Flowing from Framingham

A typical flow battery has two tanks of liquids that are pumped past a membrane held between two electrodes.

 From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

We in the Northeast tend to be more enthusiastic about renewable energy than most Americans, in part because we tend to be more educated, including about global warming, and also because there’s no fossil fuel to be extracted in our region. But a big hurdle is boosting the capacity to store energy from solar- and wind-power facilities.

And so it was good to hear that Framingham, Mass.-based Ameresco has completed Phase 1 of Defense Department-funded research on flow battery technology as an alternative to lithium ion batteries, which degrade over time. The hope is that flow batteries may be more efficient than lithium ones and thus reduce the need for, say, diesel generators (with their pollution) used in microgrids. These new batteries might also cut utility bills.

5 new solar farms in Mass.

This is from the New England Council (newenglandcouncil.com):

"New England Council (NEC) members Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Ameresco are celebrating the opening of five new solar farms across Massachusetts.

"Three of the projects are on the 650-acre Twin Elm Farm in Mendon and the other two are in Hopedale.  The projects hold a combined 6.9 megawatts of renewable power and will increase solar production in Massachusetts by 13%, lower carbon emissions and help almost 200 local residents and businesses to lower their electricity bills.  The solar farms are owned by Ameresco, co-developed by BlueWave Solar and supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield, which purchased 2.6 MW of net metering credits that will be applied to its utility bills. The opening of the solar farms was celebrated with ribbon cutting at the Twin Elm Farm in Mendon in August 2017.

“'Community solar projects like these allow local citizens and businesses to benefit directly from the energy produced by these projects,' said Michael T. Bakas, Senior Vice President, Ameresco. 'We are honored to support Blue Cross, a leader in providing high-quality health care, in their efforts to positively impact the environment. Their commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship is a model for all to follow.”'