mandates

The Race For EV Batteries | Earth Wise

February 1, 2023 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Lithium-ion batteries have been the power source for electric vehicles since 2008, when the Tesla Roadster was introduced. They took over for nickel-metal hydride batteries that powered most hybrid electric cars such as the Prius. Lithium-ion batteries store much more energy for a battery of a given weight, which leads to greater driving range.

But lithium-ion is not an ideal solution. The batteries depend on critical materials that are obtained by hacking into mountains, utilizing scarce desert groundwater, and in some cases, making use of child labor. Many materials depend on countries with whom economic ties have complicated geopolitical consequences.

State and federal mandates and incentives are pushing auto companies to prioritize electric vehicles in their future plans. The Inflation Reduction Act in particular provides credits and other incentives for both consumers and manufacturers to electrify. So, sources for EV batteries are a key issue.

The Department of Energy is funding 20 different companies with $2.8 billion to bolster the production and processing of critical minerals in the U.S. The goal is to bring the electric vehicle supply chain onshore to the greatest extent possible. Some of the work involves redesigning lithium-ion batteries to reduce or eliminate problematic materials such as cobalt. Other efforts seek to find domestic sources of critical materials such as lithium without causing serious environmental problems.

Given all this, it is no surprise that academic and industrial researchers are also exploring a wide variety of alternative battery technologies.

The future of transportation is electrification and the race for EV batteries is on.

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For U.S. Companies, the Race for the New EV Battery Is On

Photo, posted August 27, 2021, courtesy of Ron Frazier via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Solar Parking Lots In France | Earth Wise

January 6, 2023 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

France has passed legislation that will require all parking lots with more than 80 spaces to be covered over by solar panels. This is part of a broader effort to put solar panels on vacant lots, empty land alongside roadways and train tracks, and even some farmland. The overall program would add 11 gigawatts of solar power to the French electricity grid.

The legislation applies to both new and existing parking lots. Owners of parking lots with more than 400 spaces would have 3 years to comply, while owners of lots with 80 to 400 spaces would have five years.

To produce 11 gigawatts of solar output, about half a percent of France’s urban land would need to be covered with solar panels. This is quite a bit, but not an insurmountable obstacle. Parking lots, however, could only provide a fraction of what is needed. It would take something like 8 million parking spaces covered with solar panels to produce that much power. That is probably at least twice as many as France has.

Several countries, most notably Germany, already have mandates for new construction to incorporate renewable energy. This includes solar panels, biomass boilers, heat pumps, and wind turbines. Many parking lots in southern Europe already have sunshades over them, which would make it pretty easy to install solar panels. This is much rarer in cooler countries.

France is pursuing this policy to reduce its dependence on nuclear power, which currently provides 70% of the country’s electricity. Apart from the general trend of opposition to nuclear power, reliance upon it during increasingly common droughts is problematic as the power plants require significant amounts of water to operate.

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France’s plan for solar panels on all car parks is just the start of an urban renewable revolution

Photo, posted February 11, 2008, courtesy of Armando Jimenez / U.S. Army Environmental Command via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

What’s The Best Way To Reduce Emissions? | Earth Wise

April 1, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

A carbon tax is a fee imposed on the burning of carbon-based fuels, like coal, oil, and gas. It’s one way to make the users of carbon fuels pay for the climate damage caused by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

According to a new study by researchers at Ohio State University, putting a price on producing carbon is the cheapest and most efficient policy change that legislators can make in order to reduce climate change-causing emissions.

The case study, which was recently published in the journal Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports, looked at the impact that a variety of policy changes would have on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation in Texas. The researchers found that assigning a price to carbon, based on the cost of climate change, was most effective.

The study did not look at how policy changes might affect the reliability of the Texas power system, an important consideration after the failure of the state’s power grid following winter storms in February.

But the study did examine other policies and found that they were either more expensive or not as effective, including mandates that a certain amount of energy in a portfolio come from renewable sources. Subsidizing renewable energy sources was also found to be less effective.

According to researchers, market-based solutions have previously proven effective combating environmental issues. For example, a cap-and-trade approach was used to reduce levels of sulfur dioxide, one of the chemicals that causes acid rain.

For the sake of the climate, we should probably tax carbon.

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Want to cut emissions that cause climate change? Tax carbon

What’s a carbon tax?

Photo, posted June 5, 2011, courtesy of John Englart via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Grid-Scale Battery Storage is on the Rise | Earth Wise

February 4, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Driven by steeply falling prices and improving technology, grid-scale battery storage systems are seeing record growth in the U.S. and around the world. Battery storage is a way to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to renewable energy: the cycling between oversupply when the sun shines or the wind blows, and shortage when the sun sets or the wind drops. Storing excess energy in battery banks can smooth imbalances between supply and demand.

In California, a 300-megawatt lithium-ion battery plant is being readied for operation with another 100 megawatts to come online in 2021. The system will be able to power roughly 300,000 California homes for four-hour periods when energy demand outstrips supply. It will be the world’s largest battery system for a while until even larger systems in Florida and in Saudi Arabia come online.

Nationwide, a record 1.2 gigawatts of storage were installed last year and that number is projected to jump dramatically over the next five years to nearly 7.5 gigawatts in 2025.

The price tag for utility-scale battery storage in the U.S. has plummeted, dropping nearly 70% just between 2015 and 2018. Prices are expected to drop by a further 45% over the next decade. Battery performance has continued to improve dramatically with increased power capacity and the ability to store and discharge energy over ever-longer periods of time.

Favorable energy policies including renewable energy mandates coupled with continued price drops will drive the widespread expansion of battery energy storage.

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In Boost for Renewables, Grid-Scale Battery Storage Is on the Rise

Photo, posted November 17, 2016, courtesy of Steve Ryan via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Solar Equity for Low-Income Communities

May 30, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

A couple of years ago, the number of American roofs covered with solar panels passed the one million mark and the numbers keep growing. But nearly half of U.S. households – accounting for more than 154 million people – aren’t able to host their own solar arrays because they lack suitable rooftop space, or they rent their homes. But millions more simply can’t afford to spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy or lease solar panels.

In recent years, community solar has become popular. These are projects where multiple participants own or lease shares in a mid-sized solar facility and receive credits that lower their monthly utility bills. Community solar in the U.S. has more than quadrupled just since 2016.

However, the majority of community solar subscribers to date have been businesses, universities, government agencies, and higher-earning households. These users can generally pay steep project enrollment fees or meet various financial requirements. Meanwhile, those who could benefit most from access to renewable energy and lower utility bills – low-income residents – have largely been left out.

Low-income households on average spend over 8% of their income on utility bills, about three times more than moderate- to high-income households. So, reducing electricity bills with community solar power is a big deal for them.

Given this situation, there are now a growing number of programs that make use of community solar to reduce living expenses for low-income households. In a dozen states, new programs include a variety of mandates, financial incentives, and pilot programs targeting benefits for people with low incomes. These programs will allow them to participate in both the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy.

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Energy Equity: Bringing Solar Power to Low-Income Communities

Photo, posted November 27, 2012, courtesy of Oregon State University via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Growing Use Of Wind And Solar Power

December 10, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

According to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar and wind energy now generate more than 20% of the electricity used in 10 states. Topping the list is Iowa, which got 37% of its electricity from wind and solar in 2017. The next three states were Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, all getting more than 30% of their power from the renewables. The top five states, which adds North Dakota to the list, actually get nearly all of their renewable energy from wind. In fact, during some months in 2017, Iowa and Kansas both got more than half of their electricity from wind.

Surging Wind Power In The U.S.

June 16, 2017 By EarthWise

So far, it has been a big year for the U.S. wind industry, which experienced its fastest first-quarter growth since 2009. In total, about 2,000 megawatts of new capacity was installed, enough to power about 500,000 homes. With this addition, wind now produces 5 1/2% of the country’s electricity.