CleanEnergy – Center of Excellence for Clean Energy

Wind surpasses hydro as most used renewable

Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Wind is now the top renewable source of electricity generation in the country, a position previously held by hydroelectricity.

Annual wind generation totaled 300 million megawatthours (MWh) in 2019, exceeding hydroelectric generation by 26 million MWh. Wind generation has increased steadily during the past decade, in part, because the Production Tax Credit (PTC), which drove wind capacity additions, was extended. Annual hydroelectric generation has fluctuated between 250 million MWh and 320 million MWh in the past decade, reflecting a stable capacity base and variable annual precipitation.

The downstream air pollution impacts of the transition from coal to natural gas in the U.S.

Posted on Monday, January 13, 2020

Findings from a recent study show that although there are considerable benefits of decommissioning older coal-fired units, the newer natural gas and coal-fired units that have supplanted them are not entirely benign.

Hydropower: Untapped energy?

Posted on Friday, January 10, 2020

The world’s energy systems are inseparably linked to water. That is why engineers are working on harnessing the power of ocean energies and undammed river currents. Examples of ocean energies include wave energy, tidal energy, thermal energy and underwater energy created by ocean currents.

Although the process of capturing ocean energy has not yet reached maturity, it is extremely promising. Converters are able to capture the energy contained in waves by trapping air pockets to drive turbines, using wave motion and even generating energy from wave height differences.

World’s largest floating wind turbine connects online

Posted on Thursday, January 9, 2020

The largest floating wind turbine to date just went online off the coast of Portugal.

One of the three platforms that will make up the WindFloat Atlantic off-shore wind farm was connected to the grid via a 20-kilometre (12.4-mile) long cable on New Year’s Eve.

Once the other two platforms come online, WindFloat will be able to provide enough clean energy for around 60,000 homes.

500 solar power systems installed by Target

Posted on Thursday, January 9, 2020

One of the top U.S. corporate solar power installers, Target completed its 500th rooftop solar installation in California, appropriately enough considering that it is the #1 state in the country for solar power.

The solar installations helped Target add more than 240 megawatts of solar across their buildings. This equals the power needed for nearly 46,000 homes in the U.S. Target chose solar because it wants to meet energy needs in a way that is good for the communities where it operates and the environment while also reducing the cost of its energy. One rooftop solar installation generates enough energy to offset between 15% and 40% of one of Target’s property’s energy needs.

Texan wind power grows again as huge turbines start spinning

Posted on Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Texas is known for its oil production, but it is increasingly a major player in wind energy. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the Lone Star State had more than 27 gigawatts of installed wind capacity and 14,198 wind turbines during the third quarter of 2019. The nearest rival in terms of installed capacity, Iowa, had less than half (8.965 GW) of Texas’ installed capacity during the same period. Capacity refers to the maximum amount that installations can theoretically produce.