Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Sourcing Renewables  -  December 1, 2018

Weekend reads: Could RE + storage reach 90% of grid?; On-campus energy efficiency

It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read energy articles from around the web:

Change the rules, add powerlines to let renewables plus storage aim for 90% of the grid (PV Magazine)  There have been many analyses that show varying combinations of wind, solar, storage and transmission 100% powering the United States. The various projections debate pricing, capacity, political realities and other variables, but all of them show pathways toward a clean grid being heavily powered by wind and solar. Getting there, some fifteen to thirty years in the future, is going to take more than models, though. It will take a change in policies and infrastructure to guide the business of keeping the power grid running.

Making Microgrids as Simple to Deploy & Finance as Rooftop Solar (Microgrid Knowledge)  Scale Microgrid Solutions is on a mission to make sophisticated microgrids as easy to deploy and finance as rooftop solar, said Timothy Hade, microgrid specialist for the company. “Our thesis is that at scale, microgrids have all sorts of great technical aspects that can make our total energy system cleaner, cheaper and more reliable. But the challenge is how to make microgrid deployment as easy as rooftop solar deployment,” he said. One of numerous challenges to getting more microgrid deployed: High skill levels are generally required.

Viewpoint: Energy efficiency is a driver of campus sustainability (Boston Business Journal)   We are fortunate to live and work in the higher education capital of the world. Greater Boston schools not only educate our future workforce and leaders, but also serve as living labs for new models of sustainable living. As such, schools recognize the urgency of addressing climate change, and many have a comprehensive climate-action plan in place, with aggressive sustainability goals and pledges to be carbon neutral by a specific year. These plans demonstrate that what’s good for the environment is also good for business, as sustainable measures and policies often provide schools with a positive long-term economic impact. 

High energy: Pa.'s medical marijuana growers try to tame a power-hungry crop (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) It takes a lot of energy to make a marijuana plant feel at home in a once abandoned warehouse. Replicating the sun, warmth and moisture of a farm indoors requires light, air conditioning, ventilation and dehumidification — energy-intensive equipment that adds up to a stunning statistic: producing a pound of cannabis takes more than 80 times as much electricity as making a pound of aluminum in a smelter. Grass, in other words, is not always green.  

Dead fish to fuel Norwegian Hurtigruten cruise liner (CNN Travel)  The cruise industry is booming, thanks to its promise of spectacular views, exotic locales and floating luxury. But as the appetite for ocean travel rapidly grows, there's been growing concern about its environmental impact. Fish scraps might be part of the solution, according to a Norwegian cruise operator.
Hurtigruten, known for its trips through Norway's fjords and to the Arctic, will power a fleet of ships partly through liquified biogas -- which is produced as dead fish and other organic waste decompose, the company said in a press release.

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