The United States’ solar market is growing again this year, and it is expected to accelerate further in 2020 and 2021, with heavy construction continuing through the end of 2023. For PV module suppliers, the different market segments require varying strategies for success.
Top News
Sunnova seeks to outrun its losses
Sunnova reported higher interest expense than revenue during Q2. Can scale and better access to capital turn this around?
Markets & Policy
North Carolina looks nationwide for its “Clean Energy Plan” guidance
As required by Governor Roy Cooper's Executive Order 80, the state has released a draft report of policy and action recommendations to help clean the electric grid - including a recommendation to decarbonize power by 2050.
Markets & Policy
Wisconsin governor orders 100% carbon-free power by 2050
Governor Tony Evers has signed an executive order directing the state's Department of Administration to create an Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, which will be tasked with achieving the lofty carbon-reduction goal.
Announcements
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Step-by-step process on getting community solar deals done and finding the right financing
Wednesday, 10. July 2019 13:00 – 14:00 (ET), 12:00 – 13:00 (CT), 10:00 – 11:00 (PDT)
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Manufacturing
Sanders dreams of electric sheep, Sungrow considered 100% bankable: pvMB 8/20/19
Hello one and all and welcome to your Tuesday edition of the pvMB. Today we've got on our plates NEC installing over 20 MW of energy storage in Maine and Massachusetts, Biomethanation, Neo Volta's N14 simultaneously operating DC and AC and more!
Markets & Policy
Tesla will rent you a solar array for $50/month
Elon Musk is trying just about everything to reimagine the solar business. But will this one work?
Markets & Policy
sPower begins to deliver on $25 million promise
The solar developer is set to begin pumping money into a fund that will eventually deliver $25 million to benefit Spotsylvania County. The fund will hopefully also deliver some goodwill towards sPower, whose massive solar project in the county has encoun...
Cost and prices
Arizona’s potential to develop unbiased 15-year resource plans is up for grabs
An Arizona regulator has advocated for using a modeling tool being developed by Arizona State University, to help the state plan how to phase in more renewable energy. Yet the university’s initial plan for the modeling tool would not serve that purpose...
Manufacturing
California approves solar+school buses
California regulators have approved an SDG&E proposal to install 3,000 to 6,000 medium and heavy vehicle charging stations, as well as a vehicle-to-grid pilot where 10 school buses will be tested for use as grid assets.
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SubscribePress Releases
Energy Toolbase Ranks No. 1,011 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 List as One of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America
Energy Toolbase was recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, ranking number 1,011 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 List.
Standard Solar Releases eBook Offering Critical Insight On Executing Successful Community Solar Projects
Nationally known community solar expert Standard Solar has launched a new eBook Community Solar: What You Need to Know. This free, comprehensive guide to community solar, the fastest-growing segment of the burgeoning U.
NEWLY FORMED STRATEGIC SOLAR SOURCING EQUIPS SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE COMPANIES TO COMPETE IN SOLAR
A group of seasoned wind and solar industry executives today launched a new company, Strategic Solar Sourcing, that is the first to offer small and medium-sized solar businesses supply chain management outsourcing services and products previously available only to large organizations, including low-cost equipment pricing on modules, inverters and racking with resulting significant bottom-line improvements.
Mona Dajani Named Co-Leader of Pillsbury’s Energy and Infrastructure Projects Practice
Pillsbury has appointed New York Project Finance partner Mona Dajani as co-leader of the firm’s preeminent Energy and Infrastructure Projects team. Dajani, one of the foremost energy and infrastructure lawyers in the world, joins partner Robert James in leading the practice.
Installations
Pennsylvania’s largest solar project, SolarEdge’s new co-chair: pvMB 08/19
Welcome back to the workweek and to the pvMB. Today we'll be taking a look at an award-winning solar home cooking system, GivePower donating solar desalinators and more!
Hanwha Q Cells achieves top-tier bankability, solar panels stolen in Indiana: pvMb 8/16/19
TGIF and welcome to this Friday’s pvMB. Today we’ve got our sights set on Sunnova and PetersonDean’s California partnership, Pivot energy’s hiring, SimpliPhi cutting battery prices and more!
Is a California solar+storage boom about to happen?
CAISO has warned state regulators that there could be a 4.7 GW capacity shortfall in 2022, in the early evening hours of the annual peak demand events of September. The grid operator has suggested alteration of water cooling laws, as well as increased procurement of resources.
Solar gets by with a little help from its friends
Hidden in a natural gas plant modification application, Duke Energy has released findings that constant ramping is causing solar to contributes increased emissions onto the grid. If only there was some way to cover solar’s shortfalls without fossil fuels.
A household-scale virtual power plant has arrived
Aiming for 70% clean energy by 2030, Colorado’s Holy Cross Energy is piloting a household-scale virtual power plant technology that will help integrate more rooftop solar and storage. A device in each home optimizes provision of power to the grid, as well as grid services.
pvMB: Pennsylvania’s new RPS has 100 cosponsors, Utah’s hidden solar potential, more
Hello one and all and welcome to today’s pvMB. On this fine day we’ll be looking at Marin Clean Energy’s $2.8 million net metering paybacks, Utah’s hidden solar potential, Standard Solar’s new community solar e-book and more!
Manufacturing
Featured
LONGi shingled module, Soltec bifacial simulations, Campbell Scientific solar albedo, more!
Hardware! Hardware! Get your fresh hardware! Terrasmart's new *fixed* racking takes into account bifacial solar panels, Quickmount releases 5 to 10 degree commercial rooftop racking system, "Lead Crystal" batteries with 18-20 year lifetimes, more!
Tensions flare in trade war, Trump threatens WTO exit
The World Trade Organization has taken the first steps towards enabling China to file compensatory sanctions against the United States over the section 301 tariffs.
Hardware brief: $1 million=Dynapower, Morningstar still Morningstar, SMA+BYD=<3 & more!
Its Friday, so build something and be cool! Rainwise has launched a compact professional grade weather station, Sungrow has put out a whitepaper with design tips, and more!
Regulator says lithium-ion batteries create “unacceptable risks”
Arizona regulator Sandra D. Kennedy has filed a review of lithium ion technology’s drawbacks relative to other energy storage technologies, specifically noting hydrogen fluoride release and thermal runaway, in light of two Arizona energy storage battery fires.
SolarEdge built it, the buyers followed
During the second quarter SolarEdge increased manufacturing capacity by 25% and shipped over 3.7 million optimizers, which totaled over 1.3 GWac. This upped revenue 43% year on year, and company officials say they are highly confident in their even larger projected ~70% Q3 revenue growth.
First Solar’s great ramp forward
First Solar has reported the largest quarterly production run and shipment volume in its history, and more than 2 GW of bookings in July alone. And with more factories underway, the thin film PV maker is just getting started.
Markets & Policy
Featured
When disaster strikes
In this guest post George Irwin of ReNew Petra explains the essential role of skilled operations and maintenance teams in both preparation for and recovery from hurricanes.
Lithium-ion batteries are (still) headed for tariffs as of September 1
The energy storage market is set to be the latest affected by Trump’s trade war, and lithium-ion batteries were not included in a group of Chinese imports where tariffs will be delayed until December 15.
80% renewables is cake – let the extremists argue over the rest
A general consensus among researchers is starting to arise, showing that reaching 80% wind plus solar across various markets in the United States can be done at pricing equal to or cheaper than the cost of electricity today.
Consumers Energy looks to settle its PURPA constipation
The company has filed a settlement with state regulators that would clear its 3 GW interconnection queue in exchange for the development of 150 MW of renewable energy annually.
‘New and strange properties’ provide a boost to energy storage
MIT scientists have developed a class of liquid electrolyte with properties they say could open up new possibilities for improving the performance and stability of lithium batteries and supercapacitors.
Apple picks single axis trackers and bifacial solar panels (w/pictures!)
Swinerton Renewable Energy is moving to interconnection this week of the 200 MWac / 251 MWdc Techren II facility in Boulder, Nevada. The plant uses NEXTracker single-axis trackers and bifacial solar modules from Canadian Solar and LONGi.
Technology
Featured
Stitching together the grid of the future
A vision of a decentralized, renewable-powered electricity grid is being brought a step closer by scientists at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Their project, Autonomous Energy Grids, aims to take an overarching look at the solutions that will power this grid of the future, and to fill any gaps that appear between them.
Philly getting solar rebates, leadership changes at Duke: pvMB 8/13/19
It may only be Tuesday, but we’re glad you’re here with us reading today’s edition of the pvMB! In this edition we’ll be looking at Oregon State researchers confirming the value of solar on farmlands, Hyundai’s entry in the solar car game, a prefab tiny house with solar options and more!
Using machine learning and cheap satellite data to design rooftop solar power
Researchers have built a tool to use cheap satellite imagery – like Google Maps – to automatically create solar designs with a 91% accuracy rate.
Trina cells on a championship solar car, LONGi achieves highest bankability rating: pvMB 8/12/19
Happy Monday and welcome to this edition of the pvMB. Today we’ll be looking at Engie’s storage installation for a school district, Virginia’s Fairfax County seeking solar and more!
Massachusetts zeroes in on shaving the peak
The state’s latest presentation gives a lot more details on its Clean Peak Standard proposal, as well as shedding more light on the why behind the policy.
Sunrun opposes utility plan to control all new distributed energy resources
A regulatory proceeding raises issues of monopoly control; whether distributed resources will be compensated for providing grid services; and the capability of smart inverters to operate autonomously, without external controls, in response to signals on price, voltage and frequency.