Potential effect of the 2024 solar eclipse on solar energy production
To compensate for potential loss of solar energy flowing to the grid, grid operators will have to be ready to rely on other sources to ensure grid stability, as was done during the 2017 and 2023 eclipse episodes.
Sunrise brief: California cuts interconnection costs for distributed solar developers that agree to export limits
Also on the rise: NABCEP conference 2024 shining bright in Raleigh. KKR and EIG invest more than $1 billion in equity and debt financing in Avantus. And more.
California cuts interconnection costs for distributed solar developers that agree to export limits
By agreeing to limit exports to the grid at peak generation hours, distributed energy resources like rooftop solar and energy storage can now avoid delays and costly infrastructure upgrades.
New modular design for offshore floating photovoltaic platforms
A team of scientists from China and the United States studied ways to optimize floating photovoltaics for offshore use. It found that the robustness of the systems was influenced by the size and number of platforms, as well as the types of connections between platforms.
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-.
