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Record numbers of solar panels shipped in the US in 2021 – here’s why those numbers will rise

US solar panels

US shipments of solar panels – including imports, exports, and domestically produced and shipped panels – rose to a record electricity-generating capacity of 28.8 million peak kilowatts (kW) in 2021, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). That was up from 21.8 million peak kW in 2020.

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With two solar panels and one afternoon, I made my electric bike charge from the sun

solar charging electric bike

DIY solar power projects have always been fascinating to me. I kind of wrote the book on the subject. And since electric bikes have always been a huge part of my life, combining the two has always seemed inevitable. And so with a pair of solar panels and one afternoon to kill, I rigged up a simple solar-powered electric bicycle setup that is easy to build. If you’ve ever wanted to build your own solar e-bike, hopefully this guide can show you how easy it can be!

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Scientists have increased the life of fuel cells – why that matters for solar and wind

solid oxide fuel cell

In research that could jumpstart work on a range of technologies including fuel cells – key to storing solar and wind energy – MIT researchers have found a relatively simple way to increase the lifetimes of these devices: changing the “pH” of the system.

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Here’s why 1,000 sheep on a Colorado solar farm will be a win-win

agrivoltaics

Denver-based Guzman Energy almost didn’t get approval for a solar farm it’s going to build in western Colorado, but when the wholesale power provider agreed to add irrigation to support 1,000 sheep and possibly host beehives, it then gained unanimous approval from Delta County, Colorado’s commissioners.

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Here’s how the new US tax credits and rebates will work for clean energy home upgrades

US tax credits rebates

US President Joe Biden signed the big climate bill – the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – earlier this week. Electrek spoke with Dan Gayer, JD, CPA, a senior manager in the tax practice at Baker Newman Noyes, about how homeowners can claim tax credits and rebates as they work to achieve energy efficiency and lower their energy bills.

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Why US community solar is forecast to more than double by 2027

US community solar

There are currently 4.9 gigawatts (GW) of community solar installed in the US through the second quarter of 2022, and at least 7 gigawatts of community solar are expected to come online in the US in the next five years, according to new research released by Wood Mackenzie in collaboration with the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA).

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GAF Energy to build second US nailable solar shingle factory to meet growing demand

solar shingle

GAF Energy, the sister company of GAF, the largest roofing and waterproofing company in North America, will build a 450,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Texas, to meet growing demand for its “world’s first” nailable solar shingle, the Timberline Solar Energy Shingle, which launched in January.

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26% of US households use electricity as their only energy source – but there’s a caveat

EPA HFCs

In 2020, 26% of US households – that’s 32.25 million out of 123.53 million homes – used electricity as their only source of energy, according to the US Energy Information Administration. But what the EIA doesn’t note is what fuels that “electricity as the only source of energy.”

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