[amor de cosmos]

Massive Multi-Family Apartment Complex Solar Installation Completed in California
by Josh Marks, 05/23/14

One of the largest multi-family apartment complex solar thermal and solar photovoltaic projects of the decade was just completed in California. Los Angeles-based solar company ReGreen retrofitted 34 apartment complexes across the state for real estate company Goldrich & Kest Industries. The three megawatts of installed solar capacity include 1,200 Heliodyne solar thermal panels and 1,664 ecoSolargy solar PV panels.

http://inhabitat.com/massive-multi-f...in-california/

Smoothing the Flow of Renewable Solar Energy in California’s Central Valley
May 23, 2014 - 3:21pm

Yesterday, an almond grove in California’s Central Valley hosted the opening of the world’s largest iron-chromium redox flow battery. Originally pioneered by NASA, these flow batteries are emerging as a promising way to store many hours of energy that can be discharged into the power grid when needed.

Traditionally, electric generation follows the demands of the daily load cycle. But as more sources of renewable generation such as solar and wind are integrated into the power grid, balancing demand and generation becomes more complicated. With energy storage, we can create a buffer that allows us to even out rapid fluctuations and provide electricity when needed without having to generate it at that moment.

Unlike other types of batteries, which are packaged in small modules, iron-chromium flow batteries consist of two large tanks that store liquids (called electrolytes) containing the metals. During discharge, the electrolytes are pumped through an electrochemical reaction cell and power becomes available. To store energy, the process is reversed. With Recovery Act funding from the Department’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, California energy storage company EnerVault has optimized the system to create a more efficient battery.

This pilot project in Turlock, California, can provide 250kW over a four-hour period, helping to ensure the almond trees stay irrigated and the farm is able to save money on its electrical bills.

This is how the system works: The almond trees are most thirsty between noon and 6 p.m. The farm uses nearly 225 kW of electricity to power the pumps that get the water to the trees. Onsite solar photovoltaic panels can supply 186kW at peak power, not quite enough energy for watering the trees throughout the day. The balance could be taken from the grid, but grid electricity is most expensive from noon to 6 p.m.

http://www.energy.gov/articles/smoot...central-valley