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February obliterated global heat records, NASA confirms

February was Earth's most unusually warm month on record, blowing away the record that had been set just one month prior.

The new findings, contained in preliminary data released Saturday by NASA and backed up by information from other research groups, show that the combination of a record strong El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean and human-caused drove global temperatures to levels never before seen since instrument records began in 1880.

The NASA data, which is subject to adjustment as scientists refine their analysis, shows that February had a global average surface temperature of 1.35 degrees Celsius above the 1951 to 1980 average, or 2.43 degrees Fahrenheit above average.

The 1.35-degree Celsius temperature anomaly in February beat the anomaly recorded in January, which itself was a record high departure from average for any month. According to NASA, the global average surface temperature during January was 1.14 degrees Celsius above average, or 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the 1951 to 1980 average.

This means that temperatures in February 2016 had the largest departure from average of any month in NASA's records since 1880.

To put it more plainly, February stands out for its unusual heat more than any other month in the modern climate record.

The previous warmest February, according to NASA, was in 1998, which was also a year with an extremely strong El Niño.
More:
http://mashable.com/2016/03/12/february-global-heat-record/

February obliterated global heat records, NASA confirms February was the most unusually warm month on record since at least 1880, according to NASA.

Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016

Renewable Energy Investments: Major Milestones Reached, New World Record Set
According to UNEP's 10th "Global Trends in Energy Investment 2016", prepared by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance all investments in renewables totalled $286 billion in 2015, some 3% higher than the previous record in 2011. Coal and gas-fired electricity generation drew less than half the record investment made in solar, wind and other renewables capacity.
http://fs-unep-centre.org/publications/global-trends-renewable-energy-investment-2016

Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016 Renewable Energy Investments: Major Milestones Reached, New World Record SetAccording to  UNEP's 10th "Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016", prepared by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Co

Printable Solar Panels May Be Coming to a Device Near You

The future of power is just a step away.

Australian scientists claim they are extremely close to having printable panels available for market.

Scientists from Australia's national science agency, known as CSIRO, along with two Australian universities, Melbourne and Monash, have been developing the power cells which are printed on plastic as part of the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium since 2007.

The team of 50 researchers consists of chemists, physicists and engineers, who hope to see printed solar panels being used in low-power applications within the next few years.

The innovative technology, which is nearing the commercialisation stage, could power personal devices and change the way electronics are charged, according to Fiona Scholes, a senior research scientist at CSIRO.

"iPad covers, laptop bags, skins of iPhone [will no longer be] just for casing electronics, but to collect some energy as well and power those electronics," Scholes told ABC News.

"It's very cheap. The way in which it looks and works is quite different to conventional silicon rooftop solar," she said. "It can be made to be semitransparent - we can use it for a tinted window scenario."

The possibilities for the solar panels are endless due to the projected low cost, light weight and flexibility, Scholes told Mashable.

"They could potentially be used in a whole range of applications such as consumer product packaging, windows and window furnishings, temporary structures, remote locations and developing communities," she said.

Using commercial printers, but with solar ink, the team printed the solar cells much like a plastic bank note would be printed. The printing process has been in development since 2011.

"We print our solar inks in a roll-to-roll process onto plastics like PET. The printing is done in open air, using off-the-shelf printing equipment that we have adapted to use our solar inks," Scholes told Mashable.

The project's aim was to develop panels which could vary in colour or appearance, and are lightweight and conformable while delivering a stable voltage under low light or indoors.

According to the solar cell consortium website, the technology "has the potential to dramatically reduce the dependence on more traditional sources of electricity in developed countries such as Australia."

It could also allow for a cheap and easily deployable energy source for remote regions in developing countries.

"Unlike traditional electricity producing solar panels, organic cells offer the potential to allow printing directly onto materials such as roofing and windows, and therefore open intriguing building integrated design opportunities," according to the website.

http://mashable.com/2014/09/09/printable-solar-panels/ ._YGqo

Navigant Research: Installed distributed energy resources capacity to reach 530.7 GW in 2024

A new report from Navigant Research (Boulder, Colorado, U.S.) analyzes the global market for distributed energy resources (DER) technologies, with forecasts for installed capacity and revenue, through 2024. According to Navigant Research, annual installed capacity across the global DER market is expected to grow from 136.4 GW in 2015 to 530.7 GW in 2024.
“With global DER capacity deployments expected to outpace centralized generation five-to-one by 2024, there is little doubt that technologies like photovoltaics ( ), energy storage, and demand response will force an unprecedented restructuring of grid architecture and utility business models,” says Mackinnon Lawrence, senior research director with Navigant Research.

Most countries are expected to see more new DER capacity deployed than centralized generation capacity in the coming decade, especially solar PV, generator sets, and energy storage
DER pe*******on is increasing globally, causing a significant, and sometimes controversial, impact on the power and utilities sector. The rapid expansion is expected to force a major shift away from the centralized, one-way electrical grid, toward the integration of smaller power sources that can be aggregated to meet regular demand.
“The overarching goal of DER deployments is to integrate these resources effectively in order to make the electricity grid more efficient, resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable,” Lawrence notes.
In many markets, DER deployments are challenging incumbent grid operating models, requiring a more dynamic network with advanced communications and orchestration to ensure stability, efficiency, and equality, according to the report.
Given the diversity of available DER technologies and rapidly declining costs, most countries are expected to see more new DER capacity deployed than centralized generation capacity in the coming decade, especially solar PV, generator sets, and energy storage.

http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar-news/current/2015/kw50/navigant-research-installed-distributed-energy-resources-capacity-to-reach-5307-gw-in-2024.html

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