150-megawatt energy storage system (ESS) for Korea Zinc. Hyundai Electric
South Korea's Hyundai Electric & Energy Systems will soon complete a massive lithium ion battery in the industrial city of Ulsan.
When it goes live in three months, Hyundai's 150-megawatt system will overtake Tesla's 100-megawatt facility in South Australia as the world's largest industrial energy storage system, Independent.ie reported. Sorry, Elon Musk.
<p>
It's an exciting—albeit geeky—race to help the planet wean off environmentally harmful
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-australia-battery-2514064636.html">fossil fuels</a>. That's because if we want to accelerate the world's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewable energy</a> transition, we'll have to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/battery-storage-renewable-energy-2526629658.html" target="_blank">modernize the energy grid</a> and much of that depends on energy storage technology.
</p><p>
Tesla famously built its ginormous battery within 100 days after Australian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/elon-musk-australia-2309117728.html" target="_blank">dared Musk</a> to help fix the South Australian's electricity woes. The system, which is connected to Neoen's Hornsdale <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind" target="_self">wind</a> farm, has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-australia-battery-2568719032.html" target="_blank">exceeded expectations</a> after switching on about a year ago. The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-australia-battery-2520491667.html" target="_self">lightning-fast system</a> has saved about $40 million in grid stabilization costs, prevented blackouts and helped restore confidence in the state's energy resources, the <a href="https://www.afr.com/business/energy/solar-energy/south-australias-big-battery-slashes-40m-from-grid-control-costs-in-first-year-20181205-h18ql1" target="_blank">Australian Financial Review</a> noted.
</p><p>
Hyundai's $45 million battery is being built for the metal smelting company <a href="https://www.koreazinc.co.kr/english/main/page/main.aspx" target="_blank">KoreaZinc</a>, which intends to be energy self-sufficient and wants to reduce electricity costs, according to
<a href="http://www.climateaction.org/news/hyundai-electric-to-break-the-record-for-worlds-largest-battery" target="_blank">Climate Action</a>. The company estimates it will save almost $60 million in electricity expenses over the next three years once the facility is built. KoreaZinc is also complying with the South Korean government's larger efforts to boost renewables and mitigate air pollution, the publication added.
</p><p>
These large-scale projects are enabled by less expensive battery prices, with prices dropping by almost half since 2014, according to
<a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/musk-s-battery-boast-will-be-short-lived-as-rivals-go-bigger#gs._BieF00" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>.
</p><p>
Other entrepreneurs are joining in the big battery race, including billionaire Sanjeev Gupta's SIMEC ZEN Energy, which plans to build a
<a href="http://fortune.com/2018/03/16/sanjeev-gupta-tesla-australia-battery/" target="_blank">120-megawatt battery</a> near Adelaide. Tesla <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-largest-battery-2547905274.html">is also vying</a> to build another giant Powerpack system in Colorado for Xcel Energy Inc., an electric utility operating in eight Western and Midwestern states.
</p><p>
Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) estimated that developers announced 1,650 megawatts per hour of new lithium-ion battery projects in 2017, four times the amount for all of 2016.
</p><p>
"Musk has set a benchmark on how quickly you can install and commission a battery of this size," Ali Asghar, a BNEF senior associate, said in a Bloomberg interview.
</p><p>
Falling costs are "making them a compelling mainstream option for energy-storage applications in many areas around the world, and projects even bigger than Tesla's are now under construction."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="451b9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="HR7DF31576662615"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="954073189289791488" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Battery Storage Revolution Could 'Sound the Death Knell for Fossil Fuels' https://t.co/HXbegsfUqn @Tesla @elonmusk… https://t.co/7d7APPuBUd</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/954073189289791488">1516303748.0</a></blockquote></div>
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A revolutionary battery has been successfully installed at the Hywind Scotland, the world's first floating offshore wind farm located about 15 miles off the Aberdeenshire coast.
With the 1.2-megawatt storage system known as "Batwind" in operation, it will be possible for the first time to store energy produced from an offshore wind farm, developers Masdar and Equinor touted in a press release Wednesday.
<p>
As EcoWatch
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/battery-storage-renewable-energy-2526629658.html">mentioned previousl</a>y, if we want to accelerate the world's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_blank">renewable energy</a> transition, we're going to need much better <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/batteries" target="_blank">batteries</a>. Energy storage is crucial to mitigating intermittency and optimizing output. In other words, when there's too much or too little wind, batteries can help store or release energy.
</p><p>
"The variability of renewable energy can to a certain extent be managed by the grid," said Sebastian Bringsvaerd, development manager for Hywind and Batwind in a statement. "But to make renewable energy more competitive and integrate even more renewables to the grid, we will need to find new, smart solutions for energy storage to provide firm power. How to do this in a smart and value creating way is what we are aiming to learn from Batwind."
</p><p>
Batwind is located on an onshore substation in Peterhead that's connected to the grid. Testing of the new technology will begin soon.
</p><p>
"We want to teach the battery when to hold back and store electricity, and when send power to the grid, thus increasing value of the power," Bringsvaerd said. "It will be really exciting to see how we can develop the combined battery and software solution and make Batwind as smart as possible."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="53cc3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="QOYWE41576662554"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1011968399243710464" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We were delighted to launch #Batwind today with @Equinor in #Scotland, a first of its kind battery storage solution… https://t.co/A9yyOD0YOa</div> — Masdar (@Masdar)<a href="https://twitter.com/Masdar/statuses/1011968399243710464">1530107042.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Bringsvaerd noted that Batwind can one day be utilized for other renewable energy systems such as solar and onshore wind.
</p><p>
"We believe this will expand the market for all renewable energy sources," he said.
</p><p>
The 30-megawatt Hywind Scotland switched on last October. Three months later, the facility was already performing
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/floating-wind-farm-scotland-2535373353.html">better than expected</a>. The floating wind farm churned out 65 percent of its maximum theoretical capacity during November, December and January, according to Statoil.
</p><p>
The Hywind's five floating turbines produce 6 megawatts each on top of waters more than 328 feet deep. At full capacity, the facility can generate enough power for 20,000 homes.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8953f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ZHTZMG1576662555"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="996038531817537537" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Tesla's Giant Australian Battery Saved Consumers $35 Million in Four Months https://t.co/0sgrLy8vaF @Tesla… https://t.co/1XIeb68OZp</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/996038531817537537">1526309066.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Tesla's Massive Virtual Power Plant in South Australia Roars Back to Life
25 May 2018
Renewable Energy
Powerwall residential battery with solar panels. Tesla
Tesla's plans to build the world's largest virtual power plant in South Australia will proceed after all.
The $800 million (US $634 million) project—struck in February by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill—involves installing solar panels and batteries on 50,000 homes to function as an interconnected power plant.
<p>
But the plan was nearly scrapped under the new state government headed by Liberal leader Steven Marshall, who was elected in March. Marshall's government had their own plan to offer discounts on battery storage for 40,000 homes.
</p><p>
In a happy twist, Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan announced at the Australian Energy Conference this week the newly elected government would proceed with both plans.
</p><p>
"It's very important to be clear about this—we are honoring the existing commitments around the Tesla virtual power plant (VPP)," he said, as quoted by Australia's <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-24/tesla-battery-plan-gets-green-light-from-sa-liberals/9794486" target="_blank">ABC News</a>.
</p><p>
Van Holst Pellekaan, who met with Tesla soon after he was sworn in, added that he wants South Australia to become a world leader in home battery installation.
</p><p>
By doubling down, the state will eventually emerge with some 100,000 household batteries, or more than one in ten homes, <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/sa-liberals-vow-to-continue-energy-transition-go-big-in-batteries-93367/" target="_blank">Renew Economy</a> noted.
</p><p>
<span></span>"We'll show the world how the mass adoption of home batteries can and will work," he said. "This is a complicated task—I don't think that anyone has attempted to do what we're about to do at this scale relative to population and market size."
</p><p>
The virtual power plant involves installing a 5-kilowatt solar system and a Powerwall 2 battery on roughly 50,000 low-income and social housing units across the state over the next four years. The setup would be installed at no charge to the households and financed through the sale of electricity. Participants would save an estimated 30 percent on their power bills.
</p><p>
"My government has already delivered the world's biggest battery, now we will deliver the world's largest virtual power plant," Weatherill said then. "We will use people's homes as a way to generate energy for the South Australian grid, with participating households benefiting with significant savings in their energy bills.
</p><p>
Tesla
<a href="https://phys.org/news/2018-02-tesla-australia-homes-power.html" target="_blank">told</a> AFP that the virtual power plant would have 250 megawatts of solar energy and 650 megawatt hours of battery storage.
</p><p>
<span></span>"At key moments, the virtual power plant could provide as much capacity as a large gas turbine or coal power plant," the company added.
</p><p>
Van Holst Pellekaan also said at the Australian Energy Conference that the trial phase, which starts with installing home energy systems on 1,100 public housing properties, is currently proceeding.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8953f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="E6WSTZ1576662768"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="996038531817537537" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Tesla's Giant Australian Battery Saved Consumers $35 Million in Four Months https://t.co/0sgrLy8vaF @Tesla… https://t.co/1XIeb68OZp</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/996038531817537537">1526309066.0</a></blockquote></div>
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World's Largest Battery and Rapid-Charge Network Launches to Accelerate EV Adoption
23 May 2018
Renewable Energy
PxHere
London-based Pivot Power unveiled plans to build the world's first national network of grid-scale batteries and rapid-charge stations across the UK to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption and to usher in low-carbon transport.
The ambitious £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) initiative consists of 50-megawatt batteries constructed at 45 sites around the country and located near towns and major roads. The hubs will be installed at electricity sub-stations to help National Grid manage supply and demand.
<p>Pivot Power aims to address the three major barriers to EV adoption identified by the country's Department for Transport: Availability of chargers, range of a charge, and cost. The company says it will offer mass charging at competitive rates, which will also help lower the costs of EV ownership. </p><p><span></span>Britain intends to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/uk-ban-petrol-diesel-2465723145.html" target="_blank">ban</a> all new gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles by 2040, so it must ramp up its charging infrastructure to keep pace with electric car adoption. More EVs on the road will also bring more strain on the nation's power grid. </p><p><span></span>"We expect the use of electric vehicles to grow rapidly," said Graeme Cooper, National Grid project director for electric vehicles, in a statement. "This innovative solution will help accelerate adoption by providing a network of rapid charging stations across the country enabling cars to charge quickly, efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible." <br></p><p>"It will also give the system operator more choice and flexibility for managing the demands in the day to day running of the network, and also help mass EV charging," Cooper added. </p><p><span></span>The 2-gigawatt battery network will also be the world's largest. The total capacity can store enough electricity to supply 235,000 average homes for a day, or about two thirds the power of the planned Hinkley C nuclear power plant, the company touted in a <a href="https://www.pivot-power.co.uk/pivot-power-work-national-grid-future-proof-energy-system-accelerate-electric-vehicle-revolution/" target="_blank">press release</a>. </p><p>Pivot Power plans to have operational batteries at 10 sites in the next 18 months. A site on the south coast, pending planning approval, could be operational by the middle of 2019. These hubs can support various infrastructure, including public rapid charging stations, electric bus depots and bases for large transport fleets.</p><p>"We want to future-proof the UK's energy system and accelerate the electric vehicle revolution, helping the UK to clean up its air and meet <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change">climate</a> targets," Pivot Power CEO Matt Allen said in a statement. "Big problems require big solutions, and we are moving fast to put in place a unique network to support a clean, affordable, secure energy system and embrace the low-carbon economy."<br></p><p>Michael Liebreich, the founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, is an advisor and early investor in Pivot Power.</p><p>"Renewables, batteries and electric vehicles are going to completely transform our power system, not just because they help clean up our horrible <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air quality</a> and meet our climate targets, but because their costs are falling far faster than people realize," he stated.</p>
<div id="a2015" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6FFJN51576683814"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="891087153689759749" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Electric Vehicles Enter the Here and Now https://t.co/KrJIciYkSh @chrispaine @CoolElectricCar</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/891087153689759749">1501286707.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Trending
Nissan Energy Solar
Nissan, the maker of the world's top-selling electric vehicle, officially rolled out on Thursday a seamless solar energy and battery storage system for homes in the UK.
The venture, called Nissan Energy Solar, allows homeowners to generate, store and charge EVs with their own renewable energy, which can reduce household energy bills by an estimated 66 percent, the company touts.
<p>
"It enables UK homeowners to make significant savings on their household electricity bills, and become champions of sustainability and green technology," said Gareth Dunsmore, the electric vehicle director of Nissan Europe, in a statement.
</p><p>
"More than 880,000 people in the UK already use solar panels and this fully integrated solution brings a fresh opportunity to grow this number exponentially over the coming years."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="4df0f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="YKZOAQ1576683815"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="997001524608884736" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Nissan has announced the retail launch of its integrated home energy solution for U.K. customers. Nissan Energy So… https://t.co/0fmgwu7cim</div> — Nissan Motor (@Nissan Motor)<a href="https://twitter.com/NissanMotor/statuses/997001524608884736">1526538661.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
The Japanese automaker's new offering allows UK customers to choose between a fully integrated solar and storage package or just the components alone. System prices start at around £3,800 (about $5,100). Notably, customers can pick between a storage system made of new batteries or old ones from Nissan electric vehicles.
</p><p>
This is a great move to give a "second life" to batteries that have degraded to a point where they are no longer suitable for the road but are useful for other purposes. Nissan and its affiliate 4R Energy Corporation recently showed how these lithium-ion batteries still have usable capacity by creating the
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4J4_nyIpI" target="_blank">Reborn Light</a>, a solar-powered street lamp that uses recycled Leaf batteries to store excess energy.
</p><p>
Nissan enters a space dominated by
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>'s <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/tesla">Tesla</a>, which allows customers to buy solar panels, home battery storage systems and electric cars under one roof. After acquiring SolarCity, Musk <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-buys-solarcity-as-part-of-elon-musks-master-plan-1954365853.html" target="_blank">noted</a> that the purchase of the solar energy company was in the "pursuit of the same overarching goal of sustainable energy."
</p><p>
Although this is a nascent industry, it's important to have another player like Nissan aiding the decarbonization of the home and
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transportation">transportation</a> sector, which is a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/transportation-pollution-us-2514800679.html">major source</a> of global climate-warming pollution. Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, tried its own hand at residential batteries in 2016 but the program soon <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/scratch-one-tesla-killer-mercedes-benz-exits-home-battery-market#gs.MVIZGpU" target="_blank">dissolved</a>.
</p><p>
Impressively, Nissan is driving into the home energy market without backing from a traditional utility, the
<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/05/16/nissan-takes-first-solo-steps-solar-power/" target="_blank">Telegraph</a> reported.
</p><p>
"What you see today is something that is only powered by Nissan—it is the first time we are stepping into the energy space without an energy utility behind us," Francisco Carranza, the managing director of Nissan's energy services arm, explained.
</p><p>
<a href="http://www.thedrive.com/tech/17855/nissan-follows-tesla-and-daimler-into-the-energy-storage-business" target="_blank">The Drive</a> reported that sales are limited to the UK, but Nissan said it may expand to other European countries.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="cdc97" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="EBOA0Z1576683815"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="937877956936065024" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Why Transportation Is Now the Top Source of U.S. Pollution https://t.co/uxE3GZWznN @cleanaircouncil @CeresNews</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/937877956936065024">1512442504.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Tesla's Giant Australian Battery Saved Consumers $35 Million in Four Months
14 May 2018
Renewable Energy
Tesla's Powerpack battery system in South Australia is charged by a nearby wind farm. Tesla
Since switching on in December, Tesla's massive battery in South Australia has already drastically lowered prices in the region's frequency and ancillary services market (FCAS) and has taken a major share of that market, Renew Economy reported.
During Australian Energy Week, McKinsey and Co. partner Godart van Gendt boasted about the stunning efficiency of the 100-megawatt Powerpack system, which is connected to Neoen's Hornsdale wind farm.
<p>
"In the first four months of operations of the Hornsdale Power Reserve, the frequency ancillary services prices went down by 90 percent, so that's 9-0 per cent," van Gendt said Thursday, as quoted by Renew Economy.
</p><p>
"And the 100 megawatt battery has achieved over 55 percent of the FCAS revenues in South Australia. So it's 2 percent of the capacity in South Australia achieving 55 percent of the revenues in South Australia."
</p><p>
The Australian Energy Market Operator calls upon the FCAS to provide back-up energy whenever generators fail or fall short. This service has typically relied upon costly gas generators and steam turbines, with electricity rates up to $14,000 per megawatt during these outages.
</p><p>
But Tesla's big battery, which was
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-worlds-largest-battery-2512145319.html">designed</a> to feed South Australia's unstable power grid, has changed the game. Whenever it has needed to discharge its power to the grid, costs have hovered as low as $270 per megawatt, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/feb/06/how-teslas-big-battery-is-bringing-australias-gas-cartel-to-heel" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> noted.
</p><p>
As Renew Economy noted, "various estimates have put the cost savings to consumers from the FCAS market alone at around $35 million, just in the first four months of its operation."
</p><p>What's more, the Powerpack system has responded much quicker to power outages (<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-australia-battery-2520491667.html" target="_blank">within milliseconds</a>), with the benefit of no greenhouse gas emissions.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="451b9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FNKOCG1576683818"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="954073189289791488" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Battery Storage Revolution Could 'Sound the Death Knell for Fossil Fuels' https://t.co/HXbegsfUqn @Tesla @elonmusk… https://t.co/7d7APPuBUd</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/954073189289791488">1516303748.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Solar panels being installed on Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. U.S. Air Force photo / Lou Hernandez
California could become the first state in the country to require solar panels on most new homes.
The state's energy commission will vote on the new standard on Wednesday, May 9 and they are expected to approve it, the Orange County Register reported.
<p>
If approved, the mandate would apply to all houses, condos and apartment buildings up to three stories tall that obtain building permits after Jan. 1, 2020. The exception will be for homes that are shaded by trees or buildings or have a roof too small to accommodate solar panels.
</p><p>
The plan will not require the home to reach "net-zero" status, which means the total amount of energy consumed is equal to the amount of
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy">renewable energy</a> created. But homebuilders who install a battery, like a Tesla Powerwall, will get a "compliance credit" that allows them to further reduce the size of the solar array.
</p><p>
The standards could add $25,000 to $30,000 to the construction costs compared with homes built to the 2006 code, C.R. Herro, the vice president of environmental affairs for Meritage Homes, told the Orange County Register. Herro added that the homeowner will save an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 in reduced operating costs over the solar system's 25-year lifespan.
</p><p>
However, critics warn the new mandate could worsen the state's housing shortage by making homes more unaffordable. Other detractors argue that the proposal does not go far enough, and that California should mandate net-zero homes.
</p><p>
The Golden State, with
<a href="http://www.energy.ca.gov/almanac/electricity_data/total_system_power.html" target="_blank">19.8 gigawatts</a> of solar PV capacity, is the nation's undisputed <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-solar-power-2305961141.html">solar champion</a> (it has five-times the capacity of second-ranked North Carolina.) About 15 to 20 percent of new single-family homes in California currently include solar installations.
</p><p>
<span></span><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/san-francisco-becomes-first-major-city-to-require-solar-panels-on-new--1891119335.html" target="_blank">Two years ago</a>, San Francisco became the first major city in the U.S. to require all buildings 10 floors or less to designate at least 15 percent of the rooftop for solar use. The famously green metropolis was following in the footsteps of the smaller towns Lancaster and Sebastopol. The municipalities, which are also in California, passed similar mandates in 2013.
</p><p>
California has emerged as an environmental warrior in recent years. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Air Resources Board are leading a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia
<a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-and-states-representing-over-40-percent-us-car-market-sue-defend" target="_blank">in suing</a> the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_blank">Trump</a> administration for blocking greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles that aimed to reduce <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_blank">air pollution</a> and curb U.S. drivers' contributions to the global <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_blank">climate</a> crisis.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="1a2c0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GWB9TJ1576662778"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="991827195969630208" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">States Representing 44% of U.S. Population Sue EPA for Blocking Auto Emissions Standards https://t.co/k7d2VXbLIR… https://t.co/zXTrc3F0Ps</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/991827195969630208">1525305005.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are developing hybrid electric commercial airplane plane. Airbus
Norway—home to the world's highest per capita number of all-electric cars—is also planning to go emission-free in the friendly skies.
The Scandinavian country aims to be the first in the world to switch to electric air transport.
<p>
State-owned Avinor, which operates most of the country's airports, plans to adopt battery-powered planes in the coming years to help slow
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change">climate change</a>, <a href="http://news.trust.org/item/20180322175205-dh5xo/" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.
</p><p>
"In my mind, there's no doubt that by 2040 Norway will be operating totally electric" on short-haul flights, Dag Falk-Pedersen, head of Avinor, said at an aviation conference in Oslo.
</p><p>
The long-held dream of electric airliners has been stymied by battery technology and limited range. However, the aviation industry is stepping up to make this dream a reality.
</p><p>
Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens announced plans last year to collaborate on a hybrid-electric commercial airplane that the companies aim to test by 2020. Seattle-based startup Zunum Aero—backed by the venture capital arms of Boeing and JetBlue Airways—is also working on bringing a 12-seater, hybrid-electric commuter aircraft to market by 2022.
</p><p>
Thanks to generous tax breaks and incentives such as free parking and recharging points, more than half of all new cars sold in Norway last year were electric or hybrid—the first country in the world to reach that landmark. Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen told Reuters that the government wants the same success with electric planes.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/17/world/europe/norway-climate-oil.html" target="_blank">Paradoxically</a>, despite being a global leader in electric transport, Norway is western Europe's biggest oil producer and is <a href="http://climateactiontracker.org/countries/norway.html" target="_blank">falling behind </a>on its 2015 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris climate agreement</a> to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
</p><p>
<span></span>Electric-powered flight would not only help Norway reduce emissions and meet its climate goals, it will make flying cheaper, as Jan Otto Reimers, special adviser in Avinor, told <a href="http://norwaytoday.info/news/first-electric-aircraft-norwegian-scheduled-traffic-within-10-years/" target="_blank">Norway Today</a>.
</p><p>
"What's particularly exciting is that you'll reduce costs to passengers to a much lower level. The planes will become similar to buses, and will be far more effective than trains or other means of transport. Simultaneously, they'll have a fantastic environmental profile," said Reimers.
</p>
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Solar shade canopies. University of Hawaii
As a growing number of U.S. cities make pledges towards 100 percent renewables, it's easy to forget that the entire state of Hawaii set this important benchmark three years ago when it mandated that all of its electricity must come from renewable sources no later than 2045.
To help the Aloha State meet this ambitious commitment, in 2015, the University of Hawaii (UH) and the Hawaiian Legislature set a collective goal for the university system to be "net-zero" by Jan. 1, 2035, which means the total amount of energy consumed is equal to the amount of renewable energy created.
<p style="">
Now, UH's Maui College is on its way to become the first campus in the United States to transition off fossil fuels by using on-site
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> systems coupled with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/battery-storage">battery storage</a>, university officials <a href="http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/media-center/news/press-releases/2018/03/19/university-of-hawaii-maui-college-aims-to-be-the-first-campus-in-the-nation-with-100percent-renewable-energy-generated-onsite-with-batteryenabled-selfsupply" target="_blank">announced</a>.
</p><p style="">
The campus' solar-plus-storage project—consisting of 2.8 megawatts of solar PV and 13.2 megawatt-hours of battery distributed energy storage—is scheduled to become fully operational by 2019.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style="">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzQ1MTkzMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjUzNzgwMn0.47PRhk-CMt2Yt_cTrfrzrxW400q6Xay8scdMpDymZE4/img.jpg?width=980" id="0c718" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="acb3739e60b177788daf9b2b55d2759c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">UH Maui College students.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">University of Hawaii</small>
</p><p style="">
The project is part of a partnership with Johnson Controls, which developed the systems, and Pacific Current, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries.
</p><p style="">
Not to be left behind, four other Oahu-based UH campuses have also committed to slashing their carbon footprint with their own energy and infrastructure improvements. Through a combination of solar shade canopies, distributed energy storage and energy efficiency measures, Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapi'olani Community College and Windward Community College will see a reduction of fossil fuel use for energy by 98 percent, 97 percent, 74 percent and 70 percent, respectively, university officials touted.
</p><p style="">
"We are proud to move the entire University of Hawaii System closer to its net-zero energy mandate, to celebrate UH Maui College's achievement and to position the Oahu community college campuses within reach of 100 percent renewable energy generation," said UH Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton.
</p><p style="">
"Hawaii's leaders set the national example of sustainability and renewable energy standards with the net-zero mandate by 2035 for UH, and we're proud to partner with the university to help it reach that commitment and aim for UH Maui College to become the first campus in the U.S. to generate and store 100 percent renewable energy onsite, 16 years ahead of schedule," added Rod Rushing, president, Building Solutions North America, Johnson Controls.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style="">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzQ1MTk3OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODc0MDY5MH0.SjHeg5BG-EA3OTygwewuzm0TTLfVanIBSffEFZLsuxQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="53cd5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="be43419a333f4293bbab8fe4f98f0c85" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">UH Maui College Physical Plant Manager Robert Burton looks at battery array.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."> University of Hawaii </small>
</p><p style="">
According to
<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40544546/this-college-wants-to-be-the-first-100-renewable-campus-in-the-u-s" target="_blank">Fast Company</a>, UH's eventual clean energy savings are not the only appealing aspect of the project—it's also an educational opportunity for its students:
</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">
"While the new energy efficiency measures and solar arrays will save the UH system around $78 million, that's not what makes it unique: Johnson Controls and UH have also partnered on an educational program, featuring curriculum, an internship program, and workshops for faculty and students, that will roll out alongside the new energy systems."
</p><p><em>Editor's note: Following the publication of this story, a tipster has helpfully shared with EcoWatch that other campuses are in the race to become 100 percent renewable, <a href="https://www.hampshire.edu/news/2017/12/01/hampshire-conducts-final-test-for-100-solar-campus" target="_blank">including</a> Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.</em></p>
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Tesla's Powerpack system in South Australia. Tesla
Tesla has already built the world's largest battery in South Australia, a lightning-fast system that switched on in December and recently saved the energy market millions during an outage.
Now, the Elon Musk-headed venture is vying to build another massive Powerpack system in Colorado for Xcel Energy Inc., an electric utility operating in eight Western and Midwestern states.
<p style="">
Here's how massive Tesla's battery could be, as <a href="https://electrek.co/2018/03/14/tesla-bids-new-world-largest-powerpack-battery-system-colorado/" target="_blank">Electrek</a> detailed:
</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">
"In South Australia, Tesla's 100MW/ 129MWh Powerpack project is known as 'the most powerful battery system in the world' and while this proposal in Colorado would not be as powerful with a power capacity of 75 MW, it would be able to run for 4 hours, which would require a much bigger energy capacity of 300 MWh.
</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">
"It would be a major energy storage project that would represent twice the energy capacity that Tesla deployed during the entire last quarter. It would consist of as many as 1,500 Powerpack 2 battery systems."
</p><p style="">
Xcel Energy is <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4340162-Xcel-Solicitation-Report.html" target="_blank">currently</a> soliciting for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/batteries" target="_blank">energy storage</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_blank">renewable energy</a> projects in Colorado. Along with Tesla, power providers NextERA Energy Resources, Convergent and AEIF Battery Storage have also made bids to build a giant battery, as you can see from <a href="https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/03/12/worlds-largest-batteries-hiding-in-colorado-bids/#.WqagGdFRjZI.twitter" target="_blank">this chart</a> posted on pv magazine.</p><p style="">
One bid from NextEra is a stunning 150-megawatt system that could run for 10 hours and that, as pv magazine noted, "would be the largest planned anywhere in the world at this moment." In fact, four of the proposed battery projects would qualify for the distinction of "world's largest."</p><p style="">
Electrek pointed out that while most of Colorado's electricity currently comes from coal and natural gas, the state is ramping up renewable energy and energy storage projects to boost the efficiency and stability of its power grid.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="7b26c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="KCSK6Y1576683837"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="946878721893588992" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Tesla's Massive Australian Battery Responds to Coal Power Outages in Milliseconds https://t.co/lOEdHye43k @BeyondCoal @dirtyenergy</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/946878721893588992">1514588454.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Tesla's Gigafactory 1 photographed in January 2017
Tesla has started building a massive rooftop solar array on top of its Gigafactory 1 (GF1) outside Sparks, Nevada.
Once finished, the 70-megawatt system will be the largest in the world by far; the current record-holder is the comparatively shrimpy 11.5-megawatt array in India that can power 8,000 homes.
<p>
<a href="https://www.buildingtesla.com/showcases/Solar%20Installation%20GF1/" target="_blank">Building Tesla</a> has posted satellite images of the GF1 construction site, showing solar panels installed on the north side of the factory.
</p><p>
The Gigafactory is part of Tesla CEO <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>'s vision to fast-track a cleaner, more sustainable future. He previously announced intentions to power the Nevada building without fossil fuels, relying instead on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/batteries">batteries</a>.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="56dc3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7KIV651576683843"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="758351232356397056" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Should mention that Gigafactory will be fully powered by clean energy when complete & include battery recycling</div> — Elon Musk (@Elon Musk)<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/statuses/758351232356397056">1469639997.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
<span></span>"GF1 is an all-electric factory with no fossil fuels (natural gas or petroleum) directly consumed," Tesla <a href="https://electrek.co/2017/01/10/tesla-gigafactory-1-model-3-battery-pack-rooftop-solar/" target="_blank">said</a> then.
</p><p>
"We will be using 100 percent sustainable energy through a combination of a 70 megawatt solar rooftop array and solar ground installations. The solar rooftop array is ~7x larger than the largest rooftop solar system installed today."
</p><p>
The Gigafactory 1 is being built in phases so Tesla and its partners can manufacture products while the building continues to expand. It <a href="https://www.tesla.com/blog/battery-cell-production-begins-gigafactory" target="_blank">officially</a> kicked off the mass production of lithium-ion battery cells in January 2017.
</p><p>
The building is expected for completion sometime this year, at which point the Gigafactory stands to claim the title of world's largest building by footprint.
</p><p>
<span></span>Impressively, Tesla touts that its current structure already has a footprint of 1.9 million square feet, which houses 4.9 million square feet of operational space across several floors.
</p><p>
"And we are still less than 30 percent done," the firm boasted.
</p><p>
<span></span>Once fully built, the Gigafactory will produce 35 GWh/year of lithium-ion battery cells annually, which is "nearly as much as the rest of the entire world's battery production combined."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="137e8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="P11EDW1576683843"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="834864143681331201" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">3 More Gigafactories Coming Soon to 'Change the Way the World Uses Energy' https://t.co/ReNoVNymiW @LeoDiCaprio @elonmusk @TeslaMotors @350</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/834864143681331201">1487882097.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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World's Largest Coal Miner Says It's a 'Matter of Time' for Renewables to Replace Coal
26 February 2018
Energy
Jharia coal mine. Wikimedia Commons
Even the world's largest coal miner thinks the rise of renewable energy and storage technology will pose a "significant threat" to the coal sector.
Coal India, the state-owned mining company that produces 80 percent of the country's coal, has released a new report, "Coal Vision 2030," that outlines what the industry might look like in 2030.
<p style="">It warns stakeholders that in the case of Indian coal, "trends portent that in the long run the demand is likely to decrease substantially."</p><p style="">
"With the increasing threat of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change">climate change</a> impacting humanity (irrespective of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-coal-speech-2530195103.html">U.S. position</a>) and the global funding focus on renewables, it is a matter of time when alternate clean energy would displace coal," the report states.
</p><p style="">
Coal India's analysis lists a number of global and domestic events that have intensified doubts on the future of its main product, including:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Developments in solar PV and energy storage technologies</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">COP21</a> commitments by India</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li> Apparent shrinkage in global coal consumption</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li> Apparent downward revision of the economic growth projections of India</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li> Response to recent tranches of coal block auctions</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Non-performing assets (NPA) crises, especially in the iron and steel, and power sectors, two major consumers of coal and important sectors linked to economic growth</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li> Changes in various policies pertaining to the domestic energy sector</li></ul><p style="">
While coal remains India's main source of fuel, the report notes, "standing in the midst of a change, it is very difficult for anyone to imagine its scale and often most people remain in a state of denial until the change is upon them."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style="">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzMzMzk4NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNDg0MDI3MH0.IBS91qqFg8eVr-emyXXayZD0vufKFqTd55tDrwdnWvA/img.png?width=980" id="8a49c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="617fbe618fc498f59f3dce9252392357" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small placeholder="add caption..." class="image-media media-caption">Coal Vision 2030</small>
</p><p style="">
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to get 40 percent of India's electricity from non-fossil sources (which includes renewables, nuclear and large hydropower) by 2030. The Indian government aims to triple its renewable energy capacity to reach 175 gigawatts by 2022. India's Central Electricity Authority will also <a href="http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/12/16/india-to-halt-building-new-coal-plants-in-2022/" target="_blank">halt building new coal plants in 2022</a>.
</p><p style="">
<span></span>However, the Coal Vision 2030 report suggests that India's future will remain tied to coal. Interestingly, even though the report says renewables and storage will likely emerge as "key substitutes" to coal, Coal India still expects demand for the fuel to roughly double to 1,300-1,900 million tonnes in 2030.
</p><p style="">
<span></span>"The messages are extremely contradictory," Swati D'Souza, energy policy expert at India's energy think-tank, Energy and Resources Institute (<a href="http://www.teriin.org/" target="_blank">TERI</a>), told <a href="http://www.climatechangenews.com/2018/02/23/coal-india-report-finds-renewables-will-substantially-decrease-coal-demand/" target="_blank">Climate Home News</a>. "The [coal demand] numbers are very high given current trends on solar and wind penetration in the power sector … The document does not really give clarity on how they arrived at these numbers."
</p><p style="">
Ted Nace, director of <a href="http://coalswarm.org/" target="_blank">CoalSwarm</a>, which tracks existing and proposed coal plants worldwide, added that 1,900 million tonnes is "an absurd figure for coal demand in 2030."
</p><p style="">
"Finance has completely dried up for privately sponsored coal plants; the only ones moving forward at this point are government-owned," Nace continued. "Without significant growth in coal power capacity there will not be the doubling or tripling of coal demand that this report talks about."
</p><p style="">
<span></span>Coal India did not respond to Climate Home News' questions about the report's projections.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="96bfd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="YYBCVL1576662806"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="878938392507146242" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">World's Biggest Coal Company Closes 37 Mines as Solar Prices Plummet https://t.co/zDRw85oAJL @GreenpeaceUK @globalactplan</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/878938392507146242">1498390217.0</a></blockquote></div>
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World's Largest Virtual Power Plant Coming to Australia in Deal With Tesla
05 February 2018
Renewable Energy
A home with a Powerwall 2 and solar panels. Tesla
South Australia—already home to the world's largest battery—will soon host the world's largest virtual solar plant under a landmark plan from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the state government.
The plan involves installing a 5-kilowatt solar system and a Tesla Powerwall 2 battery on roughly 50,000 homes across the state over the next four years. The setup will be installed at no charge to the households and financed through the sale of electricity.
<p style="">
The entire system will function as an interconnected power plant all while cutting power bills for participants by an estimated 30 percent.
</p><p style="">
"My government has already delivered the world's biggest battery, now we will deliver the world's largest virtual power plant," South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said.
</p><p style="">
"We will use people's homes as a way to generate energy for the South Australian grid, with participating households benefiting with significant savings in their energy bills."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="70e5e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6RDP7B1576662820"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="960084342956371969" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">4000+ people have already registered their interest to be part of the world's biggest Virtual Power Plant, right he… https://t.co/l8ujO7oYZk</div> — Jay Weatherill (@Jay Weatherill)<a href="https://twitter.com/JayWeatherill/statuses/960084342956371969">1517736919.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p style="">
The trial phase, which has already commenced, will start with 1,100 public housing properties. After the trial period, another 24,000 public housing properties will receive the systems before opening up to other South Australian households.
</p><p style="">
Weatherill
<a href="https://twitter.com/JayWeatherill/status/960267973511360512" target="_blank">tweeted</a> Sunday than 6,500 South Australian households have already signed up. Those who want to participate in the program can register their interest <a href="http://ourenergyplan.sa.gov.au/virtual-power-plant" target="_blank">here</a>.
</p><p style="">
South Australia, in contrast to the pro-<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal">coal</a> federal government, has invested heavily in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_blank">renewable energy</a> and battery storage in recent decades. Last year, Musk famously made—<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tesla-worlds-largest-battery-2512145319.html" target="_blank">and fulfilled</a>—a bet that he could help solve the state's power woes by building a massive battery farm in less than 100 days.
</p><p style="">
Tesla
<a href="https://phys.org/news/2018-02-tesla-australia-homes-power.html" target="_blank">told</a> AFP that the virtual power plant would have 250 megawatts of solar energy and 650 megawatt hours of battery storage.
</p><p style="">
"At key moments, the virtual power plant could provide as much capacity as a large gas turbine or coal power plant," the company added.
</p><p style="">
The rollout will be supported with a Aus$2 million (US$1.6 million) grant and a Aus$30 million (US$23.8 million) loan from the taxpayer-funded Renewable Technology Fund.
</p><p style="">
Learn more about the program here:
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9c161f29ad3e2b54fb69574298b3658d"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ve9nKr2byY0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
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