The consolidation continues: AlsoEnergy merges with Locus Energy
AlsoEnergy has acquired/merged with its third energy monitoring and asset management company this summer. This most recent move brings 25 GW and 190,000 projects under AlsoEnergy’s responsibility.
SEIA seeks automated permitting and energy storage retrofits for business
SEIA is seeking to save $1 per watt on costs by automating the solar permit process, and also to unlock 30 GW of solar plant energy storage projects by confirming the 30% tax credit on commercial energy storage retrofits.
Solar and energy storage win big in Indiana
Electric utility NIPSCO announced plans to close all of its coal facilities by 2028, replacing them with solar, solar+wind, wind, demand side response and the spot market. The utility says some of the coal facilities could have stayed open past 2035, but would have cost customers millions of dollars more than shifting to new solar power.
Con Edison’s big buy: 943 MW of solar from Sempra
The $1.54 billion transaction will make Con Edison the 2nd-largest owner of operational solar assets in the United States, and is expected to close by the end of the year.
If you build it, they will buy it: sPower refinances $499 million of wind and solar
The independent power producer has closed on a $499 million, investment grade, private placement financing representing approximately 650 MW of utility-scale wind and solar power projects.
Solar installation costs declined 5 to 11% in 2017, little so far in 2018
This year’s version of Berkeley Lab’s Tracking the Sun report saw residential installs fall 6% to $3.50 / W, small business fall 11% to $2.90 / W and large business fell 5% to $2.20 /W in 2017, with light changes in early 2018. However, these averages cover wide price variances in different markets.
Agrovoltaics: a solar-powered safety net for Massachusetts farmers
The long-term, steady income of solar power complements the higher revenue, but harder work of traditional farming. The Massachusetts SMART program looks to increase this trend with “agrovoltaic” incentives for solar co-located with crops.
$170 million of solar power coming to East Texas
Australian real estate developer Lendlease is pushing forward on a 200 MW solar power project. No electricity off taker has been noted, but the project has secured town approval and a tax abatement.
Sol Systems put a ring on it
A joint venture of Sol Systems and Nationwide Insurance has purchased 135 MW-DC of solar projects from Cypress Creek Renewables in North Carolina.
Alaska to get its largest solar arrays: 100 kW and 563 kW
Renewables IPP is preparing to build a 100 kW project in Willow, Alaska. This will be the state’s largest until a 563 kW plant comes online this fall.
