Philly getting solar rebates, leadership changes at Duke: pvMB 8/13/19
It may only be Tuesday, but we’re glad you’re here with us reading today’s edition of the pvMB! In this edition we’ll be looking at Oregon State researchers confirming the value of solar on farmlands, Hyundai’s entry in the solar car game, a prefab tiny house with solar options and more!
Stitching together the grid of the future
A vision of a decentralized, renewable-powered electricity grid is being brought a step closer by scientists at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Their project, Autonomous Energy Grids, aims to take an overarching look at the solutions that will power this grid of the future, and to fill any gaps that appear between them.
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.
Massachusetts zeroes in on shaving the peak
The state’s latest presentation gives a lot more details on its Clean Peak Standard proposal, as well as shedding more light on the why behind the policy.
Sunrun opposes utility plan to control all new distributed energy resources
A regulatory proceeding raises issues of monopoly control; whether distributed resources will be compensated for providing grid services; and the capability of smart inverters to operate autonomously, without external controls, in response to signals on price, voltage and frequency.
California city seeks “community microgrid” to defend against fire season
Calistoga, California has begun a feasibility analysis with Clean Coalition to build a “community microgrid” to power the city during times of high fire danger when PG&E proactively shuts off its power.
Utility scale, rather than behind-the-meter batteries will drive energy storage take-up
BNEF has published its latest Energy Storage Outlook report and says large scale deployment will provide the majority of the 1,095 GW/2,850 GWh of battery storage worldwide in 2040, with prices driven down further by grid services demand and EVs.
Wind, solar, batteries and carbon taxes in California and Texas
Researchers show how deploying 60 GW of renewables using various types of energy storage and carbon tax values in California and Texas increase CO2 reductions, while lowering electricity curtailment – but in vastly different amounts.
California gas plant to be re-powered with batteries + solar
For the second time in a month a fossil fuel-fired power plant in California is set to be replaced by a battery powered by a solar, including distributed solar. A small portion of the former plant will be retained.
The billion-dollar battery boom
Corporations are buying up batteries and investing in their companies like it’s going out of style.
