March 1 NEC Energy News
¶ “Nearly One In Three Homes In Australia Covered In Solar Panels” • Australia has been the global leader in penetration of rooftop PVs for a decade or so. Now, data from SunWiz shows that nearly one in three Australian homes has rooftop solar PVs. Rooftop solar power is about to become #1 in the country in terms of generating capacity. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Eleven EU States Unite To Strengthen Nuclear Power” • Eleven EU member states vowed to “strengthen cooperation” on nuclear energy, saying this would help Europe move away from fossil fuels. They agreed “to support new projects” alongside existing nuclear plants, according to a statement released while the EU energy ministers were meeting. [The Nation]
¶ “CEC Determines Diablo Canyon Power Plant Needed To Support Grid Reliability” • The California Energy Commission approved an analysis recommending the state pursue extending operation of Diablo Canyon Power Plant through 2030 to ensure reliability. This comes as California confronts the impacts of climate change. [California Energy Commission]
¶ “Agriculture Is A Massive Climate Problem, And Ag Drones Are A Key Wedge” • How many benefits can one technology have? When it comes to agricultural drones, quite a few. Agribusinesses buy them because they save a lot of money and increase crop yield. The green benefits are a fringe benefit the rest of us will appreciate more and more. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “NIO Builds Battery Factory, CATL Reacts, Lithium Prices Implode” • The price of lithium carbonate went to as much as $86,000 a ton last year, and the cost of batteries for EVs climbed by 24% after nine years of steady decline. But CATL offered NIO and Zeekr deals based on an expected price by the end of this year of $30,000 a ton. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Orlen Raises Renewables Ambition” • Central European energy company Orlen has committed to increasing investments in renewable energy sources as part of an updated strategy to 2030. It will deliver over 9 GW of installed renewable energy capacity (onshore and offshore wind, solar PV) by 2030, a four-fold increase on a previous target. [reNews]
¶ “Central Heat Pump Water Heaters Can Act As Massive Water Batteries, Seattle Pilot Project Shows” • Central heat pump water heaters present a tremendous opportunity to reduce the energy used in water heating and can act as giant thermal batteries. This was made clear in the first of its kind Bayview Tower pilot project in Seattle. [CleanTechnica]
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