Photo.2013.06.15 17.16.04
As Solar Pushes Electricity Prices Negative, 3 Solutions for California’s Power Grid
"The state has a wealth of renewable energy midday, but it needs ways to meet the evening prime time demand as base-load power plants go offline."
Integrated Start-Stop Engines
One thing I’ve noticed lately as a person who walks around his neighborhood a lot is how many more cars have integrated start-stop technology. So many more cars today now stop their engine when idling at traffic lights.
Now when a traffic light turns green, and person takes their foot of the brake, you now regularly here car engines starting up. You would have never heard that in the past, except with a red-faced driver when they stalled their engine, because they popped their clutch and stalled the engine.
Toxic blue-green algae blooms could ‘explode’ soon in Upstate NY
"Three ingredients are necessary for the blooms: nitrogen and phosphorous flowing into lakes, lots of sun and heat, and lack of wind."
"The wet spring has flushed plenty of nitrogen and phosphorous into lakes, said Boyer, whose lab conducts tests on toxic algae from samples around the state."
Wind and solar in March accounted for 10% of U.S. electricity generation for first time
"For the first time, monthly electricity generation from wind and solar (including utility-scale plants and small-scale systems) exceeded 10% of total electricity generation in the United States, based on March data in EIA’s Electric Power Monthly. Electricity generation from both of these energy sources has grown with increases in wind and solar generating capacity. On an annual basis, wind and solar made up 7% of total U.S. electric generation in 2016."
"Electricity generation from wind and solar follows seasonal patterns that reflect the seasonal availability of wind and sunshine. Within the United States, wind patterns vary based on geography. For example, wind-powered generating units in Texas, Oklahoma, and nearby states often have their highest output in spring months, while wind-powered generators in California are more likely to have their highest output in summer months."
"Monthly solar output is highest in the summer months, regardless of location, because of the greater number of daylight hours. About half of all utility-scale solar power plants in the United States use some form of sun-tracking technology to improve their seasonal output."