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Accessible Data Makes Renewable Energy Projects Possible Worldwide
jschoshinski
Thu, 11/14/2024 – 18:52

High fidelity, publicly available data is essential for mobilizing clean energy investment and informing renewable energy policy and deployment decisions, but access to this data is a critical barrier for many countries aiming to develop and optimize their clean energy resources. Recognizing the importance of tools that offer accessible data to inform renewable energy planning and deployment, the USAID-National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Partnership developed the Renewable Energy (RE) Data Explorer. RE Data Explorer is a publicly available geospatial analysis tool that provides free global renewable energy resource data to inform policy, investment, and deployment decisions for solar, wind, and other energy resources. 
Two of the thematic days at COP29 are focused on energy and science, technology, innovation, and digitalization. RE Data Explorer is a great example of how digital technologies can play a role in promoting clean energy and addressing the climate crisis. The tool also delivers on the commitment USAID made at COP28 to make investments that will “support technical assistance programs and partnerships to strengthen subnational climate preparedness.”
The use of USAID-NREL public data in Tanzania, available on RE Data Explorer, offers a direct example of the impact of accessible data on the implementation of renewable energy projects. Tanzania is working to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and decarbonize its grid, aiming for 30-35 percent emissions reduction by 2030. A major challenge to pursuing this goal is the lack of reliable, long-term renewable energy resource data for project planning.
NextGen Solar, a private sector partner of USAID Power Africa, used USAID-NREL data specific to Tanzania to support the development of its renewable energy projects in the country. The company, which specializes in building and operating utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in sub-Saharan Africa and small island nations, utilized USAID-NREL public data to develop the world’s largest PV-hybrid solar mini grid in rural Kigoma, Tanzania. USAID-NREL public data enabled NextGen Solar to perform technical feasibility studies to forecast electricity generation in an area previously lacking reliable, affordable power. Thanks to this reliable data and analysis, NextGen Solar was able to mobilize $6 million in investment to build the plant. This 5-megawatt (MW) plant has now been in commercial operation for over 3.5 years and supplies electricity to over 65,000 homes, the region’s largest hospital, and three schools. It has also helped the Government of Tanzania save an estimated $2.2 million annually while reducing carbon emissions and demonstrating the viability of utility-scale solar power to sub-Saharan Africa.
The application of USAID-NREL public data in Ukraine is  another example of how open data can drive the mobilization of clean energy projects. Planners and developers in Ukraine are looking to incorporate more renewable energy, particularly wind and solar, as the country rebuilds its grid and searches for new means to become less dependent on foreign resources. Like Tanzania, a barrier for Ukraine was the lack of accessible, high-quality data on its wind and solar output capabilities. USAID-NREL is helping Ukraine overcome this barrier through new high-resolution solar time series data accessible on RE Data Explorer, which will help Ukraine meet the needs of stakeholders in the energy sector across the national government, academia, and private industry.
“[USAID-NREL public data] really helps with planning and understanding where the resources are—where it is most cost effective to build distributed resources that will help to decentralize the grid.”
NREL’s Ukraine program lead, Ilya Chernyakhovskiy

To better understand the broad impact of RE Data Explorer, a 2024 NREL survey gathered insights from respondents on how they applied this data in real-world scenarios. Overall, respondents reported evaluating and planning over 111,000 MWs of solar and wind projects, with a potential investment of over $6.5 billion. End-users also reported over 1,600 MWs of solar and wind energy with over $1 billion  in investment that has been approved and financed. For context, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), 1,600 MWs would power approximately 275,200 average U.S. homes and 111,000 MWs would power approximately 19.1 million.
One particular real-world example provided by the survey came from a respondent from climate tech startup Ureca who shared that their company pursued a .3MW solar project in Mongolia that was approved and financed. Ureca’s project “focuses on small PV systems for households in Mongolia that currently use raw coal for heating.” This initiative, called Coal-to-Solar, is now helping low-income families transition from coal to renewable energy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia—the coldest capital in the world—as part of a Just Energy Transition pilot aimed at reducing reliance on coal.
The outcomes of these projects also highlight how USAID and NREL are working together to implement USAID’s 2022-2030 Climate Strategy. In accordance with the plan’s strategic objective, “Targeted Direct Action: Accelerate and scale targeted climate actions,” projects informed by USAID-NREL public data in Tanzania, Ukraine, and Mongolia employed context-sensitive approaches to “support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in critical geographies, [and] mobilize increased finance.” Furthermore, USAID and NREL’s work focused on accessible data supported Intermediate Result 1.1 in the plan, which aims to “catalyze urgent mitigation (emissions reductions and sequestration) from energy, land use, and other key sources.” 
From accelerating Tanzania’s clean energy transition, to aiding Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts, to enabling clean energy projects across the world, USAID-NREL public data is helping users and local communities reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable development, and pave the way for a cleaner, more resilient future. 
For more information about RE Data Explorer, watch this video. To learn more about how high-resolution solar data is enabling energy expansion across two continents, read this NREL article.

Teaser Text
USAID-NREL’s RE Data Explorer is a great example of how digital technologies can play a role in promoting clean energy and addressing the climate crisis.

Publish Date
Thu, 11/14/2024 – 12:00

Author(s)

Emily Kolm

Hero Image
South View of Solar Plant.jpg

Blog Type
Blog Post

Strategic Objective

Mitigation

Region

Global

Topic

Emissions
Low Emission Development
Climate Policy
Climate Strategy
Climate Strategy Implementation
Digital technology
Energy
Clean or Renewable Energy
Grid Integration
Geospatial
Locally-Led Development
Mitigation
Partnership
Rural

Country

Tanzania
Ukraine

Sectors

Energy

Projects

USAID-NREL Partnership

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Australian engineers have come up with an unexpected use for discarded carpets and other textiles: as a means to make concrete stronger and resistant to cracks.

This innovation, led by scientists at RMIT University, addresses a major challenge in the construction sector, where the annual cost of repair for cracks in reinforced concrete structures in Australia is about $8 billion. In the US, the cost is estimated at US$76 billion per year.

The research team is working with partners including Textile Recyclers Australia, Godfrey Hirst Australia and councils in Victoria to conduct field studies of on-ground slabs made of reclaimed textiles.

Lead researcher Dr Chamila Gunasekara, from RMIT, said the team had developed a technique using waste carpet fibres to reduce early-age shrinkage cracking in concrete by up to 30%, while also improving the concrete’s durability.

Using the state-of-the-art textile research facilities at RMIT, the team of civil engineers and textile researchers has also been able to test other discarded textiles, including clothing fabrics, in strengthening concrete.

“Cracking in early-age concrete slabs is a longstanding challenge in construction projects that can cause premature corrosion, not only making a building look bad but also risking its structural integrity and safety,” said Gunasekara, an ARC DECRA fellow from the School of Engineering.

“Scrap carpet fibres can be used to increase concrete’s strength by 40% in tension and prevent early cracking, by reducing shrinkage substantially.”

Laboratory concrete samples have been created using the various textile materials and shown to meet Australian Standards for engineering performance and environmental requirements.

Concrete samples made with carpet fibres. Image credit: RMIT University.

Addressing a big waste challenge

Gunasekara said the disposal of carpets and other textiles poses an enormous environmental challenge.

“Australia is the second largest consumer of textiles per person in the world, after the US. The average Australian purchases 27 kg of new clothing and textiles every year, and discards 23 kg into landfill,” he said.

“Burning carpet waste releases various toxic gases, creating environmental concerns.”

Dr Shadi Houshyar, a textile and material scientist at RMIT, said that discarded firefighting clothes are a particularly challenging waste issue. This is because the same qualities that make these materials ideal for firefighting also make them difficult to recycle.

“Up to 70% of textile waste would be suitable for conversion into usable fibres, presenting an opportunity in the materials supply chain,” said Houshyar, from the School of Engineering.

Bringing fabric-reinforced concrete into the real world

To capture the unexpected conditions encountered in real-world construction projects, the team will conduct field trials with support from industry and local government partners.

These trials, as well as computational modelling, will be funded by the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste Resources to Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy (TREMS) and an early-career research grant. TREMS is led by Professor Sujeeva Setunge from RMIT.

The team is collaborating with Professor Andrzej Cwirzen from Luleå University of Technology in Sweden on the computational modelling.

Their paper, ‘Enhancement of concrete performance and sustainability through incorporation of diverse waste carpet fibres’, has been published in Construction and Building Materials.

Top image caption: PhD scholar Nayanatara Ruppegoda Gamage and Dr Chamila Gunasekara with concrete samples made using textiles. Image credit: RMIT University.