Group asks that Entergy improve its resource planning
The utility overestimated costs for renewables in its resource plan and did not seriously consider solar-plus-storage hybrid systems, a stakeholder group said.
Energy efficiency is a good substitute for long-term storage, NREL study says
Reducing building energy usage by about 60% is key to a least-cost 100% renewable energy grid, the study found.
States choosing smart inverter settings could follow Hawaii’s lead
States don’t need to reinvent the wheel when evaluating smart inverter requirements, said a Sunrun policy director, noting that delays in setting requirements could lead to “wasted infrastructure.”
In California and Hawaii, the benefits of smart inverters are just beginning
Smart inverters have opened up opportunities for people with smart inverters to be paid for providing stored energy on demand and other grid services.
Strategies to enhance the value of utility-scale PV is focus of Berkeley Lab study
The study considers options including an inverter loading ratio of up to 1.7 and DC-coupled batteries, and how increasing levels of PV on the grid influence the optimal PV system design.
IREC guide aims to help states deploy solar hosting capacity maps
More states require data-rich maps for solar developers, but face challenges in setting requirements to ensure the maps are accurate, useful, and timely.
Study outlines how 18 GW of solar can be deployed in the Carolinas by 2030
Tripling the amount of solar to be added in the Carolinas compared to Duke Energy’s plans would yield cost savings, a Brattle Group study found.
Grid-forming inverters enter prime time with DOE funding
As fossil generators are phased out, grid-forming inverters will need to be phased in so that the grid can be restarted after any blackout.
DOE grants aim to drive down inverter costs, advance PV fire prevention tech
Several of the projects also aim for lower costs for PV module materials or PV racking, as well as for lower defect rates on module assembly lines.
NREL projects solar generation and costs for 10 U.S. zones
The national laboratory developed the baseline products to develop and document transparent, normalized technology cost and performance assumptions.
