Rapper Akon lights up Africa with solar
Akon, the platinum-selling rapper, is lighting up Africa with solar lighting and other products thanks to a reported $1 billion credit line with Chinese manufacturers and a skill for celebrity networking.
U.S. energy storage market grows nearly 10-fold by MWh during Q1
A surge in California’s market driven by the Aliso Canyon gas leak is behind much of the boom, as deployment shifts to longer-duration energy storage.
GameChange Solar wins 260 MW in snow country
GameChange Solar announced that it has recently won over 260 MW of fixed tilt racking orders in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Minnesota. The deal further demonstrates the successful migration of PV into the cold Northern regions of North America.
E.ON completes 10 MW energy storage system in Arizona
The Iron Horse project is paired with a 2 MW solar array and will provide frequency regulation as well as voltage control support.
Gov. Sandoval inks regulations for Nevada solar revival
Governor Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 145 and several other bills late last week that will help re-establish a thriving solar industry — and encourage other renewables efforts in the state — after two years of regulatory repression.
Sunrun expands to Texas
The company will start its solar odyssey in Houston, but promises that it will expand its service area to other Texas cities in the coming months.
California pushes forward with storage support (Read the bill here)
The California Senate passed SB 700, which would increase availability of local, customer-sited energy storage for schools, farms, businesses and homes.
Stem and Austin Energy Aggregate Energy Storage
Stem is developing an aggregated network of commercial customer-sited energy storage in Texas through collaboration with Austin Energy, tapping part of a $4 million utility grant from DOE.
Silicor low-cost silicon may foster greater cell efficiency
Silicor Materials is striving to demonstrate that its low-cost PV silicon production process should help boost efficiency records in the near future. The company performed its own attempt at producing a mono PERC cell with greater efficiency, and hit a 20% level on the first try, company officials say.
AEE, NECEC applaud Rhode Island grid modernization initiative
The two organizations are pushing for the role of utilities to be more of an impartial integrator and market enabler for third-party solutions, as the state plans the integration of more renewables.
