Grids & Integration

In 2022, as supply chain challenges persisted, utility solar projects in development grew in size and energy storage is connected to half of them.

SMUD’s My Energy Optimizer Partner+ program will be able to scale up to 54 MWh / 27 MW storage and solar capacity over time.

Also on the rise: Most-read news stories of 2022. White House releases IRA program guidebook. And more.

Industry participants proposed many solutions this year to speed interconnection studies. Although federal regulators included key solutions in a proposed rule, for now the logjams and cost allocation problems continue.

Researchers have proposed the use of solar inverters in utility-scale solar assets to replace expensive voltage compensators, in order to provide voltage support at night. They said reactive power from PV inverters could be significantly cheaper and suggested the introduction of incentives to convince PV plant owners.

The Empire State’s clean energy advocacy groups are within days of receiving the state’s Energy Storage Roadmap framework.

As trade groups and citizens’ groups advocate for low-cost renewables in state proceedings, they can make a stronger case by preparing their own utility resource plan, for example by using the free GenX model developed at MIT, says nonprofit group RMI.

Solar and wind deployment would increase sharply under the forecast from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

A Deloitte survey of power sector executives found that 56% of respondents think it could take two to three years to ease supply chain constraints in the U.S. clean energy market.

To cost-effectively reach a high level of renewable generation, additional transmission will be needed to connect the wind belt in the central U.S. to eastern grids, according to early results from a Department of Energy study.