Update on Natron Energy, sodium-ion battery builder with $35M from ABB, Khosla, Chevron
The startup is “going after some applications that have been traditionally lead acid and some that have been lithium ion. Think ultra-fast discharges, unbelievable cycle lives, low cost, and non-toxic materials.”
Victory for wholesale energy storage, but does Order 841 allow FERC to assault net metering?
Order 841 lets regional transmission operators create wholesale markets for energy storage — potentially including fleets of behind-the-meter storage systems.
Biden-Sanders task force calls for installing 500 million solar modules in next five years
The wide-ranging joint report includes a section: “Undoing the Harms of the Trump Administration and Righting the Wrongs.”
Pacificorp looks to add 4.3 GW of renewables and storage by 2023
The utility giant is making this procurement in accordance with its 2019 integrated resource plan, under which Pacificorp intends to add 11 GW of wind and solar by 2038, with an additional 2.8 GW of battery storage.
Natron Energy, developer of sodium-ion batteries, raises $35M as investment in storage surges
The startup is building a battery using Prussian blue analogue electrodes and a sodium-ion electrolyte. Investors include ABB Technology Ventures, NanoDimension Capital, Volta Energy Technologies, Chevron, Khosla Ventures, and Prelude Ventures.
Sunrun to acquire Vivint Solar for $3.2 billion in all-stock transaction
The new, bigger Sunrun will have 500,000 customers and more than 3 GW of solar power assets. Is there value in scale in residential solar?
Solar and storage venture capital and finance roundup
Plus a bunch of investments in carbon capture.
Morning Brief: Navajo Transitional Energy proposes 200 MW of Solar, Florida adds 150 MW
Also in the brief: battery energy storage is getting cheaper, but how much deployment is too much? GCube Insurance is issuing a renewed warning to renewable energy asset owners about cyberattacks, REC Group’s flagship REC Alpha solar panel has won the Intersolar Award 2020 for photovoltaics, and more.
Morning Brief: Tucson Electric Power aims to add 1.4 GW of storage, Standard Solar secures $105 million
Also in the brief: Bank of America signs its first PPA, CS Energy has completed a 33 MW portfolio of solar projects in Texas, RP Construction Services and RECON partner to build tracker projects and more
Ikea invests more in solar by the day
The Swedish furniture giant has announced it will be turning one of its Australian superstores into its first 100% renewably-powered solar + storage retail project. Australia is also home to the company’s first expansion of its retail solar offering, Solstråle.
