NEWS
In Wyoming, Sheep May Safely Graze Under Solar Panels in One of the State’s First “Agrivoltaic” Projects
By Jake Bolster
Converse County is one of the most welcoming areas in Wyoming when it comes to clean energy. For roughly every 20 residents, there is one wind turbine, the highest ratio in the state. At a recent County Commissioners meeting, it took another step in diversifying its energy infrastructure, signaling its intent to issue its first solar farm permit to BrightNight.
The global energy company has proposed to build more than 1 million solar panels, a battery storage facility and a few miles of above-ground transmission lines on a 4,738 acres of private land run by the Tillard ranching family near Glenrock. The Dutchman Project, as it is called, is notable neither for its generation nor its storage capacity but for the creatures moseying beneath its panels. (Continued)
Arizona company plans $344 million Georgia factory to make recycled glass for solar panels
By Associated Press
CEDARTOWN, Ga. (AP) — An Arizona company that recycles solar panels announced Thursday that it would build a $344 million factory in northwest Georgia, for the first time expanding to making new glass for panels.
Arizona-based Solarcycle said it would hire more than 600 workers in Cedartown, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, for a factory opening in 2026.
The company was founded in 2022 and opened its first recycling facility in Odessa, Texas. Earlier this month, the company opened a headquarters, research lab and second recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona, hiring more than 100 people. (Continued)
FAQs Solar Health & Safety
By Americans for Energy Independence
Are solar panels safe? Solar panels are safe. They are built using strong sealants and thick sheets of glass, making it highly unlikely to cause harm to people or animals.
What makes solar panels safe after installation? Solar panels remain safe for the entire time that they are operational. There are two safety precautions taken by solar installers: grounding and rapid shutdown. (Continued)
New Report Finds the World Shift to Clean Energy is "Unstoppable"
By Margherita Cole
From solar panels to electric cars, clean energy has become a bigger part of our lives in recent years. A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that it will only develop a stronger foothold in the decades to come, with more solar panels, electric cars, and renewable energy by 2030.
IEA analyzed the current policies, and adds that there will likely be two-thirds more clean energy 10 years from now with a decreased dependence on fossil fuels. “The transition to clean energy is happening worldwide and it’s unstoppable. It’s not a question of ‘if,’ it’s just a matter of ‘how soon’—and the sooner the better for all of us,” says IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. (Continued)
How the power grid survived a hot, hot summer
By Jason Plautz
The power system has held up so far in record-breaking temperatures despite predictions that extreme heat could cause a crash. Here’s why.
The overseers of the U.S. power supply entered the summer worried about the health of the electric grid, warning that extreme heat could trigger mass blackouts.
Instead, the grid survived mostly intact through two of the warmest months ever recorded. (Continued)
Nearly 80 major clean energy factories announced in year since Biden’s IRA passed: ‘It seems like every week there’s a new factory facility somewhere’
By Isabella O'malley, Michael Phillis and The Associated Press
On a recent day under the July sun, three men heaved solar panels onto the roof of a roomy, two-story house near the banks of the Kentucky River, a few miles upstream from the state capitol where lawmakers have promoted coal for more than a century.
The U.S. climate law that passed one year ago offers a 30% discount off this installation via a tax credit, and that’s helping push clean energy even into places where coal still provides cheap electricity. For Heather Baggett’s family in Frankfort, it was a good deal. (Continued)
Did you know these surprising solar panel facts?
By Bonface Landi
Solar panels are by far the best applicable technology for converting solar energy to usable electricity today. With the sun available to us around the year, it is only reasonable to consider taping its energy for domestic use. Even so, the currently available photovoltaic solar cell technology is still not as efficient as desired. The cells used in most solar panels have an efficiency of about 15% to 20%. This means that only about 20% of the sun rays that reach the panel are converted to electricity.
While solar panels are still quite inefficient, they are the most affordable source of renewable energy. Further, they can be installed on a small scale, something that cannot be said about wind, geothermal or other renewable energy options. With this perspective in mind, individuals, governments and policymakers continue to push for the use of solar panels to achieve the net-zero target. (Continued)