ESS Tech, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as “GWH”, announced it has secured a $50 million investment from the Export-Import Bank of The United States (EXIM).

The funds are expected to support the expansion of ESS production capacity at its Wilsonville, Oregon plant. The company develops long-duration energy storage iron flow batteries. The investment is expected to help ESS triple its manufacturing capacity at the Wilsonville plant.

“Our technology uses earth-abundant iron, salt and water to deliver environmentally safe solutions capable of providing up to 12 hours of flexible energy capacity for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications,” said ESS Tech.

EXIM made the investment via its Make More in America Initiative, which makes available medium- and long-term loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to finance export-oriented domestic manufacturing projects.

ESS Tech is delivering iron flow energy storage systems to customers in Europe, Australia and Africa. The company manufactures 100% of its products in the United States, with a predominantly domestic supply chain that spans 29 states.

“Our partnership with EXIM underscores the critical role that American-made clean energy technology will play in the global clean energy transition,” said ESS chief executive officer Eric Dresselhuys. “ESS’s iron flow technology is already deployed in Australia and Europe and with this agreement, we are well positioned to meet the growing needs of our current and future global customers.” 

ESS battery systems are designed to operate for 25 years, while conventional batteries last about 7 to 10 years. The battery modules, electrolyte, plumbing, and other components may well last for decades longer with proper maintenance, said the company. The battery, for example, is expected to experience zero degradation over 20,000 cycles. The long duration energy storage (LDES) system can store and dispatch electricity for 12 hours or more.

According to the Department of Energy’s ‘Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Long Duration Energy Storage’ report, the U.S. grid needs 225 to 460 GW of LDES capacity for power market application for a net zero economy by 2060. The global LDES market is estimated to be $50 billion per year and forecast to grow significantly with a cumulative investment of up to $3 trillion by 2040, according to the LDES Council and McKinsey & Co.

Wendy’s enrolls in community solar to power 130 locations Through a partnership with Ampion, Wendy’s restaurants will access renewable energy certificates to offset carbon emissions.

Recurrent Energy transfers $103 million in tax credits for Oklahoma project The owner and operator of the 160 MW North Fork Solar project signed the tax credit facilitation agreement with Bank of America.

IEA-PVPS releases fact sheet on environmental life cycle assessment of PV Systems The updated IEA PVPS Task 12 Fact Sheet provides a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impacts associated with PV systems. It highlights the significant advancements made in PV technology, emphasizing improved efficiencies and reduced environmental footprints.

Generac acquires commercial and industrial energy storage provider The company acquired engineering, procurement, and construction firm PowerPlay Battery Energy Storage Systems.

GCL Perovskite, a branch of GCL Tech within the GCL Poly and GCL Solar group, introduced their latest perovskite and perovskite-silicon tandem solar modules. A key highlight was the public IEC test documentation, indicating they may have conquered the perovskite degradation challenge. The company plans to incorporate this technology in the top layer of their tandem modules, aiming for efficiencies above 27% in limited deployment testing next year.

The Solar Roll by Apollo, featured in the main image above, is a flexible roll measuring 20.1 feet in length and 6.6 feet in width. This innovative setup combines six 300-watt solar panels into a 1.8 kW array capable of generating more than 10 kWh in a single day. The unit, equipped with MC4 connectors, is designed for easy integration with any standard solar inverter.

Throughout the three days of Intersolar, as detailed on the pv magazine Intersolar Live Blog pages – Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 – attendees witness an impressive array of battery products. Numerous manufacturers showcased their latest offerings, particularly focusing on home battery solutions.

EcoFlow’s latest release, the PowerOcean Plus, represents a significant increase in residential system size and capacity. This smart hybrid inverter can manage up to 40 kW solar input with a 29.9kW AC output. Notably, it can support up to 60 kWh of battery capacity, 15 kWh more than its predecessor. Kevin Benedict, EcoFlow’s product and solutions manager, explained that this upgrade was a direct response to customer demand for larger systems to optimize home solar use and EV charging.

The presence of electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure was also a focal point at the event.

The Evum-motor aCar, showcased with a solar panel cleaning robot strapped to its flatbed, is tailored for operations and maintenance tasks. Starting at €33,990, this versatile vehicle is offered in several configurations: the base model features a 16.5 kWh battery with a range of 91 km. Additional options include a 23 kWh battery, which extends the range to approximately 128 km for an additional €4,290, and a 33 kWh battery that offers up to 203 km for an additional €10,890. Available in six base packages, the aCar punches above its weight with a payload capacity of 1,100 kg and a towing capacity up to 1,500 kg.

The aCar’s design, including its 1.5 meter width, allows it to fit comfortably between the rows of panels on solar farms, enhancing its utility. Its low-speed torque is specifically advantageous for traversing loose and steep terrain, facilitating the transport of essential hardware and personnel to less accessible areas. The inclusion of the solar panel cleaning robot underscores the vehicle’s practical application in maintaining and operating remote or large-scale solar operations.

Electric bike charger econec shared three electric bike chargers: the eBike Box micro for home use, eBike Box mini C for businesses, (featured in the image below), and eBike Box Vision for public charging. A notable feature of these systems is their customizable charger. Representatives noted that the e-bike industry has around 25 charging standards, with the public charging model, the eBike Box Vision, accommodating up to five unique plugs. Although Bosch dominates the market with 50% to 60% of all charger adapters, it offers two different types of connectors. Currently focused primarily on the European market, Econec is actively seeking U.S. partners as it works to expand its certifications.

Aiko is poised to launch the ABC Infinite Gen 3 solar module range, with efficiencies ranging from 24.2% to 25.2% in the fourth quarter. The standout 650 watt module, featuring 25.2% efficiency, aims to be the highest efficiency module globally upon its release. These products will be produced in the company’s two manufacturing facilities, with capacities of 10 GW and 14 GW of modules per year. A significant efficiency enhancement in these modules is the relocation of the busbars to the backside of the solar panels. While this adjustment reduces the bifaciality value to nearly 70%, it opens more silicon to face the sun on the front site, white significantly improving shade management capabilities.

Georg Giglinger, an environmental engineer, shared via Twitter what may have been the highest wattage module at Intersolar: Tongwei’s 765.18 watt rated, 24.63% efficiency panel.

Announced directly from the floor in Munich, Germany, Nextracker has acquired specialty ground screw manufacturer Ojjo in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $119 million. Ojjo’s truss systems are designed to use half the steel of conventional foundations, aim to reduce grading requirements, and would be the foundation that supports NexTracker’s motors and torque tubes.

The pv magazine team at Intersolar Munich 2024 included over 30 representatives from regions such as Ireland, England, Western and Southern Germany, the U.S., among others.

Summit Ridge Energy expanded its partnership with Qcells with an agreement to purchase 800 MW of solar panels.

The agreement builds on an existing 1.2 GW relationship between Qcells and Summit Ridge, announced in April of 2023 by Vice President Kamala Harris. At the time the 1.2 GW order was the largest equipment purchase in history for the community solar market.

By increasing the total commitment to 2 GW, Summit Ridge reports it will develop more than 100 additional community solar projects across the country using U.S.-made solar.

Last year Qcells announced what was then the largest investment in U.S. solar manufacturing history, investing more than $2.5  billion to build a complete solar supply chain in the United States. This made the Korean company, a subsidiary of Hanwha Solutions, the first company to establish a fully-integrated silicon-based solar supply chain in the U.S. When complete, Qcells solar panels — from polysilicon to the finished panel — will be entirely made in the U.S.

Both the build-out of Qcells U.S. manufacturing footprint and the growth of Summit Ridge Energy are incentivized by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The includes tax incentives for domestic energy production as well as manufacturing. Many of Summit Ridge’s solar projects also qualify for IRA tax credits that will provide thousands of low-income households with greater access to clean energy savings.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Qcells, which enables Summit Ridge to deliver on our promise of giving more Americans the opportunity to power their homes and businesses with locally generated clean energy,” said Brian Dunn, chief operating officer of Summit Ridge Energy. “Through our Qcells partnership, we are able to support domestic manufacturing and job creation, while simultaneously bringing low-cost clean energy to communities that have historically been left out of the clean energy transition.”

Summit Ridge’s planned fleet of community solar farms are expected to generate enough clean energy to power an estimated 200,000 homes and businesses. Since launching in 2017, the company reports that it has deployed over $2.6 billion into clean energy assets and controls a development pipeline of more than 3 GW that will provide solar power to homes and businesses nationwide.

“Expanding this relationship with Summit Ridge Energy means more communities will have access to the most affordable energy resource in the world,” said Justin Lee, CEO of Qcells. “This partnership not only supports the domestic manufacturing industry and thousands of jobs in solar, but it also ensures more people – especially those who have historically been left out – benefit from everything the clean energy economy has to offer.”

The majority of the solar panels purchased by Summit Ridge will be produced in Qcells’ new U.S. manufacturing facility located in Georgia. Additionally, Qcells will continue to provide Summit Ridge with battery storage and software solutions under separate procurement agreements.

New York policy authorizes $814.6 million to fund energy storage The new order puts the state on track to install 6 GW of energy storage by 2030.

Utility-scale solar development: Good planning makes good neighbors A recent study by Berkeley Lab, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University found that sharing plans for large-scale solar projects with local residents improves the perception of such sites.

GCL says perovskite solar module passes silicon degradation tests At Intersolar Europe, the Chinese manufacturer said the perovskite-silicon tandem module would cost 50% of a crystalline silicon module that costs $0.15 per W, meaning $0.075 per W.

A look at the prevailing wage and apprenticeship final rule Taxpayers seeking to claim the highest available investment and/or production tax credits for renewable energy projects must comply with the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.

Spontaneous glass breakage on solar panels on the rise The National Renewable Energy Laboratory noted an increase in spontaneous glass breakage in solar panels. The PV Module Index from the Renewable Energy Test Center investigates this and other glass-related trends in solar manufacturing.

In case you missed it: Five big solar stories in the news this week  pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

BASF, NGK launch sodium-sulfur battery with less than 1% degradation rate A set of technological improvements incorporated into the new product NAS MODEL L24 allows for lower maintenance costs compared to the earlier sodium sulfur battery type developed by the two manufacturers.

NREL guide for anyone seeking more solar and storage in utility resource plans A guide to utility resource plans aims to help state regulators and others engage effectively with utilities in reviewing the plans, which have often been challenged for limiting solar and storage in projections of new generating capacity needed.

Nextracker expands U.S. manufacturing with Unimacts Owned by Unimacts and located near Las Vegas, this factory will produce steel components exclusively for Nextracker, bringing the tracker specialist’s annual domestic solar tracker capacity to over 30 GW.

Final guidance released on IRA’s prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements According to the Treasury Department, developers of clean energy projects may be able to claim an increased credit equal to five times the base incentive.

Solar startup claims doubled energy per acre with terrain-following array California startup Planted Solar uses construction robots and high-density arrays to deliver what the company says are higher energy outputs and lower balance of system costs.

U.S. grid-scale storage grows 84%, residential storage 48% Wood Mackenzie reported large growth in Q1 year-over-year for grid-scale storage and residential storage, while commercial and industrial storage slowed.

Commercial real estate to host VPP-connected flywheels and batteries U.S.-based technology provider Torus has agreed to supply nearly 26 MWh of energy storage for Gardner Group’s commercial real estate portfolio. The project will integrate battery and flywheel energy storage systems (BESS, FESS) with Torus’ proprietary energy management platform.

From ESS news

BASF Stationary Energy Storage, a subsidiary of chemical company BASF, and Japanese ceramics manufacturer NGK Insulators have launched a new version of their sodium-sulfur (NAS) batteries.

The containerized NAS MODEL L24 battery jointly developed by the partners, whose cooperation started in 2019, boasts a few technological improvements. Compared to the previously available battery type, the new NAS battery is characterized by a significantly lower degradation rate of less than 1% per year thanks to a reduced corrosion in battery cells.

Another technical achievement is an improved thermal management system in battery modules, which enables a longer continuous discharge. For instance, in the case of discharging at 200 kW-dc per NAS MODEL L24 unit, the continuous discharging duration is six hours.

The new technology elements have been incorporated into the field-proven battery design. Namely, NAS batteries were implemented practically for the first time in the world by NGK and since then installed at over 250 locations worldwide, with a total output of over 720 MW and total capacity of around 5 GWh installed.

Like the earlier version, the new concept complies with the latest safety standards for energy storage installations, such as UL1973 and UL9540A.

story continues…

Princeton NuEnergy (PNE), a New Jersey-based specialist in lithium-ion battery direct recycling, announced the close a Series A funding round with a strategic investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation.

Founded out of Princeton University in 2019, PNE developed a patented direct recycling technology for lithium-ion batteries. The low-temperature plasma-assisted separation process, trademarked as LPAS, produces battery-grade cathode and anode materials suitable for direct reintroduction into cell manufacturing. The company reports that this recycling is done at half the cost and is 70% less energy intensive.

PNE is now commercializing its lithium-ion battery recycling process that the company reports recovers up to 95% of materials found in all lithium-ion battery chemistries.

Recovering lithium and other critical battery materials is important as the U.S. ramps up electric vehicle produciton. While the U.S. is making strides toward manufacturing batteries, it is behind in the race for raw materials as China reportedly holds the majority of the world’s lithium refining capacity.

To advance lithium battery recycling, PNE has received over $55 million in grants, strategic and venture funding including investments from Honda Motor Co. Ltd., LKQ Corporation, Samsung Venture, Shell Venture, Traxys Group, Wistron Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Investor demand for this 50% oversubscribed round brought PNE’s Series A total to $30 million. Samsung Venture and Helium-3 join the round’s previous investors. The funds will support construction of PNE’s first standalone, full-scale direct battery recycling advanced manufacturing facility.

“The incredible interest in our Series A round, capped off by a strategic investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation and Helium-3 Ventures, speaks to the importance of supporting a circular economy for lithium battery manufacturing here in the U.S.,” said Dr. Chao Yan, PNE’s co-founder and CEO. “This funding enables us to implement and demonstrate our capabilities at commercial scale, helping America meet the growing demand for high-performance batteries while also creating high-quality clean energy jobs.”

PNE was named to Time Magazine’s “America’s Top Greentech Companies 2024”

Solar visionaries form ReCreate, bringing 5 GW solar module and cell manufacturing to Tennessee Dean Solon and Hamlet Tunyan, two solar industry leaders, have partnered on a new venture that will bring 5 GW of solar cells and 5 GW of solar modules to U.S. and EU markets.

In case you missed it: Five big solar stories in the news this week pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

2024 Outlook: What could La Niña mean for U.S. solar this year? In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, describes the possible consequences for PV plan and grid operators of a possible switch to La Niña conditions in North America.

Solar-powered bus depot features green hydrogen production The integrated microgrid will be connected to the utility, but engineered to operate indefinitely in island mode, according to developer AlphaStruxure.

New York continues long duration energy storage investments with $5M funding initiative NYSERDA is allocating $5 million to fund up to 50% of project costs for developing energy storage systems capable of operating for 10 to 100 hours, addressing key integration challenges and promoting viable economic products within New York’s energy grid.

An integrated microgrid infrastructure project in Rockville, Maryland will be the largest renewable energy-powered bus depot in the nation and the first on the East Coast to produce green hydrogen on-site, according to developer AlphaStruxure.

The microgrid will be constructed at Montgomery County’s David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance & Transit Operation Center (EMTOC), which is the County’s fifth largest energy user. With the depot eventually powering 200 zero-emissions buses, it will support the County’s climate goal of reaching 100% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035.

The 7 MW microgrid will consist of 5 MW of Sunpower solar modules, a 2 MW/7.35 MWh Schneider Electric battery energy storage system, and 4.5 MW of charging capacity. It will also use SMA inverters and feature EV chargers from Heliox and PowerCharge.

The integrated microgrid, which is expected to be operational in the fall of 2025, will be interconnected to the utility, but engineered to operate indefinitely in island mode, according to AlphaStruxure. Once built, it will be able to power not just electrolysis but the depot’s five existing buildings and battery electric bus charging. As a self-sufficient microgrid, it will do so with or without utility electricity, and can export up to 2 MW back to the grid, the company reports.

Unique to this microgrid is the 1 MW hydrogen electrolyzer that will be powered by the on-site solar energy and used to support fuel cell electric buses and enhance the county’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network.

The County’s 2024 fleet transition plan calls for replacing 100% of its nearly 400 fossil-fuel-powered buses with a mix of battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses, while also scaling the entire fleet to about 600 buses by 2035. With this microgrid, the County is planning in advance how to power these zero-emissions vehicles by strategically coupling procurement of both the vehicles and the infrastructure.

“What you don’t want is to get these vehicles on site and have no way to charge them. It’s a balance between infrastructure done and the fleets in at the same time,” said Michael Yambrach of the County’s office of energy and sustainability.

Montgomery County created a public-private partnership with AlphaStruxure to design, build, finance, own, and operate the microgrid. The Counted used AlphaStruxure’s Energy as a Service agreement under which AlphaStruxure designs, builds, owns and operates the infrastructure, and taps an investment firm for financing.

New York State’s “Renewable Optimization and Energy Storage Innovation Program” is dedicating $5 million to support long duration energy storage (LDES) projects, with project applications due by September 24, 2024 at 3 PM EST. This funding, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), targets innovative solutions capable of delivering energy storage for durations of 10 to 100 hours, within the specified technical categories:

1. Electrochemical:
   • Including flow batteries and advanced battery solutions
2. Mechanical
   • Innovative pumped hydro and compressed air/gas solutions
   • Mechanical/gravity energy storage
   • Geomechanical energy storage
3. Thermal
   • Pumped heat electrical energy storage
   • Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) storage
   • Innovative mediums such as water, sand, molten salts, and rocks

Now in its third iteration, the program finances up to 50% of each approved project’s cost. It prioritizes projects that tackle renewable integration challenges like grid congestion, hosting capacity constraints, and the siting limitations of lithium-ion batteries in New York City. NYSERDA seeks to support technologies that are not yet commercially scaled and are still in developmental stages. Eligible expenses include product development and demonstration projects.

Additionally, the application package stipulates that companies receiving awards must not conduct business in or with Russia.

Proposal evaluation criteria

The proposal scoring criteria lists twenty-eight questions, including:

• Is the proposed work technically feasible, innovative, and superior to existing alternatives?
• Are the fundamental scientific principles well understood and clearly articulated?
• Does the proposed solution have strong potential for commercialization, addressing demonstrated customer needs and significant market opportunities?
• Is there an appropriate plan for performance monitoring and data analysis included in the proposal?
• To what extent will there be economic benefits in New York State in the form of subsequent commercial activity and economic growth?
• How widely can the technology be deployed, both in New York and globally?
• How realistic is the schedule for achieving the goals of the proposed project?
• How significant is the commercial potential of this technology?

This funding round follows significant investments in previous years. In the summer of 2023, four demonstration projects received nearly $4 million. Ecolectro was granted just over $1 million to advance sustainable hydrogen technologies; Form Energy received $1.2 million for their iron flow batteries; Polyjule deployed a 167 kW/2 MWh plastic-based battery with slightly over $1 million; and Urban Power was awarded about $700,000 to develop a 100 kW/1 MWh zinc battery.

In 2022, Borrego Solar, JC Solution, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Power to Hydrogen, and Roccera were awarded $16.6 million to develop long-duration energy storage solutions. This funding effort was part of a broader initiative that began in 2020, when New York embarked on a project with Zinc8 to develop long-duration zinc energy storage. Following successful development, Zinc8 decided to manufacture its zinc-air batteries in New York State.

As shown in chart above, New York targets significant energy storage milestones by 2050: achieving 10.4 GW over four hours (41.2 GWh) and 6.7 GW over eight hours (53.6 GWh), pushing toward a total of nearly 100 GWh in bulk energy storage. Yet, as of early 2023, despite its mention in the state’s energy roadmap, New York has not quantified energy storage capacities exceeding ten hours.

Giraffe Financial announces the launch of a service that aims to make Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits accessible to underserved small- and medium-sized businesses and tax-exempt organizations such as local governments, schools, and nonprofits.

The IRA represents over $1 trillion in tax credits to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies in the U.S.; however, the complexities are as vast as the opportunities. With transferable tax credits value projected to grow to as much as $100 billion by 2032, according to Giraffe, smaller companies may be challenged to tap into those benefits.

In addition, direct pay issues were finalized in April, enabling non-profits such as schools and churches reap incentives for clean energy investments. Giraff intends to help non-profits navigate the process of accessing these credits.

“We built Giraffe to address the paradox that many of the organizations the IRA is intended to support are the least equipped to take advantage of it; we’re bringing IRA tax credits within reach for a broader audience,” said Giraffe co-founder and CEO Jason Prince. “We’re making tax credits far more accessible for entities that don’t have the wherewithal to become tax experts themselves.”

Giraffe is an AI-powered, end-to-end online tax preparation solution that intends to help users understand their likely eligibility and estimate the value of their tax credit. The program will also help companies and non-profits follow all rules in order to stay in compliance. And it will help potential direct-pay recipients to aggregate, insure and sell credits that they’ve obtained.

Help is available for renewable energy and energy storage investments as well as EV and EV charging purchases.

Giraffe is currently working with a partner in the private sector, Cummins, which supports dealers that are electrifying bus fleets. As each dealer has to navigate grant, rebate and tax incentives for their own business, Giraffe is providing those dealers with guidance and expertise so they can take full advantage of all opportunities.

Other customers include Butte Valley Unified School District, Weed Union Elementary, EVC Holdings, FuSE, Bird Bus, and EV charging solution providers like SWTCH, Skycharger, and XCharge.

“When we were first introduced to Giraffe, we were excited to hear that they could helpus secure tax credits that would effectively reduce our out-of-pocket costs to $0 as we moved to purchase electric school buses and the associated charging infrastructure,”

“There are many benefits to having electric vehicle charging stations at a business or other property, yet implementation can be costly and complex,” said Dan Coyne, founder and partner, EVC Holdings. “Giraffe is making the important IRS tax credit component significantly easier for its customers.”

Giraffe was spun out of the Momentum X climate finance venture studio, and it is backed by its two parent companies, Momentum and Skyview Ventures. The $1.5 million pre-seed venture capital funding round was led by Skyview Ventures with participation from angel investors representing leading EV OEM, EV charging, AI, carbon, and environmental commodity organizations.

Has the Inflation Reduction Act bolstered the U.S. solar supply chain?  Wood Mackenzie is tracking the capacity that manufacturers have announced will come online in the U.S.; however, three challenges remain including a balance of materials, pricing and tariffs.

RFP alert: CAISO and TID seek renewable energy and storage projects Using the Ascend Analytics Energy Exchange, Turlock Irrigation District announces a request for proposals to meet its California Renewable Portfolio Standards and reliability goals.

A new federal transmission rule won’t help renewables projects anytime soon Although promptly deploying grid-enhancing technologies and advanced conductors could speed interconnection in the short term, a new federal transmission rule will improve interconnection only once new transmission is built, said panelists on a webinar.

ABB launches smart panel for home energy management In partnership with Lumin, the company released an electric panel with software for controlling solar, batteries, EV chargers, and more.

Researchers build 24.4%-efficient perovskite solar cells with room temperature process Researchers from the U.S. and South Korea have developed a method to make high-quality perovskite films at room temperature. The film was tested in a conventional perovskite solar cell architecture and the result was a power conversion efficiency of exceeding 24%.

Startup uses agricultural waste to produce low-cost, safe batteries U.S.-based start-up SorbiForce uses no toxic products or metals in production of its batteries. It claims its systems are cheaper and safer than lithium-ion batteries and have near zero end-of-life waste.

Solar carport to provide 100% electricity needs for Los Angeles Six Flags  Recom Technologies was selected as the solar panel provider for the 12 MW solar carport.

CPUC vote expected to keep California community solar from reaching its full potential Coalition for Community Solar Access says the 3-1 vote ignored the will of the California Legislature and the broad coalition of ratepayer, equity, environmental, labor, agricultural, and business groups who have demanded a functional community solar program for more than a decade.

Alliant Energy completes 200 MW solar project in Wisconsin  The project is part of a multi-phase buildout of 12 solar projects totaling over 1 GW.

Long-duration energy storage poised to outcompete lithium-ion batteries While most long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies are still early-stage and costly compared to lithium-ion batteries, some have already or are set to achieve lower costs for longer durations, finds BloombergNEF.

Solar wafer prices continue to soften, complex international trade situation sparks concerns  In a weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Gulf heat dome and polar jet stream shape solar outcomes in May In a weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that a strong polar jet stream and a record-breaking heat dome in May resulted in a stark contrast in irradiance patterns across North America. The western and central USA, along with Mexico, experienced higher than normal irradiance, while the Gulf and East Coast regions faced lower irradiance.

TCL Zhonghuan reveals plans to acquire majority stake in Maxeon Chinese wafer manufacturer TCL Zhonghuan says it wants to invest around $197.5 million to increase its stake in Maxeon from 22.39% to at least 50.1%. A Maxeon spokesperson told pv magazine that the plan would place the company in a solid financial position.

Are false pretenses driving solar cell tariff case? Global manufacturer Canadian Solar challenges prevailing support for tariffs among solar manufacturers, questions the accuracy of capacity estimations, and adverse financial effects.

From pv magazine ESS News site

Interest in long-duration energy storage (LDES) is rising rapidly as demand for clean firm capacity grows. With most LDES technologies still nascent, information about their cost is not widely available. In its inaugural LDES cost survey, BloombergNEF is bringing transparency to the matter.

BNEF has surveyed seven LDES technology groups and 20 technology types in its report and found that the least expensive technologies are already providing cheaper storage than lithium-ion batteries for durations over eight hours.

Thermal energy storage and compressed air storage had an average capital expenditure, or capex, of $232/kWh and $293/kWh, respectively. For comparison, lithium-ion systems had an average capex of $304/kWh for four-hour duration systems in 2023, so generally shorter-term storage.

Storage duration, project size, and location are key factors affecting LDES capex. Gravity energy storage systems, which elevate weights when charging and controllably drop them when discharging, have the highest average capex, at $643/kWh.

The cost reduction rate of LDES technologies will largely depend on the expansion of deployment and the development of routes to market in major regions, BNEF notes.

To continue reading, please visit our ESS News website.

As expected, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted on changes to its utility-backed community solar program despite strong opposition from industry groups, community solar developers and even Assemblymember Chris Ward who introduced the original version of the bill (AB 2316).

Community solar enables small businesses and residents who are renters or who otherwise cannot put solar on their roof to subscribe to a portion of an off-site solar facility, receiving a utility bill credit for the power it generates. In California, approximately 45% of California households are renters who don’t own their roofs and, therefore, can’t install a solar system.

The Community Renewable Energy Act (AB 2316) put forth by Assemblymember Ward was sponsored by the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), and supported by the Solar Industries Energy Association, GRID Alternatives, Vote Solar, the Sierra Club, and more. Notably, investor-owned utilities, which serve over 75% of the electricity usage in the state, opposed the bill.

Riding on the tail of the CPUC’s net metering change, which dealt a serious blow to the residential solar industry, developers and other industry experts expect this new legislation will stall the buildout of community solar in California.

California was previously the leading state in solar energy; however, the tide is turning. Aaron Halimi, founder and president of Renewable Properties, a community solar developer, said that this recent decision by the CPUC will prevent California from being a leader in community solar. An increasing number of states are implementing pro-active community solar policies just as the market is starting take off.

Calling the new rules a “misguided decision”, Halimi said it’s unlikely the industry will invest in building community solar and energy storage projects in California.

“The CPUC’s decision primarily benefits the financial interests of utilities and does not support the State’s climate goals or the aim of reducing electric bills for low-income Californians, which was the purpose of AB 2316,” said Halimi.

Derek Chernow, Western regional director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) released a statement saying that the ruling “ignored the will of the California Legislature and the broad coalition of ratepayer, equity, environmental, labor, agricultural, and business groups who have demanded a functional community solar program for more than a decade”.

The legislation passed with a 3-1 vote, and CCSA thanked the lone dissenter, Commissioner Darcie Houck, for her vote and remarks for how this Decision will fail to reach community solar’s full potential.

The CCSA characterized the CPUC’s choice to accept the utilities’ proposal as doubling down on failed programs that “have not — and will not — establish a viable community solar market that would provide affordable energy to Californians that need relief the most”.

“It’s also further evidence that California’s utilities are doing everything they can to stifle distributed energy generation in order to tighten their grip on the state’s electricity grid. The vote solidifies California’s place near the bottom of community solar markets nationwide, ceding leadership to other states to truly democratize solar energy and fulfill national energy equity goals,” said CCSA.

U.S. scientists develop air-bridge thermophotovoltaic cells with 44% efficiency  U.S. scientists have developed a thermophotovoltaic cell that could be paired with inexpensive thermal storage to provide power on demand. The indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) thermophotovoltaic cell absorbs most of the in-band radiation to generate electricity, while serving as a nearly perfect mirror.

Guaranteed and transferable tax benefits will make the PV industry too big to fail  Trina Solar executive says policies in the Inflation Reduction Act will make or break the future of solar in the U.S.

Largest solar project in Wyoming moves forward  The $1.2 billion Cowboy solar project will be built by Enbridge, with 771 MW expected to be fully operational by 2027.

21 states accept the grid modernization challenge The Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment initiative aims to shore up the U.S. energy grid to prepare for both challenges and opportunities in the power sector.

Battery energy storage tariffs tripled; domestic content rules updated Breaking down U.S. market impacts on energy storage from recent policy changes with insights from Clean Energy Associates.

Texas is the proving ground for a new way of electric grid operation Texas is uniquely suited to adopt virtual power plant technology due to its competitive, deregulated market. Its success highlights the “perverse incentive” of vertically integrated utilities in other states to make capital expenditures without discretion to raise profits.

Wyoming ranked 50^th in installed solar in 2023, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) with only 124 MW installed. As of Q4 2023, SEIA expected it to pop up to 43^rd place with 685 MW expected to be installed over the next five years. However, the Cowboy Solar Project, at 771 MW and 268 MW of battery energy storage, will surpass that in one fell swoop.

The Cowboy project was just approved by Wyoming’s Industrial Siting Council, and developer Enbridge plans construction in two phases with both beginning in March 2025. Commercial operation of Phase 1, which will include 400 MW of solar and 136 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) is expected in January 2027. Commercial operation of Phase II with 371 MW solar and 133 MW BESS is expected to begin in August 2027. The company estimates that the onsite workforce will have average of 285 temporary workers monthly, with a peak workforce of approximately 375 workers in April 2025.

For more on the process of obtaining permits for large-scale renewable energy project in Wyoming, read Early engagement avoids perils of Wyoming industrial siting.

The combined 771 MW of solar is estimated to be enough to serve 771,000 homes, or more than three times the number of homes in Wyoming. Enbridge has not yet announced an offtake agreement for the electricity generated.

Enbridge, a Canadian multinational pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, intends to build the project about 4 miles south of Cheyenne on 3,845 acres of private land that it will lease.

While the company reports that it is currently responsible for moving about 30% of the crude oil produced in North America and 20% of the natural gas consumed in the United States, the company says it has committed to reducing emissions 35% by 2030 and being net-zero by 2050. It has a portfolio of over 5.2 GW of wind, offshore wind and solar projects in Canada, the U.S., France, Germany and England.

To keep the public informed about the massive Wyoming project, Enbridge held public meetings to notify neighbors within 1 km of the project in October 2023, which were advertised in the local newspaper, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. The company said it is planning further engagement with broader public notification and outreach to community stakeholders and Tribal communities as the project gets closer to the 2026 in-service date. Details of future outreach will be posted here.

(Read Opposition stymies solar—sometimes)

Approval by the Industrial Siting Council is just the first step in the process, as Enbridge must also obtain permits from Laramie County as well as necessary environmental and municipal permits required before constructing the project.

Once operational, the Cowboy solar project will be just the third utility-scale solar installation in the state. In April Southern Power, a wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, announced the operation of the 150 MW South Cheyenne Solar Facility, currently the largest in Wyoming. Southern Power acquired the project from Qcells USA, which had served as the project developer, module manufacturer and engineering procurement construction (EPC) provider of the site. Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for the electricity generated, which will be used to provide renewable energy to a data center customer.

Prior to the South Cheyenne facility, the largest was the Sweetwater solar project, a 98 MW installation by SOLV Energy, developed by Clenera, an Enlight Renewable Energy company. Covering roughly 700 acres the project generates enough power to serve the equivalent of 12,000 homes each year.

Solar siting tool

With so much unspoiled land in Wyoming, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) developed the Brightfields Energy Siting Initiative (BESI) tool specifically for Wyoming. The intention is to guide new energy development to previously disturbed areas or “brownfields” so as to diversify the state’s energy mix without compromising the state’s iconic wildlife and natural areas.

The BESI tool identifies areas where new energy development is unlikely to encounter significant land use conflicts, permitting delays and cost overruns. It can locate sensitive places to avoid as well as provide information down to an individual project site. For example, it can determine if a potential site would risk conflict with a known mule deer migration route, a location with an abundance of cultural resources nearby or a golden eagle nesting area. It can look at habitat and can flag it as a site that would be better for restoration rather than the site of a new energy facility.

Access the BESI map tool here.

California’s recent strides in emission-free electricity and energy storage have garnered global attention, from top-tier publications to outlets on the other side of the globe.

According to data from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and record keeping by Stanford Professor Marc Jacobson, “for 45 days straight and 69 of 75, California #WindWaterSolar (electricity) supply has exceeded demand part of each day. On May 20, (supply exceeded demand for) 7.58 h, peaking at 135.4% of demand. On average over 75 days, WWS>demand for 5.3 h/day.”

This performance is bolstered by the extensive use of batteries during the evening electricity peak demand period. As seen in the chart above, the batteries (seen in dark blue) play a crucial role during these ramping periods.

Essentially, the engineers managing California’s power grid have adapted to harness inherently unpredictable power sources.

When it comes to solar, these impressive figures still underestimate the impact of sunlight. This is because they only account for utility-scale generation, with rooftop and behind-the-meter projects contributing an additional 15 GW of capacity worth of electricity – almost equal to utility scale capacity.

For utility-scale supplied solar power, April in CAISO showcased an impressive performance. Generally, April is the third-highest month for solar as a percentage of all electricity, per data from pv magazine USA’s 50 States of Solar report.

However, this past April, the instantaneous “All-Time Max Demand” record was broken four times, rising from an 80.4% record set in April of 2022, to a new record of 97.5% on April 20th this year.

This raises an interesting question: why did ‘All Time Max Demand Served’ jump so significantly this year, especially after it had remained mostly static throughout 2023? It all boils down to increased battery capacity, which has allowed solar to expand its influence more effectively. Notably, we recently saw utility-scale battery capacity surpass 8 GW, which has now began to offset the evening peak demand periods.

Since the electricity for these batteries primarily comes from solar power, perhaps we should also consider that solar is meeting the evening peak demand?

pv magazine USA conducted an analysis of CAISO generation data and discovered that on April 21, solar electricity actually peaked at more than 123% of total electricity generation.

Solar can supply more than 100% of demand due to the net effect of batteries charging. On this date, solar also accounted for almost 38% of all electricity generated within the CAISO region, marking the peak value for the month. Additionally, the following day, CAISO recorded a new high for peak solar output at 18,374 MW.

The chart also highlights the April 8th eclipse – noted with a large dip in generation in light blue around 11 a.m. PST.

According to gridstatus.io, April 21st also marked a new record for battery output at 10:10 p.m., reaching 6,458 MW. This record has since been surpassed multiple times, with the current peak now at 7,528 MW. This record is expected to continue to grow as more utility-scale energy storage is deployed this year.

Over the entire month of April, solar was the largest source of electricity by far, contributing just over 31%. In total, solar combined with hydro, wind, nuclear, and geothermal provided almost 70% of the electricity, with methane generating 19%. Given that imports historically are historically 50% emission-free, this would put the total emission-free electricity used in California in April at approximately 75%.

SunPower announced it will now be offering Tesla Powerwall 3 as part of its portfolio of residential solar and storage products.

“Homeowners are increasingly turning to battery storage to protect themselves against ongoing utility rate hikes and grid outages. We witnessed record-breaking battery storage sales in 2024 and see a future where almost all solar systems are paired with storage,” said Shawn Fitzgerald, SVP corporate development and product strategy at SunPower.

Tesla launched the Powerwall 3 in 2024 after it was unveiled at the RE+ trade e show in September 2023. It has the same storage capacity as the Powerwall 2 (13.5 kWh) but a key differentiator is that it can provide at least 50% more power at 11.5 kW of continuous power. It is a hybrid battery with the solar and battery inverter fully integrated, and is designed for new solar installations as opposed to retrofits. Some of the innovations over the Powerwall 2 are that it is reportedly easier to install, and it is smaller and lighter, while slightly deeper.

“Pairing Tesla Powerwall 3 with our industry-leading SunPower Equinox solar system was a natural progression in offering homeowners the best products on the market.” Fitzgerald said.

According to a report by Wood Mackenzie, one in every four American homeowners who install rooftop solar this year will also add battery storage. Reasons include resiliency as well as changes in net metering policy such as California’s  NEM 3.0, which cut payments for exported solar energy by about 75%.

Powerwall was the choice in over half of home battery installations last year, according to Wood Mackenzie.

“Expanding access to Tesla Powerwall 3 allows us to offer homeowners a comprehensive energy solution under one roof including sales, financing and installation,” said Joe Holstein, owner of SunPower by Quality Home Services, a SunPower Master Dealer.

SunPower Financial reported it has expanded its suite of solar financing options to include loan and lease financing through Mosaic for Tesla battery installations. SunPower reports that qualified customers can finance a Powerwall 3 with no down payment.

SunPower specializes in residential solar installations, a market that has been hard hit by rising interest rates and policy changes such as NEM 3.0 In April SunPower announced it planned to close business segments as it restructures to lower costs. At the time the company’s stock was trading 96% lower than all-time highs and was down 86% over the past year.

SunPower’s revenues reported last December reflected a 28% year-over-year decline, while operating expenses increased, and net income resulted in a loss of $123.9 million. The company said that after a short transition period, all project pipeline operations from pre-installation through system activation would be conducted by Blue Raven Solar and other installation partners and SunPower certified dealers.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has pre-qualified 79 private developers and investors to collaborate on the development of renewable energy generating projects, including solar, wind, battery storage, green hydrogen, geothermal, and related transmission.

The developers and investors were selected based on a Request for Information (RFI) issued in March that sought to assess potential interest and opportunities for renewable developers, contractors and companies. While the RFI was seeking developers across a range of renewable energy sectors, some were qualified only for one technology or category.

Respondents were assessed based on several considerations, including an evaluation of experience, financial overview, partnership structure customization and flexibility, knowledge of market dynamics and incentives, previous successful engagement within New York State, and team size and resources.

Those that were chosen are prequalified for 5 years and may now respond to both future Requests for Proposals (RFP) or other procurement offerings from NYPA.

“Through this solicitation we have identified 79 qualified potential partners that are eager to join with us to advance renewable energy generation at scale and help us advance the state’s bold climate agenda,” said NYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “We are confident that building this stable of prequalified companies will allow NYP to move forward decisively in deploying additional renewable energy generation for the benefit of all New Yorkers.”

New York State’s nation-leading energy goals has set it on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. In 2019, New York enacted the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which established objectives and requirements aimed at addressing climate change and guiding the state toward a clean energy-based economy.

With solar as a strong part of the clean energy mix, the state created a framework to achieve at least 10 GW of distributed solar by 2030, enough to annually power nearly 700,000 average-sized homes. That framework provides a strategy to expand the state’s already successful NY-Sun initiative into one of the largest and most inclusive solar programs of its kind in the nation.

The 2023-24 Enacted State Budget provided NYPA with enhanced authority over renewable energy generation and storage projects to help support the state’s renewable energy goals. In addition, new renewable projects will support the new

REACH program, which aims to enable low-income and moderate-income electricity customers to receive bill credits through the production of renewable energy by NYPA.

 The RFQ will remain open and additional participants may still submit qualification. Also NYPA says that companies that did not qualify for this solicitation may respond to future procurement actions that may better align with their business models.

“We are very encouraged by such a positive response to our RFQ,” said Vennela Yadhati, NYPA vice president of renewable project development. “Having a deep bench of qualified partners will allow us to proceed deliberately and expeditiously as projects are identified.”

NYPA will now proceed with a planning process that will include conferrals and public hearings on its renewable energy development strategic plan, which NYPA will publish in January 2025.

From pv magazine Germany

The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI), a U.S.-based non-profit energy research and development organization, has set up a database listing battery storage fires throughout the world. It recorded 50 incidents during the 2018-23 period. With the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) and Twaice, a Munich-based producer of battery analysis software, EPRI has now examined 26 fire incidents in order to determine the cause of the blazes.

More bark than bite: U.S. solar tariffs and the shadow of larger trade measures Intensified trade measures against China via increasing tariffs on imported solar and battery cells represents a significant policy step, however, the impact is clouded by global manufacturing shifts, price decreases and looming Commerce Department trade complaints.

Startup debuts wall-mountable, tabletop residential heat pump Quilt unveiled a residential heat pump with a coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 4 and noise levels of 27 dBA to 47 dBA. The startup recently raised $35.9 million from a group of investors.

Bifacial solar module tariffs reinstated The Office of the President has turned its focus to solar panels, announcing the removal of the bifacial solar panel Section 301 tariff exclusion and addressing issues of stockpiling during trade cases, alongside promoting the nation’s manufacturing base.

Solidion seeks to provide sodium-based electrolytes as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries  The company says the technology’s better cycle times and potential lower costs would benefit grid storage and EV sectors.

WattEV has officially opened the world’s largest solar-powered truck charging station in Bakersfield, California. The facility is equipped with a 5.7 MW solar array, featuring a pre-wired racking system from Australian solar manufacturer 5B, designed for rapid deployment and minimal installation costs. Additionally, a 2.7 MWh energy storage system is integrated into the plant to mitigate peak demand charges from the numerous truck chargers.

The depot boasts extensive technical capabilities, including:

• 5.7 MW solar array
  
• 2.7 MWh of battery storage
• 16 dual-cord 360 kW grid-connected chargers
• 15 single-cord 240 kW CCS chargers
• 3 MCS 1,200 kW rapid chargers

To better understand how the solar-plus-storage systems are integrated into the facility, pv magazine USA consulted Umar Javed, the president of WattEV. Umar detailed the specific power management across the chargers:

The 15 CCS chargers of 240 kW are powered by solar and battery storage only.  Each group of 5 of these chargers is powered by a 1.2 MW power cabinet. That same power cabinet is connected to a 1.2 MW MCS charger. The power cabinet contains internal DC power allocation. All the power can go to one MCS or to 5 CCS and other power sharing profiles in between. This design allows for transition from the current CCS standard to MCS.

WattEV’s press release detailed how the integration of the 240 kW CCS and 1,200 kW MCS chargers with the onsite solar facility is managed by software designed to optimize solar generation with scheduled truck charging needs, specifically to minimize demand charges. This system ensures operational continuity even during grid outages.

The solar power portion of the facility is currently 5.7 MW, with plans for future expansion to 25 MW alongside increased charging capabilities.

WattEV opted for 5B’s Maverick solar deployment system, which consists of 90 modules per package, with four packages fitting into a shipping container. According to the company’s website, each module within the packages uses solar panels rated between 550 and 580 watts. Each package of 90 modules totals about 50 kW of solar. The company states that a crew of three to four can install a megawatt of modules in a week.

The project was awarded a $5 million grant from the State of California in 2021.

Strategically located on State Highway 99, a key freight corridor, the Bakersfield site is ideally situated to serve major agricultural and industrial regions in California. This location leverages high traffic volumes and serves as an essential node in WattEV’s broader network plans.

WattEV intends to replicate this model at other key freight corridors, planning to augment both solar capacity and charger availability. This expansion, integral to their broader Truck-as-a-Service (TaaS) strategy, aims to enhance long-haul electric trucking across California.

Solar and wind powered boat’s final voyage across the sea The Energy Observer has one more stop in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, a French territory just south of Newfoundland, before powering across the North Atlantic to retire.

Renew Home launches with virtual power plant solution Through the partnership of Google Nest Renew and OhmConnect, Renew Home, has a goal of expanding from 3 GW of electrical energy use to 50 GW by 2030.

Opposition stymies solar – sometimes Strong growth in U.S. solar installations might suggest that solar has strong support but developers cite public opposition as a major challenge.

Active Surfaces raises $5.6 million to develop ‘solar 2.0’ This MIT spinout is developing lightweight, flexible solar panels that can be integrated into virtually any surface and manufactured using a printed, roll-to-roll process.

A new virtual power plant solution has launched through the partnership of Google Nest Renew and OhmConnect. The new company, Renew Home, has a goal of expanding from 3 GW of electrical energy use to 50 GW by 2030.

Virtual power plants (VPPs) are aggregations of distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicles, smart appliances, and more. The energy stored or managed by these resources can help balance electricity supply and demand, and can provide grid services such as that provided by fossil-fuel power plants.

In its report Pathways to commercial liftoff: Virtual power plants, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that if the current scale of VPPs were tripled, it could address as much as 20% of the growing peak demand. DOE forecasts that coincident peak demand on the grid will rise from about 740 GW to 800 GW by 2030. With retiring fossil-fuel plants, the new demand must be met by new resources, such as clean energy VPPs.

OhmConnect is a service designed to provide alerts about energy use, and it can even automatically power down devices at certain times of day to reduce use and save money on electric bills. Google Nest is a line of smart home products, such as smart thermostats, routers, doorbells, security systems, and more. Together they have formed Renew Home, a Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) company. SIP was formed out of Alphabet with anchor partners that include the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

With a $100 million investment from majority owner SIP, Renew Home intends to enable U.S.  homes to work together to reduce and shift their energy use.

“The marriage of Nest’s innovative approach to managing energy use in the home with OhmConnect’s customer-focused grid services platform will be transformational,” said Renew Home CEO Ben Brown. “With our industry-leading partners, Renew Home will be able to coordinate the home energy use of millions of customers to help catapult us into a 100% clean energy future.”

Ben Brown was previously with Google, where he led many Google Home and Nest consumer products and services. Prior to Google he developed climate and energy tools for the United Nations, DOE and EPA.

Renew Home works with the Google Home APIs as a platform provider of integrations to control devices and energy use. The company says it also integrates with dozens of additional devices and appliances in the home, including LG, Honeywell, SunPower, Sense, and others, and reports that it will support demand response and VPP programs with more than 100 utilities.

“This is a pivotal moment for virtual power plants,” said Alan Machuga, CTO of Rheem. “We are excited to partner with Renew Home to help customers save money and energy – while supporting the grid. As a leading manufacturer of HVAC and Water Heating products, Rheem uniquely brings both potential for energy savings and energy storage, to which water heaters play a critical role.”

The Energy Observer, a solar and wind-powered catamaran, is nearing the end of its extensive global journey, having sailed over 64,000 nautical miles while circumnavigating the globe. The vessel has demonstrated the viability of renewable energy-powered maritime travel, even across the most challenging oceanic conditions.

Last week, pv magazine USA met with Luc Bourserie, the systems engineer of the Energy Observer, in Boston Harbor. The 100-foot-long boat is powered by a sophisticated energy system that uses power from solar and wind, stores long-term energy in hydrogen and stores short-term energy in batteries.

The Energy Observer features 2174 square feet (202 square meters) of Solbian flex modules and newer bifacial modules. Rated at just over 33 kW, the real-world peak output of the panels is around 26 kW due to the panels’ fixed-angle placement all over the craft, optimizing for maximum cumulative output rather than peak efficiency.

At one point, solar panel upgrades were necessary. Initially, the vessel was equipped with hard-framed glass bifacial modules. Ocean water splashing forcefully broke some of the panels installed in front of the solar wings, so they were replaced with custom-made mono-face flexible panels. The bifacial panels that remained intact were kept at the rear, where reflection has a greater impact.

The design team selected flexible Solbian modules for their adaptability and durability and found that they were an ideal choice for curved surfaces, and their availability in various shapes and sizes ensured coverage for nearly any area. The modules are also robust enough to be walked on, a crucial feature for constrained spaces on the ship.

The ship uses 13 DC to DC converters, rated at 3 kW each, manufactured by BRUSA Electronik AG, an electronic mobility specialist based in Switzerland. These converters increase the voltage of solar output from 20 to 30 volts up to the 400 Vdc required by the main 100 kWh lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNMC) batteries used for propulsion and the 24 Vdc 20 kWh battery used for control systems. The converters are equipped with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controllers that optimize the conversion efficiency of solar modules under various lighting conditions. 

In strong winds, the Energy Observer can harness additional energy by engaging its propellers (in reverse), turning them into turbines that generate power. The ship’s innovative sails, known as Oceanwings, were first tested on this vessel and have since been adopted by the Canopée, a French container ship that transports rockets across the Atlantic. These sails cut fuel consumption by up to 30% compared to traditional diesel ships.

Bourserie said that the Oceanwings automatically adjust to maximize energy capture. These prototype sails have required ongoing development and some replacement components to withstand the rigors of maritime conditions.

The vessel is equipped with an innovative hydrogen storage and compression system that stores hydrogen at 350 bars in eight composite tanks, using a two-stage compression process developed with Nova Swiss to handle the transition from 30 bars (the electrolyzer’s output pressure) to 350 bars. The tanks offer a superior energy-to-weight ratio compared to batteries, storing ten times the energy at half the weight, and the multi-stage compressors are dramatically lighter weight than traditional models designed for fixed stations. This allows for efficient compression and storage of up to 62 kg of hydrogen.

The 62 kg of onboard hydrogen storage can power the ship’s fuel cells for approximately six days, providing 1 MWh of electricity and 1 MWh of thermal energy. Supplied by Toyota, the cells are a modified version of those used in the company’s Mirai vehicle.

While covering over 64,000 nautical miles, the Energy Observer generally navigated close to coastlines. However, it also undertook several significant open-ocean voyages across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. These segments taught the crew to strategically manage their energy resources.

For instance, Bourserie told pv magazine USA, on days with good conditions – strong sun and wind that allows them to avoid using motors – “We don’t do electrolysis in navigation, [as it’s a] matter of protecting the compressors, and besides, the excess energy would not be so much. To continue harvesting power from the sun, we’ll cook in the afternoon for the evening or use the washing machine, producing fresh water from sea water at that time.”

On CNET, ship scientist Katia Nicolet underscored the daily importance of energy management on board. There were often instances where the crew would need to consult Bourserie on energy usage, asking questions like, “Can we run the dishwasher? Can we have a hot meal tonight, or are the batteries too low?”

The crew faced unique challenges from the COVID pandemic as well, including an extended period of greater than 45 days without docking, highlighting the resilience and self-sufficiency of both the crew and the vessel’s renewable energy systems.

As the Energy Observer prepares for its final Atlantic voyage from Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, it stands as a testament to the potential of renewable energy in powering our future on the seas.

Shift to renewables to combat climate change and air pollution The need to move away from fossil fuels is clear, but the path forward involves addressing both technological and economic challenges.

Solar-friendly Maryland passes the Brighter Tomorrow Act  Hailed as landmark legislation, SB 783 empowers municipalities to speed permitting, raises net metering cap, supports a payment in lieu of taxes program and more.

Quino Energy ramps up production of its organic flow battery formulation The company seeks to replace vanadium and compete with lithium-ion batteries for grid storage.

Sinovoltaics publishes energy storage manufacturer financial stability ranking The report lists Tesla as number one, followed by South Korean’s LG Energy Solution, Taiwan-based Kung Long Battery, China’s Mustang Battery, along with U.S.-based Solid Power in the top five.

Climate change and air pollution rank among the most pressing issues of our time, impacting public health, ecosystems, and global economies. 

The shift toward renewable energy has emerged as a pivotal strategy not only addressing environmental concerns but also promising a sustainable and economically feasible future.[1] 

Solar energy, with its vast potential and increasing accessibility, stands at the forefront of this transformative journey. It promises a less polluted, more sustainable, and more equitable world.[2]

But, how exactly is this happening? 

The problem with fossil fuels

Burning fossil fuels releases a significant amount of greenhouse gasses, which trap heat in the atmosphere and lead to climate change. 

Plus, the byproducts of burning fossil fuels pollute the air, leading to health issues ranging from respiratory problems to heart diseases, contributing to millions of premature deaths annually.[

Fossil fuels have powered global development for centuries but at a great cost to our planet. They are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming and climate instability. Moreover, fossil fuels are finite. 

According to MET Group, an integrated European energy company, estimates suggest that we could deplete our available reserves within the next 50 to 150 years if consumption continues at current rates. The urgent need to transition to renewable energy is clear, not just to combat environmental issues but also to ensure a stable energy future.

The need to move away from fossil fuels is clear, but the path forward involves addressing both technological and economic challenges.

Renewables forging the path

Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources produce little to no greenhouse gasses or other pollutants when generating electricity. The benefits of renewables extend beyond environmental impacts; they are increasingly seen as economically viable. 

Solar energy, for example, has become the cheapest form of electricity generation in many parts of the world, making it an attractive alternative to traditional power sources.

Growing role of solar energy

Fossil fuels dominate U.S. emissions according to the EPA but at the same time, solar power is increasingly becoming a prominent source of renewable energy globally. 

Unlike fossil fuels, which are limited and contribute to significant environmental degradation, solar energy offers a boundless and clean alternative. 

With technological advancements, solar panels are now more efficient and cheaper to produce, making solar energy a competitive and reliable energy source.

Challenges and opportunities for solar energy

While the transition to solar energy offers many benefits, it also comes with challenges. Integrating solar power into the existing energy grid, managing intermittent energy supply due to weather conditions, and the initial investment in solar infrastructure are significant hurdles. 

However, according to the United Nations, these challenges are addressable with continuous innovation and supportive policies that encourage solar energy adoption.

In addition, the production and disposal of solar panels can be carbon emission intensive, especially if the energy used for these steps in the lifecycle of the panel are conducted in nations where the primary source of electricity is coal burning facilities. 

Energy storage in lithium ion batteries has also come under scrutiny for the harmful impact the mining process can have on the ecology. However, experts agree that the gains from solar power outweigh the current drawbacks and innovation is helping to reduce and eliminate these every year. 

Economic and social benefits

Adopting solar energy can also drive economic growth. It creates jobs in the manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of solar panels. 

Solar energy can reduce electricity costs in the long term, being less susceptible to price fluctuations. 

Additionally, solar energy can provide power to remote areas without access to the traditional power grid, improving living standards and promoting equality.

When solar panels are placed on existing structures, the environmental impact is lessened and the economical and social benefits are increased. Moreover, as the technology becomes cheaper and more widespread, the cost of renewable energy continues to fall, making it a financially attractive option for many countries.

Global action

Countries around the world are recognizing the benefits of solar energy. Numerous governments have committed to increasing their share of renewables in energy production. 

Despite the benefits, the transition to renewable energy is not without challenges. One major hurdle is the intermittent nature of sources like solar and wind, which do not produce electricity consistently as fossil fuel-based power plants do. 

Energy storage technology such as batteries is one solution. Policies that support renewable energy development, like subsidies, tax incentives, and regulations that phase out fossil fuels, are also essential to accelerate the transition.

With the right policies and continued investment in research and development, solar energy can meet a significant portion of global energy needs.

Georgette Kilgor is content director at State Solar, a foundation committed to advancing green energy technologies, educating businesses and residents on solar panels, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and providing sustainability training to promote a healthier, more sustainable planet.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Brighter Tomorrow Act (SB 783) into law, making solar accessible to all, regardless of income.

What the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is hailing as “landmark legislation” is expected to bring the state closer to its solar energy targets while also expanding solar access to low- and moderate-income Marylanders. A year ago Maryland’s governor announced the state had set a goal of 100% clean energy by 2035.

“The Brighter Tomorrow Act is one of the most consequential pieces of clean energy legislation ever passed in Maryland. The new law will significantly boost solar deployment by lowering installation costs and making rooftop solar accessible for Marylanders of all incomes,” said Leah Meredith, mid-Atlantic senior manager for SEIA. “Empowering localities to adopt automated solar permitting will also go a long way to save local governments money and resources that can be spent on other important public services.”

Maryland has long been a solar-friendly state with both supportive and forward-looking policies. For example, last year the state passed a new community solar program that allows projects to exceed certain size limits if they’re built on specified site types, such as rooftops, brownfields, or industrial areas. Not surprisingly the state has made great strides in solar capacity, jumping from a ranking of 30^th in 2023, according to SEIA, to 19^th in 2024. The state currently has 2 GW of solar installed and gets over 6% of its electricity from solar.

One way of moving the needle on solar energy adoption in the state is to facilitate faster solar permitting, and the Brighter Tomorrow Act empowers municipalities to expedite permitting through SolarApp+.

SolarApp+ was released in 2021 by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). The free web-based platform was developed for the purpose of lowering the costs and timeframe associated with solar permitting, and is said to cut about 12 days off the permitting process.

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) received $4.48 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) to support adoption of SolarAPP+. Municipalities can also use SolarAPP+ to permit other forms of clean energy including home battery storage storage systems.

The Brighter Tomorrow Act raises the cap on net metering  and implements a solar renewable energy credit (SREC) multiplier as a bridge to long-term reforms. It had included support for a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) structure for ground-mounted solar installations, but this was amended out.

“This achievement is a direct result of Maryland’s statewide taskforce to study solar incentives, and it will play a critical role in facilitating the state’s transition to clean energy and strengthening the electric grid for our communities,” said Meredith. “The solar and storage industry greatly appreciates the partnership from Governor Moore, state lawmakers, environmental advocates, and community organizations for delivering this win for Maryland’s economy and environment.”

This was amended on May 14, 2024 to state that the PILOT structure was not a part of the final bill that passed.

From pv magazine global

The latest Sinovoltaics financial stability ranking of battery energy storage system producers, which is based on a balance sheet model and publicly available financial information, lists U.S.-based Tesla as number one, followed by South Korean’s LG Energy Solution, Taiwan-based Kung Long Battery and China’s Mustang Battery, along with U.S.-based Solid Power in the top five.

Sinovoltaics, a Hong Kong-based technical compliance and quality assurance service firm, has released its latest Energy Storage Manufacturers Ranking. The report, which is global in scope and covers 55 manufacturers, is available to download for free.  Results are calculated from June 2020 until March 2024 to provide insight into the stability of the scores over time.

The ranking uses a so-called Altmann Z-score, a quantitative formula to analyze multiple corporate income and balance sheet values to gauge the financial health of a company. It assesses a company’s financial strength based on publicly available information through a credit-strength test based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, solvency, and activity ratios. A score that is 1.1 or lower indicates a higher probability of bankruptcy within the next two years, while a higher score of 2.6 or greater indicates a solid financial position.

The manufacturers in the top ten of the energy storage ranking include Tesla, LG Energy Solution, Kung Long Battery, Mustang Battery, Solid Power, along with Ireland-based Eaton, China-based Sinexcel, Japanese manufacturers GS Yuasa and Sanyo, along with U.S.-based Livent.

Sinovoltaics has published several other manufacturer rankings this year, including reports focused on inverter manufacturers and module manufacturers. It points out that although the reports do not assess the quality of the equipment, they can be used by buyers and other industry stakeholders, such as financial institutions, as an element of the due diligence process, or to help identify financially stable partners.

Heliene inks supply agreement with UGE for U.S.-made solar modules With the Heliene supply agreement in place, UGE is projected to begin qualifying for the domestic content adder on projects that start construction as early as this summer.

Energy transition needs batteries… and more batteries A recent IEA report says China holds all the cards in chemistry and production.

Sunrun to aid California in its electricity imbalance with home solar and battery VPP Over 16,000 Sunrun customers will supply the grid during peak electricity demand events.

$20 Million federal initiative targets low-emission silicon and thin film research The Solar Energy Technologies Office has launched a dual initiative to propel upstream advancements in a collection of solar cell types, and to reduce the emissions of solar-grade polysilicon under 1 kg CO2 per kg.

Longi announces 27.30% efficiency for heterojunction back contact solar cell The Chinese module manufacturer said the new efficiency record was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH).

Enteligent taking pre-orders for DC-to-DC solar-powered EV charger The company reports that the hybrid bi-directional EV charger can supply 12.5 kW of fast DC charging, charging two times faster than AC Level 2 EV chargers.

California approves uncapped fixed charges on electricity bills An uncapped average monthly charge of $24 will be added regardless of the amount of electricity used at home, sparking the ire of consumer advocates and energy conservationists.

The energy transition from fossil fuels to non-emitting sources, such as renewables and nuclear power is only in its early stages and the effects on policy and energy infrastructure are already massive.

One aspect of the transition has become clear: Retreating from baseline generation in favor of intermittent sources such as solar and wind generation is going to require tremendous increases in long-term energy storage capacity beyond traditional physical means, such as pumped hydro and flywheels. For renewable energy sources, the killer app is battery storage. This is true on a worldwide basis.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), a global organization that monitors energy policy and technology developments for governments and industry, has released a report saying batteries are absolutely essential to the energy transition and represent the fastest growing energy technology in 2003, when the latest data were compiled.

More specifically, battery storage for the power sector was the top growth area, with deployment more than doubling from 2022. The report said this growth was strong across generation categories: utility-scale battery projects, behind-the-meter storage, mini-grids and residential solar systems. Together, these applications added 42 GW of battery storage capacity globally, the report said.

While consumer demand and other applications remain strong, the IEA said 90% of annual lithium-ion battery demand in 2023 came from the energy sector. This is up from 50% 2016, when the total lithium-ion battery market was 10-times smaller. The report said that despite demand, performance and supply chains for lithium-ion batteries have increased to keep pace with requirements.

According to the IEA, expansion in EV sales have not diminished the availability of lithium-ion batteries for other sectors. Lithium-ion chemistries represent nearly all batteries in EVs, the report said.

The one fly in the ointment is that while the demand for battery storage for energy and EVs is essentially global among developed countries, the supply of dominant lithium-ion batteries is very concentrated.

The report says:

While the global battery supply chain is complex, every step in it – from the extraction of mineral ores to the use of high-grade chemicals for the manufacture of battery components in the final battery pack – has a high degree of geographic concentration. Battery manufacturers are dependent on a small number of countries for the raw material supply and extraction of many critical minerals. China undertakes well over half of global raw material processing for lithium and cobalt and has almost 85% of global battery cell production capacity. Europe, the United States and Korea each hold 10% or less of the supply chain for some battery metals and cells today.

Image: CC BY 4.0. 

Sodium battery startup wins People’s Choice Award at Industry Growth Forum Adena Power is developing an energy storage solution using sodium batteries and domestically-sourced raw materials.

Utility-scale solar projects are increasingly including battery energy storage systems, and the market has grown rapidly. California recently reached the milestone of 10 GW of energy storage installed on its power grid, with many states expected to follow.

Powin, a global energy storage platform provider has a foothold in this market, with 170 GWh of energy storage systems deployed or under construction worldwide. The company is now announcing a new multi-cell-based hardware platform, the Powin Pod for utility-scale projects.

The Pod, which is expected to be manufactured in the U.S. starting in 2026, complements Powin’s Centipede product line. Part of an integrated battery energy storage solution (BESS) includes StackOS software, system design, delivery, commissioning and long-term service.

“This next-generation product advancement demonstrates our commitment to bringing the safest and highest quality energy storage solutions to the market, advancing the entire industry as a result,” said Jeff Waters, CEO of Powin.”

The Powin Pod platform offers benefits such as upgraded cell capacity, utilization of cell-to-pack technology and optimized internal space. Its compact size reduces land use, said the company.

Powin said its Pod delivers a 50% increase in energy density from the Powin Centipede platform. This solution and density improvement is available at 2-hour or greater durations.

Liquid cooling helps with safety and reliability, and Powin reports that Pod complies with the latest and most stringent fire prevention standards such as UL 9540A, NFPA 68 and NFPA 69, while also providing optional fire suppression at module and container level.

Powin’s proprietary Battery Management System and Energy Management controls comply with cybersecurity standards and regulations, Powin reports. Pod customers can also benefit from long-term on-site services, as well as system training from the company.

Pod, which comes with a 20-year performance guaranty, is now available to order in markets globally and delivery is expected to begin in mid-2025. The company is exhibiting this week at Cleanpower 2024 in booth 2645.

Hotter times will drive rooftop solar value An analysis suggests rooftop solar will increase in value by between 19% to 25% due to warming and changing weather patterns increasing onsite electricity demand.

Anza marketplace now offers comparisons of over 20 energy storage products The Anza platform offers real-time pricing and configuration details on modules as well as energy storage products from multiple vendors.

Cypress Creek Renewables constructs 208 MW solar facility in Texas The completed project includes 80 MWh of battery energy storage.

Accelerated declines in solar cell prices since late March In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.

NREL interactive chart of solar cell efficiency now including ‘hybrid tandems’ The new cell category includes perovskite/silicon, perovskite/CIGS, III-V/silicon and perovskite/organic tandem PV devices. It will list the absolute record efficiency for all-perovskite, two-terminal tandems regardless of the number of junctions.

From pv magazine Global

Voltaic Systems, a U.S.-based developer of solar PV systems for remotely-sited industrial and infrastructure equipment, has added monitoring software to track the health of the batteries in its Core Solar Power System product line.

The Core Solar Power products, which feature a PV panel, an integrated waterproof lithium battery and a mounting system, are sold as an alternative to traditional lead-acid batteries to power infrastructure equipment, such as cellular routers, network devices, air quality monitors, outdoor security cameras, irrigation systems, communications gateways and remote lighting.

The new monitoring software delivers information about the battery, its temperature, state of charge, power generated by solar panels and power consumed by the device.

“Given the value of the data and remote nature of these kinds of industrial Internet-of-Things applications, we developed a battery health monitoring system to help customers understand and make decisions about their deployments,” Voltaic Systems’ chief operating officer, Jeff Crystal, told pv magazine.

The monitoring system provides status snapshots via the cellular network, as well as time-series data (see graphic below), which can be used to warn of potential outages and provide potential corrective steps. “In one instance, a customer modified their power consumption during a particularly rainy week to maintain uptime. It works for single systems as well as for managing fleets of remote devices,” said Crystal.

The Core Solar Power System includes an integrated maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller in addition to the battery and PV panel. The panel sizes range from 25 W to 200 W and the matching batteries range from 18 ah (5 kg) to 100 ah (33 kg). The dimensions range from 307 mm x 507 mm x 30 mm to 586 mm x 980 mm x 30 mm.

The Voltaic Systems products are often integrated into its customers’ solutions, such as the air quality monitoring system shown below, made by California-based Clarity Movement Co.

Crux extends tax credit transfer discounts and support to ACP members A partnership between American Clean Power Association and Crux enables its 800+ members to save on transferable tax credits transaction fees as well as to access to programming and insights developed by the tax credit specialist.

New model shows how to power homes exclusively with hydrogen, solar, batteries Researchers in Spain has found that combining PV power generation with fuel cells and battery storage may help homes considerably reduce their levelized cost of energy. Their simulation reportedly demonstrated homes may also become completely self-sufficient.

Habitat Energy chosen to optimize 730 MW ERCOT battery storage portfolio To help manage battery storage and renewable energy assets, Habitat Energy signed an agreement with UBS Asset Management’s Real Estate & Private Markets business to optimize battery storage assets in four standalone projects in Texas.

Schneider Electric launches new storage systems for microgrids The company introduced two versions of the new BESS with enclosures of 7 feet and 20 feet with power ranges from 60 kW to 500 kW.

Addressing organizational challenges of rapid renewable expansion Radian Generation, a digital platform and management services provider for renewable energy asset owners, shares its perspective of the challenges faced by organizations as the industry rapidly scales.

First Solar beats revenue expectations in Q1 earnings, policy tailwinds emerge The U.S.-headquartered solar panel manufacturer delivered revenues of $794 million, beating consensus estimates by about 10%.

From pv magazine global

Energy management company Schneider Electric announced a new Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for microgrids. It is available in two enclosure sizes and has different storage and discharge configurations.

“Comprised of a battery system, battery management system, power conversion system, and controller, BESS has been tested and validated to work as an integral component of Schneider Electric’s standardized microgrid system, EcoStruxure Microgrid Flex,” the company said in a statement. “It is fully integrated into the software suite, which includes EcoStruxure Microgrid Operation and EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor.”

The BESS 7 foot long enclosure has a power of 60 kW or 90 kW and maximum storage of 246 kWh, with a discharge configuration of two or four hours. It weighs 3.6 metric tons, and it is AC and DC coupled. On the other hand, the BESS 20 foot long enclosure has a power of 250 kW, 375 kW, or 500 kW, and maximum storage of 1,720 kWh, with a discharge configuration of two or four hours. It weighs 25 metric tons, and it is AC coupled only.

“The BESS is a fully self-contained solution built upon a flexible, scalable, and highly-efficient architecture delivering flexibility, helping to minimize energy costs and maximize renewable energy,” the company added. “As part of a microgrid system, the BESS leverages onsite generation sources to optimize the entire system, delivering energy and cost savings while maximizing usage of renewables.”

Both enclosures use lithium-ion iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which have a rated calendar life of 15 to 20 years and more than 6,000 cycles. The BESS’s operating temperature ranges from -4 F to 122 F, and Schneider Electric offers a three-year warranty.

Energy storage is ramping up at the grid scale both to meet an energy mix increasingly dominated by renewables and to meet U.S. federal and state net zero goals in the next two decades. Wood Mackenzie grid-storage analyst Vanessa Witte recently forecast 65 GW of energy storage projects will be necessary through 2026 to meet these goals.

Texas, which is growing tremendous solar capacity is also installing a Texas-size share of energy storage. BloombergNEF analyst Helen Kou forecasts that 8.9 GW/35.6 GWh of storage will be installed in the ERCOT region through 2030.

To help manage battery storage and renewable energy assets, Habitat Energy signed an agreement with UBS Asset Management’s Real Estate & Private Markets business to optimize 730 MW of battery storage assets in four standalone projects in the ERCOT market.

The four projects, scheduled to begin operations from August to December of 2024, are part of UBS Asset Management’s energy storage investment strategy. UBS reports it chose Habitat Energy to optimize this portfolio following a comprehensive review of optimization service providers in the market.

Habitat Energy, a UK company founded in 2017, is a portfolio company of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners. Habitat specializes in the optimization of battery storage and renewable energy assets. Today the company has 2 GW of contracted assets under management across Australia, the UK and the U.S. UBS says it chose Habitat for its EVOLVE optimization service, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithmic forecasting. By signing the deal with UBS, Habitat’s portfolio of assets will grow to more than 2 GW.

The deal makes Habitat Energy one of the largest optimizers of battery storage in ERCOT with 1 GW contracted, the company reports.

From pv magazine Global

A group of researchers from the University of Cantabria in Spain has conducted a pilot project for a self-sufficient home that runs exclusively on photovoltaics, batteries, and hydrogen storage.

“This plant combines PV panels and hydrogen (PVHyP) as a method of seasonal energy storage, achieving the ambitious target of accomplishing an electrically self-sufficient social housing unit throughout the year,” the group said. “To achieve this goal, a tailor-made energy management strategy (EMS) has been developed based on the state of charge of the battery pack and the energy flow within the PVHyP, ensuring that the electrical consumption of the home is always covered either through PV panels, fuel cell or battery pack.”

For their simulation, the scientists collected data from January 2022 to December 2023 for an 80 m2 social home that is located in Novales, a small village in northern Spain. Electricity bills from the years before the renewable electrification of the house showed that it consumed 2,513 kWh/year with an average daily consumption of 6.88 kWh. The average consumption in the winter and fall was over 7.3 kWh, and in summer, 5.88 kWh/day.

With these data, the scientists moved to size the energy system using software optimization and market analysis. Finally, they settled on 20 solar panels with a power of 40 W each placed on the roof, as well as four 2.4 kWh batteries. The rest of the plant was installed in a shed in the neighboring plot. That included a 35 L water tank that used tap water after purification for electrolysis and a 600 L hydrogen storage tank at 300 bar.

With the proposed system configuration, the PV panels first must supply the house load. The excess generation will then charge the battery, and once that is full, it is stored in a high-pressure storage tank in the form of hydrogen generated by an electrolyzer.

“When the solar irradiation is insufficient to cover the demand of the house, the batteries supply the necessary energy to the dwelling,” explained the academics. “If the batteries are discharged, the fuel cell generates electricity to charge the batteries from the stored hydrogen. As far as possible, the hydrogen stored in the buffer is used first to avoid the compression stage, thus increasing energy efficiency. The system and the house are connected to the grid on a self-consumption basis to sell back to the grid all the excess energy.”

According to the research group, the house demonstrated self-sufficiency, and its LCOE was cut by about one-third and the tenants saved $1,251 annually. “Almost 15,200 kWh have been saved from fossil fuels, which corresponds to approximately 2,260 kg of CO2,” emphasized the researchers.

They presented their findings in the study “Sustainable and self-sufficient social home through a combined PV‑hydrogen pilot,” published in Applied Energy.

The Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 1062/Senate Bill 271, allowing third-party solar leasing while prohibiting the requirement for additional liability insurance for solar installation and prohibiting standby charges for energy storage. The law goes into effect July 1, 2024.

Virginia has set a goal of 30% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% by 2050. While much of the buildout thus far has been at the utility-scale, passage of these bills will further incentivize solar and energy storage at the residential and commercial levels. 

The bill was co-sponsored Alfonso Lopez (D) and Dan Helmer (D) with the prime sponsor Rodney Willett (D), a delegate for Virginia’s 58^th house district. It passed with a vote of 57 to 42, with just three Republicans voting for it and no Democrats voting against.

Full text of the bills can be found here.

“I’m so proud that we were able to earn bipartisan support on this bill and that we were able to bring all of the key stakeholders–climate advocates, solar installers, and our utilities–together to send the best bill possible to the Governor’s desk,” said Willett. “This bill will help the Commonwealth look forward in our clean energy transition, attract more businesses to Virginia, and allow more people to utilize solar energy in a more affordable and accessible way.”

With nearly 5 GW of capacity, Virginia currently ranks 11^th for solar installed, according to Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The state is meeting an impressive 6.56% of electrical needs with solar.

“SEIA commends Governor Youngkin and leaders in the General Assembly for supporting a strong, bipartisan solution to give Virginians the freedom to choose the energy that works for them,” said Caitlin Vincent, Southeast senior manager for SEIA. “As thousands of Virginia families consider their energy choices and install solar over the next decade, the solar and storage industry is taking steps to ensure every installation is safe, reliable, and meets customer expectations. SEIA will continue to advocate for policies that open the market for solar, put customers first, and strengthen Virginia’s energy economy.”

U.S. solar manufacturing and the SEMA Coalition expansion Solar Energy Manufacturers for America Coalition has a goal of rebuilding the solar supply chain in the U.S.

Solar mounting system update K2 releases a new product, and Martin Roofing & Solar’s hidden-fastening solar mount achieves UL 2703 certification.

California batteries dominate evening grid with 10 GW/40 GWh of capacity  The state is once again setting springtime output records from solar, while energy storage takes over the peak electricity demand period becoming the maximum output source.

IEC develops standards for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics In its first monthly column for pv magazine, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) explains how a team of its experts is currently working on the definition of new standards for VIPV systems.

CATL presents EV battery with 1,000 km range Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) has shown its latest lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery at an auto show in Beijing. The Chinese company says it has an energy density of 205 Wh per kg, almost 8% higher than the current state of the art for such batteries.

Birch Creek to procure 547 MW of U.S.-made First Solar modules Birch Creek, which has a portfolio of over 14.2 GW of utility-scale solar and storage projects in various stages of development, says it plans to deploy the First Solar modules in projects across its development pipeline in the United States.

From pv magazine global

Chinese battery manufacturer CATL presented its new Shenxing Plus LFP battery at the ongoing Auto China 2024 trade fair in Beijing.

The energy density is also higher due to the improved battery architecture. The battery housing, which consists of a single block, is adapted to the structure of the cells. This enabled CATL engineers to accommodate more storage capacity in the volume of the case.

CATL said the gravimetric energy density of the new product is 205 Wh per kg. By comparison, current LFP batteries achieve around 190 Wh per kg.

California announced that they’ve crossed the line of having 10 GW of energy storage installed on its power grid. As of the announcement, the state had noted that exactly 10.379 gigawatts of output was connected, which was an increase from 770 megawatts that was connected in 2019.

The state projects that it’ll need 52 GW of batteries connected to its grid by 2045. Along with an additional 57.5 GW of solar, state models suggest an additional 15.7 GW of four hour lithium ion batteries, and 19.5 GW of eight hour lithium ion batteries. Additional pumped hydro and long duration energy storage are also considered, however, in the models the volumes projected for now are low.

While the press release, and generally available public data, does not release data on the amount of hours that these systems would output, one can roughly estimate the hours based upon state standards, and general industry hardware standards.

The state has installed 154,155 total energy storage systems as of April 15th. Of those, just over 98% are residential systems totaling 1.076 GW of output capacity. Of the remaining, 2,777 are commercial systems, while 175 are directly grid connected utility scale facilities.

For the residential and commercial systems, totaling 1.647 GW, the general industry standard is to install from two to four hours of storage capacity behind the output capacity. If we estimate an average of three hours per output megawatt, then 4.951 GWh of storage may be available behind these units.

In California, because of policy, most utility scale batteries are four hours – suggesting the state’s 8.736 GW of out capacity has 34.944 GWh of storage behind them.

In total, 39,895 GWh of energy storage was connected to the grid as of a couple of weeks ago.

More significant than the capacity value though, is what the batteries are doing.

In 2019, California knew it had a challenge: fossils were retiring & evening peak periods were power failure prone. The state saw a need for <4.7 GW of power to handle these periods by 2022, and so implemented plans to deploy energy storage plus additional solar to fill up these batteries.

This spring, we’ve seen batteries do exactly what they were design to do – take over the evening peak periods.

For instance, on April 27th at 8.40 PM PST, utility scale batteries were outputting over 6.5 GW of power – the largest source of electricity by far. There were multiple hours when the batteries were the largest source as well.

An additional 8 GW of energy storage is expected to be deployed in the next year.

Tier 1 defense industry contractor RTX (formerly Raytheon) signed a deal with Engie North America to purchase 100% renewable energy in its quest to reduce emissions 46% by 2030 from 2019 levels.

The deal involves buying a mix of wind and solar sources through renewable energy certificates as well as direct energy purchases, all originating in the state. The clean energy will reportedly power 12 of its facilities in Texas.

While the companies did not report the dollar value of the deal, they did say RTX would receive 1.5 million MWh of renewable electricity over the next 10 years, reducing the company’s carbon emissions in Texas by 560,000 metric tons of CO2 over the lifetime of the agreement, which is scheduled to run through 2033. RTX’s Raytheon facility in McKinney, Texas is expected to consume more than 55% of the total clean energy procured.

Initially, the deal includes RECs from Engie’s existing Priddy Wind Project for a portion of RTX’s forecast load in 2024. The remainder of its load for 2024 and beyond reportedly will be sourced with electricity and RECs from several Engie renewable electricity projects in Texas, primarily new projects.

California-based Trio (formerly Edison Energy) is RTX’s energy advisor on the Engie deal. Joey Lange, senior managing director at Trio, said the agreement is notable for a number of reasons, including its size and the fact that it involves RECs and direct purchases of electricity. Also important is the fact that it will spur future development of renewable energy projects.

“This specific engagement is a little unique because it’s going to be a mix of already built assets and projects that are not online yet,” Lange told pv magazine USA. “The use of existing generation is going to allow RTX to hit its goals of a 10% reduction in carbon by 2025. The ramping up of new projects will enable it to reach 46% by 2028 and then extend through 2033.”

Lange said Trio’s role is to help its client, always the energy buyer, to achieve its corporate goals with regard to renewable energy and CO2 emissions reductions. He explained that the deal with Engie in Texas worked because of the concentration of RTX facilities there and the fact Engie has a nice combination of a deep bench of projects available and in the development pipeline.

The deal with RTX means that many projects will now go forward sooner rather than later. “Without that off-taker, the developer is not going to get the hundreds of millions of dollars they need to actually build the project,” Lange said.

Although Engie already has many projects both built and in development in Texas. For example, late last year, Engie inaugurated its 250 MW Sun Valley Solar project in Hill County, Texas, which incorporates 100 MWh of battery storage. It also has the 260 MW Sypert Branch solar project under development in Milam County, Texas. In 2022 the company acquired a 6 GW portfolio of late-stage projects across ERCOT, PJM, MISO, and WECC regions. The acquisition included 33 projects, comprised of about 2.7 GW of solar with 700 MW paired storage, and 2.6 GW of standalone battery energy storage.

The Green Bank for Rural America has won a $500 million federal award to advance clean energy technology projects in the 13-state Appalachian region and in “energy communities” with a connection to the coal industry.

The green bank expects to leverage private capital to finance $2.25 billion in 2,750 clean energy projects, including distributed solar and storage projects. Other eligible project types under the federal award program are new or renovated buildings with low carbon emissions, and projects supporting zero-emission transportation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a total of $6 billion in awards to five green banks through the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, all of which “will flow to low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said a White House press release.

Each of the five green banks receiving the awards will allocate the funds to community lenders, primarily to make loans to projects. A small portion of funds will be used to provide technical assistance to those lenders. The Green Bank for Rural America will provide technical assistance on topics including structuring contracts with local utilities for the sale of solar or wind power.

The Green Bank for Rural America expects to provide capitalization funding to about 100 participating community lenders and investors serving rural areas, with most funding provided in commitments of $10 million or less, and a few commitments ranging up to $50 million. The bank, established by Appalachian Community Capital, will be structured to be a self-sustaining entity.

The support to community lenders will not only finance near-term deployment of climate and clean energy projects, the White House said, but also build the lenders’ capacity to “finance projects at scale for years to come.”

Nationwide, public and private investments in projects supported by green banks reached about $10 billion last year, according to the Coalition for Green Capital.

The five green banks selected through EPA’s competitive application process, most of which have one to five decades of experience, are:

• Opportunity Finance Network ($2.29 billion award), which provides capital and capacity building for a national network of 400+ community lenders in all 50 states and several U.S. territories.
• Inclusiv ($1.87 billion award), which provides capital and capacity building for a national network of 900+ credit unions.
• Justice Climate Fund ($940 million award), a purpose-built nonprofit with a national network of more than 1,200 community lenders, supported by ImpactAssets, a nonprofit with $3 billion under management.
• Appalachian Community Capital ($500 million award), which launched the Green Bank for Rural America to deliver clean capital and capacity building assistance to hundreds of community lenders working in coal, energy, underserved rural, and Tribal communities.
• Native CDFI Network ($400 million award), a nonprofit that serves the 60+ U.S. Treasury-certified Native community lenders, which have a presence in 27 states across rural reservation communities as well as urban communities.

Petition filed to enforce antidumping tariffs on solar imports  A coalition of U.S. solar manufacturers submitted a request for investigation of alleged dumping of Chinese goods in four Southeastern Asian nations responsible for roughly 80% of U.S. solar panel supply.

People on the move: Urban Solar, Kilo Power, Palmetto and more  Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

NREL updates interactive chart of solar cell efficiency The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has updated its research cell efficiency chart for a range of PV technologies.

A second solar project takes off at JFK airport TotalEnergies began construction of an onsite solar-plus-storage system, providing energy to Port Authority and Con Edison, as well as community solar for area residents.

Reconductoring could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035  Replacing existing transmission lines, known as conductors, with advanced conductors could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035 even if transmission in new corridors was limited, found a study by UC Berkeley and GridLab researchers.

RFP alert: Community choice aggregator seeks renewable energy and storage  Central Coast Community Energy announces a request for proposals (RFP) for renewable energy and storage Projects in CAISO territory.

Enphase delivers revenue miss amid softened residential solar demand The company remains profitable, generating $41.8 million in free cash flow, despite a slumping market.

SunPower to close business units, cut about 26% of workforce The company announced plans to wind down its residential solar installation locations and close its direct sales unit.

Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), a community choice aggregator (CCA) in the CAISO region, is seeking projects to meet its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and reliability goals.

3CE was established in 2017 and now serves over 436,000 customers in the Central Coast region of California, including in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties.

3CE aims to procure power purchase agreements (PPAs) using the Ascend Analytics Energy Exchange (AEX), a marketplace for renewable and storage projects that helps pair energy consumers with asset owners. Ascend Analytics reports it has helped procure over 10 million MWh per year of renewable energy and 12,000 MWh of battery storage capacity for its customers. It has been working with 3CE since April 2022 supporting 3CE in RFP valuation, portfolio risk management and resource planning. For this 3CE RFP, Ascend will also support in evaluating all conforming bids using its Energy Analytics Platform, PowerSIMM.

The community choice aggregator is seeking new or existing clean energy and storage projects with commercial operation dates no later than December 31, 2032, with PPA term lengths of 10 to 20 years.

3CE seeks proposals from qualified parties in three categories, each requiring an offered capacity of at least 20 MW:

1. Renewable generation only contracts: Zero emissions generation capacity or capacity that is eligible under the requirements of California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program and has an expected annual capacity factor of at least 80%. No storage projects shall qualify under this product category. RPS-eligible generation includes solar, wind and geothermal.
2. Renewable generation plus storage contracts: RPS-eligible generation paired with storage projects. The storage discharge duration must be at least 4 hours and the capacity cannot exceed 100% of the generation nameplate capacity.
3. Standalone storage: Contracts with a discharge duration of at least 4 hours.

3CE reports that it currently has seven projects online with 409 MW of renewable generation and 110 MW of battery storage. It also has nine projects currently in development for a total of 632 MW of renewable generation and 480 MW of battery storage.

Last year, for example, 3CE executed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Hydrostor, valued at nearly $1 billion, for 200 MW/1600 MWh energy storage from a planned 500 MW compressed air energy storage system. Its share of the project will help the agency meet its goal of providing 100% clean and renewable electricity by 2030 to its 447,000 customers between Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara counties, according to the aggregator.

The RFP team will host an informational webinar for this latest RFP interested bidders on May 2, 2024, at 11 a.m. PT. Submissions are due May 22, 2024, 5 p.m. PT. To participate, ask questions, and receive RFP updates and materials, prospects must register on the 3CE RFP website.

Green Bank network’s total investment could reach $10B for 2023 Preliminary reports from the Coalition for Green Capital say investment in clean energy projects and technologies increased 52% over 2022.

Johnson Controls releases new residential heat pump series The new heat pumps use R-454B as a refrigerant and are specifically designed to be matched with Johnson Controls’ residential gas furnaces. 

Anker home energy storage system now available in North America The new X1 can operate inside or out, from -4 F to 131 F, delivering what Anker says is 100% power output without derating. It also has a NEM 3.0 mode, which enables battery storage and grid sell-back in states under NEM 3.0 jurisdiction.

Nextracker cuts solar tracker carbon by 35% with recycled steel and electric furnaces The utility-scale solar mounting solution’s low carbon option places an emphasis on reducing carbon-intensive materials and improving logistics.

Australian battery materials company plans U.S. manufacturing plant Sicona has confirmed it will develop its first commercial manufacturing facility in the United States as part of its ambition to become the biggest producer of silicon-carbon battery materials in the world.

Maxeon sues REC, Hanwha Qcells for alleged TOPCon patent infringement Maxeon has filed two different lawsuits in the United States against Hanwha Qcells and REC over claims that the two manufacturers used an unspecified tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology.

Congress urged to reform clean energy bottlenecks before 2024 election Reforms to siting, permitting, and transmission were requested by a coalition of about 200 solar and energy storage companies.