texas and Hawaii got out of their cars to stare and take pictures.
The cause of this light show was an especially strong blast of solar wind—electrically charged particles shot out from the sun at incredible speeds. And there’s more to come as we approach the peak of the current solar cycle, a period of increased solar storms that happens every 11 years.
This is one example of what scientists call “space weather,” which deals with the interaction between the sun and the Earth. Not all the consequences of space weather are pretty, and some are outright dangerous. But the physics behind it are pretty cool. Let’s check it out!
Blowin’ in the Wind
You might think of the sun as a great ball of fire—but it’s not. (Fire is a chemical reaction between oxygen and carbon.) What the sun is, really, is a giant nuclear fusion reactor. In the core, protons are smashed together under extreme pressure. These protons stick together to create the nucleus of a helium atom, with two protons and two neutrons. (Two of the protons decay into neutrons).
Illustration: Rhett Allain
But wait! The helium nucleus has less mass than the four protons we started with. That mass isn’t lost—it’s turned into energy, according to Einstein’s famous equation E = mc2, where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. That last number is huge—light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second, and it’s hugeness is squared—which means that even a tiny loss of mass creates A LOT of energy. That’s why the sun is so hot, with a core temperature of 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. Yep, that’s pretty hot.
Under this extreme heat, the gases in the outer part of the sun form a plasma in which electrons are ripped away from their atoms, leaving free electrical charges (mostly electrons and protons) zooming around. Some of them are moving fast enough to escape the gravitational pull of the sun. These ejected particles are what we call the “solar wind.”
You can see the effect of the solar wind when it hits a comet. Comets are basically big dirty snowballs that orbit the sun in long ellipses. As one nears the sun, its icy body sublimates and turns into a gas. Some of this gas gains enough energy to be ionized (electrons are freed from the atoms), leaving an electrically charged gas. Then, when the solar wind hits, it pushes this ionized gas away, creating a tail that can be tens of millions of miles long.
Fun fact: You might think the tail extends out behind the comet like a jet contrail, but it doesn’t! It extends away from the sun—so basically sideways to the direction of the comet’s motion.
Why Now?
But what causes the solar wind to get so worked up every 11 years? Well, like Earth, the sun has a magnetic field, but it’s extremely unstable. Because the sun is not a solid object, different parts of it rotate at different speeds. This causes its magnetic field to twist and warp, and every 11 years or so it actually flips and reverses polarity. This last happened in 2013, and here we are in 2024.
These moving magnetic field lines can break through the surface, creating sun spots and awesome geysers of plasma known as solar flares. Why does this happen? When electrical charges are zipping around, they can be pushed and pulled by a magnetic field. You can see this yourself with some copper wire and a battery. If you place the wire near a stationary magnet and then connect the ends so a current flows, the wire will move. Check it out:
Rhett Allain
Source link -
Use solar power, kill a tortoise? Climate change solution carries environmental costs
Dustin Mulvaney, SJSU environmental studies professor, stands at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thurssday, May 2, 2024. Mulvaney believes California has far more than enough alternative space, including parking lots, contaminated land and other areas, that there’s no need for massive solar arrays in pristine areas such as the Mojave Desert. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Turn on your toaster, bulldoze a Joshua tree. Flip a light switch, feed an endangered tortoise to a badger.
Solar power, widely seen as humanity’s best hope for avoiding catastrophic climate change, can carry a heavy environmental cost, depending on where panels and transmission lines are built.
Some of that infrastructure — providing electricity to millions of Californians — is going into places it should not, says San Jose State University environmental studies professor and sustainable energy expert, Dustin Mulvaney. Killing plants and animals, of course, is not a goal for solar developers, but the collateral damage has sparked bitter debate over where panels and lines belong.
California has done a good job of protecting its public lands while facilitating solar development, Mulvaney says. But many residents are powering their homes with electricity from Nevada, where pristine natural areas are taking an increasingly hard hit, and from private, California projects in important animal and plant habitats, he says.
Several “aggregators” — community-based alternatives to utility giants that are often marketed as “clean” — have contracts for power from a Southern California project that would see 4,000 Joshua trees leveled, he says. Other projects feeding aggregators bring significant loss of wildlife habitat.
Mulvaney believes sacrificing nature for solar is unnecessary. California could meet its electricity needs by putting solar panels on just a tenth of its contaminated sites, old mines, unusable former farmlands, parking lots and other disturbed areas, he says. “We need to be building out our electricity transmission infrastructure toward those sites,” Mulvaney says. The more solar close to major urban areas, the better, he adds. Every home and Amazon warehouse presents another rooftop-solar opportunity, he says.
This news organization sat down with Mulvaney recently to discuss solar power. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Describe the controversy over where to put solar generation facilities?
A: Most big solar farms are not controversial. They get controversial when they go onto landscapes that are of significance, either ecological significance or cultural significance — sometimes there are important cultural resources for tribes.Q: Do we have need for both rooftop solar and utility-scale solar?
A: We should have more rooftop, but we’re going to need more utility scale based on the way our grid is built.Q: Why do we have solar developments and proposals for pristine areas, when already-altered land is available?
A: Transmission lines are why we see projects where they are. Back in the ’60s we built transmission lines to connect to coal-fired power plants in the western United States. As those coal-fired power plants are turning off, those transmission lines suddenly have power availability. The (planned new) Greenlink transmission line which is going to connect Las Vegas and Reno goes through a Native American site and through a bunch of sensitive ecosystems. And we’re already seeing applications for solar farms along that transmission corridor. That’s going to be power that goes to California, probably. Nevada has fewer protections for its public lands.Q: What roles do the big utilities like PG&E and Southern California Edison play in where solar farms go up?
A: The community choice aggregators are playing a bigger role than the utilities in determining these development patterns now. The community choice aggregators are doing much of the (power) purchasing. For the Yellow Pine solar farm on the Nevada border (to produce electricity for Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Central Coast Community Energy), lots of desert tortoises had to be removed from that site. Forty-something of those tortoises were eaten by badgers right away.Q: Could we meet our electricity needs without big solar farms?
A: There’s nothing theoretically prohibiting rooftop solar and batteries from powering a community. Do you have enough sun? We get those back to back to back to back cyclones in the winter. Sometimes the cloud cover’s all the way across the Central Valley. Do you have enough batteries? The battery storage probably makes that prohibitively expensive at this stage. It would require rethinking how we move power around.Q: What do we stand to lose by putting big solar farms in the wilderness?
A: All sorts of species, old-growth barrel cactus, desert tortoise, kit fox. The desert tortoise just last week was up-listed by the California Department of Fish and Game to be endangered. That species has lost 90% of its population since 1980. Bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope are impacted by solar farms because their habitat gets fragmented by them. Their populations get more isolated, they have inbreeding.Q: Could we meet all our needs without putting solar on undisturbed wilderness?
A: There’s a great study. You can avoid important lands to conservation and it would only increase the cost of power by 3%, based on their estimates.Q: Where are some places where you could put reasonable amounts of solar generation to help avoid bringing power in from the desert or Nevada?
A: On the western side of the Central Valley a lot of those soils are contaminated with selenium. That would be an area where you could have less impact. That’s where you could put pretty big utility scale projects that would be really close to the Bay Area, and above the bottleneck — California has a (power line capacity) bottleneck for the power, around Los Banos. We have to build more renewables above the bottleneck in northern California to help the Bay Area.Q: What about Southern California?
A: You have a lot of renewables in Southern California already. Southern California just needs more rooftop solar on their warehouses and things like that.Q: What should Californians know about disputes over the solar power they are increasingly consuming?
A: This is a very solvable problem. You can get a lot of benefits out of projects if you … start thinking about these projects as multi-functional: growing food and solar on the same landscape. Aquaculture underneath some floating solar. Apiaries — people are bringing honeybees into solar farms. This is a pretty neat technology that could be used to solve multiple problems at once. Now we’re thinking about climate change, so we don’t think about land. We need to be really thinking about holistic solutions.
Name: Dustin Mulvaney
Occupation: environmental studies professor at San Jose State University
Education: PhD in environmental studies, UC Santa Cruz; master’s in environmental policy studies and bachelor’s in chemical engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Born and raised: New Jersey
City of residence: Santa Cruz
Age: 48
Family: married, two children
Five things to know about Dustin Mulvaney:
- Likes to walk his dog Wilder
- Proposed to his wife on a bike ride in Wilder Ranch State Park
- Likes to observe sea otters
- Studied insect ecology during his PhD
- Favorite day-off activity is mountain biking
Ethan Baron
Source link -
Affordable Housing Development Breaks Ground in Orlando
There was recently a groundbreaking ceremony for 52 at Park, a 300-unit apartment complex for lower-income families and individuals in Orlando.
Lincoln Avenue Communities (LAC), a mission-driven acquirer and developer of affordable housing, broke ground on the future site of 52 at Park during a ceremony with LAC leaders, local lawmakers and partners. 52 at Park will provide 300 affordable housing units to individuals and families in Orange County earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income.
“Lincoln Avenue Communities is proud to grow our portfolio of affordable housing developments in Florida,” said Jordan Richter, LAC vice president and regional project partner. “Once completed, 52 at Park will provide hundreds of high-quality, affordable homes in one of the state’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.”
The property will include eight residential buildings, with all units expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
“The City of Orlando remains committed to ensuring that everyone who wants to call Orlando home has access to quality housing that is safe and affordable,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Through the power of partnership by working alongside Lincoln Avenue Communities, we look forward to welcoming the addition of 300 new affordable apartments and continue to leverage funding and offer incentives to make it easier for developers to build affordable housing in Orlando.”
52 at Park will offer amenities including a fitness center, pool, clubhouse, central laundry and a playground. The property will also include a sprawling solar installation that will offset 100% of the community’s electricity usage, making it one of the first affordable housing communities in Florida to provide full solar offsetting.
“LAC is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability and resiliency of our developments,” said Cricket Cleary, LAC director of development. “52 at Park represents a major step toward a new generation of high-quality sustainable housing in Florida, and throughout the country.”
The project was financed through an issuance of tax-exempt bonds from the Orange County Housing Finance Authority; a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity investment from Freddie Mac, syndicated by Berkadia; a Construction Inflation Response Viability Funding loan from the Florida Housing Financing Corporation; construction and permanent loans from Deutsche Bank, serviced by Berkadia; and solar energy credit equity.
-
President Biden Marks Earth Day By Announcing $7 Billion In Federal Solar Power Grants – KXL
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is marking Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities. He also plans to expand his New Deal-style American Climate Corps green jobs training program.
The grants are being awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency, which unveiled the 60 recipients on Monday. The projects are expected to eventually reduce emissions by the equivalent of 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and save households $350 million annually, according to senior administration officials.
Biden’s latest environmental announcements come as he is working to energize young voters for his reelection campaign. Young people were a key part of a broad but potentially fragile coalition that helped him defeat then-President Donald Trump in 2020. Some have joined protests around the country of the administration’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Senior administration officials said young Americans are keenly invested in the Biden climate agenda and want to actually help enact it. The Climate Corps initiative is a way for them to do that, the officials said.
Solar energy is gaining traction as a key renewable energy source that could reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels, which emit planet-warming greenhouse gases. Not only is it clean, but solar energy can also boost the reliability of the electric grid.
But solar energy can have high costs for initial installation, making it inaccessible for many Americans — and potentially meaning a mingling of environmental policy with election-year politics.
Forty-nine of the new grants are state-level awards, six serve Native American tribes and five are multi-state awards. They can be used for investments such as rooftop solar and community solar gardens.
Biden is making the announcement at northern Virginia’s Prince William Forest Park, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Washington. It was established in 1936 as a summer camp for underprivileged youth from Washington, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps to help create jobs during the Great Depression.
“Broad community-based solar is our brightest hope for protecting people and our climate from the scourge of fossil fuels,” said Jean Su, director of the Energy Justice program at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These targeted investments mean low-income families get clean energy that is affordable, resilient and protects our ecosystems. It’s great to see President Biden jumpstart this landmark program.”
Biden, a Democrat, used executive action last year to create the American Climate Corps modeled on Roosevelt’s New Deal. He is announcing Monday that nearly 2,000 corps positions are being offered across 36 states, including jobs offered in partnership with the North American Building Trades Unions.
The president has often used Earth Day as a backdrop to further his administration’s climate initiatives. Last year, he signed an executive order creating the White House Office of Environmental Justice, meant to help ensure that poverty, race and ethnic status do not lead to worse exposure to pollution and environmental harm.
He has tried to draw a contrast with GOP congressional leaders, who have called for less regulation of oil production to lower energy prices. Biden officials counter that GOP policies benefit highly profitable oil companies and could ultimately undermine U.S. efforts to compete with the Chinese in the renewable energy sector.
Biden is using his Virginia visit to discuss how “a climate crisis fully manifest to the American people in communities all across the country, is also an opportunity for us to come together,” said White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi.
He said the programs can “unlock economic opportunity to create pathways to middle-class-supporting careers, to save people money and improve their quality of life.”
The awards came from the Solar for All program, part of the $27 billion “green bank” created as part of a sweeping climate law passed in 2022. The bank is intended to reduce climate and air pollution and send money to neighborhoods most in need, especially disadvantaged and low-income communities disproportionately impacted by climate change.
EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe said she was “looking forward to these funds getting out into the community, giving people skills, putting them to work in their local communities, and allowing people to save on their energy bills so that they can put those dollars to other needs.”
Among those receiving grants are state projects to provide solar-equipped roofs for homes, college residences and residential-serving community solar projects in West Virginia, a non-profit operating Mississippi solar lease program and solar workforce training initiatives in South Carolina.
The taxpayer-funded green bank has faced Republican opposition and concerns over accountability for how the money gets used. EPA previously disbursed the other $20 billion of the bank’s funds to nonprofits and community development banks for clean energy projects such as residential heat pumps, additional energy-efficient home improvements and larger-scale projects like electric vehicle charging stations and community cooling centers.
Grant McHill
Source link -
Hardscaping 101: Solar Panels Pros and Cons – Gardenista
How much does a solar energy system cost?
The cost of a photovoltaic system is an up-front investment; the exact amount depends on how much electricity you use and what percentage of that you would like your solar energy system to supply. The more electricity you require, the larger the system required (see chart below for a ballpark figure).
Government-funded solar incentive programs vary from country to country and even from state to state. Some solar-incentive programs pay you back over time based on the energy you generate. Other solar incentives are one-time payments of rebates or credits. To find out the incentives in your area, consult Wholesale Solar’s Solar Incentives by State.
The average cost of installing a solar system varies across the US, and some of the differential is due to these local, regional, and state incentives. But estimates show that solar energy systems create monthly savings across the board: According to EnergySage.com, the average savings from use of a solar system over 20 years can range from $7,000 to over $30,000 (but varies, depending on locale). For estimates based on your specific area, try Google’s Project Sunroof feature, which allows you to plug in your home address for personalized figures.
Above: The photovoltaic panels in this building have been integrated into the standing-seam metal roof. Photograph via Fabral. How much can I expect to save on utility bills?
The answer depends on what you currently pay for electricity and how much credit your utility company will give you for the amount of power you don’t use. This estimate can be determined by approximating how much power your solar system will provide compared to your current usage.
Are solar panels ever good-looking?
Don’t like the bulky look of solar panels? The next generation of solar products, Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), show great promise: photovoltaic cells are being incorporated into shingles, windows, siding, and other building materials, enabling structures in the future to have seamless solar solutions.
Above: Tesla’s latest solar roof is disguised as charming slate tiles; see Tesla Solar Roof: Is It Worth It? on Gardenista. Solar Panels Recap:
Pros:
- Good for the environment
- Reduced utility costs
- Lessens our dependence on fossil fuels
Cons:
- Relatively high initial cost
- The amount of savings is not straightforward
- Not traditionally aesthetically pleasing
Had firsthand experience with solar paneling? In the Comments section, fill us in on your finds.
Above: On Telegraph Hill, in San Francisco, a flat-roofed building by Feldman Architecture has solar panels mounted at an angle to catch the sun’s light. The optimum angle to mount a solar panel varies throughout the year depending on the seasons and geographical location. In an ideal world, solar panels would track the location of the sun minute by minute to optimize their harnessing capacity, but this is expensive and energy consuming. Instead, the panels remain stationery at an angle that is calculated to achieve optimum overall performance within the constraints. For more on eco-friendly upgrades, see:
N.B. This post is an update; the original story ran on Remodelista on July 3, 2014.
(Visited 443 times, 1 visits today)
-
The Best Total Solar Eclipse Photos
The arrival of the total solar eclipse in the US has brought with it an impressive array of photographs as well. If you weren’t able to find a spot to view the eclipse in person—or if it was stuck behind uncooperative clouds—you can at least get a sense of its grandeur through these photographs taken at different points along its journey.
The path of totality began in Mexico on Monday morning, working its way up through Texas by early afternoon. By 4:40 pm ET, it will have left the US entirely and headed into Canada. If you’re in or near its path, make sure to put on approved sunglasses—or make your own pinhole—to view it for yourself. And if you happen to have pets or live near wildlife, NASA could use a hand figuring out how animals respond to the eclipse.
Otherwise, enjoy these incredible photos of a total solar eclipse in North America. The next one is 20 years away.
Brady, TX
Photograph: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Fort Worth, TX
Photograph: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
San Francisco, CA
Photograph: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images
Milwaukee, WI
Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Bloomington, IN
Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
Washington, DC
Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Photograph: Bill Ingalls/NASA/Getty Images
Philadelphia, PA
Photograph: Thomas Hengge/Anadolu/Getty Images
New York, NY
Photograph: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Photograph: Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images
Niagara Falls, NY
Photograph: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Stowe, VT
Photograph: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images
Magog, Quebec, Canada
Photograph: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
Houlton, ME
Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Karen Williams, Brian Barrett
Source link -
Don’t look at the sun; feast your eyes on these 5 things during today’s eclipse
Californians may fret that they don’t have a great view of the Great North American Eclipse on Monday, but seeing only part of the action will still be totally worth it.
A solar eclipse takes place when the the sun, moon and Earth align in the sky, casting a narrow shadow that either fully or partially blocks the sun’s light. The eclipse is expected to pass through 13 U.S. states on Monday; although California won’t be in the path of totality, partial solar eclipses can still offer a unique viewing experience.
There are usually two solar eclipses per year, but that number can increase to five in rare circumstances, according to astronomy.com. However, waiting for an eclipse to occur in a specific area can take years. The next time a solar eclipse is expected to pass through California is Aug. 12, 2045, according to KQED.
Anyone in the Bay Area hoping to see a total solar eclipse will have to travel out of state — and maybe the country — to do it; the next time a total solar eclipse will be visible from San Francisco will be Dec. 31, 2252.
Although partial eclipses lack the once-in-a-lifetime feel of a total solar blackout, they give a wider portion of the world a chance to see a spectacular celestial event.
When and where will the eclipse begin?
The eclipse is expected to begin in the Bay Area around 10:14 a.m. PDT, peak at 11:13 a.m. and end by 12:16 p.m.
National Weather Service meteorologist Crystal Oudit said Sunday that the weather should be right for viewing in most Bay Area cities.
“We should not be seeing too many clouds,” she said. “If anything, they will be very high clouds. Some low clouds will be there early, but they should clear by the late morning, and it should be sunny skies.”
In San Francisco and Oakland, about 34% of the sun’s surface will be covered. San Jose will see the moon cover about 36% of the sun’s surface. In Sacramento, 35% of the sun’s face will be covered by the moon.
In Southern California cities like San Diego, Los Angeles and Fresno, the moon will obscure a larger portion of the sun’s surface.
Animals might react differently during the eclipse
The Associated Press reported that researchers will be watching how animals react during the eclipse. During past eclipses, animals tend to act as if it’s early dusk and may take shelter. Because of the darkened sky and temperature drop during the partial solar eclipse, birds’ chirping might quiet and give way to crickets. Researchers also noted that pets may mimic their owners’ reactions to the reduced sunlight.
Viewing the eclipse in-person and online
If you have time and a little extra money to spend, Chabot Space and Science Center in the Oakland hills, the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley are holding viewing parties for the eclipse from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
San Francisco State University will also have solar viewing equipment set up to let people view the eclipse for free. They will be set up on the plaza at the main entrance to Thornton Hall and one in the quad near Cesar Chavez Student Center. Volunteers with the Mount Diablo Astronomical Society will also be bringing telescopes and eclipse glasses at Danville Library between 10:10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
Foothill College also has two eclipse viewing events on campus. The Science Learning Institute will be teaching visitors how to make their own DIY eclipse viewers between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the PSEC Quad. Two Foothill Operators with the Peninsula Astronomical Society will also open the Foothill Observatory between 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. as long as there are good weather conditions.
NASA will also be livestreaming during the eclipse on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Twitch. The organization will also include live coverage with experts describing what’s happening on the agency’s website, starting at 10 a.m. A telescope-only feed of the eclipse will also stream on the NASA TV media channel and YouTube.
Some stores may still be selling solar eclipse glasses
Of course, you should be able to see the partial eclipse from wherever you are — but you need to take steps to protect your vision. Experts recommend using solar eclipse safety glasses. Don’t try viewing the eclipse with alternatives, like sunglasses, binoculars or telescopes without special filters, as inadequate protection can damage your retinas and potentially cause blindness.
If you’re in a pinch, stores like Lowes, Walmart and Staples were still offering solar eclipse safety glasses on their online inventories in the days before the big event.
You can still enjoy the eclipse without glasses (but seriously, don’t look directly at the sun)
Crescent shadows are only viewable during partial solar eclipses. You can see them if you look at the ground beneath a leafy tree. As the sunlight shines through the leaves, it casts crescent-shaped shadows on the ground.
Another way to mimic this effect is by using a kitchen colander. With your back to the sun, hold the colander over your shoulder, and the sun’s crescent shape will be projected through the holes.
The Associated Press and Bay Area News Group staff writer Paul Rogers contributed to this report.
Nollyanne Delacruz
Source link -
Where to Find Solar Eclipse Specials in Chicago and Other April Pop-Ups
Millions of Americans, including Chicagoans, will have a chance on Wednesday, April 8, to see a total solar eclipse — a rare opportunity that won’t return for 21 years. The celestial phenomenons have a way of evoking strong feelings (and generating beaucoup bucks), so it’s not surprising that Chicago chefs are getting in on festivities around the so-called life-changing event.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of other pop-ups to keep diners and chefs from descending into Third Winter doldrums. Follow along for a sampling of the best the city has to offer in Eater Chicago’s pop-up round-up.
Have a pop-up that should be listed? Email information to chicago@eater.com.
April
River North: Tokyo Last Call, a month-long pop-up series inspired by Japanese listening bars, will kick off on Thursday, April 4 in partnership with Three Dots and a Dash and a lineup of guest bartenders from several acclaimed Japanese cocktail spots. These include Brooklyn’s Bar Goto (Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7), Manhattan’s Katana Kitten (Thursday, April 11 through Sunday, April 14), as well as Tokyo’s Bar Trench (Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 21) and SG Club (Thursday, April 25 through Sunday, April 28). The Three Dots team will play vinyl 45s and play music from a “retro jukebox” on the bottom floor at 51 W. Hubbard Street. Tokyo Last Call, Thursday April 4 through Sunday, April 28 at Hub 51. Reservations via OpenTable.
The Loop: It seems the whole city is talking about 2024’s Very Big Deal solar eclipse, so Downtown’s Raddison Blu Aqua Hotel is serving two specialty cocktails for the occasion. The team will offer the Sunbeam (mango-pineapple vodka, pomegranate, pineapple) and the Solar Flare (tequila, prosecco, grenadine, Cholula) Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 14. The Sunbeam and the Solar Flare at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 14, 221 N. Columbus Drive.
The Loop: Astoria Cafe & Bakery, a suburban spot that specializes in Balkan food, is popping up off the Mag Mile at Venteux, the French restaurant inside the . The bakery had a location on Irving Park road that debuted in 2017, but it’s since closed and they’ve moved to Lisle. Owner by the mother-and-daughter duo of Suzi and Tanja Jeftenic, a news release states customers can expect items like krempita (a vanilla custard slice made with puff pastry & Chantilly cream), burek stuffed with cheese, spinach, or beef, and knedle, a potato dumpling made traditionally with plums, but also made with Nutella and fruit. Astoria Cafe at Venteux, 9 a.m. Sunday April 14 at Venteux.
West Loop: San Francisco-based chef David Yoshimura of Michelin-starred Nisei will pop up for one night with acclaimed chef Noah Sandoval for a collaborative tasting menu on Saturday, April 6 at Sandoval’s fine dining restaurant Oriole. Tickets ($325) are already sold out, but optimistic diners can add their names to the waitlist. Oriole x Nisei, Saturday, April 6 at Oriole. Waitlist via Tock.
Magnificent Mile: Downtown hotel terrace bar Upstairs at the Gwen is marking the solar eclipse with a punny Total Eclipse of The Heart cocktail (Bacardi Ocho Rye Cast Rum, Orgeat, Fire Bitters) available Saturday, April 6 through Monday, April 8. Total Eclipse of The Heart at Upstairs at the Gwen, Saturday, April 6 through Monday, April 8, 521 N. Rush Street, 5th Floor.
Avondale: Minahasa, veteran chef John Avila’s (Duck Inn, Gibsons Italia) rambunctious regional Indonesian spot, will make its triumphant return on Monday, April 8 for Reader pop-up series Monday Night Foodball. More than a year has passed since Avila shuttered Minahasa’s stall at Revival Food Hall in the Loop, but he’s made good on his promise to return and continue honoring the vast diversity of Indonesian cuisine — particularly that of mountainous Tomohon, his mother Betty’s hometown. Avila’s Foodball menu will lean into “Indonesian American twists,” per Mike Sula, such as an Indo fried chicken sandwich (green papaya slaw, acar pickles) and beef rendang animal fries (sambal aioli, crispy shallots), along with Mama Betty’s beloved egg rolls. Minahasa x Monday Night Foodball at Ludlow Liquors, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, April 8, 2959 N. California Avenue.
Avondale: Lauded South Indian restaurant Thattu is planning two “once-in-a-blue-moon” specials for the eclipse: an egg appam with chili crisp, and a moon pie from chef de cuisine Danny Tervort. They’ll be available for one night only, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Solar eclipse specials at Thattu, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, April 8. Reservations via OpenTable.
Logan Square: Chicago chefs Palita Sriratana (Pink Salt) and Chanita Schwartz will host a festive pop-up celebration for Songkran, or Thai New Year, on Tuesday, April 14 inside indie flower shop Exfolia Botanical, the duo announced on Instagram. Self-avowed prawn fans, Sriratana and Schwartz worked them into the seven-course menu with dishes like tod mun goong (prawns, coriander) and khanom jeen nam prik (prawn-infused curry, rice noodles, seasonal vegetables). Other courses include yum som o (grapefruit, lemongrass, coconut, cashews) and gai haw bai toey (pandan leaf-wrapped chicken, sweet sesame sauce). Tickets ($120) and more details are available via Eventbrite. Songkran Thai New Year, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 14 at Exfolia Botanical. Tickets via Eventbrite.
East Garfield Park: Virtual Lao mega-hit Laos to Your House will host its second annual Lao Pi Mai, or Lao New Year, a family-friendly celebration with an abundant buffet-style spread from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at hospitality business incubator the Hatchery, according to co-founder Byron Gully. The team promises a vast array of dishes including spicy khao poon moo, chicken and vegetarian laap (or larb), crispy kanom dok bua (lotus flower cookies), Lao barbecue, and much more, as well as cocktails and beer. Attendees can also shop for retail items like Lao textiles, beauty products, and packaged goods. Tickets ($50) and more details are available online until Tuesday, April 9. Laos to Your House Lao Pi Mai celebration at the Hatchery, 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 13, 135 N. Kedzie Avenue. Reservations via Laos to Your House.
Rolling Meadows: Chicago chefs including Yuka Funakoshi (Tengokyu Aburiya), Takashi Iida (Lawrence Fish Market), Paul Virant (Gaijin, Petite Vie), and Shinji Sugiura (Ramen House Shinchan), will host a Japanese and French kaiseki-style dinner on Monday, April 22 in suburban Rolling Meadows. A fundraiser to support survivors of a New Year’s Day earthquake on Japan’s Noto Peninsula, the event will feature Chicago Koto Group and local J-pop music group Orihana, as well as a six-course meal that includes tare-marinated salmon with French lentils and seafood terrine with yuzu kosho jelly. Reservations ($125) are available online until Monday, April 15. Together for Noto Japan: Disaster Relief Fundraising Dinner at LaMirage Banquet Hall, Monday, April 22, 3223 Algonquin Road in Rolling Meadows. Reservations via Google Form.
May
Bridgeport: Chef and owner Won Kim of raucous Korean restaurant Kimski isn’t wasting any time in preparing for its eight-year anniversary party on Saturday, May 11, announcing a “stacked” lineup of food vendors and DJs around two months ahead of time. Attendees can expect food from Seoul Taco, Pizza Friendly Pizza, Pretty Cool Ice Cream, Omarcitos, and more (plus a few surprise entries), as well as drinks from Bronzeville Winery, Maria’s, and Standard Meadery. “Come eat, drink, celebrate and help kick summer off the proper Bridgeport way!” Kim writes on Instagram. Kimski Eight Year Anniversary Party, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at Kimski.
Naomi Waxman
Source link -
One Couple’s Quest to Ditch Natural Gas
Two climate journalists decided to decarbonize their home. Here’s what happened.
Tik Root
Source link -
Wilmette Park District is Ready to ‘Go Solar’ After Governor Pritzker Signs Bill Legalizing Long-Term Solar Contracts
WILMETTE, Ill., July 11, 2023 (Newswire.com)
–
The Wilmette Park District is “going solar” following Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s signing of HB2192, which permits park districts to enter long-term contracts with solar energy providers. The district is immediately finalizing a pending contract with Verde Solutions, a Chicago-based solar company with more than 20 years of experience, for the installation of a roof-top solar array at its Community Recreation Center located on Glenview Road in Wilmette.“We are very excited for this change in state law that will finally allow us to go solar,” said Mike Murdock, Wilmette Park District commissioner and former board president. “The project will cover over 90 percent of the Community Recreation Center’s roof and provide more than 50 percent of the building’s electrical usage over the next 25 years. It will help us do our part to support the climate and save taxpayer money, all while continuing to provide top-tier services for our residents.”
Prior to the law’s passage, Illinois park districts have been restricted from entering such long-term contracts. The new law exempts solar contracts from those limitations.
Verde Solutions is installing the project at no upfront cost to the Wilmette Park District. The district anticipates significant savings on electricity costs for decades to come.
“We were able to utilize the roof of the Wilmette Park District’s main building to create a substantial amount of renewable energy for the facility, all at no out-of-pocket costs,” said Christopher Gersch, founder and chief executive officer of Verde Solutions. “Now that the Illinois legislature and Governor Pritzker have changed state law to allow park districts to enter into these long-term solar contracts, every similar district across the state should evaluate whether solar will work for their facilities, especially given the availability to experience immediate savings without any requirement of upfront capital.”
“We are very excited about this project and hope to add solar technology to several of our other facilities in the near future,” said Murdock.
About Verde Solutions:
Verde Solutions partners with businesses, municipalities, and educational centers across the country to develop comprehensive efficiency and renewable energy solutions. With more than 2,700 projects in 48 states completed, the turn-key clean energy consulting firm offers a customized set of solutions for each client’s needs, including solar, EV charging, commercial battery storage, and more. Verde Solutions’ passion for sustainability is shared by all of its municipal, non-for-profit, and Fortune 1000 clients. Thus, it is proud to partner with these organizations to achieve significant and lasting environmental and community improvements.
Source: Verde Solutions
-
Ecogy Energy Completes Rooftop Solar Array on Village of Ossining Operations Center Garage
Westchester Community Solar Partnership System to Offer Energy Credits to Participating Residents and Supply Green Energy to Village
OSSINING, N.Y., June 22, 2023 (Newswire.com)
–
A state-of-the-art solar array is now operating on the roof of the Ossining Operations Center, producing 149.2 kW of DC electricity to support the Village’s Department of Public Works. The system is the result of a partnership between Ecogy Energy, Sustainable Westchester, the New York Power Authority and Westchester County. Built in just six weeks by Croton Energy Group for Brooklyn-based Ecogy Energy, a developer, financier, and owner-operator of distributed energy resources, the project is the first to emerge from the Westchester Community Solar Partnership (WCSP), which will expand Westchester’s municipal solar portfolio and circulate the benefits of clean, affordable solar energy.Ossining Village Mayor Rika Levin said, “This project cements Ossining’s reputation as a leader in New York’s energy transition. We will continue to pilot innovative ways of decarbonizing our community that increase prosperity and help the environment.”
Community solar projects allow multiple parties to benefit from the same solar array. Each party that signs up for the project receives credits from its local utility. Community solar projects democratize solar energy, making it accessible to those who may not have space to accommodate solar panels themselves. The greater accessibility is why they are an important part of Ecogy’s mission to deploy energy solutions that are distributed, decarbonized, digitized and democratized.
The new community solar system was constructed without any tree clearing and is largely invisible to the public eye, as it is sited on the roof of the Ossining Public Works Department, tucked off New York Route 9A. The array will increase the percentage of electricity that Westchester gets from renewable energy sources, ultimately making the county’s fuel mix greener and more affordable, and it will help York State in its effort to combat climate change by generating more of its energy from renewable resources.
“This project demonstrates the potential for this type of public-private partnership to serve as a model for rapidly expanding community solar access across New York State,” said Justin E. Driscoll, Acting President and CEO of the New York Power Authority, which conducted the competitive solicitation and served as advisor throughout implementation. “This installation will supply affordable, clean and reliable green energy to the Village of Ossining, offer electric bill savings to participating residents and help advance New York’s bold clean energy goals.”
The project is not Ecogy’s first in Westchester County. The company developed the largest solar canopy in the county above the parking lot of the Maryknoll Society in the outskirts of Ossining. The company has also constructed some of the first community solar projects in Westchester County, including systems in Yorktown and Croton-on-Hudson. Ecogy specializes in working with affordable housing communities, nonprofits, educational institutions, small businesses and municipalities in its mission to share the rewards of renewable energy with traditionally underserved entities.
Brock Gibian, Ecogy’s VP of Development, said, “Given the enormous challenge of meeting energy demand with clean sources, and the enormous opportunity for economic growth and environmental healing that solar energy provides, the support of municipalities like Ossining is absolutely crucial. There’s no time to lose in this race, and local support puts the wind in our sails to take us across the finish line. Westchester has our gratitude for its enduring and invaluable support.”
The WCSP prioritizes benefiting low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals and communities, and Ecogy’s experience working with these communities is critical to the success of the partnership. All of the subscribers to the system atop the Ossining Operations Center will be local Ossining residents.
Jack Bertuzzi, CEO at Ecogy, credited local technicians for their contributions to the Ossining Operations Center solar system: “At the end of the day, somebody needs to actually gear up and turn into physical reality the solar systems we all want. That’s what the local and skilled technicians of the Croton Energy Group did to construct this system, so we have unshakeable confidence in its quality and longevity. For the next 25 years, this system is going to be keeping the lights on in Ossining Village.”
Emerging from a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) from NYPA, which is driving the expansion of community solar programs across New York State, the projects are indicative of a larger, state-wide push toward sustainability. The project also received more than $175,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through NY-Sun, the State’s $3.3 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar while making solar energy more accessible to homes, businesses, and communities.
“New York is home to the strongest community solar market in the U.S., providing nearly half of the nation’s community solar last year,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “This project is the result of another successful public-private partnership and will help bring clean, affordable electricity to more Westchester County residents and businesses.”
“It’s a great day for solar in Westchester,” said Leo Wiegman, Director of Solar Programs at Sustainable Westchester. “Community solar projects are a community effort. It takes federal and state level initiatives, coupled with the determination and expertise of our partners at Ecogy and NYPA to deliver these solutions. But now, the electrons circulating through our grid will be a little cleaner, and the power will be a little cheaper, so our hard work has paid off.”
Sustainable Westchester, the designated community subscriber for the WCSP, will collaborate with Ecogy to enroll local residents in the program, offering reduced energy bills for program participants. Sustainable Westchester is a nonprofit consortium of Westchester County local governments.
Source: Ecogy Energy
-
Plankton Energy Installs 229 kW Solar System for Cheshire Academy
Press Release
–
Feb 8, 2023
NEW YORK, February 8, 2023 (Newswire.com)
–
New York solar energy developer Plankton Energy recently energized a 229 kW rooftop solar system at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, CT. By utilizing the roof of the campus facilities building, the John J. White ’38 Science & Technology Center, and the Gideon Welles Dining Commons, the electricity needs of each of these buildings will be supplied by onsite solar power.Funded entirely by Plankton Energy, at zero cost to Cheshire Academy, the system is expected to generate approximately 272,000 kWh of solar power annually. Over the lifetime of the system, Cheshire Academy will save over $297,000 on electricity expenses and avoid over 1,248 metric tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of avoiding burning 140,000 gallons of gasoline. The panels serve as a visible reminder of the Academy’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
“Our mission is to empower students to thrive as global citizens. Nothing is more global than our environment, and the solar cells and energy made possible through our work with Plankton is a daily reminder to our students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors that acting locally has positive global impacts,” said Jennifer Dillon, Sustainability Coordinator of Cheshire Academy
“We’re thrilled to see this project come to fruition. Our team was grateful to partner with the team at Cheshire to assist them in achieving their environmental goals,” said Dan Giuffrida, CEO of Plankton Energy.
The success of this project was made possible by the Connecticut Zero Emission Renewable Energy Credit Program and by the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which was recently extended for 10 years through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Plankton Energy is a turnkey solar energy provider dedicated to serving schools, houses of worship, small and medium enterprises and community solar across the United States. Plankton supports schools and community institutions like Cheshire Academy to save considerably on their electricity bills and pioneer energy choices that align with their sustainability values.
Founded in 1794, Cheshire Academy is a college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12 and postgraduate. The historic 104-acre campus is nestled in the bucolic but central town of Cheshire, Connecticut, just two hours from Boston and from New York. With approximately 343 students from 14 states and 27 countries, Cheshire Academy takes a flexible and tailored approach, allowing students to combine a variety of academic and extracurricular offerings optimal to their individual needs, strengths, and interests.
Source: Plankton Energy
