Using machine learning and cheap satellite data to design rooftop solar power
Researchers have built a tool to use cheap satellite imagery – like Google Maps – to automatically create solar designs with a 91% accuracy rate.
Trina cells on a championship solar car, LONGi achieves highest bankability rating: pvMB 8/12/19
Happy Monday and welcome to this edition of the pvMB. Today we’ll be looking at Engie’s storage installation for a school district, Virginia’s Fairfax County seeking solar and more!
FPL’s “30 x 30” reaches Kennedy Space Center
The latest addition to FPL’s “30 x 30” plan is hoping to have a home next to the Kennedy Space Center, but the project’s partial wetland location could lead to issues.
Texas confirms public power’s energy storage rights
Municipally owned utilities and electric cooperatives, as of September 1, will have legal affirmation that they’re allowed to own energy storage assets – and not have to register as power generators – within the state.
SOMAH reaches capacity on launch day
90% of the available capacity and funding under year one of California’s Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing program has been applied for, with waitlists growing by the hour.
Hardware brief: $1 million=Dynapower, Morningstar still Morningstar, SMA+BYD=<3 & more!
Its Friday, so build something and be cool! Rainwise has launched a compact professional grade weather station, Sungrow has put out a whitepaper with design tips, and more!
Vivint Solar bounces back
The third party residential solar company showed its highest volume of quarterly installations since late 2016 and record revenues. However losses rose as well, driven by an industry-wide trend of rising customer acquisition costs.
Wood Mackenzie expects more consolidation in the inverter business
The research firm says the value of the global inverter market will continue to decline until 2024, even though shipments will likely increase. China’s recent policy changes have increased pressure on prices, which will contribute to greater consolidation in the sector.
Regulator says lithium-ion batteries create “unacceptable risks”
Arizona regulator Sandra D. Kennedy has filed a review of lithium ion technology’s drawbacks relative to other energy storage technologies, specifically noting hydrogen fluoride release and thermal runaway, in light of two Arizona energy storage battery fires.
Vivint’s $325 million credit facility, SC regulators nix Pegasus contract: pvMB 08/08/19
In today’s pvMB we also bring you EDPR’s big solar + storage contract with San José’s CCA, Dominion’s battery pilot, a new union-backed training program for renewable energy workers, and more.
