2018 solar power year in review (part 1)
Between tariffs on everything under the sun, Elon Musk’s $40 million tweet and the boom in energy storage, it’s been one Hell of a year.
$15 million for solar in San Antonio, with a local twist
CPS Energy has made available up to $2500 per home and 60¢ per watt for business solar installations – with bonuses for locally produced solar modules, and a 25% lower incentive for non-local installers.
Long Draw Solar signs 100 MWac at 2.5¢/kWh
Engie has secured a power purchase agreement for 100 MWac of a 255 MW solar plant, with New Braunfels Utilities. The plant is expected to come online in June 2020.
Xcel gets in front of the 100% renewable energy movement
By setting a timeline for the inevitable decarbonization of its fleet, Xcel is moving to have an energy transition on its terms.
Canadian Solar is putting more steel in the ground
The Chinese-Canadian PV manufacturer is continuing to grow its development activities under subsidiary Recurrent Energy, including some landmark solar and solar plus storage projects.
Renewables reduced wholesale power costs by $5.7 billion in Texas
A recent report puts numbers to the power of wind and solar to reduce wholesale prices in ERCOT. And there is a lot more coming.
Coal decline is good news, but solar will fight for its share against gas
10 GW of coal plants have already retired this year, and this is expected to hit 15.4 GW by the year’s end. But solar will have to compete with the “rush to gas” to replace this capacity.
Sunnova scores an A- on $202 million solar securitization
KBRA has given Sunnova a preliminary A- rating on a portfolio of nearly 15,000 residential PV systems, totaling 108 MW-DC across 17 states and three island territories.
Wind + solar make up more than 20% of generation in 10 states – more on the way
A recent analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy shows the Midwest and Plains States in the lead, but the coasts are on a track to catch up thanks to mandates.
The shift is on: CPS Energy breaks ground on its first storage + solar project in Texas
The unique project will match Texas’ largest previous battery storage project to address the difference between peak generation and peak demand.
