News Roundup: New Technology Could Transform Solar Industry, Pipelines’ Permits Suspended, More Solar Projects Announced and Completed
Inside the New Technology That Could Transform the Solar Power Industry
Solar generation will increase 16-fold between 2016 and 2040, according to data from the International Energy Agency, and new research into a class of materials known as perovskites underway in U.S. government labs and other facilities around the world promises to accelerate those projections. If they make it from the lab to commercial use, perovskites could dramatically change the market for the renewable energy source, offering potential for panels to capture energy from virtually any surface facing the sun. The primary reasons why perovskites potentially serve as a superior alternative to traditional solar cells include their flexibility and production ease: they can be painted or sprayed on a surface from an ink solution or churned out of a printer like a newspaper. That flexibility means they can be attached virtually anywhere. Read the story here.
Mountain Valley Pipeline Permit Suspended; Public Comment about Permit for it and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to be Extended after Website Failure
Due to a crash of the website for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), a national permit for a Virginia pipeline has been indefinitely suspended and the permit for it and a second pipeline will be extended. Virginia’s State Water Control Board was going to accept public comment until May 30 on the same permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline and Dominion Energy-led Atlantic Coast Pipeline after hearing arguments that the permit doesn’t adequately protect Virginia waterways. But, because of the Virginia DEQ website crash, the public comment deadline has been extended. According to DEQ spokeswoman Ann Regn, no data was lost and the comment period will be extended by however many days the website is down. Comments can be made to: NWP12InfoOnMVP@deq.virginia.gov and
NWP12InfoOnACP@deq.virginia.gov. Read the story here.
Solar Projects Commissioned in Virginia
Two new solar centers – the Palmer and Martin Solar Centers – are set to open in central Virginia, along the I-64 corridor. They will total 10 MW AC and will generate enough clean energy to power approximately 1,200 homes annually. Together, the projects combine to make up the largest solar project in the state for an electric distribution cooperative and are being constructed by Coronal Energy, an independent power producer focused on utility-scale solar and storage projects, and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC), a member-owned electric distribution cooperative, celebrated the commissioning of the Palmer and Martin solar centers in central Virginia. CVEC will purchase the projects’ output under a 25-year power purchase agreement and plans to offer 4 MW of the 10 MW generated by the solar centers to its members as a part of Solar Share, its community solar program, while Coronal Energy will own and operate the facilities. Read the story here.
WGL Energy, Sol Systems complete 6-MW array in Virginia
Kentuck Solar Project stakeholders, working in conjunction with WGL Energy Systems and Sol Systems, announced the completion of a 6-MW alternating current system in Ringgold, Virginia. The $10-million project is located on 76 acres, created approximately 80 jobs during construction and boosted the local economy. The solar project will provide enough electricity to power more than 1,000 homes annually and will cover 1.5% of the city of Danville’s power needs, thereby establishing long-term certainty for the utility in the city of Danville. WGL Energy serves as owner and operator of the project and Sol Systems oversaw the design, construction and financing of the system. The City of Danville Department of Utilities is purchasing the energy from the fully installed photovoltaic (PV) solar facility for the next 25 years to diversify its energy and capacity portfolio. Read the story here.