Vehicle-integrated photovoltaics for electric ground transport
Canadian custom module manufacturer Capsolar developed a vehicle integrated PV system (VIPV) for an electric material towing application, reportedly enabling 30% to 40% range increase per battery charge.
A look at the great transformer shortage affecting U.S. utilities
An NREL team finds that lead times for transformers has grown fourfold in three years, with orders sometimes taking two years. Additionally price increases of four to nine times have been reported in the past 3 years.
Chevron announces solar-to-hydrogen project in California
The oil giant expects the facility to produce about 2.2 tons of hydrogen per day by 2025.
Amazon Web Services helps Duke Energy complete power flow studies in hours, not months
Adding residential solar or commercial-scale electric vehicle chargers on a utility’s distribution feeder may require the utility to conduct power flow calculations. Duke Energy can now complete those studies in hours, an Amazon executive said at a policy forum held by ACORE.
Baltimore Gas and Electric installs battery storage system to manage winter peaks
The 2.5 MW/9.74 MWh Hitachi Energy facility helped the utility avoid distribution upgrade costs and also participates in the PJM Interconnection.
Grid operators in California and Texas earn “B” grades, others score poorly
With two million megawatts of generation and storage projects awaiting interconnection studies across the U.S., a report gives grid operators grades for their interconnection processes ranging from B to D-.
Sunrise brief: U.S. residential solar prices drop, strong interest in storage
Also on the rise: Shoals to invest $80 million in Tennessee manufacturing expansion. Beaming radio frequency solar power from space. And more.
Grid operator PJM could add 5.5 GW of renewables with grid-enhancing technologies
Deploying GETs technologies in the PJM grid region would have a 70-to-1 benefit-cost ratio, finds an analysis by Quanta Technology. The nonprofit RMI published the analysis, and aims for it to be replicated to evaluate GETs in interconnection studies.
Beaming radio frequency solar power from space
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology successfully beamed solar power from space to Earth in July. The experimental microwave-beaming satellite was tested for eight months, uncovering existing strengths and weaknesses that will guide future developments of space solar power.
Sunrise brief: Super Bowl to be hosted in first 100% renewable energy NFL stadium
Also on the rise: Utah bill proposes rooftop solar net metering rate protection. Battery storage plus hydrogen can enable a reliable, cheap clean energy transition. And more.
