Morning Brief: SEIA forecasts 18 GW of solar for 2020 with 3.5 GW installed in Q2
Also in the brief: BayWa r.e. expands PV and storage capabilities with acquisition of Enable Energy, Hemlock Semiconductor to vertically integrate polysilicon production.
First Solar changes course: now selling its thin-film solar panels into the distributed generation market
The utility-scale solar pioneer and specialist is going small. After decades of avoiding distributed generation, its distributors will now offer First Solar’s series 6 modules to “projects and customers of all shapes and sizes.”
Sunfolding looks to disrupt the tracker industry with air pneumatics
With $32 million in series B funding and an ever-growing project pipeline, air-based tracker startup, Sunfolding, is hoping to increase its hold in the tracker market with tech that’s simple, light and can be installed on terrain previously thought untouchable.
NREL scientists encourage ‘optimal’ PV curtailment
Solar curtailment might become a valuable aspect of future PV deployment, particularly if grid operators start focusing on ‘curtailment management’ instead of ‘curtailment prevention.’ Management would include measures such as flexible generation, storage, load flexibility, and regional coordination.
NREL’s solar cost projections plummet in new forecast
The lower projected costs for PV could help guide some utilities to plan for more PV capacity, as the utilities develop their long-term resource plans.
Interconnection queues across the US are loaded with gigawatts of solar, wind and storage
Texas and California lead the green grid trend, with PJM not far behind. ERCOT has 75 GW of solar in its interconnection queue — but how fast clean energy can displace natural gas and coal remains a key issue.
Morning Brief: FERC loses commissioner with no replacements in sight, Improving utility-scale bifacial modeling
Also in the brief: Puerto Rico chooses solar over gas in grid redesign, U.S. clean power giants to join forces to build lobbying muscle.
Energy Jobs: Recurrent Energy, Sunnova, Generate, Tesla, Sun Light & Power, McCarthy Building Companies
Executive, career and boardroom moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy VC. Plus, a few select job openings.
US solar growth in 2020 is driven by giant utility-scale projects
The number of large solar projects is surging in the U.S. — and pv magazine is keeping track. We’ve gathered up the recent news in big solar — with Indiana set to double its solar capacity, and Texas galloping along. Plus, the never-ending Spotsylvania saga.
Big, new solar projects are doubling Indiana’s PV capacity
The proposal by Capital Dynamics and Tenaska to build a 150 MW solar installation in Petersburg has been approved by regulators, the latest in a development push that will add more than 500 MW of utility-scale solar in the coming years.
