Morning Brief: Dominion Energy issues an RFP for 80MW of new solar, Generac acquires Enbala

Dominion Energy has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 80 MW of new distributed solar generation. The utility is soliciting for projects 3 MW or less in capacity, with a minimum of 50 kW, located in the Dominion Energy Virginia service area and commercially operational by the end of 2022. While Virginia ranks 17th nationally, in terms of total installed solar capacity, at just under 1.1 GW, very little of this capacity has come from distributed solar projects, meaning that the RFP provides a considerable boom. Notices of Intent to Bid are due by October 30, so interested developers should check out Dominion’s RFP page. Source: Dominion Energy

First-of-a-kind utility plan could transform Southeast grid: Utilities in the Southeast are rallying behind a surprising cause: a new electricity market that could boost renewable energy in a region still dominated by fossil fuels.The push from the area’s energy giants to buy and sell their excess electricity could help them meet net-zero carbon targets but also change a business model they have relied on for decades. The so-called Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) would expand one major utility company’s trading system to create a platform for buying and selling excess wholesale electrons every 15 minutes.The effort could open pathways for clean energy to the Southeast’s dominant investor-owned utilities: Dominion Energy Inc., Duke Energy Corp. and Southern Co. Also involved are public power providers Tennessee Valley Authority, Missouri-based Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. and Santee Cooper. Souce: E&E News

Solar installer Sigora Solar acquired California-based Aztec Solar. The acquisition establishes Sigora’s presence in California — the nation’s largest solar market and the fifth largest economy in the world. Sigora Solar now operates in 14 states and is Virginia’s largest residential and commercial solar installer. Aztec Solar is one of the Sacramento area’s pioneers in solar power and has been in business for 40 years.

Generac sets its eye on DERMs market with acquisition of Enbala: On-site power manufacturer Generac will acquire Denver-based Enbala, a provider of distributed energy optimization and control software that helps grid operators with stability. The company’s platform is used by utilities and energy retailers to leverage the power of distributed energy resources (DERs) to respond to the real-time energy balancing needs of power systems and energy markets.“We’re on the leading edge of a remarkable transformation of the electrical grid, moving from a dated and centralized power distribution model to one that will be digitized, decentralized and more resilient,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, CEO of Generac. Source: Power Engineering Last year, Generac acquired energy storage firm, Pika Energy.