Hacker News with Generative AI: Renewable Energy

Scientists Develop Artificial Leaf, Uses Sunlight to Produce Valuable Chemicals (newscenter.lbl.gov)
Researchers from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) along with international collaborators have brought us one step closer to harnessing the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide into liquid fuel and other valuable chemicals.
Science, Energy, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Chemistry
278 points by gnabgib 1 day ago | 115 comments
Former Edison executive, now a lawmaker, seeks to cut rooftop solar credits (latimes.com)
Nearly 2 million California rooftop solar owners could lose the energy credits that help them cover what they spent to install the expensive climate-friendly systems under a proposed state bill.
Solar Energy, California Politics, Policy, Environment, Renewable Energy
21 points by miguelazo 3 days ago | 2 comments
Fossil fuels fall below 50% of US electricity for the first month on record (ember-energy.org)
Washington DC, April 4th – The US hit a new record low for fossil fuels in the electricity mix last month as solar and wind reached a record high, according to new data from global energy think tank Ember.
Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Energy, United States
341 points by xnx 5 days ago | 344 comments
China's Coal Generation Dropped 5% YoY in Q1 as Electricity Demand Increased (cleantechnica.com)
China’s coal-fired electricity generation took an unexpectedly sharp turn downward in the first quarter of 2025, signaling a potentially profound shift in the world’s largest coal-consuming economy.
China, Coal, Energy, Economy, Renewable Energy
10 points by xbmcuser 5 days ago | 1 comments
Clean energy projects prioritised for grid connections (gov.uk)
So-called ‘zombie’ projects will no longer hold up the queue for connection to the electricity grid to prioritise businesses that will drive growth and deliver energy security.
Renewable Energy, Energy Policy, Government, United Kingdom, Electricity Grid
13 points by lambdaone 9 days ago | 1 comments
Launch HN: Jasmine (YC S22) – Automating REC compliance and payouts for solar (ycombinator.com)
Hi HN — we’re Nathalie, Dalton, Vince, and Matt, and we’re launching Jasmine Energy (https://www.jasmine.energy), a tool that helps residential and commercial solar owners automatically register their systems, track energy generation, and get paid for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Startups, Y Combinator, Finance
42 points by mmayberry 10 days ago | 20 comments
Chinese solar cell manufacturer Longi sets another record with 27.81% efficiency (pv-magazine.com)
Chinese PV module maker Longi has revealed that its proprietary hybrid interdigitated back contact (HIBC) crystalline silicon solar cell based on a full-size silicon wafer has achieved a world record power conversion efficiency of 27.81%.
Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Manufacturing, Technology, China
6 points by ck2 12 days ago | 1 comments
The Solid-State Shift: Reinventing the Transformer for Modern Grids (powermag.com)
Transformers have been the backbone of power grids for over a century, but today’s demands for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and smarter grids are exposing their limits.
Energy, Grids, Transformers, Renewable Energy, Electric Vehicles
58 points by JumpCrisscross 13 days ago | 24 comments
Pakistan's 22 GW Solar Shock: How a Fragile State Went Full Clean Energy (cleantechnica.com)
Pakistan isn’t the first country you’d expect to crash the global solar party. But by the end of 2024, it quietly rocketed into the top tier of solar adopters, importing a jaw-dropping 22 gigawatts worth of solar panels in a single year.
Pakistan, Renewable Energy, Solar Power, Clean Energy, International Development
71 points by blackhawkC17 18 days ago | 35 comments
'Unstoppable force' of solar power propels world to 40% clean electricity (news.sky.com)
Clean power provided 40% of the world's electricity last year for the first time since the 1940s, new figures show.
Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Technology
177 points by belter 18 days ago | 202 comments
Former Tesla exec Drew Baglino's new startup is rethinking the transformer (techcrunch.com)
Former Tesla executive Drew Baglino has a new startup developing solid-state transformers for the electric grid, Axios reported.
Tesla, Startups, Electric Grid, Renewable Energy, Transformers
10 points by plun9 18 days ago | 2 comments
Clean energy powered 40% of global electricity in 2024, report finds (theguardian.com)
The world used clean power sources to meet more than 40% of its electricity demand last year for the first time since the 1940s, figures show.
Clean Energy, Renewable Energy, Environment, Climate Change, Energy
15 points by pseudolus 18 days ago | 6 comments
Plan for subsea cable to send Canada's clean power to UK (thetimes.com)
Renewable Energy, Infrastructure, International Relations, Canada, United Kingdom
6 points by jmacd 25 days ago | 2 comments
Technology advances could multiply geothermal output five-fold (techxplore.com)
Far below the Earth's surface is an energy source with huge and perpetual potential: geothermal heat. But the forces in its scorching and inhospitable depths must be tamed. Now scientists know what that will take.
Geothermal Energy, Renewable Energy, Technology, Science
5 points by PaulHoule 28 days ago | 0 comments
Solar Energy Claims Big U.S. Gain in 2024 (nytimes.com)
The U.S. power grid added more capacity from solar energy in 2024 than from any other source in a single year in more than two decades, according to a new industry report released on Tuesday.
Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Energy Industry, United States
9 points by lxm 32 days ago | 2 comments
Deregulated energy markets accelerate solar adoption (seanobannon.substack.com)
Solar power has become the cheapest source of new electricity generation in many parts of the U.S., but adoption depends heavily on market structure. Deregulated markets, where entrepreneurs and independent power producers can directly pursue profitable opportunities, have rapidly embraced solar, while regulated utilities remain slow to change due to legacy investments and bureaucratic oversight. To accelerate the shift to renewables and a cost competitive future, the U.S. should pursue greater deregulation, enabling private capital to build a cleaner, larger-capacity grid.
Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Energy Policy, Deregulation, Market Structure
71 points by seanobannon 33 days ago | 180 comments
Understanding Solar Energy (construction-physics.com)
The biggest energy story of the last fifteen years is the rise of solar photovoltaics, also known as solar PV or simply solar panels.
Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Construction, Physics
261 points by chmaynard 37 days ago | 258 comments
BYD's New 'Megawatt' EV Charging Is So Fast It Makes Gas Irrelevant (insideevs.com)
BYD's New 'Megawatt' EV Charging Is So Fast It Makes Gas Irrelevant
Electric Vehicles, Charging Technology, Automotive Industry, Renewable Energy, Battery Technology
24 points by 01-_- 37 days ago | 28 comments
Chemists develop dye stack that mimics plant energy conversion (phys.org)
With artificial photosynthesis, mankind could utilize solar energy to bind carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen. Chemists from Würzburg and Seoul have taken this one step further: They have synthesized a stack of dyes that comes very close to the photosynthetic apparatus of plants. It absorbs light energy, uses it to separate charge carriers and transfers them quickly and efficiently in the stack.
Chemistry, Renewable Energy, Artificial Photosynthesis, Plants
5 points by wglb 37 days ago | 1 comments
Residential battery storage skyrockets in record-setting 2024 (electrek.co)
The US battery storage market set another record in 2024, installing 12.3 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity across all sectors, according to a new report from the American Clean Power Association (ACP) and Wood Mackenzie.
Renewable Energy, Battery Storage, Market Trends, Energy Industry
9 points by mfiguiere 37 days ago | 0 comments
Solar Generation Surge Sends European Power Prices Below Zero (bloomberg.com)
A patch of clear, sunny weather boosted solar generation across parts of Europe and sent power prices into negative territory for large periods around midday.
Energy, Europe, Renewable Energy, Solar Power, Climate Change
38 points by toomuchtodo 38 days ago | 118 comments
A User Has Been Powering His Home with Laptop Batteries Since 2016 (wecb.fm)
In a world where sustainability and innovation are constantly intertwined, one energy enthusiast has discovered an unexpected way to turn tech waste into an endless power source.
Sustainability, Renewable Energy, DIY Projects, Technology
4 points by rmason 39 days ago | 1 comments
For climate and livelihoods, Africa bets big on solar mini-grids (knowablemagazine.org)
To the people of Mbiabet Esieyere and Mbiabet Udouba in Nigeria’s deep south, sundown would mean children doing their homework by the glow of kerosene lamps, and the faint thrum of generators emanating from homes that could afford to run them.
Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Africa, Development
117 points by rntn 42 days ago | 90 comments
First ammonia-fueled ship hits a snag (ieee.org)
The Viking Energy, an oil platform supply ship undergoing a pioneering retrofit to run on ammonia fuel, is now scheduled to begin operations in 2026—two years later than initially planned.
Shipping, Renewable Energy, Ammonia, Delays
134 points by pseudolus 45 days ago | 220 comments
Show HN: We built a Plug-in Home Battery for the 99.7% of us without Powerwalls (pilaenergy.com)
Goodbye power outages, Hello energy independence.
Home Energy, Renewable Energy, Hardware, Sustainability, Power Outages
301 points by coleashman 46 days ago | 480 comments
Rechargeable paper battery is cheaper, safer and as powerful as lithium (newatlas.com)
A battery that's safer and cheaper than lithium-ion while offering comparable energy density? That sounds like a pipe dream. But such a battery is in fact in the works, using a chemistry of renewables to store over 220 Wh/kg. Singaporean startup Flint believes it has the formula for the most sustainable battery the world has ever seen, capable of replacing lithium for applications like EV power and grid storage. Maybe that is a dream.
Battery Technology, Sustainability, Renewable Energy, Alternative Energy
12 points by simonebrunozzi 47 days ago | 2 comments
UK homes install subsidised heat pumps at record level (bbc.co.uk)
The number of UK homes installing heat pumps supported by government-funded incentives rose to a record level last year.
Renewable Energy, Climate Change, UK, Government Policy, Housing
23 points by RobinL 51 days ago | 23 comments
Scotland now home to Europe's biggest battery as windy storage site fires up (theregister.com)
What's claimed to be Europe’s largest battery has come to Scotland, after a new facility came online in the country’s north.
Energy, Scotland, Renewable Energy, Europe, Batteries
8 points by defrost 52 days ago | 0 comments
Small German town starts testing geothermal power utilizing new techniques (apnews.com)
Residents in the German town of Geretsried have long wanted to run their buildings with clean heat and electricity from geothermal energy instead of fossil fuels.
Geothermal Energy, Germany, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, Technology
93 points by PaulHoule 53 days ago | 21 comments
Geothermal power is a climate moon shot beneath our feet (newyorker.com)
North Milford Valley, in western Utah, is home to dormant volcanoes, subterranean lava deposits, and smatterings of obsidian—black volcanic glass—that Paiute peoples once collected for arrowheads and jewelry. Scalding groundwater still bubbles to the surface in places. In such a landscape, you remember that the planet’s hard exterior, where we spend our entire lives, is so thin that we call it a crust. Its superheated interior, meanwhile, burns with an estimated forty-four trillion watts of power.
Geothermal Energy, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Geology, Utah
297 points by pseudolus 54 days ago | 302 comments