Elon Musk wins SolarCity lawsuit, avoids over $2 billion judgement
The business magnate avoided what would have been the largest judgement in history on an individual executive.
Sunrise brief: How anticircumvention investigation will affect the solar industry
Also on the rise: Washington DC Attorney General filed complaint against utility for general incompetence in managing the community solar program. EIA’s US grid-scale energy storage usage profiles, innovation, and growth outlook. Freedom Forever overtakes Tesla in the top three spot for the first time. New Orleans launches community solar program. Green Mountain Power selects Enphase batteries for pilot lease discount program. Connecticut colleges and universities to benefit from solar. And the bad news is…World will need 5.2TW of solar this decade to avoid climate breakdown
You may be able to wirelessly charge your EV this year
WiTricity unveiled plans for an aftermarket wireless charging station for select electric vehicle models.
Sunrise brief: Big solar headed for big Texas oil operation
Also on the rise: Three solar installations in Louisiana–one is a Tesla residential. Greenbacker solar project will meet 30% of Middlebury College’s electicity needs. Puerto Rico legislator calls on US Congress to oppose proposed fee on rooftop solar. T-Mobile one step closer to 100% renewable.
Vistra to expand what was already the world’s largest energy storage facility
Vistra plans a third expansion the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California.
Tesla Energy results up, but mixed, for 2021; solar makes nary a sound on quarterly call
On the company’s Q4 earnings call, the world-leading EV manufacturer again prioritized delivering cars over growing low-margin energy storage products, while solar products were barely noted. Both verticals grew though, solar by 68% and storage by 32%.
Sunrise brief: Solar panels, racking and inverters stationed on Tesla’s gigafactory roof offer a glimpse of the project underway.
Also on the rise: LBL report looks at compensating customers for grid-connected batteries. Supply chain problems that drove up costs of solar power equipment will ease in 2022. Efforts to retrieve lithium from geothermal brine increasing in popularity. Encore Renewable Energy, The Brattle Group, ACORE and others announced new hires.
Work on Tesla’s rooftop solar system appears to be underway
A local drone pilot found that solar panels, racking, and inverters are starting to be stationed on the roof of Tesla’s manufacturing facility under construction in Texas.
Sunrise brief: SEC investigating Tesla over alleged solar system fire negligence
Also on the rise: Clean energy bonds issued in California, EV charging stations with integrated advertising space, DART mission uses solar power to redirect Earthbound asteroids, and the Bezos Earth Fund supports tribal-led program.
SEC investigating Tesla over alleged solar system fire negligence
The lawsuit stems from a 2019 whistleblower complaint alleging that the company failed to properly notify its shareholders, customers and the public of fire risks associated with solar panel system defects over the course of several years.
