CSRS’ Post

The scope of HFA innovation and impact on energy is best illustrated in a set of case studies released today. Produced for NCSHA by Abt Associates with funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation, the profiles show the wide range of HFA activities to reduce energy costs and encourage use of renewable energy in affordable housing. A complementary report examines newly authorized federal energy-efficiency and renewable energy programs focused in whole or in part on the housing sector, with ideas on how HFAs and their partners can participate in them. https://bit.ly/3rz8e9c

Atlantic Green, a subsidiary of Nofar Energy and Interland, is building the 60MWh facility at Waterswallows, expected to be running from May. An ambitious facility to store #renewableenergy is being constructed near the market town of #Buxton in #Derbyshire. When fully functioning later this year, the Buxton Battery Energy Storage System (#BESS) the amount of energy needed to power 90,000 homes for two hours. As we’ve reported before, #renewablesources of energy such as #wind and #solar can depend a bit on the weather, meaning that the times energy can be most plentifully generated don’t always match peak demand. The BESS solves this problem by simply storing energy until it’s needed. That means more homes and businesses can take advantage of cheaper, cleaner energy, with less reliance on #fossilfuels and the #nationalgrid.  London-based law firm Howard Kennedy, which advised on matters such as lease negotiations, grid connection documentation and planning requirements, estimated overall costs of constructing the BESS at some £20.6m and that once running it will then generate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (#EBITDA) of some £3.6m per year. That would mean the project paid for itself in less than six years, and that #greenenergy makes good business sense as well as being good for the environment. Atlantic Green has similar initiatives in the pipeline, including the more than 600MWh ‘Project Cellarhead’ in #Staffordshire expected to be in action in the second quarter of 2026, and the more than 270MWh ‘Project T’ coming in 2028. Sam Currie, Project Manager at Atlantic Green, told #BBCNews that, ‘The #batteryenergystorage market in the #UK and globally is growing. We’ve also got sites cropping up where you have got a core location. So you will have #windfarms or #solarfarms for example and there will be a battery farm put alongside them to store the green energy that is produced.’ Wind turbines at Carsington Pastures, #Derbyshire, photo by the Roaming Picture Taker

It is very clear that in order to gain a "social license" for a renewable project such as a solar farm, community consultation needs to be done. And lots of it! As the proponents of the Burrundulla Solar Project, ITP Development, have found out, with the NSW Land and Environment Court siding with the local council in their opposition to the project. Where developments are near regional towns such as Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Griffith, Mudgee, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga, approvals also factor in impacts on “important scenic values” and landscape character and Councils are allowed to reject solar and wind projects if they will harm or change views, scenic quality of future land use. #renewableenergy #renewables #renewablepower #renewablenergy #solarenergy #solar #solarpower #solarindustry #solarprojects

☀ 1,300 acres of solar farm planning applications have been lodged over the last few weeks ☀ These applications include a 318ac solar farm in Tipperary, a 474ac solar farm in Carlow, a 85ac solar farm in Meath, a 84ac solar farm near Tara Mines in Navan, and a 345ac solar farm in Westmeath. Whilst this is great to see, the question remains, how long will it take to get them through the planning system? https://lnkd.in/eCR2wg3z #StakelumConsultancy #CorporateFinance #RenewableEnergy #SolarEnergy #SustainableIreland #SolarFarms #News #Update #Tipperary #InfrastructureDevelopment #GreenFinance #Finance #ProjectFinance #sustainability #ESG #Solar #Planning #energynews #DevelopmentFianance #Ireland

This is what we champion: working with communities, working with neighbors. Being flexible and adapter will get the solar sector a lot further into some new territories that can benefit from the utility-scale clean energy installations https://lnkd.in/eC_jczZE

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a $82 million investment to boost domestic solar manufacturing and recycling. This funding aims to strengthen the U.S. solar supply chain and enhance energy security, aligning with goals for a clean electricity grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The initiative supports 19 projects across 12 states, reflecting significant strides towards expanding domestic solar panel manufacturing capacity https://lnkd.in/dMT_YVq7

A cautionary tale: Farm for sale - with its very own solar facility! This is a NextEra lease - 50 MW - so not too big - just 355 acres of the 1,000 farm. In Sharon NY. The issue at hand is the neighbors water wells have dried up since the project was built. Not much talked about is the water use on solar facilities to keep the panels clean, and this will affect neighbors. The other issue, in this case, is the construction-destruction of the farmland and runoff - not much talked about either even though there have been several successful EPA and civil lawsuits. Hey folks it is not just clean and green! Never was and never will be! Total devastation of millions of acres which will never be reclaimed! https://lnkd.in/gGGHBhET

This is the reality of “green” energy.

You never hear this side of SOLAR energy. Possibly if better permitted these issues could be managed or curtailed. Any structure that is built on the land will have impacts. If that structure puts load on local aquifers ... that should have been addressed in construction permit. same with run-off, etc., etc.