Utility Scale PV

Also in the brief: NextEra developing a 500-MW solar/500 MW battery project in Kansas, PV system output during California smoke is near zero, solar in Wyoming and Sunrun is cleared to acquire Vivint by US DOJ.

Here are five companies that have raised more than $50 million in funding in recent days — with an emphasis on solving renewable energy problems with software. Plus a climate change SPAC from Mary Powell and David Crane.

To address developers’ frustrations with its interconnection process, Duke Energy worked with solar industry associations to map out a second proposal aimed at rationalizing its interconnection process in 2022, after the existing queue is cleared.

With 400 MW of solar capacity, complimented by 180 MW/540 MWh of energy storage, the Rexford 1 Solar & Storage Center is a development of considerable size. The project now has an energy offtaker, with 8minute signing a 15-year contract with Clean Power Alliance.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cast a cloud on industries around the world, but the U.S. utility-scale solar segment is still growing. Around 3 GW of solar PV is set to be installed this year in Texas alone, but opportunities also abound across several other southern U.S. states.

Also in the brief: BayWa r.e. expands PV and storage capabilities with acquisition of Enable Energy, Hemlock Semiconductor to vertically integrate polysilicon production.

The utility-scale solar pioneer and specialist is going small. After decades of avoiding distributed generation, its distributors will now offer First Solar’s series 6 modules to “projects and customers of all shapes and sizes.”

Terabase wins a $6 million Round A led by SJF Ventures, an early funder of Nextracker, for an integrated software platform to make building utility-scale solar more efficient, smarter and cheaper.

Solar curtailment might become a valuable aspect of future PV deployment, particularly if grid operators start focusing on ‘curtailment management’ instead of ‘curtailment prevention.’ Management would include measures such as flexible generation, storage, load flexibility, and regional coordination.

Texas and California lead the green grid trend, with PJM not far behind. ERCOT has 75 GW of solar in its interconnection queue — but how fast clean energy can displace natural gas and coal remains a key issue.