Morning Brief: Goldman Sachs and Telos form solar development outfit, Electrify America invests $2 million in EV chargers
Also in the brief: Powerhome named to Fast Company’s ‘Most Innovative Companies’ list, a Colorado town goes 100% renewable municipal electricity from a solar installation, a Minnesota couple wins a $50,000 prize for a module heating solution and more.
Energy storage projects reach ‘investment-grade’ with esVolta’s $140 million debt facility
It’s not the next lithium-ion battery breakthrough that’s going to accelerate the energy storage industry. It’s not the next inflated promise from a flow battery startup, compressed-air scheme, solid-state battery research project or energy storage dream funded by Bill Gates.
Sunrun installs record capacity in Q4 while driving down customer acquisition costs
The nation’s largest residential solar company installed 117 MW in Q4, reaching a total customer base of 285,000, all while bringing creation costs lower than they have ever been.
Solar could be installed on coalfields in West Virginia if The Nature Conservancy succeeds
Some former surface coal mines in central Appalachia could be repurposed for solar development. The Nature Conservancy, a global land conservancy with $1 billion in annual revenues, is exploring the options.
Morning Brief: D.E. Shaw buys Rancho Seco Solar II, DTE Energy must procure renewables
Also in the brief: CVE finances a 31.3 MW SMART portfolio, SolarEdge adds Karamba Security software to inverters, CIT leads $140 million financing for esVolta and more.
Oil giant Total increases stake in solar efficiency leader SunPower
Total will be acquiring 676,000 shares worth about $31 million, according to SEC filings.
How Canadian hydro could save New England and New York $5.4 billion
MIT researchers model how 4 GW of powerlines connecting the northeast USA to Quebec hydroelectric facilities eliminates the need for up to 60 GW of wind, solar and storage as the two regional power grids approach 100% clean energy.
First Solar announces surprise Q4 loss, considers sale of its development business
“First Solar, at its core, is a technology and module manufacturing company,” said Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar. “Given the significant evolution of developing utility-scale PV projects in the United States, we believe now is an appropriate time to evaluate our options with respect to our U.S. project development business line.”
Solar electronics leaders Enphase and SolarEdge post strong Q4 and massive 2019
The leaders in solar module-level power electronics are profitable and making enormous jumps in revenue. All signs point to a strong 2020 for residential solar — which could keep the momentum going.
Morning Brief: South Dakota’s largest project has a buyer, largest solar-plus-storage project in the Caribbean
Also in the brief: Safari Energy completes 60th commercial solar development, a 28 MW installation in New Jersey, Nautilus Solar acquires 3.5 MW Rhode Island project, solar aircraft designed to stay aloft for a year makes maiden flight.
