Solar microgrids in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state did little to improve household incomes, encourage business ownership, or reduce the long hours that people spend on daily household work, a new study finds. According to the year-long, randomized survey of nearly 1,300 households in 81 non-electrified rural communities, villagers did buy less kerosene for their lamps, since they could flip on light bulbs at night. But their lives were otherwise unchanged, showing that local officials, energy companies, and NGOs alike need to address other pressing issues — such as underfunded schools or dismal job prospects — before rural electrification can really lift people out of poverty.
May, 2017
IRENA Annual Review 2017 — More Jobs Worldwide in Renewables than in Fossil Fuel
More than 9.8 million people were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2016 — continuing to increase over 2015 numbers — according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Released at the organization’s recent council meeting, the fourth edition Renewable Energy and Jobs –(IRENA) Annual Review 2017 provides the latest employment figures in the renewable energy sector as well as insight into factors affecting the RE labor market. The report presents the status of renewable energy employment, both by technology and in selected countries, over the past year.
Free Educational Webinar: Create Compelling Reports with HOMER Pro
With version 3.9 due out later this month, HOMER Pro will be a leaner, more efficient tool for optimizing microgrid design in all sectors, from village power and island utilities to grid-connected campuses and military bases. Join Steffi Klawiter and Jordan Esbin from HOMER’s Product Management team on Wednesday, June 7 at 09:00 MDT (16:00 BST) for a live, free HOMER Pro webinar. Steffi and Jordan will introduce you to some of the new features in HOMER Pro v3.9 and show you how to make the most of HOMER’s optimization and simulation results.
MGN Weekly: Are Indian Microgrids a Failure? Will Pittsburgh’s ‘Grid of Microgrids’ Succeed? …and More Microgrid News — May 18, 2017
Solar microgrids in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state did little to improve household incomes, encourage business ownership, or reduce the long hours that people spend on daily household work, a new study finds. According to the year-long, randomized survey of nearly 1,300 households in 81 non-electrified rural communities, villagers did buy less kerosene for their lamps, since they could flip on light bulbs at night. But their lives were otherwise unchanged, showing that local officials, energy companies, and NGOs alike need to address other pressing issues — such as underfunded schools or dismal job prospects — before rural electrification can really lift people out of poverty.
Islands Set 100-Percent Renewables Targets & Other Topics at CTEC (Cayman Islands)
Last week, HOMER Energy’s CEO Dr. Peter Lilienthal brought his expertise in renewable and distributed energy to the Caribbean Transitional Energy Conference (CTEC) in the Cayman Islands. During the […]
HOMER’s Lilienthal, Glassmire at Alaska Wind-Diesel Conference
HOMER’s Lilienthal, Glassmire at Alaska Wind-Diesel Conference: HOMER Energy’s Peter Lilienthal and John Glassmire are scheduled to deliver training and presentations at the Alaska Wind-Diesel Conference coming up to take place at the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center in Fairbanks, Alaska, June 20-21. This 5th annual event, focused on wind power systems for islands and islanded grids, provides an opportunity to learn and share information through expert panel discussions, stakeholder dialogue, and training sessions. The workshop is an Alaska Wind Working Group event.
MGN Weekly: Taking Suburbia Off Grid, Myanmar Microgrids, and More News from HOMER Energy — May 12, 2017
A solar and battery storage microgrid trial by Victorian network operator AusNet Services has succeeded in taking part of a Melbourne suburb completely off grid, demonstrating how utilities can use solar, battery storage and the internet of things to boost energy security and reliability in the future. AusNet said on Wednesday that eight homes had been successfully separated from Victoria’s main electricity grid and operated together as a stand-alone solar and battery storage powered microgrid.
Lilienthal Discusses Role of Microgrids in Energy Future of Quebec and Canada
On April 25th and 26th, 2017, HOMER Energy participated in the TISED (Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design) microgrid research workshop program, Is There a Role for Microgrids in the Energy Future of Quebec and Canada? HOMER Energy CEO Peter Lilienthal spoke about “Microgrid Activity around the World,” distilling insights from HOMER Energy’s database of 25,000 microgrid projects in 193 countries.
Will Crowdfunding Revolutionize Microgrids?
Traditional fmicrogrid crowdfundingunding methods often make it difficult to raise capital for microgrid projects, especially those created to specifically for populations with limited means. Funding from NGOs or government agencies is difficult to secure. Crowdfunding, on the other hand, raises capital through the collective effort of individual small investors, making microgrid and other critical projects a reality all over the world — in fact, the World Bank predicts crowdfunding in the developing world will exceed US$96 billion per year within the next 10 years.
MGN Weekly: What do USAF, Native American Reservations, and US Urban Centers Have in Common? Microgrids — May 2, 2017
Newly created teams within the U.S. Air Force and other military branches are pursuing contracts for on-site distributed generation and smart microgrids…Blue Lake Rancheria Native American reservation’s microgrid project went live last week, helping power government offices, economic enterprises, and critical Red Cross safety shelter-in-place facilities across 100 acres…The massive April blackout is a wake-up call for San Francisco to bring microgrids online sooner rather than later…and more news highlights.