solar
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Renewables
The POWER Interview: Are DERs an Opportunity, or Threat?
Distributed energy resources (DERs) are physical and virtual assets that are deployed across the power distribution grid. They are typically close to load, and though they initially began as behind-the-meter assets, today may be as likely to be deployed in front of the meter. DERs include renewable energy, and are the key component in microgrids, […]
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Commentary
Key Challenges and Opportunities Facing Residential Clean Energy for the Rest of 2020
Asia now accounts for the most growth in renewable electricity generation, at a whopping 40% of the global production, while Europe and North America are each at 20%, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Particularly, solar power was at its peak at the start of 2020, with a record-breaking first quarter in the […]
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News
Vistra Shuttering More Coal, Adding Solar and Storage
Vistra has announced seven new renewable energy projects that will add about 1,000 MW of solar and energy storage to the company’s generation fleet. The company also said it would retire its coal-fired power plants in Illinois and Ohio as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions as it established new long-term emissions reduction […]
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News
Decarbonization, Decentralization Driving Power Industry
Technological innovation has forever been part of the power generation sector, as electricity producers strive for more efficient and more economic ways to deliver power. The POWER magazine editorial staff, in a “State of the Industry” presentation on Sept. 28 to open the virtual 2020 Experience POWER conference, identified four trends in power generation that […]
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Commentary
Summer 2020 Brought ERCOT Market Challenges, But Nothing Like 2019
The Texas power market made headlines in August 2019 when wholesale prices for electricity repeatedly spiked close to and even hit the $9,000-per-megawatt-hour (MWh) cap. This August, average hourly prices peaked at “just” $1,700 per MWh, the afternoon of Aug. 15. There were many reasons for the reduced price volatility in Texas this year. First, […]
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Connected Plant
Extensible Energy Releases DemandEx for Microgrids
Berkeley, Calif. September 14, 2020 – Extensible Energy has released DemandEx for Microgrids™, an AI load flexibility software that integrates with a microgrid controller to manage and optimize energy usage when off-grid or on-grid. With DemandEx for Microgrids, businesses can move beyond the traditional critical loads panel and utilize dynamic, intelligent software to power more […]
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Press Releases
Nextracker Selected by Shanghai Electric to Elevate Energy Output for Middle East’s Largest Solar Park
SHANGHAI, September 17, 2020 – Nextracker, a Flex company, announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Shanghai Electric to supply over one gigawatt of its world-leading solar tracker technology, NX Horizon™ to boost energy production for phase five of Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park – the largest in the Middle East. Located 50 kilometers south […]
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News
Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ Report Highlights Greening of the Grid
The use of coal for North American power generation will continue to decline, natural gas will continue as the leading source of power, and the use of renewable resources to provide electricity will continue to grow, according to a report from Hitachi ABB Power Grids. The outlook, titled “North America Power Reference Case: Spring 2020” […]
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News
FERC Order Backs Grid Market for DERs
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order that advocates for distributed energy resources (DERs) say will enable DERs, including renewable energy such as solar, wind, and battery storage, to compete on a more-level playing field in the organized capacity, energy, and ancillary services markets run by regional grid operators. FERC Order No. 2222, […]
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IIOT
Quantum Automation Supports Off-Grid Automation with QRTU and QSolarBattery
Anaheim, CA (September 15, 2020) — Quantum Automation is shipping the Quantum Remote Telemetry Unit (QRTU) and the QSolarBattery. These standardized yet customizable hardware platforms are part of the growing array of Q-Line products which are enabling end users and systems integrators (SIs) to deploy industrial internet of things (IIoT) and automation solutions anywhere, regardless […]
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Coal
South Korea Will Close Half Its Coal-Fired Fleet
South Korea’s president said the country will shutter 30 more coal-fired power plants by 2034, and bring additional solar and wind power resources online in the next five years in order to meet emissions reductions targets. President Moon Jae-in made the announcement Sept. 8 in a speech he delivered virtually for the United Nations’ International […]
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News
World’s Largest—For Now—Battery Storage Project Online in California
A battery energy storage project in California is set to be the world’s largest in terms of generation capacity when the facility is fully energized later in September. McCarthy Building Companies’ Renewable Energy & Storage group, based in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sept. 1 said the company had recently completed construction of LS Power’s 250-MW Gateway […]
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Press Releases
Nationwide and Sol Systems venture, Helios Infrastructure, purchases 47 MW Texas portfolio amid 2020 challenges
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 1, 2020) – Nationwide and Sol Systems today announced their joint venture, Helios Infrastructure (Helios), completed the purchase of four operating Texas solar projects totaling 47 megawatts (MW) from Cypress Creek Renewables. A few weeks ago, Nationwide, Sol Systems and Cypress Creek announced the final portfolio sale in a 148 MW master […]
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Top Plant
Turning a Brownfield into a Brightfield
A solar array in Indiana is a model project for renewable energy development, with the site providing clean energy at what was once a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Areas of the U.S
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News
Delingha: A Leap for Molten Salt Tower CSP Technology
The 50-MW Delingha concentrated solar power tower plant located on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau in China was developed, built, and continues to be refined by a company dedicated to solar tower technology
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News
Vietnam Wants More Generation Capacity, Less Reliance on Coal
Vietnamese officials earlier this year said they want the country to more than double its power generation capacity by 2030, to as much as 130 GW from the current capacity of about 55 GW. The Communist Party
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Fuel
Big Oil Makes Concerted Push into Power
BP made headlines in early August when it announced it wants to develop about 50 GW of net renewable generating capacity by 2030—a 20-fold increase from the 2.5 GW deployed in 2019—as part of a new
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Legal & Regulatory
Fixed-Volume Hedges Help Bring Revenue Certainty
With a lack of attractive solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) available in the market, project owners have been seeking alternative arrangements to secure long-term revenue certainty. One alternative is a
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News
Solar, Storage Among New Projects in Texas
Several companies have announced new energy projects in Texas, including three utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), and a solar farm that will benefit customers in the western part of the state. The projects were announced August 19. In addition, officials in Houston on Wednesday said they have awarded a contract for a microgrid that […]
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Press Releases
Denver Selects Partners for Equity Driven Community Solar Garden Project
DENVER (Aug. 5, 2020) – The City and County of Denver will host up to 15 MW of community solar gardens on municipal rooftops, over parking lots, and vacant land as part of a signed Master Services Agreement with McKinstry, GRID Alternatives, and Unico Solar Investors. The project is part of the Renewable Denver Initiative, which […]
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Press Releases
Murata Electronics and Yotta Energy Announce Collaboration to Enable Innovative and Safe Energy Storage Solution
Austin, Texas (August 6, 2020) – Murata Electronics today announced its collaboration with Yotta Energy to enable the development of a modular, solar energy storage solution that utilizes Murata’s FORTELION™ battery cells. The Murata Electronics and Yotta Energy collaboration brings Yotta’s panel-level energy storage one step closer to commercialization. Yotta’s PV-Coupled™ technology includes the SolarLEAF™, […]
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News
Pandemic Brings Pause, but Future Looks Bright
The solar power industry has been hammered by the global lockdowns due to the coronavirus, but technology advancements that continue to lower costs point to a rapid recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic has not been
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News
China Seeks Grid Parity for Renewable Energy
Developers of renewable energy projects in China are ramping up efforts to move their installations forward, after delays from the coronavirus pandemic slowed the government’s plan to have solar and wind
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Nuclear
Arab World’s First Nuclear Plant Starts Up
Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the first nuclear power facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), achieved successful startup August 1. It’s another milestone in the process to deliver power from the project to the UAE grid, with commercial operation of Barakah expected later this year. The startup of Unit 1 marks […]
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News
Gas, Solar Will Power Pittsburgh Airport Microgrid
A microgrid project pairing natural gas with solar power is taking shape at Pittsburgh International Airport, with the installation expected to be the primary source of electricity for the property by the summer of 2021. Construction of the microgrid (Figure 1) began a few weeks ago with site preparation work, which included rerouting an electrical […]
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Press Releases
Recurrent Energy Reaches Key Milestone on Texas Solar Projects
GUELPH, Ontario (July 21, 2020) – Canadian Solar Inc. (“Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ) today announced its wholly-owned subsidiary, Recurrent Energy, LLC (“Recurrent Energy”) closed $282 million of debt financing to construct its Maplewood and Maplewood 2 solar projects, located in Pecos County in the Permian Basin of West Texas. The financing was provided by a […]
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Press Releases
Camouflage for Solar Panels
HENDERSON, Nev. (July 21, 2020) — GDI LLC’s patented Solar-Image™ process can transform unattractive panels into a solid color, a full-color pattern, or a panoramic photo, all while maintaining high output power. Panels on a terracotta tile roof, for example, could present a photo-like image of the tiles underneath, making them practically disappear. An acre […]
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Press Releases
LG Chem Unveils New Full Home Backup Solution in Cooperation with SolarEdge
SEOUL, South Korea (July 21, 2020) — LG Chem, South Korea’s leading manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion batteries, has once again joined forces with SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (SolarEdge), a global leader in smart energy, to bring compatibility with the LG RESU10H (400V, 9.8kWh) home battery. By incorporating SolarEdge’s single phase Energy Hub Inverter and backup interface, […]
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News
BayWa r.e. builds Poland’s biggest subsidy-free solar park
BayWa r.e. has begun construction on the Witnica solar park, which will be by far the largest solar power plant in Poland. The 64.6 MWp project, which is due for completion by the end of 2020, is being built without the need for any government subsidies, and the electricity generated will be sold locally to […]
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Press Releases
NIPSCO Announces Addition Of Two Indiana-Grown Solar Projects
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., July 17, 2020 — NIPSCO, a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), today announced the next phase of its plans to transition to lower-cost, cleaner energy resources, with the addition of two new solar farms that will be based in central Indiana. The announcement is part of the energy provider’s “Your Energy, Your […]