John Fitzgerald Weaver
pvMB 2/22/19: Walls are up at LG’s Alabama solar factory, utilities overspend by billions on T&D and more…
Good morning – it’s Friday! In today’s pvMB we will also bring you more regulatory capture in New Orleans, NREL’s new database for albedo, and a study that looks at the idea locations for EV chargers in Michigan.
Energy Freedom rings in South Carolina
The South Carolina House has passed the Energy Freedom Act, which gives net metering support through the summer of 2021, aims to develop programs for C&I as well community solar, and seeks utility consistency in dealing with large solar projects.
A blockchain trading solar power system in the real world
PowerLedger’s xGrid is a blockchain-based electricity trading platform that’s now being used in a Pennsylvania business park, in addition to Chicago, California, a large housing unit in Australia, plus a few more locations.
Utility scale solar pricing inches up
LevelTen Energy’s Q4 PPA price index saw a sight increase in the price of utility scale solar power purchase agreements, except for the Southwest Power Pool which saw a healthy chunk of inexpensive projects come online.
City of Buffalo seeks 32 solar power bids
As part of a broader program between five local schools, the City of Buffalo has submitted a request for proposals for 32 sites around the city, and project owners will then sell the electricity through 20 year power contracts with the city.
Even with new capacity investments, Enphase still sold out
Enphase says its inverter lead times are ~13-15 weeks, even with dedicated manufacturing lines for components. Two new long term contracts expect to turn on in Q3 and Q4 ’19, lowering lead times to ~6-8 weeks.
TVA announces future generation planning by cancelling solar program
The Tennessee Valley Authority is moving to the next stage of its 2019 Integrated Resource Plan, and concurrently announced the cancellation of the Green Power Providers program as of January 1, 2020.
pvMB 2/15/19: Nexamp completes NY community solar, CALSSA supplier directory
Its Friday morning and today’s pv magazine USA morning brief goes well with coffee. In this edition we bring you additions to Panasonic’s premium installer list, a new drone dealership, insight into millennial employment goals and more.
Community solar software that pencils
Pivot Energy offers a community solar software platform whose price works even for small solar power projects which cannot sustain heavy startup and annual fees, and so far, it’s the first solution to do so.
Wind+solar+storage for the first time in the US utility space
Portland General Electric and NextEra Energy Resources are developing the nation’s first major energy facility co-locating wind, solar and energy storage: 300 MW of wind, 50 MWac of solar, and 30 MW / 120 MWh of energy storage.
