When the battery is a building
AES announced the groundbreaking of its Alamito Energy Center, a 100 MW / 400 MWh battery for electric utility SoCalEdison, which is being constructed as a full on building – much like a data center.
Duke Energy hits 1 GW owned solar, 74.5 MW coming to Escambia: pvMB 7/3/19
Hello and welcome to your July 3rd pvMB! Today we’ll be tackling Bloom Energy going hydrogen, a jet fuel burning plant shutdown in Oakland, RPCS’ safe harbor strategy for ITC stepdown and more. Enjoy your holiday!
Battery scientists make a cracking observation
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the U.S. used x-ray imaging to observe cracks forming in a solid state lithium battery, a discovery they say changes the understanding of performance of solid state batteries and which could lead to more durable systems.
PV interconnection requirements may change with new reliability guidance
Interconnection requirements for mid-sized and large inverter-based systems directly connected to the transmission grid may change based on new guidance issued in draft form by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. The guidance does not apply to distributed PV.
Solar plus storage virtuous cycle seeks 728 GWh gas replacement opportunity
NREL research projects that as solar power breaks 10% and 25% penetration levels across the United States, energy storage has an up to ~144 GW / 728 GWh opportunity to replace 261 GW of gas peakers.
The first serious solar car is here: Lightyear One
Auto startup Lightyear has released a prototype for its first solar-powered, long-range EV. Is the car really the environmental dream it’s pitched to be?
Massachusetts solar growth a boulder strewn climb
The Massachusetts SMART program is deploying 1.6 GW. The challenges of growth include long interconnection queues in some areas, incentives tapped out in others, equipment requirements increasing system costs, and utilities circling back after approvals to re-asses project interconnections.
Hawaii’s new RFP comes with a side of storage
The plan calls for the deployment of nearly 260 MW of battery storage across the three islands of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii, in addition to renewable development. Could the fixation on storage within this proposal show the state’s determination for peak shifting?
Inside GlidePath’s merchant battery in Texas
The 10 MW project is the largest battery that the company has installed in Texas, and will sell power and ancillary services into the spot market with no contract. It might not be the last.
New York state is going to need 23 GW more solar power
pv magazine USA did the math on the new wind and solar capacity that will be needed to supply power to 20 million people under New York’s new 70% by 2030 mandate. In addition to 6 GW of distributed solar and the 2 GW that has already been awarded in large scale bids, the state is going to need around 15 GW more utility scale solar.
