Tag Archives: energy storage

2018 solar power year in review (part 1)

By Christian Roselund and John Weaver, PV Magazine

There’s a reason it’s called the solar coaster. And while we’ve had a number of difficult years over the past decade, 2018 took the cake for pure drama. But against all of that, the slings and arrows that it has suffered, the solar industry has shown remarkable resilience, and is coming out of 2018 not only swinging, but stronger than ever. So today we’re taking a moment to reflect on what we’ve come through, with our list of our top stories from 2018. Continue reading here.

2018 solar power year in review (part 2)

Coalition for Community Solar Access Launches Online Portal for Community Solar Jobs

News Release

The Coalition for Community Solar Access, a national coalition of businesses and non-profits working to expand community solar, has launched a new Community Solar Job Portal. The portal features a wide variety of job openings from companies across the country and provides job seekers a single destination to find job opportunities in the fastest growing sector within the solar industry.

“Community solar is a high growth industry with lots of opportunity,” said CCSA Executive Director Jeffrey Cramer. “As the industry unlocks more gigawatts of community solar capacity in more states, companies are increasingly looking to hire smart, talented, and motivated people. We built this job portal to help companies find talent and to serve as a resource for those interested in landing a career in a fast-growing sector that positively impacts the community.”
Read more here.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

Panasonic Solar Builds Out National Residential Installer Network, CleanTechnica
Panasonic Eco Solutions, home of the HIT solar panel, is aggressively building out its residential solar installer network on a national basis, seeking to compete more evenly with the likes of Tesla, SunRun, SunPower, Vivint and others. The company has forged new strategic relationships with residential solar installers in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Mexico, adding to its already sizable operation.
Colorado regulators clear the path for clean energy growth, PV Magazine
California’s community has chosen 2 GW of renewables, PV Magazine
Community choice aggregators in California have now signed over 2 GW of power purchase agreements for renewable energy projects, with 1.4 GW in 43 projects coming from solar power.
Boulder, Pueblo could be the next cities to create their own utilities in pursuit of 100 percent renewable energy, Colorado Sun
Extra Space Storage adds 2.7 MW to solar arsenal, PV Magazine
As the second-largest operator of self-storage properties in the United States, Extra Space represents a serious commitment to solar in the corporate sector.
Constellation and Enel Green Power sign energy deal with Starbucks, News Release, PV Magazine. Agreement will power more than 340 Starbucks-operated stores in Illinois with 100 percent renewables.
Organic Valley and Clif Bar are making clean energy part of their operational recipes, GreenBiz
How the falling cost of solar panels can teach us to make new tech affordable: Module efficiency was the first cost saver, economies of scale were the second. ARS Technica
Battery Boosters Pushing Congress to Give Industry a Tax Credit, Bloomberg
E-Bikes Already At $1.5 Billion Annual Revenue & Being Fought For Globally, CleanTechnica

FEATURED SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRY NEWS

What Changed In The Solar Energy Industry In September & October?

Also by CleanTechnica: What Changed In The EV Industry In September & October?

Lazards, Lazards, LCOE – what’s the cheapest energy?

By John Weaver, PV Magazine USA

Yesterday, Lazards released its Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) analysis version 12.0 for Energy (pdf), and Version 4.0 for Energy Storage (pdf). The document shows that utility scale wind, solar offer the cheapest absolute electricity pricing – without subsidies. When federal tax subsidies are applied, essentially politically palatable forms of a carbon tax, we see all thin film solar cheaper than all gas, and the majority of crystalline silicon solar cheaper than gas. Rooftop solar for residential and commercial, with its broad price ranges representing the broad classes of projects they cover, shows higher pricing. However, this analysis doesn’t consider the additional benefits including avoided costs achieved with behind-the-meter installations, and as such it isn’t a pure apples-to-apples comparison. Read more here.

MORE NATIONAL NEWS

9 corporate venture funds shaping clean energy innovation, GreenBiz
National Grid launches venture capital arm with DER, other investments, Utility Dive
The Energy 202: The nation just elected a bunch of governors who campaigned on clean energy, Washington Post
Five new governors aim for 100% renewables, PV Magazine

ENERGY STORAGE

US regulators approve the world’s largest battery projects, PV Magazine
CPUC has signed off on four lithium-ion battery projects in California, the United States, one of which at 300 MW is the largest battery project to date known by pv magazine.
Storage will replace 3 California gas plants as PG&E nabs approval for world’s largest batteries, Utility Dive. The PG&E projects are the first time a utility and its regulators have sought to directly replace multiple major power plants with battery storage.
How Battery Storage Is Revolutionizing The Solar Industry, Blue and Green Tomorrow

NATIONAL SOLAR EXAMPLES

Friends of Venice Library to kick off solar power fundraiser with panel discussion, Herald-Tribune. Iconic nature photographer and environmentalist Clyde Butcher to serve as spokesman.

Wisconsin importer and distributor invests in solar energy, Fresh Plaza
Maglio Companies, an importer and distributor of fresh produce, has installed over 1,100 solar panels on the roof of its Glendale, Wisconsin facility. This array is expected to produce an estimated 477,000 kilowatt hours of sustainable electricity each year. This is equivalent to the annual energy usage of 58 average Wisconsin homes.
Minnesota company turns abandoned sand pit into a solar garden, Red Wing Republican Eagle
State’s largest solar farm nearing production, The Spokesman-Review. Washington’s largest solar farm will begin commercial production next month in this Columbia Basin town better known for its annual Combine Demolition Derby. Nearly 82,000 solar panels have been installed near Lind’s pioneer-era cemetery, resembling a mirage on the dusty landscape. Sensors adjust the angle of the flat, blue panels throughout the day, allowing them to maximize the capture of solar rays.

GREEN CAMPUSES

Carport Solar Array Receives 2018 Innovative Project Award, MSU Today
Michigan State University’s solar carport project received the 2018 Innovative Project Award from the U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan. The award recognizes exemplary projects in the region exhibiting features above and beyond the status quo. MSU’s solar carport array is constructed on five of the university’s largest commuter parking lots and covers 5,000 parking spaces.

Learn about more initiatives here: The Princeton Review Guide to 399 Green Colleges, 2018 Edition

INNOVATIVE TRANSIT APP

Transit app raises $17.5M with the help of unlikely investors: automakers, Smart Cities Dive

Pairing Wind + Solar for Cheaper, 24-Hour Renewable Energy

By Dan Gearino, Inside Climate News

Along a country road east of Lima, Ohio, a company is preparing to build one of the world’s largest renewable energy projects that pairs wind and solar to create a hybrid power source. It’s a rare combination now, but one that’s expected to become more common because of its potential to cut costs while providing a more consistent flow of clean energy. Invenergy is starting with a 175 megawatt wind farm. Within the wind farm, it plans to build a 150 megawatt solar farm. Together, they would produce enough electricity for about 175,000 homes. The wind and solar energy complement each other. Learn more here.

Photo: Invenergy’s Grand Ridge project in Illinois is one of a small number of hybrid power projects to combine wind and solar energy in one site. A larger one with more solar is planned for Ohio. Credit: Invenergy

NEWS FROM OTHER STATES

Virginia 10-year energy plan includes 5 GW of renewables, EVs, grid modernization, Utility Dive
Solar Industry Welcomes 2018 Virginia Energy Plan and Commitments to Expand Solar Energy, SEIA News Release
University of Richmond to match energy usage with solar generation, PV Magazine
Another Colorado Community Commits To 100% Clean Energy, Solar Industry
Fort Collins will aim for 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, The Coloradoan
Holy Cross seeking clean energy redemption, PV Magazine
The Colorado co-op has adopted a plan to get 70% of its electricity supply from clean sources by 2030, almost doubling its current 39% and far outpacing its required 10%.
Nodaway County moves forward with wind farm, Northwest Missourian

NATIONAL/REGIONAL NEWS

Your appliances can save the grid (and allow more solar), PV Magazine
A new report by Wood Mackenzie finds a surprising amount of potential demand flexibility in U.S. homes, which can make the job of integrating more solar and wind easier. Among the many dramatic changes happening in the U.S. electricity sector is entrepreneurs, utilities, policymakers and most importantly consumers waking up to the possibility of flexible demand, through the use of “smart” appliances, electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.

Informed utility customers want more renewable energy — and utilities do too, Electric Light & Power
Commitments to renewable energy are a great start — what comes next?, GreenBiz
This essay was contributed by one of the NGOs that make up the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA), a consortium dedicated to growing large buyer demand for renewable power and helping utilities and others meet it. You can find the other articles here.
GameChange Solar says 2018 shipments to exceed 1.5 GW, Renewables Now
SunPower becomes biggest US solar panel builder with SolarWorld purchase, Utility Dive
October solar policy snapshots, Solar Power World
‘Green’ Home Improvements Can Pay Off: Appraisal Institute, PR Newswire
A New Take On Energy Conservation In The Heartland, Daily Yonder
Rural counties in Northeastern Iowa are capitalizing on an old model of local control to harness their energy future.

EV NEWS

With Volkswagen payout, states have $2.7 billion to boost EV adoption, Axios
10 Year Extension To US EV Tax Credit Proposed, CleanTechnica
All-Electric Volvo Trucks Coming To California Next Year, Forbes

ENERGY TRANSITION NEWS

Bank of the West Makes $1 Billion Commitment to Energy Transition, PR Newswire

ONLINE SOLAR CAREER PLATFORM

The Solar Training Network manages AmericanSolarWorkforce.org, a comprehensive online platform to help solar companies recruit qualified candidates; allow solar job seekers to find career and training opportunities; and help the entire industry build a strong and diverse solar workforce.

The Solar Training Network is a program led by The Solar Foundation and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. This online tool, revised and improved version of an earlier online platform, was unveiled last week at Solar Power International in Anaheim, California.

FOSSIL RESEARCH

DOE spent more than $500M on dead projects, E&E News
Nearly half the $2.7 billion in fossil research money spent by the Department of Energy over the last seven years supported nine carbon capture demonstration projects, the majority of which were canceled or withdrawn, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.

Amidst Keystone XL Fight, Nebraska Farmers Give 10 Acres Back to the Ponca Nation

Written by Twilight Greenaway, Civil Eats

A few weeks ago, officials from the TransCanada Corporation drove two sets of wooden stakes, each fastened with about a yard of bright orange flagging tape, into the ground along two sides of Art Tanderup’s farm. But Tanderup, a retired school teacher whose Neligh, Nebraska farm sits right on the preferred route for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, took TransCanada’s latest chess move in stride. Continue reading here.

Photo by Twilight Greenaway: Signs commemorating a meeting of the Cowboy and Indian Alliance on the Tanderups’ farm in 2015.

ALSO IN NEBRASKA

70, OPPD Blog, The Wire

WHAT IS IT? The number of turbines that will produce electricity at the Sholes Wind Energy Center in northeast Nebraska.

NEWS FROM OTHER STATES

How refinancing could help retire Colorado coal plants sooner
By Allen Best, Energy News Network

Instead of continuing to operate the aging plants, paying down remaining depreciation, or debt, a utility could instead issue bonds securitized by reliable future sales.

City Solicits Solar Energy Developers for Vacant South, West Side Lots, WTTW News
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Sunday that the city is soliciting proposals to install ground-mounted solar panels at seven sites covering 30 acres of empty land. The program will target areas classified as brownfields, previously developed properties that have proven difficult to repurpose in part because of contamination issues.
Dane County and MG&E announce huge solar panel project at airport, WKOW
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, joined by Madison Gas and Electric Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Keebler, announced a partnership to create the largest solar farm in Dane County and one of the largest solar projects in Wisconsin.
New solar hybrid combines energy storage with record system efficiency, Utiltity Dive
A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia say they are developing a highly-efficient solar system which integrates photovoltaics, storage and energy delivery.
California Today: An Additional Fund for Solar Power, New York Times
With a measure signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the state has made a new commitment of $800 million for clean-energy technologies including home storage. The goal is to capture electricity generated by solar panels during daylight hours to help keep the lights on after the sun goes down. The funds increase the state incentives set aside for energy storage to more than $1 billion.
Connecticut zero carbon bid gets 71 solar proposals
PV Magazine’s John Weaver looks at the bids in Connecticut’s new RFP, finding some interesting utility-scale solar projects.

NATIONAL NEWS

Abby Hopper at SEIA: #ThisIsWhy

The latest SunCast episode syndicated by pv magazine features Abby Hopper’s opening remarks at the Solar Power International Conference.

America’s Biggest Solar Show ‘Isn’t Just a Solar Show Anymore’: Dispatches from a maturing solar industry, Greentech Media
EnergySage finds $236 million tax on solar due to Section 201 tariffs, PV Magazine
In the six months since the implementation of the section 201 tariffs, Americans have seen a $236.5 million tax on installing solar, according to EnergySage’s most recent Solar Marketplace Intel Report, which covers trends in the market from the second half of 2017 to the first half of 2018.
Solar energy now mainstream power source, Houston Chronicle
Solar energy-produced electricity is poised to grow exponentially as solar panels get cheaper to install, more efficient batteries are developed to store the sun’s energy and investors pour more money into an increasingly reliable energy source. “They write bigger and bigger checks,” said Jesse Grossman, chairman and CEO of New Jersey-based Soltage, which develops and operates large solar farms for hospitals, municipalities, commercial and industrial clients in 15 states.
Wind Energy Foundation Becomes Wind Solar Alliance, North American Windpower
With a new focus on both wind and solar energy, the Wind Energy Foundation has changed its name to the Wind Solar Alliance (WSA).
A National Model – A voice for the solar consumer: the SRA, PV Magazine
The Solar Rights Alliance is only seven months old officially, but is already shaking things up in the California state capitol as a voice for PV system owners in policy.

SOLAR SCHOOLS NEWS

New Initiative Helps More Schools Go Solar, Solar Industry

Solar Schools 2025, an initiative of the nonprofit Renewable Nation, is seeking 50 K-12 schools across the U.S. that can “buddy up” with schools that have already gone through the process of installing solar.

MICROGRID NEWS

Microgrids slowly make inroads in Midwest, with Illinois taking the lead

PRODUCT LAUNCH IN THE U.S.

Commercial rooftop solar racking with one drill bit

Facebook gets specific about its 100 percent renewables target

By Heather Clancy, GreenBiz

Facebook has procured more than 3 gigawatts of electricity from solar and wind plants since 2013, including more than 2,500 megawatts within the past year. It is second only to Google in the sheer scale of its purchases, based on data collected by the Rocky Mountain Institute Business Renewables Center. What’s more, the social media giant is behind the biggest single set of corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) announced so far in 2018, a series of six solar projects that will generate 437 MW of electricity from two projects near its data center in Prineville, Oregon, and four installations planned by PacifiCorp in Utah . . . The company has invested considerable energy, so to speak, in negotiating with utilities. For example, the company was involved in shaping a tariff adopted by the Omaha Public Power District in Nebraska last year. Read more here.

iStock Photo

OPPD BLOG
Power Purchase Agreements, by Jason Kuiper, The Wire
Currently, OPPD utilizes PPAs for the output of five wind farms: Grande Prairie, Prairie Breeze, Flatware, Petersburg, as well as Sholes, which is under construction. Also, OPPD has signed power sales agreements with NPPD for the partial output of five other wind farms. Those farms are Ainsworth, Broken Bow 1, Broken Bow 2, Crofton Bluffs and Elkhorn Ridge. The normal term of OPPD’s PPAs is 20 years. The new community solar project near Fort Calhoun is under a PPA, with NextEra Energy Resources.

NEBRASKA ALSO IN THE NEWS HERE

Facebook will power itself with 100% renewable energy by 2020, Fast Company
In Papillon, Nebraska, another Facebook data center will run on power from a nearby wind farm, now under construction, with 101 massive wind turbines.
Facebook Commits To 100% Renewable Energy & 75% GHG Emissions Reduction By 2020, Clean Technica. In March Facebook and Adobe signed PPAs for the electricity generated from the soon-to-be-completed 320 megawatts (MW) Rattlesnake Creek wind farm in Nebraska.
U.S. Army Bases Are Installing More Solar Panels, Green Matters
Renewable energy has helped communities everywhere from American Indian tribes in Nebraska to islands in the Caribbean find relief with wind and solar power in areas impacted by the limitations of traditional energy grids. One area installing solar panels that might seem unlikely: U.S. army bases.

MORE 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY NEWS

SEIA Praises Historic Passage of SB 100 in California State Assembly, Stresses Need for Near-Term Procurement Legislation, Press Release
California Legislature Passes Bill Putting State on Path to 100% Renewable and Zero-Carbon Power, National Law Review
On to Governor Brown’s Desk: What 100% Clean Energy Means for California, Greentech Media
Facebook Joins 100% Renewable Energy Revolution, Eco Watch
Facebook announced Tuesday it will slash greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent and transition global operations to 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2020 in efforts to “help fight climate change.” Similarly, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted over the weekend that his company’s enormous Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada will run entirely on Tesla Solar by the end of 2019.

AWEA NEWS RELEASE
DOE reports Distributed Wind has surpassed 1 GW; Industry poised for further growth

MORE GIGAWATT NEWS

Ohio business community backs 2.2 GW of Ohio solar, PV Magazine
Five prominent firms with operations in Ohio are endorsing a report advocating 2.2 gigawatts (GW) of solar for Ohio by 2030, lending their corporate logos in support. Reaching 2.2 GW of solar in Ohio would involve $3.6 billion in investment, and “sustain 800 direct jobs and over 1,700 indirect and induced jobs each year,” said the report, and would boost the state GDP by $1 billion per year.
California is one step closer to 3 GW of new energy storage systems through rebate extension, Solar Power World

‘Electrification of Everything’ Would Spike US Electricity Use, but Lower Final Energy Consumption

By Justin Gerdes, Greentech Media

Widespread deployment of EVs, heat pumps, and other electric technologies could increase U.S. electricity consumption by nearly 40 percent by mid-century, according to a new government report. The report, the second in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Electrification Futures Study series, analyzes the demand-side impacts of a transition to electricity in transportation, residential and commercial buildings, and industry through 2050.
Read more here.

ENERGY STORAGE NEWS

9 out of 10 doctors recommend residential solar+storage, PV Magazine
GTM Research projects that residential batteries and other energy storage systems will be coupled with solar in 9 of 10 storage deployments by 2023. Additionally, the firm projects that residential solar power costs will fall below $2/W by this date.
Declining Battery Storage Costs Raise Questions About the Role of Natural Gas, Clean Energy Group. There are more than 1,000 peakers currently in operation across the U.S. Most of these are powered by natural gas, and many of them are located in communities already burdened by poor air quality and public health issues. Because peak events often don’t last very long, typically no more than a few hours, batteries are well-suited to step in as a peak demand resource (they’re already being widely deployed to manage customer peak demand).
SMUD offers battery storage incentive for residential customers, American Public Power Association

NEW OPPD VIDEO
Shovels turn to start construction of Sholes facility

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Indiana cost consumers $140M by nixing efficiency program, AEC says, Utility Dive
A new report from the Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) estimates Indiana’s 2014 decision to do away with its energy efficiency requirements cost consumers more than $140 million, slashed electricity savings and reduced job growth in the state.

ALSO OF POTENTIAL INTEREST

Hot weather strains the grid. Here’s how we could fix that, Grist
Beat the heat’s effects on your electric bill, The Wire, OPPD Blog
Solar Is at the Forefront of Corporate Advertising, Solar Energy Industries Association
Think solar isn’t popular? Just turn on your TV! Solar energy has taken over media campaigns in the past decade as many companies are looking to build a more sustainable brand. The rise in popularity of solar power and renewables has driven these organizations to make clean energy the centerpiece in multi-million dollar advertising campaigns.
Detroit Lions installing solar panels at Ford Field and team’s training facility, LionsWire, USA Today
Solar energy is for seniors, too! — Byers Solar gives the benefits of going solar for seniors, The Union of Grass Valley
A solar ring and retractable roof will soon hang above a premier Miami concert venue, Miami Herald
Iowa’s lone nuclear plant to close in 2020 under revised PPA, American Public Power Association

Inspiring community service story: Lee’s Summit animal shelter goes green with help from teen

By Anne Marie Hunger, Kansas City Star

The community dedicated to the animals at Lee’s Summit Animal Control extends beyond the staff and volunteers who meet their needs. Advocates and activists focused on the long-term future of the shelter help ensure it can continue to care for more than 4,000 animals a year. 18-year-old Zach Burton is one of those activists.

In 2016, Burton approached city officials with a plan to promote green energy in Lee’s Summit through a solar power project. Burton has worked with the city, architects and energy professionals over the past two years to bring his project to fruition at Lee’s Summit Animal Control. Read more here.

Photo: The 96 solar panels at the shelter will reduce energy expenses by over $135,000 over the course of 25 years.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED WEEKEND READING

NEWS FROM OTHER STATES

Buffalo elementary school gets second life as solar-powered community hub, Curbed
Mankato businesses shed light on going solar, The Free Press
As L.A. temperatures rise, so does interest in cleaner air and cleaner energy, Environmental Defense Fund
State Funds Solar Projects for Low-Income Brewster Residents, CapeCod.com
BREWSTER-Thanks to a $250,000 grant awarded to Cape Light Compact and Habitat for Humanity from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, six solar photovoltaic systems were placed on multiple new low-income homes in Brewster.
A Journey Toward the Utility of the Future, Transmission & Distribution World
The goal of enhanced resiliency drives ComEd to deploy microgrid technology.
Energy company helps Archdiocese of Louisville spread the solar spirit, Louisville Business First
Tribe Seeks Energy Sovereignty With Solar Microgrid, Eco-Village & Utility, Microgrid Knowledge

EXCELLENT ARTICLE BY KAREN UHLENHUTH
Nebraska tribe becomes a solar power leader on the Plains, Energy News Network

FEATURED NATIONAL NEWS

How much does it cost to bail out uneconomic power plants?, Into the Wind, AWEA Blog
Cheers to clean power adopters, activists and evangelists, GreenBiz
How Co-ops Transformed the Solar Landscape in Just Five Years, Power Magazine
By the end of 2019, the combined capacity of cooperative solar is expected to surpass 1 GW.

CORPORATE NEWS
Global Tech Giant Fujitsu Commits To 100% Renewable Electricity And Invests In Clean Energy Technologies, The Climate Group. IT giant Fujitsu has joined RE100 with a commitment to source 100% renewable electricity by 2050, with an interim target of 40% by 2030. Alongside investments in renewable energy technology, Fujitsu is also investing in its people. The company has been actively conducting seminars and events with an environmental focus for employees around the world. By educating staff on clean energy, Fujitsu aims to raise global awareness of renewable power.

RENEWABLE ENERGY LOAN PROGRAM
DOE rolls out $2B loan guarantee program for renewable energy on tribal lands, Utility Dive
Under the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program, the DOE can guarantee up to 90% of the unpaid principal and interest of a loan made to a federally recognized Indian tribe for energy development.

INTERCONNECTION NEWS

To Unleash Wholesale Distributed Generation, We Must Streamline Interconnection, Greentech Media. Large rooftops and parking lots can cost-effectively host solar generation right where the energy is needed, with no costly transmission lines or environmental impact.
Nebraska’s interconnection standards’ grade remains an “F”, while our state’s net metering has earned a “B”. Source: Freeing the Grid, produced by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and Vote Solar, with analysis provided by EQ Research.
Net Metering / Interconnection Recommendations

RESEARCH

ACEEE: Rural households pay 40% more on energy than urban counterparts, Smart Cities Dive
U.S. Solar Panel Market Size Worth USD 22.90 Billion By 2025: Hexa Research, PR Newswire
How Big Batteries at Data Centers Could Replace Power Plants, Scientific American

NET-ZERO ENERGY / COMMUNITY SOLAR NEWS

Rise of net zero energy homes could boost utility-led community solar, Utility Dive
Community Solar Can Help Meet Zero Net Energy Goals, Natural Resources Defense Council

ENERGY STORAGE NEWS

Tesla Powerwalls and PowerPacks save Vermont $500,000 during heatwaves, PV Magazine
Green Mountain Power suggests 500 distributed Tesla Powerwalls plus two larger energy storage facilities have saved its customers $500,000 this summer during peak demand hours.
CPS Energy sees storage as key element of energy transition, American Public Power Association. San Antonio, Texas-based public power utility CPS Energy is pursuing a so-called “Flexible Path” approach to energy, one that incorporates new energy storage technology to guide its ongoing transition from fossil fuels to renewables. “We want to look into new technology, innovation,” says CPS spokesman John Moreno. “We want to reduce our dependence on coal.”

SMART INVERTERS

Smart residential solar inverters prepping to run the grid

UA researcher tackles solar power

By Jaime Adame, ArkansasOnline

FAYETTEVILLE — Driving down the costs of solar power is the goal for Yue Zhao, a University of Arkansas, Fayetteville assistant professor receiving up to $2.7 million in support from the U.S. Department of Energy . . . Zhao earned a bachelor’s degree from Beijing University in China, then in 2014 earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Read more here.

Photo: Yue Zhao, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Additional Nebraska-Related News
Madison County wind regulations still up in the air, Norfolk Daily News

MORE STATES’ AND NATIONAL NEWS

What Financiers Need to Unlock $1 Trillion in Renewable Energy Investment, Greentech Media
NRG Rolls Out Simplified, Fixed-Rate, Commercial-Industrial Solar Garden Energy-as-a-Service Product, Solar Magazine. US-based NRG Energy recently introduced a long-term, fixed-price, consumer solar energy product that management says enables commercial and industrial companies to acquire reliable, emissions-free energy as easily, and as cost effectively, as they do conventional power from utilities. International food products distribution giant Sysco is the first customer for NRG’s Texas Solar Garden product.
More Farmers May Go Off the Grid, CoBank News Release
This new solar farm combines clean energy and beehives, Fast Company
Solar panels let church shine light before others —with a smaller bill, WPSD
CARBONDALE, IL — More churches are doing what they can to reduce their carbon footprint. First Christian Church of Carbondale has become the second church in the southern Illinois city to install solar panels. First Christian Church of Carbondale leaders said they chose to go solar not only to save money, but to save the Earth.
In Michigan, unwanted properties could see new life with solar projects, Energy News Network
CMS Energy Announces Two New Wind Energy Parks
JACKSON, Mich., June 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — CMS Energy today announced the addition of two new planned wind energy parks to its portfolio that will produce up to 250 megawatts of clean, renewable energy.
Committee pushing Madison to transition to 100 percent renewable energy, Channel 3000
Despite natural gas boom, this Texas town is going 100% renewable, The Christian Science Monitor
Arizona commissioner prepares to file 80% clean energy rule, Utility Dive
ABQ leaders announce solar panel projects at 12 city buildings, Albuquerque Journal
The city has secured $24.8 million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, part of a federal program designed to finance renewable energy projects. The bonds come with virtually no interest and will pay themselves off within 20 years in energy cost savings. (IRS: New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds FAQs)
NY Releases ‘Roadmap’ for 1,500-MW Storage Goal, RTO Insider
News Release: Honda Installs One Of Southern California’s Largest Corporate Owned On-Site Solar Arrays In Expansion Of Corporate Renewable Energy Commitment

Click image to watch a time-lapse video of the installation.

AMERICAN SOLAR CHALLENGE NEWS

Racing on Solar Energy — the evolution of ROSE and Appalachian’s solar vehicle team, Appalachian State University
Racing on Solar Energy — ROSE’s racing team, Appalachian State University
ISU solar car makes local stop during shortened tour, The Daily Reporter
American Solar Challenge

GLOBAL NEWS

Double-Sided Solar Panels Are Taking Off in China, Renewable Energy World
China is expected to jump-start the market for panels that can absorb light on both sides with plans to install 2.7 GW this year, according to research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Other regions may add as much as 200 MW in 2018, and the global market may reach 15 GW by 2020. A typical nuclear reactor has about 1 GW of capacity. Standard solar panels have a mostly aluminum backing. The so-called bi-facial panels remove most of the aluminum from the bottom, exposing the semiconducting material so it can produce electricity from light that hits it on either side. (See Solar Examples: Custom Solar Canopy and Henry Doorly Zoo Solar Shade Canopy for examples of local projects utilizing bifacial solar panels).
Batteries, Solar, Wind, Australia and Japan: All Winners in New Bloomberg NEF Forecast, Microgrid Knowledge
India eyeing a new monster 100GW solar-capacity goal, ArsTechnica
Why solar is suddenly so sexy for Indian companies, Quartz

Install Inequality: Nearly half of U.S. residential rooftop solar potential is currently out of reach

By Chris Crowell, Solar Builder Magazine

One of the largest barriers to solar adoption on a wide scale is the wealth gap, and it will require more problem-solving than a mandate to overcome it. A new report released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that nearly half (42 percent) of all the United States’ residential rooftop solar technical potential (see pg. 15 for definition) is on the dwellings of low-to-moderate income (LMI) households, representing 330 GW of potential solar capacity — a number the researchers admitted was much higher than they expected at the outset.

“Understanding the potential size of the LMI market in detail offers new insights and opportunities to serve these communities,” said David Mooney, executive director, Institutional Planning, Integration and Development for NREL. “The potential electric bill savings from the adoption of rooftop solar would have a greater material impact on low-income households compared to their high-income counterparts.” Read more here.

NREL Photo: PV installed on low-income housing development in Denver, Colorado

RECOMMENDED CLEANTECH TALK

Record-Low Solar Power, Electric Car Startups, & The Mercedes EQ Brand (Cleantech Talk Today #4)

ALSO IN THE NEWS

$1 trillion by 2030 – ACORE lays out a US pathway, PV Magazine
American Council on Renewable Energy launched a new campaign that aims to reach $1 trillion in U.S. private sector investment in renewable energy and enabling grid technologies by 2030.
Falling battery costs to push solar, wind to 50% electricity by 2050, PV Magazine
BNEF predicts that solar PV capacity will grow 17-fold, and wind six-fold, by 2050, to account for nearly half of global electricity generation. Investments will reach $11.5 trillion. Cost reductions will drive this charge, particularly in the battery market.
BNEF’s New Energy Outlook 2018
Public power utilities and the electric grid must evolve with global trends, says Kelly, American Public Power Association. Kicking off the American Public Power Association’s National Conference in New Orleans, La. on June 18, Sue Kelly, president and CEO of the Association, urged public power utilities to heed three global trends to consider how to serve customers in the future. The three trends she highlighted were Amazon, connection, and socialization.
Study probes paving all US highway shoulders with solar panels, Global Construction Review
Texas to get its largest battery, coupled with its largest solar power plant, PV Magazine
The energy storage project is scheduled to come online in Q4 2018. In a powerpoint delivered by Vistra Energy on investor day, they referenced the upcoming energy storage project. [Notably:] The presentation also suggests that the project is eligible for the Investment Tax Credit and bonus depreciation. The IRS has already ruled that residential energy storage added in at a later time is eligible for these tax benefits.
Megatrends electric utilities must deal with NOW, American Public Power Association
National Grid targets 80% carbon cut across buildings, transport, power, Utility Dive
Aspen Electric’s 100% renewables just keeps looking better and better, Mountain Town News In 2005, with [Randy Udall, then director of the nonprofit called Community Office of Resource Efficiency] representing Aspen, the city struck a deal with the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, or MEAN. This deal gave Aspen access to MEAN’s wind farm near Kimball, Neb., as well as MEAN’s other wind-based resources and a small bit of landfill gas. In turn, MEAN became the balancing authority for Aspen, ensuring it gets wind-generated energy when it needs it but does not leave the city utility on the hook for unneeded electricity. This has been crucial to achieving the city’s goal of 100 percent renewables.
New Jersey Is Now The United States’ Hottest Clean Energy Economy, by Mike O’Boyle and Barbara Blumenthal for Forbes. Mike is Electricity Policy Manager at Energy Innovation. Barbara is Research Director at New Jersey Conservation Foundation. When Governor Murphy recently signed a landmark clean energy bill into law, New Jersey reclaimed the national policy leadership it abdicated during years of stagnation under the Christie Administration, and jump-started the state’s clean energy economy. The state is now a member of the exclusive “50×30” club that includes New York, Hawaii, California, and Vermont as the only states requiring 50% renewable energy by 2030 (Colorado and Iowa may reach that mark through voluntary utility leadership).

Nebraskans for Solar

Solar: the energy of life

Tag Archives: energy storage

2018 solar power year in review (part 1)

By Christian Roselund and John Weaver, PV Magazine

Coalition for Community Solar Access Launches Online Portal for Community Solar Jobs

News Release

Lazards, Lazards, LCOE – what’s the cheapest energy?

By John Weaver, PV Magazine USA

Pairing Wind + Solar for Cheaper, 24-Hour Renewable Energy

By Dan Gearino, Inside Climate News

Amidst Keystone XL Fight, Nebraska Farmers Give 10 Acres Back to the Ponca Nation

Written by Twilight Greenaway, Civil Eats

Facebook gets specific about its 100 percent renewables target

By Heather Clancy, GreenBiz

‘Electrification of Everything’ Would Spike US Electricity Use, but Lower Final Energy Consumption

By Justin Gerdes, Greentech Media

Inspiring community service story: Lee’s Summit animal shelter goes green with help from teen

By Anne Marie Hunger, Kansas City Star

UA researcher tackles solar power

By Jaime Adame, ArkansasOnline

Install Inequality: Nearly half of U.S. residential rooftop solar potential is currently out of reach

By Chris Crowell, Solar Builder Magazine