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.

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%.

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.

Green Mountain Power has launched a real time blockchain tracked peer to peer platform, starting December 2, to allow businesses to purchase solar power from customers who own the rights to the renewable energy credits via a phone app, using LO3 Energy’s backend software.

Since we got a lot of energy storage links this week, we decided to throw a whole bunch in at once! As well, we see that polysilicon modules are still edging downward in price, Green Rhino has a portable solar+storage system, the EIA showing that most energy storage installed in the USA is lithium ion, and a bit more!

National Renewable Energy Lab researchers hourly modeled the whole of the United States, and when more than half of all electricity is coming from solar power, there would be no technical deal killers, but many spring days with free electricity that we would have to learn to use, and a need to financially recognize the predictability and grid stabilizing attributes of solar and storage.

Regulators voted to cut the avoided cost rate paid to PURPA solar power projects in the state by ~33% to 2.134¢/kWh, while also shortening the length of the contracts to 10 years – which represents the lowest rates and contract lengths in the nation.

Panasonic recently launched their EverVolt home energy storage system, with an AC and DC coupled unit that easily can scale up to 34 kWh and, when coupled with their HIT solar modules, can power your home indefinitely if the grid goes down.

Four California CCAs have combined to release a joint RFP in Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties for developers to build out distributed energy storage at local homes, multifamily properties, and commercial buildings that can keep the locations running when the grid is powered down.

An analysis by a utility backed group suggests that the competitive market for solar power is producing better rates than the legally required PURPA marketplace, suggesting revisions to the pricing mechanism. Market activity suggests the political lever of the tool is still needed though, and the report has some issues.