Energy Impact Partners, who partners with 14 electric utilities, has raised $681 million to continue investing in technologies that have a high probability of influencing the future power grid.

Burns & McDonnell, a 6,000-strong engineering firm, is installing a Greenlots EV charging network and integrating it into the company’s campus network. The engineers hope to offer EV related services to their many electric utility customers.

The HIT S-Series smart module is being launched via a collaboration between Panasonic and SolarEdge. The pair is aiming to boost the installation speed and total electricity output of solar modules. The initial unit noted is a 330W solar module.

The Sonnen ecoLinx adds home automation skills, via powerful industry partner tools, complementing the company’s energy storage, grid management and microgrid expertise.

Conti Solar has signed a five project, 35 MW EPC agreement with Southern Sky Solar in Rhode Island. These projects alone would represent about 30% growth in the state’s total solar capacity, however, the state’s development queue is huge as it aims for 1 GW of renewable energy in 2020.

Wood Mackenzie projects that the U.S. energy storage market will reach well over $500 million in sales this year, following on 61.8 MW / 156.5 MWh of installations during the second quarter. Residential storage has grown at 61% per quarter since Q1 2017.

A report analyzing the week of a heat wave in the Northeast estimates that solar power saved $30 million in wholesale electricity costs due to lowering demand at its peak during mid-day – including $6.7 million in savings on July 3rd.

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners have started construction on their Misae and Sage solar power projects, located in Texas and Utah and sized 240 MW-AC and 58 MW-AC, respectively.

Gibraltar Industries, owner of solar racking company RBI Solar, of Cincinnati, OH has acquired balance of system designer SolarBOS, of California.

kWh Analytics and Swiss Re have structured a deal with GCL New Energy and PNC Bank for 50 MW of solar projects financed using the Solar Revenue Put to guarantee 95% of solar generation.