1366 Technologies adds $18M in pursuit of cheaper silicon solar cells
The company’s technology falls in the ‘kerfless’ wafer category: Instead of sawing silicon ingots into wafers, a time-consuming and wasteful process, 1366’s technology forms wafers directly using molten silicon.
Arizona regulators mock utility, set solar power standard contract at 18 years long – is a PURPA solar boom coming?
For the first time, the state’s public utility commission has created a standard contract length for PURPA solar projects — in stark contrast to utility APS requesting a two-year term.
Get your loved ones utility-scale solar for Christmas, Michigan approves 125 MW purchase: pvMB 12/10/19
Hello wonderful Tuesday readers and welcome to the pvMB!
New Jersey sets the RECord straight (for now)
State regulators have decided on rates to determine the compensation values for 15-year Transition Renewable Energy Certificates, which serve as the midpoint in the state’s transition away from legacy Solar Renewable Energy Certificates.
BlackRock aims a $2.5 billion fund at commercial and industrial solar, wind, and battery storage
The good news is that the world’s largest fund manager, BlackRock, just closed $1 billion of a record $2.5 billion fund dedicated to solar, wind, and energy storage projects. The bad news is that the $2.5 billion fund is a tiny fraction of BlackRock’s $6.96 trillion balance sheet and small change compared to BlackRock’s $17.5 billion investment in coal.
Duke doles out the big bucks in Florida
Then utility giant’s Florida subsidiary has issued a $700 million green bond, at least part of which will be used to develop solar in pursuit of the company’s 700 MW by 2022 goal in Florida.
Hardware Brief: Solar services, really fast module install, install of the week, module pricing flat, more!
Happy Thanksgiving y’all, hope you hugged someone this holiday. Friday – means solar hardware (and services!) – Solar Services advertising their inverter and engineering support, Gamechange installing modules really fast with a new clip, Sherin and Lodgen supported their first solar+storage and finance deal, Sungrow+Hanwha+NEXTracker in a Florida install, and a little bit more!
Draft on extending and expanding ITC is expected to drop this week
The legislation is expected to propose extending the credit under terms similar to those that have been enjoyed for the last five years.
PURPA so good it hurts, still needed though
An analysis by a utility backed group suggests that the competitive market for solar power is producing better rates than the legally required PURPA marketplace, suggesting revisions to the pricing mechanism. Market activity suggests the political lever of the tool is still needed though, and the report has some issues.
Hardware Brief: 26.5¢/W modules, new silicon carbide inverters, dual axis tracker 4 year ROI, drones!!
Modules and inverters and trackers, oh my! PV InfoLink sees as low as 21¢/W modules on the spot market, Kaco has released a series of 1000V and 1500V inverters between 87 and 150 kW, Mechatron’s dual axis tracker took the place of a carport, and Drone Magnetic Survey Company has figured out that there’s a niche finding old wells and metal under solar fields!
