Microgrid Systems | Solar Microgrid Projects & News

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11.02.20 Grid Edge 48

Multiple factors explain why ever-falling costs for wind and solar power haven't translated into falling energy prices on Europe's grid.

Why Aren’t Falling Renewables Costs Cutting European Energy Market Prices?

Cheaper wind and solar aren’t lowering wholesale prices. New market constructs may be needed to realize their potential.

by Jason Deign

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Battery-Based Customer Bill Savings

GTM Squared

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Battery-Based Customer Bill Savings

Commercial storage has never followed a straight path, but its current champions have staying power and new strategies for sustained growth.

by Julian Spector | October 28, 2020

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

10.26.20 3

Minigrids are seen as a key piece of the integrated electrification puzzle in places like Africa.

Research Spotlight

Disconnects Between Minigrid Policy Stakeholders Keep Sector’s Bankability at Bay

Minigrids have yet to scale on a trajectory reflective of their massive potential.

by Benjamin Attia, Emily Chessin, and Artie Abal

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

10.22.20 Grid Edge 14

VPPs can include batteries, electric vehicles, smart appliances, flexible heating and cooling loads, on-site generators, and other grid-responsive assets.

So, What Exactly Are Virtual Power Plants?

GTM helps explain a growing grid resource that can mimic power plants without dominating the landscape.

by Jason Deign

10.21.20 Grid Edge 4

Distributed solar, batteries and flexible loads can replace the need for new power plants at lower cost, proponents say.

Why Build a Power Plant if You Can Make a Virtual One?

The Enel X deal in Taiwan shows how virtual power plants can outcompete thermal generators.

by Jason Deign

Batteries Can Defer Grid Upgrades, But It’s a Tough Business

GTM Squared

Batteries Can Defer Grid Upgrades, But It’s a Tough Business

Early successes with non-wires alternatives haven’t yet sparked a thriving market.

by Julian Spector | October 19, 2020

10.19.20 Grid Edge 2

DOE's funding seeks to combine solar, batteries and smart appliances to match building loads with grid needs.

Funding the Next Generation of Efficient, Electric, Grid-Interactive Communities

Department of Energy provides $65 million for “connected communities,” expanding projects to embed clean energy and grid services in new buildings.

by Jeff St. John

10.13.20 Grid Edge 2

Santa Barbara's public schools are getting a clean energy upgrade.

Santa Barbara Schools Get Solar-Battery Backup, Saving Money at the Same Time

A novel project eliminates the old dichotomy between saving money and investing in resilience. But can it work elsewhere?

by Julian Spector

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

10.06.20 Grid Edge 1

The joint venture will specialize in onsite energy in the U.S.

Siemens and Macquarie Form Calibrant Energy to Tackle Distributed Energy Market

The two are joining up on a distributed energy venture to sell an energy-as-a-service concept.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant

10.06.20 Grid Edge 44

Enbala’s DER software platform currently orchestrates around 600 megawatts of capacity.

Generac Acquires Enbala, Boosting Plan to Harness Behind-the-Meter Energy Resources

The deal puts Generac in the business of aggregating distributed energy resources as virtual power plants.

by Jeff St. John

09.29.20 Energy Storage 1

Hospital groups and manufacturers are among Catalyze's potential customer set.

Catalyze Aims to Remake Commercial Storage With Backing of Oil Investor EnCap

C&I energy storage is a tough market, but a new company sees opportunity where others have stumbled.

by Julian Spector

09.22.20 Grid Edge 10

Electric vehicle chargers, behind-the-meter batteries are a major untapped resource for balancing California's grid.

Unlocking California’s Gigawatt-Scale Distributed Energy Potential

California has nearly 5 GW of distributed energy resources today and may have 13.5 GW by 2025. How can they help stop rolling blackouts?

by Jeff St. John

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

09.03.20 Grid Edge 3

Wood Mackenzie expects more private equity players will enter the market – especially those with experience in infrastructure and oil & gas.

Research Spotlight

These Days, Everyone Wants to Own a Microgrid

The range of investors in U.S. microgrids runs from utilities to private equity and continues to diversify, Wood Mackenzie research shows.

by Isaac Maze-Rothstein

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

08.31.20 Grid Edge 0

OSI provides DERMS software to 14 utilities in North America, including SMUD and PSE&G.

Emerson Acquires OSI for $1.6B as Grid Edge Software Landscape Consolidates

OSI is expanding its portfolio of utility software to the growing market for integrating distributed energy into the grid.

by Jeff St. John

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

08.25.20 Grid Edge 1

OSIsoft's data historian software is being pushed to the grid edge in projects supporting microgrids and renewable energy integration.

Aveva’s $5B Acquisition of OSIsoft Highlights Data’s Role in the Energy Transition

From predictive maintenance to real-time microgrid operations, edge data will be critical, OSIsoft CEO says.

by Jeff St. John

08.25.20 Energy 2

This week's order revamps PREPA's proposal, which was prepared by gas turbine supplier Siemens.

In Blow to Natural Gas, Puerto Rico Regulators Affirm Solar-Centric Grid Overhaul

A regulatory order this week calls for a more extreme build-out of renewables than utility PREPA proposed.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant

08.25.20 Grid Edge 1

Power metering and billing are critical to building robust grids in developing countries. (Photo: SparkMeter)

SparkMeter Closes $12M Round to Expand From Metering Minigrids to Analyzing ‘Broken Grids’

With the world electrifying, this startup sees an opportunity to provide data analytics for utilities in places with unreliable power grids.

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?

Microgrids

Why Aren’t Falling Renewables Costs Cutting European Energy Market Prices?

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Battery-Based Customer Bill Savings

Recovering the Missing Millions Owed to Africa’s Minigrids

Disconnects Between Minigrid Policy Stakeholders Keep Sector’s Bankability at Bay

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

So, What Exactly Are Virtual Power Plants?

Why Build a Power Plant if You Can Make a Virtual One?

Batteries Can Defer Grid Upgrades, But It’s a Tough Business

Funding the Next Generation of Efficient, Electric, Grid-Interactive Communities

Santa Barbara Schools Get Solar-Battery Backup, Saving Money at the Same Time

California Town Tests New Model for Microgrids

Will the Distributed Energy Revolution Leave Renters Behind?

Siemens and Macquarie Form Calibrant Energy to Tackle Distributed Energy Market

Generac Acquires Enbala, Boosting Plan to Harness Behind-the-Meter Energy Resources

Catalyze Aims to Remake Commercial Storage With Backing of Oil Investor EnCap

Unlocking California’s Gigawatt-Scale Distributed Energy Potential

Can a Novel Zinc Battery Deliver Clean Multiday Backup Power?

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

These Days, Everyone Wants to Own a Microgrid

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

Emerson Acquires OSI for $1.6B as Grid Edge Software Landscape Consolidates

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

Aveva’s $5B Acquisition of OSIsoft Highlights Data’s Role in the Energy Transition

In Blow to Natural Gas, Puerto Rico Regulators Affirm Solar-Centric Grid Overhaul

SparkMeter Closes $12M Round to Expand From Metering Minigrids to Analyzing ‘Broken Grids’