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03.12.21 News 43

Greentech Media in action at the 2019 Solar Summit, one of our last live events before the pandemic put us all behind screens.

Greentech Media Bids Farewell

A 14-year run covering an energy industry transformed — and just getting started.

by Jeff St. John

03.09.21 Grid Edge 14

Decade-old startup Mainspring Energy is moving into commercial deployment via a $150 million deal with NextEra Energy Solutions. (Credit: Mainspring Energy)

Mainspring Energy Lands $150M Deal To Deploy Its Linear Generators With NextEra

The startup’s fuel-flexible systems offer the low emissions of fuel cells with the affordability and flexibility of engines and microturbines.

by Jeff St. John

03.04.21 Energy Storage 3

This FlexGen storage system in Indiana provides blackstart capabilities for a utility. (Image credit: FlexGen)

Storage Integrator FlexGen Gains New Leadership at Crucial Time

The hardware and software specialist cracked the tricky Texas market and aims to expand.

by Julian Spector

02.05.21 Grid Edge 8

California regulators are planning a new approach to enlisting behind-the-meter batteries, solar, electric vehicles and other assets to replace grid upgrades.

California’s Plan: Crowdsource Distributed Energy to Replace Grid Upgrades

The Partnership Pilot could start to enroll solar, batteries, EVs and other behind-the-meter assets as non-wires alternatives later this year.

by Jeff St. John

02.02.21 9

PG&E's remote-grid initiative envisions an off-grid solar, battery and generator option to remove power lines that risk sparking wildfires.

PG&E Plans Utility-Owned ‘Remote Grids’ for Isolated Communities

Replacing power lines with solar, batteries and generators could cut fire risk and save money — in some limited cases.

by Jeff St. John

02.01.21 Energy 1

Early-stage investors are looking for startups that can shave soft costs and expand access to clean energy.

The Rules for Early-Stage Cleantech Venture Capital Investment in 2021

Create incremental improvements, serve new national climate-change imperatives, and put social impacts front and center.

by Jeff St. John

01.26.21 Grid Edge 0

Span's smart electrical panel now offers Alexa voice control as part of $20 million investment round. (Credit: Span)

Span’s $20M Round Adds Alexa Integration to Its Smart Home Electrical Panel

Tesla alum’s startup adds voice control for batteries, EV chargers and household loads.

by Jeff St. John

01.15.21 Grid Edge 5

California regulators are directing $200 million in utility funding to build microgrids that can power communities during fire-prevention blackouts.

California Sets $200M Budget for ‘Complex, Multi-Property Microgrid’ Projects

Utility funding for community resilience against fire-prevention outages doesn’t go far enough, microgrid groups argue.

by Jeff St. John

01.11.21 Grid Edge 9

Schneider Electric's Energy Center brings an integrated circuit panel for distributed energy-equipped homes to market. (Credit: Schneider Electric)

Schneider Electric Unveils the Energy Center for Distributed-Energy-Enabled Homes

Integrated service for solar, batteries, EV chargers and whole-home energy controls is starting to go mainstream.

by Jeff St. John

12.30.20 Grid Edge 1

The grid edge in 2020 was driven by decarbonization and climate change pressures, and by policy and technology advances.

Greentech Media’s Must-Read Grid Edge Stories of 2020

Decarbonization, resiliency, distributed energy market policy and M&A in the year of COVID-19.

by Jeff St. John

12.21.20 Grid Edge 6

Why Cities Are the Growth Market for African Minigrids

Villages get donor financing, but urban and ‘peri-urban’ areas are where minigrid developers are finding customers.

by Jason Deign

12.10.20 Grid Edge 3

California faces tough cost, reliability and technology choices when it comes to microgrid options for fire-prevention blackouts.

California Faces Big Challenges to Microgrid Plans for Wildfires and Outages

Proposed regulations have an uphill battle to speed PG&E’s switch from mobile diesel to cleaner, more cost-effective alternatives by 2021.

by Jeff St. John

12.03.20 Grid Edge 2

Eaton and Enel X will install the microgrid at Eaton's manufacturing facility in Arecibo. (Credit: Eaton)

Enel X and Eaton Team Up on Solar and Storage Microgrid in Puerto Rico

Commercial and industrial customers are increasingly turning to solar-plus-storage for resilience.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant

12.02.20 Grid Edge 1

Husk is hoping to raise $100 million in a 2021 funding round. (Credit: Husk Power Systems)

Off-Grid Power Sector Rides Out 2020, Readies for Its Role in Recovery Plans

Lockdowns have slowed off-grid rollouts, but 2021 could re-energize efforts.

by John Parnell

11.18.20 Grid Edge 2

Patti Poppe, now CEO of CMS Energy, will take the helm of California's largest utility as it struggles to rebuild trust, improve safety and strengthen its finances. (Credit: PG&E)

PG&E Picks New CEO to Lead It Through Post-Bankruptcy Challenges

Patti Poppe, now CEO of Michigan utility CMS Energy, will seek to revamp PG&E’s safety programs, prevent wildfires and manage grid outages.

by Jeff St. John

11.17.20 Solar 2

Zimbabwe's Nhimbe Fresh has invested in solar and batteries to keep irrigation pumps and cold-storage systems running during grid blackouts. (Credit: Sun Exchange)

Could Agri-PV Be Africa’s Next Big Solar Market Trend?

“Exponential growth” predicted for solar on farms as growers seek cheaper, more reliable energy.

by Jason Deign

11.12.20 4

Odin Energy says its wind tower concept can bring wind power to urban areas and island grids. (Credit: Odin Energy)

South Korean Firm Touts Novel Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Tower Concept

Odin Energy is lining up projects in Italy and South Korea. Can it find a niche to compete with mainstream wind turbines?

by Jason Deign

10.27.20 1

Minigrid projects are struggling with regulatory burdens in many countries.

Recovering the Missing Millions Owed to Africa’s Minigrids

Only a tiny percentage of international donor cash is going to projects, and it’s especially bad in Africa.

by Jason Deign

10.23.20 Grid Edge 23

Waitlisted battery projects will get some relief without tapping funds aimed at those most vulnerable to fire-prevention blackouts.

California Shifts $100M in Behind-the-Meter Battery Incentives to Low-Income Communities

The new funds are designed to boost resilience for a broader group of customers threatened by wildfires and rolling blackouts.

by Jeff St. John

10.08.20 Grid Edge 36

Gonzales' project could serve as a model for California municipalities. (Photo: City of Gonzalez)

California Town Tests New Model for Microgrids

New $70 million microgrid will provide reliable, round-the-clock power at competitive rates and overcome a grid-upgrade bottleneck.

by Jeff St. John

10.07.20 Grid Edge 13

A family uses a Humless battery pack to keep the lights on when the grid is down. (Photo courtesy of Humless)

Will the Distributed Energy Revolution Leave Renters Behind?

Homeowners aren’t the only ones worried about blackouts and rising electricity bills.

by Julian Spector

09.18.20 Energy Storage 22

Startup e-Zinc turned to zinc as a cheaper vehicle for long-duration storage than conventional lithium-ion chemistries. (Image credit: e-Zinc)

Can a Novel Zinc Battery Deliver Clean Multiday Backup Power?

California is testing Canadian startup e-Zinc’s long-duration technology to keep businesses powered through wildfires and outages.

by Julian Spector

09.17.20 Grid Edge 1

A compromise emerges in a long-running battle over behind-the-meter battery incentive budgets.

California Won’t Touch Wildfire Budgets in Behind-the-Meter Battery Incentive Shift

The CPUC will retain unspent funds for wildfire-threatened customers but will push $108 million from large-scale storage to low-income communities.

by Jeff St. John

09.01.20 Grid Edge 7

Keeping the lights on: Demand for resilience products is growing in disaster-prone areas. (Image: OutBack)

OutBack Power Launches Home Backup System Combining PV, Batteries and Fossil Generators

By adding solar and batteries, OutBack’s configuration will allow generators to run less during power outages.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant

08.28.20 Grid Edge 27

California's growing behind-the-meter energy resource mix could play a bigger role in solving grid emergencies, advocates say.

Distributed Energy Helped Fight California’s Grid Outages, But It Could Do Much More

Battery and demand response providers say policy and market reforms could turn emergency help into stable, consistent grid relief.

by Jeff St. John

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

What the Coming Wave of Distributed Energy Resources Means for the US Grid

Extreme Weather Keeps Maxing Out the Grid

A Wartime Plan for Electrifying America

An Island’s Path to 100% Renewables

Greentech Media Chronicled Clean Energy Before It Was Cool

Are Batteries at a Turning Point?

Vestas Ventures Makes First Investment With Stake in Wooden Tower Start-Up

Vestas Launches World’s Largest Turbines as 'Big 3' Competition Ramps Up

BP, RWE and EnBW Win Big in UK Offshore Wind Leasing Round

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

Off Grid/Energy Access

Greentech Media Bids Farewell

Mainspring Energy Lands $150M Deal To Deploy Its Linear Generators With NextEra

Storage Integrator FlexGen Gains New Leadership at Crucial Time

California’s Plan: Crowdsource Distributed Energy to Replace Grid Upgrades

PG&E Plans Utility-Owned ‘Remote Grids’ for Isolated Communities

The Rules for Early-Stage Cleantech Venture Capital Investment in 2021

Span’s $20M Round Adds Alexa Integration to Its Smart Home Electrical Panel

California Sets $200M Budget for ‘Complex, Multi-Property Microgrid’ Projects

Schneider Electric Unveils the Energy Center for Distributed-Energy-Enabled Homes

Greentech Media’s Must-Read Grid Edge Stories of 2020

Why Cities Are the Growth Market for African Minigrids

California Faces Big Challenges to Microgrid Plans for Wildfires and Outages

Enel X and Eaton Team Up on Solar and Storage Microgrid in Puerto Rico

Off-Grid Power Sector Rides Out 2020, Readies for Its Role in Recovery Plans

PG&E Picks New CEO to Lead It Through Post-Bankruptcy Challenges

Could Agri-PV Be Africa’s Next Big Solar Market Trend?

South Korean Firm Touts Novel Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Tower Concept

Recovering the Missing Millions Owed to Africa’s Minigrids

California Shifts $100M in Behind-the-Meter Battery Incentives to Low-Income Communities

California Town Tests New Model for Microgrids

Will the Distributed Energy Revolution Leave Renters Behind?

Can a Novel Zinc Battery Deliver Clean Multiday Backup Power?

California Won’t Touch Wildfire Budgets in Behind-the-Meter Battery Incentive Shift

OutBack Power Launches Home Backup System Combining PV, Batteries and Fossil Generators

Distributed Energy Helped Fight California’s Grid Outages, But It Could Do Much More