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Renewable energy is all around us. Both the sun and the wind help power the United States’ electric grid, but the existing infrastructure may not be able to support all of us — especially in the event of a natural disaster.

Oncoming storms and hurricanes create challenges for remote, coastal, and island communities, like reliable access to energy and drinking water. To help communities overcome these challenges, innovators are tapping into another renewable resource: the power of ocean waves.

To design wave-powered desalination devices that could be used in disaster recovery scenarios and freshwater-scarce coastal and island locations, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) launched the $3.3 million Waves to Water Prize. The five-stage competition incentivizes a diverse group of innovators to create small, modular, cost-competitive desalination systems powered by clean energy from ocean waves.

In February 2021, WPTO selected 10 teams as winners of the competition’s third stage, ADAPT. With a portion of the $800,000 cash prize pool, each team moved on to the fourth (and next to last) CREATE Stage. Three of those 10 winning teams — ReVision, Canvasback Desalination System, and CalWave Power Technologies — have competed in other current DOE marine energy competitions. Now, they are relying on this practice to gain an edge in the Waves to Water challenge.

Practiced Competitors Dive Into New Prize

The California-based ReVision team is not only participating in the Waves to Water competition, they are also simultaneously competing in the Ocean Observing Prize, where they recently advanced to the BUILD Contest. With seven engineers and over a decade of experience in numerical analysis, controls, and hydrokinetic energy (power created from moving water), the team created a desalination system powered by a wave energy converter. Their scalable technology is designed to meet the operational requirements of reverse-osmosis systems, which push saltwater through a membrane to remove impurities, and deliver continuous power output. Now, during the CREATE Stage, the team is refining its design to capture even more power.

Two companies — Wave Venture and Jack’s Plastic Welding — teamed up to create the Canvasback Desalination System. While Ireland-based Wave Venture analyzes the performance of each component within the device, New-Mexico-based Jack’s Plastic Welding Inc. fabricates the body. With their diverse knowledge and experience, the duo engineered their Canvasback Desalination System from standard parts for simple installation and operation. The octagon-shaped, inflatable raft has a compact design for easy transport. On its top, an elastic covering bulges in and out with the motion of the waves, creating enough force to power the reverse-osmosis pump that turns seawater into fresh water.

Wave Venture is also currently competing in the Ocean Observing Prize’s BUILD Contest. Jack’s Plastic Welding previously partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to build rescue rafts for astronauts who land in the ocean.

In 2020, the CalWave Power Technologies Inc. team won the Nautilus Grand Prize from the first Ocean Observing Prize DISCOVER Competition. They also competed in WPTO’s Wave Energy Prize in 2016. For the 2021 Waves to Water competition, the California-based company has designed the CalWave HydroNode. The HydroNode is a lightweight, low-profile, inflatable buoy that can be deployed from a small boat. The device generates power using a winch connected to an anchor on the seabed. As waves rock the device, the motion of the winch produces energy to power a land-based, reverse-osmosis system that can supply about 6 liters of fresh water per hour.

On the Final Laps

Up to seven CREATE Stage winners will share the $500,000 cash prize pool and move on to the final stage of the competition, DRINK. Then, they will have 180 days to build and ship their systems to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, North Carolina.

The Coastal Studies Institute, part of the University of North Carolina system, and Jennette’s Pier have partnered with WPTO and NREL to host the prize finalists in North Carolina in April 2022. The pier will serve as the competitors’ main test site where judges will assess how their final designs perform during a 5-day, open-ocean trial.

Competitors are receiving support from prize sponsors, including Janicki Industries, a full-service engineering and manufacturing company that is consulting with teams on how to manufacture their design. Teams can also work with the International Desalination Association, which is connecting them with the desalination community and providing access to technical training seminars. Engineering for Change is providing additional support through mentor recruitment and training materials.

This spotlight article series features competitors from academia, industry, and entrepreneurial contestants who have moved on to the next-to-last stage of this year’s Waves to Water Prize. Learn more about the various Waves to Water ADAPT Stage winners in upcoming and past articles. You can also follow competition news and progress on Twitter @AMCprizes and learn more about NREL’s water power and water treatment research online.

Article courtesy of NREL.

 

 
 

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One of the US’s first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapacks – just came online

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One of the US’s first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapacks – just came online

Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.

The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.

Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.

Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.

The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.

“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”

The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.

San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.

Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.

Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.

Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online


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BYD chases Ford and Toyota with its latest EV plant set to open in Cambodia

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BYD chases Ford and Toyota with its latest EV plant set to open in Cambodia

China’s EV giant BYD is aggressively expanding overseas. As it finalizes plans for yet another EV manufacturing plant, this time in Cambodia, BYD will set up shop next to newly opened Ford and Toyota facilities.

BYD’s impressive growth streak is not slowing down. In October, BYD sold over 500,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), its fifth straight record sales month and the first time it has crossed the half-million mark in a single month.

With China’s auto market becoming flooded with low-cost competitors, BYD is looking to key overseas markets to drive growth.

After opening its first plant in Thailand earlier this year, a booming EV region, BYD plans to open up shop in another major Southeast Asian market.

According to Khmer Times, BYD is nearing a deal to establish a new EV manufacturing plant in Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Wednesday that the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) is in the final stage of negotiations with BYD to build a new electric vehicle facility in the region.

“We may be aware that BYD is a giant Chinese company specialising in EV production, comparable to Tesla, the largest EV manufacturer in the United States,” Mr Hun Manet said at the event.

BYD-EV-plant-Cambodia
BYD’s first EV manufacturing plant in Thailand (Source: BYD)

BYD closes in on deal for a new EV plant in Cambodia

BYD will follow Toyota, which opened an assembly plant in Cambodia in May, and Ford’s first assembly plant in the region, which opened in June 2022.

Cambodia’s prime minister stressed the importance of attracting new investments. With geopolitical tensions rising, many companies are looking to new locations.

BYD-EV-plant-Cambodia
BYD’s luxury Denza opens its first store in Cambodia (Source: BYD)

Southeast Asia is expected to become a major electric vehicle hub. The Cambodian government unveiled plans earlier this year to raise automotive and electronics exports to over $2 billion while creating more than 22,000 new jobs.

BYD opening a new EV plant would be “excellent news” for Cambodia, Natharoun Ngo Son, Country Director of EnergyLab, told Khmer Times.

BYD-milestone-10-millionth-NEV
BYD Dolphin (left) and Atto 3 (right) Source: BYD

An EV manufacturing plant will “provide an excellent opportunity to reskill or upskill the Cambodian workforce” for new higher-paying jobs. EnergyLab is launching a new skills development program early next year to prepare the Cambodian workforce for the auto industry’s shift to EVs.

The news comes after BYD launched its first electric pickup, the Shark PHEV (BYD Shark 6), in Cambodia last month.

BYD-EV-plant-Cambodia-Shark
BYD launches Shark PHEV pickup in Cambodia (Source: BYD)

BYD is also planning to open EV plants in Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Hungary, and Turkey as it competes with Ford and Toyota in the global auto market.

Electrek’s Take

According to a recent Bloomberg report, BYD is quickly catching up to Ford in global deliveries. BYD outsold Ford in the third quarter by around 40,000 units.

While Ford is cutting more jobs in Europe as part of its restructuring, BYD has been on a major hiring spree as it ramps up production to meet the higher demand.

BYD is known for its low-cost EV models, like the Seagull, Dolphin, and Atto 3, but the Chinese auto giant is expanding into pickup trucks, midsize smart SUVs, and luxury EVs.

Ford is well aware of BYD’s rise in the global auto ranks. CEO Jim Farley has warned rivals in the past about losing significant revenue if they cannot keep up with China. Farley said he was shocked by the advanced tech he saw after a trip to China in early 2023.

Although Ford is shifting gears to focus on smaller, lower-cost EVs, it may be too little too late. Ford is developing what’s promised to be one of the most efficient EV platforms in California, but its first model based on it, a midsize electric pickup, isn’t due out until 2027.

Will BYD overtake Ford in the global auto ranks? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Researchers develop EV battery that charges 0-80% in 15 minutes

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Researchers develop EV battery that charges 0-80% in 15 minutes

Researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo have developed a new lithium-ion EV battery design that can charge from zero to 80% in just 15 minutes and has a longer lifespan.

The new design also allows batteries to handle up to 800 charging cycles, significantly increasing their lifespan.

Yverick Rangom, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, said, “If we can make batteries smaller, charge faster, and last longer, we reduce the overall cost of the vehicle. That makes EVs a viable option for more people, including those who don’t have home charging stations or who live in apartments. It would also increase the value of second-hand EVs, making electric transportation more accessible.”

The secret sauce here is in the anode, which traditionally relies on graphite. The researchers designed a method to fuse graphite particles together to improve conductivity. This tweak enables lithium ions to move fast without causing typical degradation or safety hazards associated with fast charging.

What’s cool is that they didn’t reinvent the wheel in terms of materials; the team worked with the same lithium-ion components already used in EV batteries today.

“We’re just finding a better way to arrange the particles and providing new functions to the binders that hold them together such as state-of the-art electron, ion, and heat transfer properties,” explained Michael Pope, co-lead of the research and professor at Waterloo’s Ontario Battery and Electrochemistry Research Centre. “This approach ensures that the technology can be scalable and implemented using current production lines, offering a low-cost solution to battery manufacturers.”

The next step? The research team is optimizing the manufacturing process and putting prototypes to the test to gauge industry interest. The goal is to make sure this new battery design isn’t just effective – it has to be scalable and ready for widespread industry adoption.

“It’s crucial that it can be implemented within the existing infrastructure for both battery production and charging stations,” added Rangom, lead researcher for the Battery Workforce Challenge.

The University of Waterloo researchers’ findings are published in the journal Advanced Science.

Read more: North Dakota is ramping up its EV charger installations


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