Energy Efficiency, Solar, Sourcing Renewables, Wind  -  January 25, 2020

Weekend reads: The world's most sustainable companies; CA seeks to limit ride-share emissions

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

Renewable Energy Prices Hit Record Lows: How Can Utilities Benefit From Unstoppable Solar And Wind? (Forbes) New U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data predict solar and wind energy will dominate America’s new generation in 2020, making up 76% of new generation and adding 42 gigawatts (GW) of zero emission capacity, while coal and natural gas will dominate 2020 retirements with 85% of plant closures. 

Your guide to solar market growth in the global ‘gigawatt club’ (pv magazine) Some 15 countries are able to lay claim to the status of being members of solar’s “gigawatt club” in 2019, according to projections from BloombergNEF. To kick off 2020, pv magazine’s global team of correspondents and editors have highlighted 10 fast-growing solar markets to evaluate where the opportunities, and potential risks, lie.

California Moves to Regulate Climate Impact From Uber, Lyft (Bloomberg) Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft emit 50% more greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile traveled in California than the average car, state regulators say, and so they are planning first-in-the-world rules to oversee this growing part of the transportation sector. “This is a really groundbreaking regulation,” California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols said Thursday, adding it is “essential that we find ways to reduce emissions from vehicle transportation.”

These are the most sustainable corporations in the world (Fast Company) From Microsoft going carbon negative to Starbucks announcing a (somewhat vague) goal to become “resource positive,” it seems that major companies are announcing new sustainability efforts every day. But which ones are doing the most for our environment? An annual ranking from Canadian research firm Corporate Knights, revealed January 21 at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, scrutinized more than 7,000 companies to identify the 100 most sustainable corporations in the world.

New solar power source and storage developed (BBC News) A new form of combined solar power generation and storage is being developed for the UK. It couples thin, flexible, lighter solar sheets with energy storage to power buildings or charge vehicles off-grid. The company behind it, Solivus, plans to cover the roofs of large industrial buildings with the solar fabric. These include supermarket warehouses and delivery company distribution centres. But Solivus also plans to manufacture solar units or "arcs" for home use. The aim is to create local, renewable energy, to give people and business their own power supply and help the UK towards its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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