Sunrise brief: Battery prices won’t fall until 2024 and other projections from IHS Markit
Also on the rise: Powin Energy signed a supply agreement with Borrego for 800MWh of Powin’s Stack750 storage solution. Rigid trackers may be best for large-format modules. Koch subsidiary DEPCOM expands portfolio to 650MWh. Over the next two years utility-scale solar and battery energy storage will combine for 60% of the capacity added to the grid. NASA’s 1.5 billion-mile Psyche asteroid mission will be solar-powered. IREC and partners announce on-line training courses for residential plan review and permitting.
Koch subsidiary DEPCOM Power expands energy storage portfolio to 650MWh
The company brings EPC, O&M, EMS, LTSA to utility-scale solar plus storage or standalone storage projects.
Autonomous laser system clears birds from solar installations
The Bird Control Group’s autonomous laser system reduces bird populations from inhabiting specific areas by more than 70%. In many cases, bird activity was reduced by more than 99%.
Strata Clean Energy Inland Empire Energy Storage project awarded PG&E agreement
California Public Utilities Commission approves 6,396MWh of new and incremental utility-scale battery energy storage systems.
Sunrise brief: Thanks to the proposal to reduce compensation for excess solar generation, most Florida solar shoppers lose interest
Also on the rise: Convalt Energy steers arounds obstacles on its way to solar manufacturing in New York. NABCEP and EnergySage release survey for solar installers. Recycled silicon used in PERC solar cells. Michigan DTE seeks 500MW of renewables. Grazing sheep under solar increases carbon sequestration. Robot dog monitors PV plant. Greenback acquires several installations in Massachusetts.
Robot dog for PV plant monitoring
A robot dog developed by Boston Dynamics monitors a solar park by walking between the panel rows following a programmed route. It uses its built-in thermal vision system to generate thermographic reports on the status of the different PV plant components.
Sunrise brief: Palmetto captures PV potential of roughly 75% of U.S. rooftops
Also on the rise: Aerial inspection and site data service provider, Heliolytics, acquired by NovaSource. Solar panel recycling firm teams up with Solaris. Investment gets Texas PV developer IndustrialSun ready for launch. Community solar moves forward in Illinois. International team of researchers develop solar-powered hydrogen energy platform.
Sunrise brief: The most-read pv magazine USA articles of 2021
Also on the rise: Enel project joins portfolio of energy + storage installations in Texas. ESS microgrid to provide critical backup to fire-prone region of California. AES acquires Community Energy Solar, bringing U.S. pipeline to more than 40 GW.
Enphase acquires 365 Pronto, O&M platform
The acquisition gives Enphase installers access to a labor pool that can perform service calls, beneficial at a time of severe labor shortages within the industry.
Building solar as long-term resilient infrastructure could save billions
Reliability engineers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory call for improved quality, standards, and testing.
