The year in clean energy: Wind, solar and batteries grow despite economic challenges

alyaza [they/she]@beehaw.orgmod to Environment@beehaw.org – 30 points –
The year in clean energy: Wind, solar and batteries grow despite economic challenges
apnews.com
2

Anecdotal data incoming! After initially switching to battery off shore power, I have now been exclusively on solar* for a month and would never care to go back.

*except the rare times I need heat, at which point I use a Diesel heater that I run for less than an hour on days I need it (I've learned to embrace layers even indoors), which consumes roughly 1 cup/240mL per hour. Not completely clean, by any stretch, but there's not enough real estate on my roof to power fully electric HVAC. But getting down to that being the only need for fossil fuels for home use is a massive shift, and it's always wise not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We're in the transition phase, and every bit helps.

🤖 I'm a bot that provides automatic summaries for articles: ::: spoiler Click here to see the summary Led by new solar power, the world added renewable energy at breakneck speed in 2023, a trend that if amplified will help Earth turn away from fossil fuels and prevent severe warming and its effects.

Both state and federal incentives had a large influence on U.S. solar growth, said Daniel Bresette, president of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, a non-profit education and policy organization.

China is on track to surpass its ambitious 2030 target of 1,200 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and wind power capacity five years ahead of schedule if planned projects are all built, the Global Energy Monitor said.

The cost of key battery raw materials, including lithium, also dropped significantly, Benchmark senior analyst Evan Hartley said.

“The battery cost is now on that trajectory that most Americans will be able to afford an EV,” said Paul Braun, a University of Illinois professor of materials science and engineering.

Health and safety violations were found at a joint venture plant between General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution in Ohio.


Saved 86% of original text. :::