Solar + wind met nearly 9% of U.S. power demand in 2018
Solar output grew 25% and met 2.4% of all U.S. electric demand last year. But despite dramatic gains in emerging markets, only California, Nevada and Hawaii are meeting more than 10% of demand with in-state solar.
pvMB 2/26/19: Hawai’i gas’ last-ditch bid against solar heater mandate, EV’s could bring $43 million to Colorado… and more!
Hello and welcome to today’s edition of the pv magazine morning brief. Today we’ll be looking at MISO potentially fast-tracking ‘shovel-ready’ renewables, a Georgia lab that hasn’t given up hope on solar roads, Kentucky’s funding imbalance in the net metering fight and everything else you need today.
Solar for low-income of all shapes and sizes
The Low Income Energy Issues Forum has released a new report focused on improving the availability and benefits of community solar for financially-limited customers. The working group identified five different models that can be used to join different ways to best open community solar to customers of all incomes.
The birth of the solar + storage peaker
AES has installed a 20 MWac / 100 MWh solar plus storage project on Kaua’i that will provide electricity after sundown, and allow the island to get more than 1/3 of its power from solar.
Solar plus storage for a dime in Hawaii
The various utility subsidiaries of Hawaiian Electric Industries have submitted bids to state regulators for seven solar plus storage projects totaling 262 MWac of solar and 1,024 MWh of energy storage, with power purchase agreement prices ranging from 8-12¢/kWh.
pvMB: Community solar, storage filling up in MA’s SMART, 75 MW more big solar in Hawaii, FERC’s McIntyre passes & more
In today’s pv magazine Morning Brief, we report on the filling up of “adder” tranches in Massachusetts’ SMART program, two contracts for large solar projects in Hawaii, the passing of FERC commissioner Kevin McIntyre, and more.
U.S. utilities test distributed energy management
Distributed energy management systems can capture added value from solar and storage by shaving peak loads, providing grid services, and deferring grid investments. Utilities testing such systems have shared their lessons learned, while Western Australia leapfrogs ahead.
Room for residential solar to reach 41 GW by 2025
A new analysis by Credit Suisse forecasts that installed residential solar capacity could grow more than 3x to reach 41 GW by 2025, and shows that there is plenty of space on rooftops to do this.
The 100% renewable energy movement is unstoppable
Cincinnati has become the 100th U.S. city to set a goal to move to 100% renewable energy. This sets the stage for the debate to shift to what resources we will use to decarbonize, and how quickly we will move.
18 incoming Members of Congress back call for Green New Deal
The radical call for a rapid energy transition and jobs program now has the stated support of more than 4% of the U.S. Representatives who will take seats in January.
