Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

EVandPV

Martyn1981 said:

We don't see a lot of news about wave energy, but tests and pilot programmes continue.

Israeli wave pilot kicks off construction

Swedish developer Eco Wave Power has started preparation works for the installation of a 100kW wave energy device on the sea wall of the Port of Jaffa in Israel.

The EWP-EDF One wave energy project will include 10 floaters, connected to one conversion unit.
It will be located on land, just like a regular power station, enabling an easy access for operation and maintenance, Eco Wave Power said.

Always wondered why tidal power hasn't taken off more.
Seems like a no-brainer, guaranteed power 24/7, no blot on the landscape.
Guess it must be something to do with the economics ??

Martyn1981

EVandPV said:

Martyn1981 said:

We don't see a lot of news about wave energy, but tests and pilot programmes continue.

Israeli wave pilot kicks off construction

Swedish developer Eco Wave Power has started preparation works for the installation of a 100kW wave energy device on the sea wall of the Port of Jaffa in Israel.

The EWP-EDF One wave energy project will include 10 floaters, connected to one conversion unit.
It will be located on land, just like a regular power station, enabling an easy access for operation and maintenance, Eco Wave Power said.

Always wondered why tidal power hasn't taken off more.
Seems like a no-brainer, guaranteed power 24/7, no blot on the landscape.
Guess it must be something to do with the economics ??

Yeah I think it's the economics. The energy in waves is enormous, but that tends to destroy most equipment attempting to make use of it, and the UK tidal lagoons are very expensive v's off-shore wind power, almost HPC levels of support would be needed for the Swansea lagoon, though the 10x larger Cardiff scheme would hopefully be half the cost per MWh, but still more than wind.

Perhaps these schemes (especially tidal) will look more favourable as the need for RE storage grows, since tidal is predictable/guaranteed - in the case of the lagoons, 4x 3.5hr generating periods per day. Plus tidal lagoons bring aesthetic gains, and some storm flood protection.

The more the merrier?

EricMears

There are many examples of ports with some sort of estuary behind them with lock gates to prevent ships lying on the mud at low tide.  e.g. Shoreham (just W of Brighton) is one such) and many others where a narrow port entrance doesn't actually have lock gates because dock area is dredged (e.g. Portsmouth).  One would think some sort of turbine installed at those would be relatively cheap.

Coastalwatch

EricMears said:

There are many examples of ports with some sort of estuary behind them with lock gates to prevent ships lying on the mud at low tide.  e.g. Shoreham (just W of Brighton) is one such) and many others where a narrow port entrance doesn't actually have lock gates because dock are is dredged (e.g. Portsmouth).  One would think some sort of turbine installed at those would be relatively cheap.

Yes I was only musing recently whether something along those lines could have been incorporated into the Thames flood barrier scheme all those years ago.

No idea what the cost of that may have been for generating zero kWh's?

Martyn1981

House of Lords appears keen to learn about ways to support RE.

UK House of Lords seeks battery inputs

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee is calling for evidence to inform its new inquiry into the use of batteries and fuel cells for decarbonisation.

The inquiry and call focuses on the role of battery and fuel cell technologies in the UK’s ambition to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The committee is also seeking evidence on the role for battery and fuel cell technology in wider applications such as on the electricity grids.

Martyn1981

Not new so to speak, but the Gov as always being asked to support PV, and aim for 40GW by 2030 (currently we have about 13-14GW).

Government urged to adopt ‘ambitious target’ for UK solar deployment

A collection of energy and environmental organisations are urging the government to up its commitment to UK solar with the implementation of a deployment target of at least 40GW by 2030.

The organisations – which include Community Energy England, E3G, the Green Finance Institute, WWF, Greenpeace and Possible – are recommending that the government develops a solar sector skills, financing and training deal to support the suggested deployment. This should be in line with government support for other renewables such as offshore wind, and includes detailed planning to develop the skilled supply chain that supports both solar and energy storage.

Martyn1981

US battery storage is growing exponentially.

US storage market toasts record end to 2020

In 2020 overall, 1464MW/3487MWh of new storage came online in the US, meaning 179% more storage was added in 2020 than in 2019 in MW terms, the report said.

Wood Mackenzie head of energy storage Dan Finn-Foley said: “The data truly speaks for itself. The US installed 3115 MWh of storage from 2013 through 2019, a total that 2020 beat in a single year.

“This is the hallmark of a market beginning to accelerate exponentially, and momentum will only increase over the coming years.

“The new largest battery in the world, the 300MW/1200MWh system newly installed at Moss Landing, likely won’t hold the title for long.”

Martyn1981

Couple of Cleantecnica articles, we have second use stationary batteries, and wave power, since we were discussing this area recently.

Relectrify Launches 120kWh-2MWh Commercial & Industrial Second-Life Battery Product

Relectrify has just released its first commercial & industrial (C&I) storage product. It is a modular 120kWh system made from second-life EV batteries (cells that have been retired after use in electric vehicles). Relectrify released the ReVolve™ in response to wide customer demand for sustainable storage products integrating Relectrify’s life-extending BMS+Inverter technology. The ReVolve™ range is scalable and designed for installations in the 120kWh to 2MWh range. The initial product rollout is being supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The ReVolve™ is now available for purchase for select customers in Australia and New Zealand. Relectrify’s technology in battery control  results in up to 30% increased battery lifetime at 30% lower cost of electronics, according to its website. It does so through utilizing a cell-level battery management system (BMS) to generate a high-efficiency AC output directly from the battery pack, avoiding the need for costly standalone inverters.

The all in one solution comes in 30% to 50% lower than comparable products on the market and has an expected lifetime of 3000 cycles. 

Each ReVolve™ 3-phase unit provides grid-compliant 400-480V AC output, with 120kWh capacity and 36kVA continuous power. Units can operate in both grid-connected and off-grid applications. At a roundtrip AC-to-AC efficiency of close to 90%, the ReVolve™ compares strongly against new industrial storage systems.

Wave Energy To Gild The Floating Wind Turbine Lily In Ireland

Floating wind turbine technology is just starting to get off the ground, and now suddenly wave energy is coming around to turbo-boost the industry. If all goes according to plan, a new floating wind-plus-wave project off the coast of Ireland will demonstrate how nations with a coastline can accelerate the clean energy transition and meet their 2050 net zero carbon goals just in time to thwart catastrophic climate change. You listening, USA?

Project Saoirse will be located much closer to shore, at about 4-6 kilometers. The basic idea seems to be that wave energy devices can share undersea cable and other transmission infrastructure with floating wind turbines. Partly due to their high profile, floating wind turbines need to be sited far offshore in order to keep from running afoul of the local tourist industry and other stakeholders. That leaves a lot of empty space between the offshore farm and the coast. With a much lower profile, wave energy devices could monetize some of that space without ruffling feathers onshore.

How Far Along Is Wave Energy, Really?

Wave energy devices work by converting the mechanical up-and-down motion of waves into an electrical current. That sounds simple enough, especially considering the 24/7 availability of an endless supply of waves in the ocean.
However, the devil is in the details. Wave energy developers have been hammering away on a number of key issues including the ability to withstand salt water and stormy weather. Despite the obstacles, wave energy R&D has soldiered on, and it looks like all that hard work is paying off.

Coastalwatch

In the US it would appear the mix of Wind, Solar and Storage has become accepted as the obvious choice going forward for large corporations where accountants know a thing or two  when it comes to value for money!

RFP alert: AEPEP seeks up to 500 MW of renewables and storage

The company wants to secure power purchase agreements of 10, 12, or 15 years from PJM-sited projects that begin operation between 2021 and 2024. Eligible projects include new solar farms, new or repowered wind facilities, and stand-alone or co-located battery energy storage systems. The RFP calls for between 300 MW and 500 MW of nameplate capacity.

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/03/04/rfp-alert-aepep-seeks-up-to-500-mw-of-renewables-and-storage/?utm_source=pv+magazine+USA&utm_campaign=b52542c72c-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_80e0d17bb8-b52542c72c-159341337

Coastalwatch

It would appear the popularity of domestic solar down under has created issues for the local grid which are now to be addressed. There had been lots of cases of PV arrays being tripped out causing the upgrades to take place.

Powercor program works to increase solar export capacity for 50,000 Victorians

Owners of rooftop solar systems in Western Victoria are set to benefit from an intensive four-month blitz from electricity distributor Powercor to improve the levels of rooftop solar penetration. 

Powercor’s Solar Hotspots Program aims to improve the export capacity of solar systems and reduce the tripping in areas of high rooftop solar penetration due to excesses of solar exportation that the network can’t facilitate.

“We recognise the future of energy is being driven by customer choices” said Clarke, ” and we have a big role in enabling them.”

https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2021/03/05/powercor-program-works-to-increase-solar-export-capacity-for-50000-victorians/?utm_source=pv+magazine+USA&utm_campaign=b52542c72c-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_80e0d17bb8-b52542c72c-159341337