Danielle Izzo

Posts by Danielle Izzo

Sigora Haiti Sheds Light on the Energy Business in Frontier Markets

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Sigora Haiti, a subsidiary of Sigora International, is bringing renewable electricity to rural areas of Haiti that were previously left in the dark.  The company has plans to use its micro-utility platform to power the northwest region of the country with solar and wind energy. Currently, a 200-kilowatt solar array is under construction.

As of now, the estimated totaled $10 million Sigora Haiti Northwest electrification project will be able to expand the company’s existing pilot grid network from around 5,000 customers to upwards of 136,000 (an estimated 27,000 accounts) upon completion. The funding for this venture partly comes from ElectriFI, who has provided $2.5 million towards the Northwest Phase 1 expansion, and will have a renewable energy capacity of 3.5MWp.

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 /  Published March 20, 2017 at 10:26 AM

Expected Growth of Lithium-ion Battery Production puts Cobalt at Center Stage

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For many years cobalt has been viewed as an uninteresting byproduct of copper and nickel mining, but these sentiments are rapidly changing with the rise of new energy technology.

Lithium-ion batteries have become incredibly important for new technology, such as those being produced by Tesla Motors.  Over the past year Elon Musk has begun the mass production of these batteries in the $5 billion gigafactory that his company constructed.  The increased demand and production of lithium-ion batteries has changed cobalt’s reputation from a mining byproduct to a popular commodity.

Powerwall dimensions. Image from Tesla.

Powerwall dimensions. Image from Tesla.

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 /  Published March 20, 2017 at 10:23 AM

ABB’s Partnership with Enbala Signals Major Growth Potential for 2017

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wind turbine rappel

Major players in grid technology have been feeling the heat of DERMS technology.  These distributed energy resource management systems have been gaining traction and popularity as technology develops new solutions to energy generation.  Companies such as National Grid and ABB have begun to investigate new ways to avoid cracking under the pressure of these new developments.

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 /  Published March 7, 2017 at 8:55 AM

Traditional Energy Sources Could be Gone with the Wind

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Skeptics of renewable energy resources have stood by the argument that hydro, wind, and solar power would not be able to meet the needs of whole communities or countries.  These disbelievers were proven wrong this week during a test project by WindEurope in Denmark.

For one full day the country, Denmark, fully utilized wind energy to power their nation.  With about 97 GWh of wind energy, the country was able to sustain 10 million residential homes.  This achievement comes as great news for companies in the wind energy sector – free PR is always good, but it also speaks to the viability of wind as a major power generation source.

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 /  Published March 6, 2017 at 4:54 PM

Grid Storage – Sharing Is Caring

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DNV GL, an international consultancy group based in Norway, has claimed to have found the key to implementing grid-connected energy storage networks and systems. What has been called a “multi-stakeholder” approach involves different parties utilizing battery-stored energy at different times. This research has been conducted in conjunction with Peeks, a commercial aggregator in the business… Keep reading →

 /  Published March 2, 2017 at 1:36 PM

Turn On the Lights – Clean Energy Development in Africa

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How can 600 million people be left in the dark in an area with an estimated 1,100 GW of untapped energy potential? This week the World Energy Council will be meeting at the 9th Annual African Energy Indaba to find a solution to this question.  Presently, the continent harbors plentiful resources that have the potential… Keep reading →

 /  Published March 1, 2017 at 1:33 PM

Pruitt’s Confirmation to EPA Paves the Way for Policy Overhaul

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Environmental_Protection_Agency_logo

Oklahoma’s former Attorney General has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the EPA in the face of heated debate, divisive controversy, and questionable loyalty. This week Senate confirmation hearings approved Scott Pruitt to serve as the chief of the EPA and left many disgruntled Democrats and environmentalists.  Pruitt’s confirmation did not pass easily… Keep reading →

 /  Published March 1, 2017 at 11:22 AM

US Oil Production Putting Pressure on OPEC

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Danielle Izzo, Breaking Energy Staff

For the past two years oil prices have suffered because of excess supply.  To respond to this slump, OPEC, in conjunction with other oil producing countries, came to an agreement that would ensure a reduction in the production of crude oil.  As of January 2017, the agreement has gone into effect with strong support from participating countries.

According to the International Energy Agency reported that 90% of the countries in accord with the agreement have maintained support and participation.  The price of the OPEC Reference Basket rose from $25 per barrel in 2016, to $52.40 per barrel in 2017 largely thanks to OPEC’s supply cut.

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 /  Published February 21, 2017 at 9:19 AM