Markets

With 400 MW of solar capacity, complimented by 180 MW/540 MWh of energy storage, the Rexford 1 Solar & Storage Center is a development of considerable size. The project now has an energy offtaker, with 8minute signing a 15-year contract with Clean Power Alliance.

A recent report by Wood Mackenzie has asserted that U.S. residential solar finance will “falter” in 2020 has been dubbed the “worst forecast of 2020” by a prominent industry figure. And while the market seems to be sustaining financial health, decreasing installation figures could be cause for concern.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cast a cloud on industries around the world, but the U.S. utility-scale solar segment is still growing. Around 3 GW of solar PV is set to be installed this year in Texas alone, but opportunities also abound across several other southern U.S. states.

“Putting a price on GHG emissions creates an economic incentive to allocate capital toward the development of new lower-emitting technologies,” claims a report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Also in the brief: BayWa r.e. expands PV and storage capabilities with acquisition of Enable Energy, Hemlock Semiconductor to vertically integrate polysilicon production.

The utility-scale solar pioneer and specialist is going small. After decades of avoiding distributed generation, its distributors will now offer First Solar’s series 6 modules to “projects and customers of all shapes and sizes.”

Terabase wins a $6 million Round A led by SJF Ventures, an early funder of Nextracker, for an integrated software platform to make building utility-scale solar more efficient, smarter and cheaper.

Solar curtailment might become a valuable aspect of future PV deployment, particularly if grid operators start focusing on ‘curtailment management’ instead of ‘curtailment prevention.’ Management would include measures such as flexible generation, storage, load flexibility, and regional coordination.

Texas and California lead the green grid trend, with PJM not far behind. ERCOT has 75 GW of solar in its interconnection queue — but how fast clean energy can displace natural gas and coal remains a key issue. 

Also in the brief: Puerto Rico chooses solar over gas in grid redesign, U.S. clean power giants to join forces to build lobbying muscle.