Florida

sonnen has announced its latest sonnenCommunity in Florida, in collaboration with Pearl Homes and Google Home. The development features a smaller footprint and automated homes, with most of the units set to be rentals.

The new governors favor policies such as a higher renewables mandate, community solar, increased use of storage, and expanding the Western grid, reports the nonprofit Advanced Energy Economy.

Florida regulators have given approval to Tampa Electric for 260 MW-AC of solar power across five single axis tracker facilities, as the company aims to deliver 600 MW-AC by the beginning of 2020.

A solar plant can increase its output by starting from a curtailment status and then reducing curtailment. If grid operators schedule in advance both solar curtailment and increased solar output, the cost-saving level of solar increases substantially.

Trade group Advanced Energy Economy has published a scorecard which ranks candidates in nine gubernatorial races on clean energy issues, and one of the two major parties is largely missing in action.

Jacksonville, Florida’s municipal utility has gotten rid of net metering and lowered the rate paid for excess solar produced electricity. Concurrently, the utility is pushing larger scale solar and energy storage programs.

Solar and energy storage, either on their own or as part of clean energy portfolios, are showing that they can compete with natural gas in the United States. But will regulators wake up to this reality before half a trillion dollars worth of future stranded assets are built?

Vivint Solar has joined other national residential solar companies in the Florida market as state regulators confirm that their solar lease contract does not violate state law by constituting the sale of electricity.

Black and Veatch has started work on four massive solar plants for Florida Power and Light, which will bring the utility to over 1.2 GW-AC of installed solar some time next year.