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Hardware brief: Solar panel walking shoes, poly modules dying?, Trina poly bifacial breaks record, more!

You’re busy, so we keep it simple – only the hardware here folks! Los Angeles simplified its installation requirements, solar+storage install in Vermont, solar walking shoes that spread the force to 1/10th allowable weight, Trina setting bifacial poly records, and polysilicon pricing at the floor!

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GM building $2 billion dollar electric vehicle battery factory in Ohio

LG Chem and GM have announced an agreement to build a 30 GWh EV battery factory in Lordstown, Ohio which will employ 1,100 people and come online in 2023.

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Deeper analysis of bifacial solar panel data – including greater cooling and how DC to AC ratios affect clipping

Soltec single axis tracker research shows greater production in a two-in-portrait configuration versus a single module by just over 2%, driven mostly by lower module temperatures as well hardware design adjustments.

Energy storage growth clumpy but broad in 2019, next year it triples

Wood Mackenzie projects 430 MW of energy storage will be connected to the grid this year, 38% greater power than the prior year, however utility scale procurements are scheduled to begin deploying next year jumping volumes 300%.

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Colorado utility sees “opportunistic window” to save money with solar and wind plus storage

Black Hills Energy is seeking 200 MW of solar power or wind plus energy storage capacity as part of an RFP, driven – not by any requirements – but by 2019 summertime bids solar and solar plus storage bids of 2.4¢/kWh and 3.6¢/kWh and the pending step down of the 30% investment tax credit.

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All I want for Christmas is a solar power plus Enphase Ensemble battery backup

Enphase has released training materials and a pre-order page for its home energy storage product – the Ensemble. Here we review the hardware specs and the installation directions.

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Hardware Brief: Solar services, really fast module install, install of the week, module pricing flat, more!

Happy Thanksgiving y’all, hope you hugged someone this holiday. Friday – means solar hardware (and services!) – Solar Services advertising their inverter and engineering support, Gamechange installing modules really fast with a new clip, Sherin and Lodgen supported their first solar+storage and finance deal, Sungrow+Hanwha+NEXTracker in a Florida install, and a little bit more!

Solar panels manufactured by a solar power installer

Vikram Solar recently announced three commercial sized solar modules for the US market – a framed and frameless bifacial, and a half cut standard monoPERC – whose peak output ranges from 375 through 425 watts, available starting in January 2020.

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92% of Americans want moAR solar power, greater than any other action Pew Research says

A survey of just over 3,500 people done by Pew Research in October found 92% of Americans favor expanding solar panel farms – up 3% since earlier this year. No other energy or climate action polled as highly, with expanded wind being second at 85%, and reduced food waste at 80%.

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If solar and wind are so cheap, why are their haters making so much noise

A report from US research labs shows natural gas as the leading reason wholesale electricity pricing has fallen over the last decade across the country, however, looking at key markets it is clear there are larger downward effects where wind and solar have been most heavily deployed.

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