January 27, 2018

Weekend Reads: What city can power Amazon; Microgrids & the solar tariff & more

Every Saturday, we'll bring you five of the most interesting — or quirky; it is the weekend after all — energy stories from around the web that you may have missed this week. This weekend's energy reads:

What City Has the Power to Woo Amazon? (Slate)  As 20 lucky cities advance to the final round of the Amazon HQ2 pageant, it’s worth considering what might tip the balance in any one place’s favor. Traffic? Access to talent? Affordable housing? Favorable tax incentives? All of those considerations will surely be important, but cities looking to lure the tech giant’s new headquarters might also want to pay special attention to energy. On Page 4 of the HQ2 Request for Proposals, discreetly tucked under an “additional information” heading, Amazon talks about its preference for salvaged wood—and renewable energy.  

Will the New Solar Tariffs Hurt the Microgrid Industry? Yes and No (Microgrid Knowledge)  Energy insiders offered mixed views this week about how new solar tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will impact the microgrid industry. The tariff on imported solar panels and cells came in response to complaints from two foreign-owned solar companies operating in the US. The companies said they were forced into bankruptcy as a result of cheap solar panel imports. The added cost won’t make or break a microgrid project, said some microgrid developers, noting that the larger the microgrid, the more impact the solar tariffs will have. The 30 percent tariff, which declines by 5 percent per year over four years, offers an exemption for the first 2.5 GW of imports. 

OneEnergy, 3Degrees, and Net Impact Announce 2018 Energy Scholars (3 Degrees)  In partnership with Net Impact, OneEnergy Renewables and 3Degrees are thrilled to announce the 2018 class of Energy Scholars. The Energy Scholar program, now in its seventh year, is designed to cultivate and empower tomorrow’s renewable energy leaders through professional mentoring, networking, and industry access. The goal of the program is to foster a new generation of skilled and experienced professionals to take on the fight against climate change.

Here are six of China’s ambitious, mind-boggling, renewable energy projects (CNBC)  Rich in history and culture and with a powerful economy and military, China is seen by many as the emerging global superpower. When it comes to renewable energy, China is, in many ways, striking out on its own. According to the International Energy Agency, new solar photovoltaic capacity grew by 50 percent in 2016. China alone accounted for nearly half that expansion. In the wind energy sector, China installed a staggering 23.4 gigawatts of new capacity in 2016, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. It's no surprise, then, that the country can boast several projects and facilities that are grand in both ambition and scale. Here's six of them.

How much power does a rock concert need? (The Telegraph)  The UK music events industry is booming. Worth up to £3.7 billion and attended by a staggering 27.7 million people, music concerts and festivals account for a meaningful chunk of the UK’s economy. Unsurprisingly, this sector uses a large amount of energy throughout the year – something which must be meticulously managed by venues across the country. So what are the vital things that venues need to consider when putting on a music show? That the lights only go out when they are meant to, and that the sound is suitably loud, of course. But with all this energy being used, what’s the cost for the venue? The energy requirements needed to put on a music show go far beyond the stage itself, after all.

Read These Related Articles:

• Weekend Reads: The U.S.'s New Climate Goal; Sustainable Fleet Trailblazers
• Weekend Reads: MIT on Where to Site Renewables; AI's Promise for Energy Efficiency
• Weekend Reads: London's Eye-Catching EV Buses; Earth's Giant 'Batteries'
• Weekend Reads: COP29 on Energy Efficiency; Unscrambling Hydrogen
• Weekend Reads: Five Things to Know About COP29; Rethinking Gas Stations

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