Breaking up the patent monopoly for the benefit of batteries
The patent monopoly is at odds with the global need for battery storage technology and if this norm continues, technology will not be able to be released in time to keep up with current climate goals.
Tesla EVs show profit while solar business hits new lows in revenue and deployment
It was a series of firsts, including a profitable full year and Megapack turning a profit that factored into CEO Elon Musk explaining that he has “never been more optimistic or excited about the future of Tesla.” Austin is confirmed as the site of the next Gigafactory.
VC investment in storage, smart grid and energy efficiency is down significantly in 2020
A new report shows that both venture capital and total corporate funding to the three sectors are down, driven by battery storage funding failing to compare to a record-setting 2019.
Morning Brief: Sol Systems and Microsoft partner on 500 MW of solar, PVEL’s new inverter test lab
Also in the brief: Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary NV Energy goes full-on solar-plus-storage, and single-axis tracker analysis.
The West and Midwest favor solar-plus-storage; the East favors gas
Proposed solar-plus-storage projects far surpass proposed gas units in the West and Midwest.
Morning Brief: Planners reject $40M, 140-MW battery storage project for fire risk, New York adopts net metering alternative
Also in the brief: Minnesota solar installers say they’re waiting too long for Xcel Energy grid connections, lower solar costs lead to new installations in metro Atlanta and financing for two large projects in Texas.
Chips, commercial CSP and a solar river: What the DOE is doing with its solar innovation dollars
President Trump’s unflagging support for fossil fuels has not stopped the DOE from putting millions of dollars into innovative technologies that could open new paths for market growth in the U.S. solar industry.
Job Moves: Lior Handelsman leaves SolarEdge, plus Form Energy, Generate, Omnidian, FirstLight, MP2, Jurchen
Executive, career and boardroom moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy VC.
NIPSCO to nearly double Indiana’s solar capacity
The utility has announced two new projects that are set to come online by 2023 and will add 300 MW of new, utility-scale solar to the Hoosier State.
IREC, SEIA, ESA, EPRI team up to speed distributed storage interconnection
“Getting interconnection of storage right is absolutely fundamental to avoid potential barriers for rapidly rising energy storage deployments,” said Jason Burwen, of project partner Energy Storage Association.
