On Friday May 17th, SolBid joined Rhode Island CRMC, the Salt Ponds Coalition and the Town of Charlestown to help nonprofit Save the Bay in its effort to restore the Quonochontaug (Quonnie) Pond Salt Marsh. Volunteers planted salt marsh grasses at the restoration site where sand from the breachway was placed on the degraded marsh so it could adapt to sea level rise. 

While solar energy has undoubtedly expanded over the past decade, we will not be able to become fully reliant on it until there is a breakthrough in storage technology. We need to be able to efficiently and safely story large amounts of power, as well as be able to quickly charge batteries, in order to be able to fully rely on solar power. The ability to store immense amounts of solar energy is key in order for this energy to then be able to be distributed across the grid to meet given demand.

The good news is that many corporate businesses are developing rigorous low-carbon energy programs and are taking substantial measures to work toward those clean energy goals. Just to name a few big names, Bank of America, Starbucks and Facebook have all recently announced important solar initiatives.

With only a one megawatt capacity for solar power in 2007, Minnesota’s solar power generation used to be insubstantial. However, remarkable growth during the first quarter of this year expanded the state’s capacity to over 1,000 megawatts. The decision to vastly ramp up the state’s solar potential was tied to the economic benefits of this renewable energy source.

How much do you think about when you use power? For most Americans, how much power used is important because it impacts cost, but when the power is used doesn't really enter the mind. However, when power is used can matter just as much for the power company. Power costs more to produce in high demand times than in low demand times, so prices should really depend on time. With society moving to greater energy efficiency and less waste, more and more power companies are instituting smart grid policies. In these systems, people are not only billed according to the cost of production with time accounted for but are also given information on exactly how they use power and tips on minimizing the cost. Trials so far have been a major success, with dual benefits of saving an average of 8-10% costs and easing the transition to green power.

Balancing the grid is hard. There has always been waste in the system because running into deficit could cause total collapse. However, there are people looking for good solutions. The grid previously relied on peaker plants, burning fossil fuels during high demand times so most of the time it only what was needed was run.