Solar is Now the Cheapest Electricity in History

…and Just Met 100% of Demand in South Australia For First Time

South Australia has met 100% of its electricity demands with solar energy for the first time over the weekend—most of it coming not from solar farms but PV panels mounted on rooftops.

A combination of cloudless skies, low energy demand, and mild temperatures helped create conditions for 76% of circulating power to be generated by rooftop solar, with utility-scale solar farms making up the rest.

Both sources combined to make 1.37 gigawatts of available power, which would have generated 986 metric tons of CO2, and would normally require 1 million pounds of coal or around 100,000 gallons of gasoline.

In sunny Australia, rooftop solar power had already reached a record of 900 megawatts per hour of output for the first time ever only weeks before, a record that would be broken for 2.5 hours straight on Sunday when rooftop panels were cranking out 992 MWh.

Records were being set outside of South Australia’s bookkeepers as well, as, in a new report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says solar is now the cheapest form of electricity for utility companies to build. At the same time, panel technology gets more efficient and prices for basic panels continue to fall, and investors are finding better and better financing deals.

That’s good news for South Australia, and for the continent as a whole, as energy reports suggest solar panel and battery installation will continue to expand there into 2021, removing the need for natural gas grid safeguards, and even allowing for some of the excesses to be sent up to the state of Victoria.

Solar will grow exponentially

The future of solar energy is bright; of wind, breezy; of biofuels, smelling good—and in the IEA’s annual energy outlook, it is described as such after they ran scenarios whereby stated policies of various states around the globe are fulfilled and calculated to what that would mean for the energy sector.

According to their analysis, global solar growth will amount to 13% each year, and while capital costs have slightly gone up after years of declining, other market conditions will push production and investment to new highs while 275GWh of global coal will be heading in the opposite direction by 2025.

“Global solar PV deployment exceeds pre-crisis (COVID) levels by 2021 and sets new records each year after 2022 thanks to widely available resources, declining costs, and policy support in over 130 countries,” reads the executive summary of the report.

It adds that renewables will overtake coal as the primary means of electricity generation worldwide by 2025, noting that according to their objectives and current trajectory, China will have expanded renewables by 1500 terawatts per hour by 2030, more than the electricity demand of the entire nations of Germany, France, and Italy last year.

The financial markets are not blind to this. Investment firms like Blackrock are taking a new climate-related approach to investment strategies, with their CEO Larry Fink writing letters to all the major CEOs whose money Blackrock manages that they will examine sustainable business practices of any company they plan to invest in.

The records South Australia are setting are the signals of a global trend that will affect all markets and all energy companies, and are likely only the falling of a few stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains.

 

Fall Fun Fest this Weekend at the Port St. Lucie MIDFLORIDA Event Center

What better way to celebrate the coming of autumn than to join the two-day Fall Fun Fest, an event where admission is free to the public.

On Friday, October 30, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., enjoy live music from The Wildflowers, a Tom Petty tribute band, beer and wine available for purchase at food trucks while celebrating fall in Port St. Lucie. Because of COVID-19 and social distancing, areas will be spaced 6 feet apart in advance, so groups can enjoy the festival together. Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Facial coverings will be required when social distancing is difficult to maintain.

On Saturday, October 31, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., be sure to dress up in your favorite Halloween costume walk through our Street of Treats for fun trick-or-treating at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center! There will be costumed characters along the way. Don’t worry! There will be a “not-so-scary” section, too!

Fall Fun Fest Concert

• Date:10/30/2020 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM


• Location:MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center
  9221 S.E. Event Center Place
  
  Port St. Lucie, Florida 34952


• FREE and for all ages!

Fall Fun Fest Street of Treats

• Date:10/31/2020 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM


• Location:MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center
  9221 S.E. Event Center Place
  
  Port St. Lucie, Florida 34952


• FREE and for all ages!

 

FHA EXTENDS FORBEARANCE – REQUESTS ACCEPTED UNTIL DEC. 31

Homeowners facing financial challenges caused by the pandemic now have until Dec. 31 to request forbearance if they have an FHA loan. A forbearance approval would allow them to avoid monthly payments in increments that could potentially last up to a full year.

 

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced it’s extending the dateOpens in new tab.Opens as PDF. for single family homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages to request an initial forbearanceOpens in new tab.Opens as PDF. from their mortgage servicer. An approved request would initially allow them to avoid mortgage payments for up to six months with the possibility of extending it up to one year.

The offer applies to homeowners experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The window to request assistance from their mortgage servicer was slated to expire at the end of October, but FHA says they can now request help until Dec. 31, 2020.

“I can’t stress enough that this relief should be reserved for those that need it most,” says Ben Carson, secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “Americans who are capable of paying their mortgage on time should do so. The great American come-back is in full force – if we work together, we can achieve and even surpass the economic prosperity we saw prior to the pandemic.”

FHA requires mortgage servicers to provide up to six months of COVID-19 forbearance if a homeowner requests the assistance, and up to an additional six months if homeowners request an extension. Homeowners can obtain forbearance approval only from their mortgage service company.

“Our goal is to make sure that no homeowner loses their home unnecessarily as a result of this pandemic,” says Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Dana Wade.

FHA mortgage servicer requirements

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      Offer homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages mortgage payment forbearance when the homeowner requests it, with the option to extend the forbearance for up to a year in total.

      
      
    
    
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      FHA does not require a lump sum payment at the end of forbearance.

      
      
    
    
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      Assess homeowners who receive COVID-19 forbearance for a special COVID-19 National Emergency Standalone Partial Claim, which could suspended mortgage payment amounts owed into a junior lien. That junior lien is only repaid when the homeowner sells the home, refinances the mortgage or otherwise extinguishes.

      
      
    
    
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      Assess if homeowners not eligible for the COVID-19 National Emergency Standalone Partial Claim would be eligible for one of FHA’s COVID-19 expanded home retention solutions announced on July 8, 2020.

      
      
    
    
  
  

 

Source: Florida Realtors®

NATIONAL AMERICAN BEER DAY

National American Beer Day raises a glass to the rich American beermaking history and those who savor the continued traditions. Pour your favorite pint with millions who enjoy the storied brews across the nation.

U.S. Brewing History

Brewing beer in America begins long before Europeans arrived since Native Americans brewed beer from various ingredients. They used corn, birch sap, and water to ferment their beverage. When the first colonists arrived in Virginia, they began combining their brewing traditions with the supplies at hand – that included corn, too. Since then, brewing and brewers became a principal occupation in the colonies. Interestingly, the first white child born in Manhattan grew up to be the first brewer born in America.

Today, the brewery established by David G. Yuengling is the oldest producing brewery in the United States. He established the Eagle Brewery in 1829. Amazingly, the brewery remains in the family to this day.

Unlike most other breweries of the time, the Eagle Brewery survived Prohibition. In fact, very few survived. Those that did survive tried various legal and illegal tactics. In Eagle Brewery’s case, they reduced their alcohol content to within the legal limit. They also branched out. Ice cream, anyone? Yes, the Yuengling’s started a dairy. Others turned their beermaking supplies into other products. When prohibition lifted, they returned to full-fledged beermaking.

Despite these efforts, nearly every brewer existing before prohibition dissolved. Out of just over 1,300 brewers, only about 100 remained after prohibition. Today, we recognize the names of many of those surviving breweries.

The skill of a brewer requires years of practice in the trade. It’s revered even. In Milwaukee, their professional baseball team is named after the brewer. In St. Louis and Denver, the stadiums are named after prominent brewers.

More than 2,100 breweries are manufacturing beer in the United States. They range in size from industry giants to brewpubs and microbreweries.

American Beer Facts

• The U.S. produced 196 million barrels of beer in 2009.


• Americans consume roughly 20 US gallons of beer per capita annually.


• In 2008, the United States ranked sixteenth in the world in per capita consumption. However, total consumption was second only to China.


• After Congress repealed prohibition, the industry consolidated into a small number of large-scale breweries.


• The majority of the new breweries in the U.S. are small breweries and brewpubs. As members of the Brewers Association, they are termed “craft breweries” to differentiate them from the larger and older breweries.


• Larger breweries most commonly produce the American lager.


• However, smaller breweries (many founded in the 1980s) produce a range of styles.


• Beer styles originating in the United States include:
  
  • American pale ale
  
  
  • Pennsylvania porter
  
  
  • American IPA
  
  
  • steam beer
  
  
  • amber ale
  
  
  • cream ale
  
  
  • Cascadian dark ale.
  
  

HOW TO OBSERVE #AmericanBeerDay

Enjoy your favorite American Beer. Invite a friend or two to join you. While you’re at it, try something different. American beers offer a variety of options to choose from. Do you have a favorite brewery? Give them a shout out, too! The brewmaster deserves to be recognized. Tour a brewery to learn more. While you’re there, try a sample or two.

Now, beer also holds great influence. If you didn’t know that, read about 5 Surprising Ways Beer Changed the World.  Remember, always drink responsibly and never drink and drive.

Poll Shows People Are Picking Up Healthy New Habits As a Result of Being Home in Pandemic

Folks have been creating some healthy new habits in recent months, with many picking up at least five new rituals as a result of being home so much this year.

A survey of 2,000 adults revealed that more than a third have picked up and embraced good habits during lockdown.

And seven in 10 said their newfound rituals have made them feel happy and secure, with 65 percent believing that how they feel day-to-day has improved.

64 percent claim they are exercising more and two-thirds of those folks say their wellbeing has improved. 65 percent also said eating a balanced diet helped.

The survey, commissioned by the Japanese probiotic company Yakult, also revealed almost eight in 10 intend to stick with the changes they have made recently.

The study by OnePoll also found that throughout the lockdown, fondness for the outdoors increased, with 29 percent embracing more time spent with nature.

Baking and cooking from scratch also rose in popularity, with one in four introducing this ritual into their lives.

It also emerged that 31 percent have developed a penchant for decluttering their homes.

And, 18 percent of respondents are calming their mind through meditating or exploring mindfulness during this unsettling period.

Being at home so much more and needing to feel more organized and in control were the main reasons Britons claim to have picked up new habits and rituals—along with simply having more time on their hands.

Recover St. Lucie County rolls out Phase Three of Emergency Relief Grants to Small Businesses

St. Lucie Recovers Small Business Assistance grants program opens phase three on October 19 to provide economic relief to small businesses hardest hit in St. Lucie County due to COVID-19, with some new criteria.

Grants up to $20,000, which do not have to be repaid, will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to qualifying businesses with 26-50 employees and total revenue of less than $5 million (subject to funding availability). Priority is being given to businesses that did not receive funding through other federal, state, or local programs related to COVID-19. (Businesses with fewer than 26 employees are still eligible and encouraged to apply.)

Funding is available to companies experiencing business disruption and who have suffered economic injury due to COVID-19. They include but are not limited to small businesses in hardest hit industries such as hospitality, retail, entertainment, food and beverage, personal and professional services, construction trades, manufacturing and other services.

Grant funds can be used to cover mortgage, rent, utilities, reopening costs, and new operational expenses needed to ensure safety measures are in place on a reimbursement basis but will not be approved to replace lost revenue.

The process has been made as simple as possible, with a web portal www.recoverstlucie.org that contains guidelines and eligibility requirements, as well as a checklist of documents needed before completing the online application. If all necessary documentation is pulled together in advance it can take as little as 30 minutes to complete the application. Incomplete or inaccurate information could lead to a delay in processing or denial.  Eligibility requirements also apply and should be reviewed carefully before spending time submitting an application.

St. Lucie County received $13.8 million from the State of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These funds are being used to assist residents as well as businesses, with about $3 million allocated specifically for small business assistance grants. The application process is being administered by St. Lucie County.

For more details, including eligibility requirements and the online application, go to www.recoverstlucie.org or call 772.336.6285.

 

Port St Lucie Fall Art and Craft Expo This Weekend

Come out to experience the Port St Lucie Fall Art and Craft Expo located outside on the grounds at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center! Free admission, live music, food, cocktails, over 200 booths of handmade, unique holiday gifts abound! Kids zone.

Hours of Operation: Saturday 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For more information, visit www.artandcraftexpo.com.

Time: Saturday 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Date: Saturday October 24, 2020 through Sunday October 25, 2020
Location: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center
Address: 9221 SE Civic Center Pl, Port St. Lucie , FL, 34952