Smart inverters are advanced power electronics that bring autonomy to electrical grids, making them more reliable, resilient, and secure. These inverters better connect distributed energy resources (DERs) to the electrical grid and allow them to be powered by a greater array of renewable energy sources. In recent years, a number of U.S. states, including Hawaii […]
Climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic. Cyber security attacks. Artificial intelligence (AI) and data privacy regulations. The shift to 5G. These were all common themes in 2021, and are likely to continue affecting us well into the new year. To learn more, check out our top reads from 2021: Four Cyber Security Resolutions to Adopt in […]
Renewable energies are surging. Between 2011 and 2020, the amount of energy the United States generated from solar and wind almost quadrupled. When combined with geothermal generation, it accounted for an annual growth of almost 15 percent, reports The Washington Post. Among the findings originally reported by the nonprofit Environment America Research and Policy Center […]
Global temperatures are soaring. Since pre-industrial times, human activity has warmed the planet global by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Any further warming could be potentially catastrophic. Integrating renewable sources such as wind and solar into energy grids is vital to helping governments reach zero carbon electricity generation. However, there is a major problem: renewables are not […]
Not only are electronic devices everywhere in our homes, they also take large amounts of energy from the power grid. According to a 2015 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, roughly a quarter of home energy consumption in the U.S. is eaten up by devices that are in idle power mode—and that doesn’t include […]
The smart grid is a digitized electrical grid that allows for two-way communication between the utility and the consumer. While the smart grid can provide a greener, cost-effective solution to humanity’s energy needs, implementing it won’t be easy. It will take both time and money to replace the decades-old electric grids that currently supply the […]
In recent weeks, natural disasters such as hurricanes and the California wildfires have wrought a path of destruction across the United States. Without investment in renewable technology that can help combat climate change, events such as these are likely to get worse. As discussed in a previous post, the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the renewable industry […]
While the global pandemic has created an uncertain future for renewables, new discoveries are giving researchers hope for a greener tomorrow. According to a pair of recently published studies from Tel Aviv University, two naturally abundant resources—plants and humidity—may revolutionize renewable energy in the future by generating electricity. Can Plants Generate Electricity? One of the […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic winds on, it’s causing a lot of unpredictability in the renewable energy sector. BW Research Partnership predicts that half a million people employed in the industry in the U.S. will lose their jobs by the end of June. However, at the same time, solar power is providing more power than ever. […]
Renewables have greatly expanded on a global level. Last year, growth in renewables outcompeted oil, representing a minimum 70% total capacity growth in nearly all regions with the exception of Africa and the Middle East, where renewable growth constituted 52% and 26%, respectively. The expansion of renewables in 2020, however, will be less certain due […]
