Southface Institute: Blog

2021 is the year of hope, change and, most importantly, renewable energy. With clean energy companies outperforming fossil fuel heavyweights last year and eight out of ten of the world’s …

Continue reading "Happy ReNEWable Year"

In the quest for renewable energy sources, ocean currents have remained in the shadows of wind and solar power. But with global temperatures rising and innovative technology getting released, ocean …

Continue reading "The Untapped Power of Ocean Energy"

In April, for the first time, renewable energy from solar, wind and hydropower generated more electricity than coal every day for the entire month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In comparison, renewables beat coal only 38 days in all of 2019. This shift is tied to many reasons, including the economic slowdown from COVID-19.

Clean energy is becoming mainstream, with roughly 15% of the electricity generated in the U.S. coming from sources like solar and wind. As renewable energy challenges the traditional methods of electricity generation, grid infrastructure is being updated so renewables can prosper—no easy task.

Is more widespread adoption of renewable energy at scale just around the corner? Many people in the industry see it as inevitable, though projected timeframes vary widely. The intermittent nature of wind and solar energy is one often-cited factor constraining wider adoption. Solar and wind provide varied output depending on geography, climate, weather and time of day. This is one of many reasons why we are still seeing deployment of non-renewable resources in addition to renewable resources across the nation.

Shan Arora is a project manager with Southface’s Sustainable Communities Team. An environmental advocate since an early age, he transitioned into sustainable community development after working in the international trade and tax fields for a decade.