Clean energy VC funding roundup: Residential flow batteries, solar sales software and financing, EV charging and more
Investors continue to invest and clean energy entrepreneurs continue to innovate — despite global setbacks. Here are six companies that won a total of $170 million in funding in recent days, ranging across the cleantech spectrum.
First Solar posts a strong Q2, global operations to be 100% renewably powered by 2028
Another stalwart of the solar industry was able to take the necessary precautions in order to maintain some sense of normalcy during the pandemic, leading to a quarter of increased sales, net cash and a positive outlook to finish off the year.
SunPower survived shutdowns for a strong Q2
While supply chain and manufacturing disruptions will lead to shipping decreases in Q3, the measures that SunPower took prior to Covid’s disruption allowed for a strong quarter, with the company experiencing increases in installations and demand.
Palmetto lands $29 million for residential solar sales software and home energy spend
Evergy Ventures, Arctern Ventures, Shell Ventures, Greycroft, Lerer Hippeau, Box Group, and Falkon Ventures invested in the software and fulfillment platform that helps salespeople sell solar.
Enphase Q2 microinverter revenue down but notes a ‘rebound in customer demand’
Coming off of a strong, profitable first quarter, Enphase is seeing the Q2 results of Covid-19 in compressed revenue and a swing to a quarterly loss. Gross margin remains strong.
SolarEdge stock jumps on Q2 revenue beat and solid earnings — despite Covid-19
SolarEdge was able to keep its streak of profitable quarters going — in what was expected to be a hard-hit quarter for solar. The company sees “signs of recovery in the U.S.”
Post bankruptcy, Crescent Dunes CSP plant owner wants project back online by year’s end
This bankruptcy comes with a political edge — because the startup received $737 million in a U.S. federal loan guarantee as part of the 2009 stimulus package — during the Obama administration.
Electric co-ops lead growing wave of early coal plant retirements with ‘solar-for-coal swaps’
A new white paper from Energy Innovation found that 179 GW of U.S. coal plants were more expensive to run than solar, but only 10 GW per year were being retired. Swaps could accelerate the process.
Energy Jobs: Trump nominates Dems to FERC, Dominion CEO is out, plus SunPower, Engie, Invenergy, SMA, Generate
Executive, career and boardroom moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy VC.
Morning Brief: Wisconsin’s first large-scale solar farm, Engie bringing 200-MW PV project to Indiana
Also in the brief: Duke Energy first solar project on a retired landfill, Solarize Chicagoland group-buy program bears fruit even in rough times
