The green technologies installed as part of a £500m redevelopment of Kings Cross Station in London are delivering cheaper bills and lower carbon emissions, Network Rail has confirmed. In an update this week the company said the station’s 2,300 square metre solar panel installation has cut carbon emissions at the station by more than 40 tonnes
Business Green 9th Nov 2018 read more »
Public support for solar PV remains high, but the government has seemingly failed with its clean growth awareness campaigns. Those are the findings from the most recent Public Attitudes Tracker survey, published today, which demonstrate that 83% of the 4,258 surveyed support the use of solar PV. While public support has dwindled slightly from its high of 87% recorded in March, solar remains the most popular renewable energy generation technology in the country, beating offshore wind by four percentage points. Support for renewables in general also remains high at 80%, but has too slipped slightly from the 83% figure recorded in March’s survey.
Solar power Portal 8th Nov 2018 read more »
Amazon has received planning approval for its latest solar and storage project, which will see a ~3.6MW array installed on the roof of Coalville site in Leicestershire alongside a battery storage system. Approval was granted by North West Leicestershire District Council last month for the installations at the recently built large distribution centre. The solar PV system is predicted to generate 3,073,000 kWh/annum, contributing almost a third of the total site demand. The size of the Tesla battery system to be used was not clear from the planning documents, however proposed building elevations suggest a system comprised of 15 Powerpack units, just over half the size of the 3.77MW battery proposed for Amazon’s Tilbury fulfilment centre.
Solar Power Portal 8th Nov 2018 read more »
With the price of photovoltaics having plunged dramatically, solar is likely to become a major contributor to the electrical generating mix in many countries. But the intermittent nature of photovoltaics could put a limit on how much they contribute to future grids or force us to develop massive storage capabilities. But photovoltaics aren’t the only solar technology out there. Concentrated solar power uses mirrors to focus the Sun’s light, providing heat that can be used to drive turbines. Advances in heat storage mean that the technology can now generate power around the clock, essentially integrating storage into the process of producing energy. Unfortunately, the price of concentrated solar hasn’t budged much, and photovoltaics have left it in the dust. But some materials scientists may have figured out a way to boost concentrated solar’s efficiency considerably, clawing back some of photovoltaics’ advantage.
Ars Technica 19th Oct 2018 read more »