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Solar News: April 2018
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Chinese Solar Highway
Scientists and engineers in China are developing the blueprint for a high-tech road, complete with solar panels and charging stations. This new “prototype” is designed for driverless cars, complete with mapping sensors. Said features will lie below a transparent “concrete” road spanning 1,080 meters. The solar panels will not only provide power for the charging stations, but also nearly 800 surrounding homes in the eastern city of Jinan. These solar roads are a small part of a much larger plan to become the world’s artificial intelligence technology innovation center. By 2030, China estimates that 10% of its vehicles will be driverless. Only the future can tell whether this plan will pan out.
Repurposing Dump Sites into Solar Farms
The towns of Narragansett and South Kingstown and the University of Rhode Island are building solar farms on old trash and dumping sites, making use of otherwise useless space. Kearsarge Energy was the winning bidder for the sites. This company will build the solar farms, keep 75% of the power generated, and sell the remaining 25% to local towns and the university. Both of the sites were previously found to have toxic chemicals, but have since been remediated. Cheers to new beginnings!
Solar Becoming Bigger Investment than Fossil Fuels
2017 was a big year for solar. According to the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 Report, released by the UN Environment, Frankfurt School - UNEP Collaborating Centre, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, China was the leader in the solar investment, topping out at 1$26.6 billion, up 31% from 2016. There were also sharp increases in investment in Australia, Mexico, and Sweden. In 2017, the world added more solar capacity than coal, nuclear, and gas combined. These days, the amount of electricity generated by renewables, including wind, biomass, solar, marine, hydro and geothermal is 12%. We’re becoming greener!
New State Solar Bills
About a week ago, a new bill passed in South Carolina which will make solar a better investment. The new bill will remove an artificial cap on net metering from rooftop installations. The removal of the cap will encourage more home and business owners choose solar as a cost effective and long-term investment option. South Carolina saw an explosion in solar energy installation in 2017. The state added 396 megawatts, quadrupling its total amount of solar capacity. Renogy has several large solar projects in this state. We say this new bill is a step in the right direction!
The Mountainfilm Tour Features Fun, Fascinating Films
The Mountainfilm is all about the “indomitable spirit.” It’s a film tour and festival that features documentaries that cover an array of topics including: environmental, cultural, climbing, and social justice issues. This tour spans from the Pacific Northwest, to the Rocky Mountains, to the east coast and beyond. Here are five movies that are currently [...]
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Product Spotlight: Renogy Solar Backpack
Today’s world is busy, fast paced, and jammed packed with activities. It’s easy to leave the house without charging your phone or other electronics, only to discover that they’re out of power when you need to use them. Not only is this an inconvenience, it can also prevent you from getting assistance in the event of an emergency. What [...]
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New Product Spotlight: 100W Monocrystalline Slim Design Solar Panel and 160W Flexible Solar Panel
Winter is over and spring is officially here. The snow is melting, the ground is thawing, and the birds are chirping. Perhaps the best of all is the beginning of daylight savings time. Who couldn’t use an extra hour of sunlight? This time of the year is perfect for putting together a new renewable power system, especially solar. That [...]
Read More »Product Spotlight: Renogy Rugged Power Pack
Camping without electronics can be relaxing, but bringing a phone, radio, or navigation device along is essential for safety. While out in the wilderness, its possible to lose your way or even encounter a medical emergency, making a radio, navigation device, or even a phone a lifesaving item. The Renogy Rugged Power Pack is perfect for keeping these devices [...]
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Take it From the Pros: Here's How you Can Live Your Life in a Van
While in Nicaragua on a surf trip, Corey and Emily were inspired to move into their Volkswagen Westfalia and pursue a life on the road. That was five years ago. In the video below, the couple talks candidly about the simplicity of van-life, and the delicate balance between time for work and time for adventure. Filmmaker and [...]
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5 Simple Tips to Up Your Landscape Photography Game
With smartphones always in hand and Instagram feeds constantly being thumbed through, it's no wonder that a lot of people have dabbled in photography. While it's easy to point and shoot with your iPhone or Pixel, there are simple tips budding photographers can use in order to perfect their landscape shots. 1. Include a Focal PointIn [...]
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Renogy Fire Sale 2/23-3/1/2018 (Renogy.com only)
Although we’re best known for our solar products, that doesn’t mean we don’t like to play with fire every once and a while. This week we’re running our first Fire Sale, and we’d love for you to stop by and take a look at all of the unbeatable deals we’re offering. During this sale you can save up to [...]
Read More »How to Incorporate Solar into a Backyard Pond
Let’s face it: the coolest yard on the block was always the one with the Koi pond. Decorative mini-ponds are trendier than ever, making their way into landscaping, parks, and wedding venues around the country. Not only are these ponds an attractive outdoor feature, they are also incredibly relaxing for adults and fun for kids (supervised, of course). Picking [...]
Read More »Meet the Renogy Rugged Power Pack
If you’re checked out our PowerDeal Sale, you’ve already taken a sneak peek at the Renogy Rugged Power Pack. Here at Renogy, we’re always working hard to create user friendly, portable, and practical products. Portable power generators in general are not new to the market, but solar powered generators are. Recently, many state and federal parks have begun placing noise [...]
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