Tesla proposes enabling renewables developers to estimate a project’s interconnection costs
With access to grid models, Tesla said it could estimate a project’s interconnection costs with an informational study in less than two weeks. Trade groups SEIA and AEE renewed their call to allow third-party interconnection studies.
Quinone flow battery for grid-scale renewables storage now close to commercial viability
Startup Quino Energy has raised more than $7.8 million to scale up its quinone redox flow battery technology. Harvard University and University of Cambridge researchers came up with the initial research for the battery design.
Sunrise brief: U.S. DOE invests $14 million to enhance environmental and wildlife benefits of solar
Also on the rise: World has technical potential to host 47.6 PWh of photovoltaic-thermal panels. Artificial intelligence could speed interconnection, says Amazon executive. And more.
U.S. DOE invests in enhancing environmental and wildlife benefits of solar
As solar energy increases in the United States, the DOE is investing $14 million in studies on how the infrastructure affects wildlife and ecosystems.
TOPCon solar cell achieves 24.2% efficiency via new plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition tech
A team of international researchers has simplified the deposition of thin film layers in the commercial production of TOPCon solar cells. Via a tube-type industrial plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition (PEALD) technique, they were able to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 22.8% in a 60-cell, 613 W TOPCon module.
Artificial intelligence could speed interconnection, says Amazon executive
Grid operator SPP is in discussions with Amazon Web Services about using AI to speed interconnection studies for utility-scale solar. A NextEra executive is bringing the idea to other grid operators.
Rooftop wind energy innovation claims 50% more energy than solar at same cost
The patented motionless wind harvesting system from Aeromine Technologies is currently being piloted by BASF Corporation.
Rooftop solar adoption rises sharply as system value to homeowners increases
Annual rooftop solar installations more than double when each homeowner’s long-term “profit” on a system increases from zero to $1,000, a study found. Based partly on that study, a Minnesota utility must now evaluate distributed solar incentives as a means to save all customers money.
Sunrun completes successful residential virtual power plant in New England
In the hot summer months, thousands of residents with solar-plus-battery systems networked together to reduce peak energy costs and provide grid stability for ISO-New England’s customers.
Electric buses to be deployed at community centers as emergency backup power
Schneider Electric announced a project with the California Energy Commission to demonstrate the value of bidirectional EV charging.
