Morning Brief: California modernizes its distributed energy interconnection rules, Pine Gate launches wave of Michigan solar
Also in the brief: Natron Energy, a supplier of fire-safe sodium-ion batteries using Prussian blue chemistry, has achieved a UL listing for its battery.
Duke Energy, developers and regulators advance solar in the Carolinas with ‘queue reform’ and cluster studies
To address developers’ frustrations with its interconnection process, Duke Energy worked with solar industry associations to map out a second proposal aimed at rationalizing its interconnection process in 2022, after the existing queue is cleared.
Interconnection queues across the US are loaded with gigawatts of solar, wind and storage
Texas and California lead the green grid trend, with PJM not far behind. ERCOT has 75 GW of solar in its interconnection queue — but how fast clean energy can displace natural gas and coal remains a key issue.
Avoiding rolling blackouts and solar shortfalls with real-time energy use data
Sense, a machine learning company, has found that a broader use of strategies for shifting home energy consumption can help alleviate grid strain, asserting that up to 55% of the electricity used in homes between 6-8pm is “shiftable.”
Can community microgrids fill the gap in California’s plans for 100% renewable energy?
A 10 MW, 40 MWh storage project on the Southern California coastline could provide the first link for a string of community microgrids that, according to the Clean Coalition’s Craig Lewis, could show that high penetrations of distribution-connected solar are entirely doable.
Construction of the world’s largest apartment complex VPP fleet starts next week
Soleil Energy, the EPC arm of the Wasatch Group, is beginning construction on a revolutionary virtual power plant program located on California apartment complex rooftops — with the roofs acting as community-based peaker plants.
EnerVenue looks to shake up the battery market with metal hydrogen technology
The company launched today with $12 million in seed funding, boasting advantages over lithium-ion in performance, price, operability in extreme weather and decades of use in the aerospace industry.
Avoiding blackouts all together with behind-the-meter storage
Commercial storage company Stem had 100 MW on tap during California’s rolling blackouts, but could only provide 50 MW due to limits on how much power its standalone installations can export.
Morning Brief: 5 GW of solar coming to Africa, the pressing need for panel recycling
Also in the brief: Pennsylvania has its first project using Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy financing, Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana has signed two executive orders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance coastal resilience and more.
Adding long-duration storage to the gas fleet lets the grid absorb more solar and avoid brownouts
Bill Conlon, founder of Pintail Power, believes hybridizing the existing gas turbine fleet with long-duration molten salt storage can help balance today’s complex grid and absorb more now-curtailed solar.
