The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
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Announces $1.1B solar plant in the Bayou State; adds more demand for critical tellurium. In a boost for American-made tellurium-based solar technology, First Solar Inc. has selected Louisiana as the location for a $1.1 billion manufacturing plant with the capacity to produce 3.5 gigawatts of the company's thin-film cadmium-telluride (CdTe) solar panels per year. "We are pleased to partner with Louisiana as we lean into our commitment to creating enduring value for America by e...
Rio Tinto to build largest solar plant in Canada's North at diamond mine. Signaling its commitment to clean renewable energy, mining powerhouse Rio Tinto announced its intention to construct the largest solar power plant in Canada's North at its Diavik Diamond Mine – more than 6,600 solar panels that are expected to provide up to 25% of the electricity needed at this iconic operation in Northwest Territories. "I am delighted that we will be significantly increasing our renewab...
In possibly one of the most significant years for nuclear since its advent, several nuclear energy milestones were achieved in 2022. Kicking off the year with a corollary incentive program to attract interest in this waning utility with enormous potential to provide clean, low-carbon energy, President Joe Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act. This bill included a sizable aspect to benefit present and future nuclear facilities, even so much as providing a $15 per...
Nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production has the potential to be a gamechanger. As one of the most viable options to stabilize the energy demands of the future with clean renewable sources, the Department of Energy has been exploring the possibility for the power sector to leverage its nuclear facilities to generate another source of sustainable fuel, creating a two-for-one opportunity that may alleviate climate concerns. Hydrogen has the vast potential to do just that. Able...
Hoping to promote clean, renewable energy through nuclear power, the Biden administration Nov. 21 announced the conditional selection of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant near Avila Beach, California, to receive the first round of funding from the Civil Nuclear Credit program. Financed through the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and enabled by the Inflation Reduction Act, $6 billion has been portioned to the CNC program to incentivize nuclear power plants for the gene...
Brazil-based global miner Vale has committed to investing at least US$2 billion toward reducing its carbon emissions in the coming years. The goals of this initiative are to reduce its direct and indirect absolute emissions by 33% by 2030 and to transform itself into a zero-net-emissions company by 2050, leading the industry towards carbon-neutral mining. Direct emissions come from its operations, and indirect emissions come from external sources involved in the production...
Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar Inc. April 21 announced the signing of 15-year power purchase agreements with Monterey Bay Community Power and Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Under the agreements, both California-based clean energy agencies will buy electricity from the Rabbitbrush Solar project being developed by First Solar in Kern County, California. The 100-megawatt photovoltaic solar plant being developed north of Los Angeles, scheduled to be completed in the second...
Solar energy accounted for nearly 40% of all new electricity generation added in the U.S. in 2019, the largest annual share in the industry's history. According to the most recent quarterly report, the U.S. Solar Market Insight, presented by Wood McKenzie and the Solar Energies Industries Association (SIEA). The growth of solar photovoltaic (PV) shows signs of outstripping other energy competitors. According to the report, PV accounted for 39.8% of new electricity generating...
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to provide up to $100 million over five years for research into artificial photosynthesis for the production of fuels from sunlight. "Sunlight is our most basic energy source, and the ability to generate fuels directly from sunlight has the potential to transform our energy economy and vastly enhance U.S. energy security," said Paul Dabbar, under secretary for science. Plants use photosynthesis to convert energy from the sun into...
More than three quarters of new electrical generation in the United States this year will come from renewable sources, according to a recent U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report. New solar and wind facilities slated to come online during 2020 are expected to generate 32 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, roughly enough electricity to power 23.2 million homes, which is 76 percent of the 44 GW of new capacity expected to be added in the U.S. this year. Another 2...
Global solar installations will continue double-digit growth rates into the new decade, according to the 2020 Global Photovoltaic Demand Forecast by IHS Markit, a world leader in critical information and analytics. This continued strong growth in solar installations is putting new demand on the metals that go into the solar panels and their installation. Nine metals and minerals – beryllium, cadmium, gallium, germanium, indium, molybdenum, silicon, silver and tellurium – go in...
Coming from a country where more than two million rooftops have solar panels, the Australian University of New South Wales has been exploring methods to reduce costs to the already cheapest form of electricity generation, and gallium may have given the answer to one of the solar panel's largest drawbacks. The sun degrades conventional boron-filled silicon. As one of the most commonly used materials in creating solar panels, direct sunlight on boron silicon reduces its quality...
