Ammonia in the mix for future storage technologies
Japan’s JGC Corporation reports an efficient method of converting hydrogen to ammonia, which can later be combusted to generate carbon-free electricity. Ammonia, according to JGC, has various advantages over hydrogen in terms of safety and cost effectiveness.
143 MW of distributed solar goes online in VA, DC, MD, DE
While large utility-scale projects grab the headlines, installation firms in the region racked up 7400 small-scale (under 1 MW) solar installations in 2018. Snapshot stories included.
Floating PV technical potential is 10% of U.S. generation
While a national lab report on floating PV did not estimate its economic potential, the report suggests the most promising markets could be reservoirs in areas with high land costs for ground-mounted solar, and reservoirs with grid-connected hydropower or high evaporation rates.
Solar on schools advances with open source contracting
With every new solar-on-schools contract, more people learn how it’s done, share what they know, and make it easier for neighboring school districts to follow the same path. U.S. schools could host up to 30 gigawatts of solar.
U.S. utilities test distributed energy management
Distributed energy management systems can capture added value from solar and storage by shaving peak loads, providing grid services, and deferring grid investments. Utilities testing such systems have shared their lessons learned, while Western Australia leapfrogs ahead.
How gold-plating the grid blocks solar: an interview with Vote Solar’s Ed Smeloff
Unnecessary grid investments raise costs for all customers, displace solar and distributed solutions, and could be unfairly charged to solar customers. Vote Solar’s director of grid integration Ed Smeloff shares his insights in this pv magazine interview.
Solar and storage groups call for dynamic pricing of electricity in California
Dynamic pricing could advance renewables while cutting both customer costs and system costs, suggests a petition from solar and storage industry participants. They call for a rulemaking process to give all customers the option to choose real-time pricing.
Hawaiian Electric embraced by activist investor focused on renewables
Citing Hawaii’s potential to reach 80 percent renewables by 2030, saving $6.5 billion in the process, the investment fund’s founder says Hawaiian Electric “has the potential to be the utility of the future.”
Puerto Rico utility favors LNG over solar in Siemens plan
The Puerto Rico utility’s favored generation plan, in a report prepared by Siemens, involves an LNG terminal at San Juan and would achieve only 55% renewables by 2038. A scenario without LNG would reach 79% renewables by 2038 at comparable cost, based on undisclosed cost assumptions.
Five new governors aim for 100% renewables
Governors-elect in Colorado and Connecticut want a 100% renewables mandate. Approaching 100% is the goal for governors-elect in Illinois, Nevada and Maine.
