Morning Brief: Nextracker CEO Dan Shugar on bifacial PV, plus NextEra’s massive energy storage plans

Dan Shugar, CEO of Nextracker, on bifacial panels: “Advancing understanding in the PV industry with solid testing in bifacial is meticulous, steady work. Every week for years, there is a standing meeting in my office, virtual or otherwise, with our all-star team geeking out on bifacial design and performance. Last week we published a seminal white paper (available here) on deep empirical testing of various 1P designs and 1P vs 2P. We are seeing customers using PVSyst input parameters like back-side shade factors that are wildly optimistic. Our testing indicates that mono-PERC on one-in-portrait (1P) single-axis trackers provide bifacial gains of 6% under low-albedo conditions and 11% under high-albedo. These grid-connected test results are in good agreement with data from NREL and PVEL bifacial test sites.” Source: Dan Shugar on LinkedIn

Mercom Capital Group’s new report, available here, of the top 10 global large-scale solar PV developers. With a total capacity of 12.3 GW, India-based, Adani Green Energy emerged as the top solar PV developer in the world based on its operational, under construction, and contracted projects. GCL New Energy (7.1 GW), an independent solar power producer, ranked second, followed by Tokyo-based renewable energy developer, SB Energy (7 GW). A criterion for qualification on this list was that developers had to have projects in at least two countries. The top 10 large-scale solar developers account for 33 GW of operational projects globally. Source: Mercom Capital Group

NextEra Energy Resources plans to build nearly 700 MW of fully-contracted battery storage projects in California before the end of 2022 that could nearly double the total installed capacity of battery storage available in the U.S. today. The battery storage projects will be co-located at six existing NextEra Energy Resources solar projects and include:

• 63 MW at Blythe 110 Solar Energy Center
• 115 MW at Blythe II Solar Energy Center
• 115 MW at Blythe III Solar Energy Center
• 230 MW at the McCoy Solar Energy Center
• 110 MW at the Arlington Solar Energy Center
• 65 MW at the Yellow Pine Solar Energy Center

NextEra’s planned and pipeline of battery storage projects in California alone is nearly twice the total installed capacity of battery storage in the U.S. today (approximately 1,350 MW). NextEra Energy Resources is ready to construct Eagle Mountain, a 1,300 MW pumped storage project located near Desert Center, Calif. Eagle Mountain is a fully permitted, shovel-ready project that could provide up to 18 hours of energy storage — but needs the appropriate regulatory construct in order to move forward. Source: NextEra

OutBack Power Technologies is partnering with Bay City Electric Works to provide robust backup power with a home resiliency solution that combines battery storage with Kohler brand generators for backup power solutions. Bay City Electric Works carries a range of Kohler generators, from 8 to 150 kW output capabilities. Their residential generators are designed for large or small homes needing whole or partial backup power. Bay City and OutBack Power are creating a hybrid system with with 11 kWh to 22 kWh of lithium-ion battery storage. Source: Outback Power

More than 3.5 billion people — most of them concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia — lack reasonably reliable access to electricity, according to a paper published this month in The Electricity Journal. The researchers examined the frequency and duration of power outages around the world to determine what they categorize as a base level for electricity service. Source: Science Direct