Microgrid Systems | Solar Microgrid Projects & News

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08.18.20 Grid Edge 1

Solar-centric microgrid venture aims to deliver megatons' worth of carbon reduction in North America.

Schneider Electric and Huck Capital Launch ‘Energy-as-a-Service’ Microgrids for the Mass Market

A new company, GreenStruxure, will pitch no-money-down solar, storage and backup power for small and medium-size C&I customers.

by Jeff St. John

08.05.20 Energy Storage 8

A 300 kW/1,200 kWh installation in New Jersey is one of the early projects Eos uses to show market traction. (Photo: Eos)

Zinc Battery Startup Eos Kept Afloat in a Lithium-Ion World. Is It Ready for the Public Markets?

Even with deeper pockets, New Jersey-based Eos faces a tough battle against today’s dominant battery technology.

by Julian Spector

07.30.20 Grid Edge 2

PG&E claims it's on track to meet its 2020 wildfire mitigation goals.

Post-Bankruptcy PG&E Claims Progress on Wildfire Safety, Blackout Mitigation

Fire-prevention blackouts will be “smarter, shorter and smaller” this year, CEO Bill Smith says, as the California utility reports its first post-bankruptcy earnings.

by Jeff St. John

07.30.20 Energy Storage 4

Northern California community-choice aggregators target 6,000 homes for batteries to ride through blackouts.

Sunrun Lands Contract for 20MW Backup Battery-Solar Project in Blackout-Prone California

It will be one of the largest solar-battery aggregations for grid services to date, and the deployment timeline is aggressive.

by Jeff St. John

07.28.20 Grid Edge 0

Hospitals, factories and other customers are increasingly interested in microgrids in markets such as wildfire-prone Northern California.

Coronavirus Slows US Microgrid Market Despite Growing Need for Resilience

Microgrid installations in the first half of 2020 fell to their lowest point in four years, according to Wood Mackenzie.

by Jeff St. John

07.28.20 Grid Edge 0

Stimulus packages in Europe and China boosted subsidies for EVs and charging infrastructure.

Research Spotlight

WoodMac: V-Shaped Recovery for Distributed Energy Resources in 2021

The pandemic has dented the DER market, but some segments — including electric vehicles and grid modernization — may benefit in the long run.

by Francesco Menonna

A New Model for Valuing Distributed Energy Could Drive Big Changes in California

GTM Squared

A New Model for Valuing Distributed Energy Could Drive Big Changes in California

California’s new avoided-cost calculator has important implications for the state’s energy market — including the solar duck curve.

by Jeff St. John | July 24, 2020

07.17.20 Grid Edge 8

A bribery scandal has swallowed the Exelon subsidiary's legislative goals over the past year.

ComEd Agrees to $200M Fine on Federal Bribery Charge

The Chicago-area utility has struggled with key clean-energy and grid-modernization plans amid a scandal.

by Jeff St. John

07.17.20 Grid Edge 3

Whether PG&E can succeed with its $59 billion restructuring plan will depend on its ability to prevent future wildfires, analysts say.

Post-Bankruptcy PG&E Faces Lawsuit for Its Role in Causing the 2019 Kincade Wildfire

Weeks after exiting bankruptcy caused by massive fire liabilities, California’s biggest utility faces another wildfire lawsuit.

by Jeff St. John

07.02.20 Grid Edge 16

4 Things PG&E Must Do to Survive and Thrive as It Exits Bankruptcy

California’s largest utility has escaped from bankruptcy after 18 months. Its next challenges are the same ones that put it there in the first place.

by Jeff St. John

07.01.20 Grid Edge 15

Hitachi ABB Power Grids will combine high-voltage transmission with distributed energy assets and digital control systems.

Hitachi Completes Acquisition of ABB Power Grids to Tackle Renewable Energy’s Rise

The deal, worth up to $7.8 billion, follows moves by rivals GE and Siemens to refocus on clean energy integration and distributed energy digitization.

by Jeff St. John

06.30.20 Energy 11

Democrats unveiled a big climate policy plan with influences of the Green New Deal.

House Democrats Spell Out Climate, Clean Energy Priorities in Sweeping Plan

The net-zero-by-2050 roadmap calls for clean energy tax credits, transmission expansion and a more resilient grid.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant

06.30.20 Solar 11

Australia is home to many key clean energy reference projects.

Is Australia Losing the Race for a Clean Energy Breakthrough?

Australia has a proud history of renewables innovation and big ambitions for decarbonization. When will homegrown technology companies benefit?

by Jason Deign

06.22.20 Grid Edge 2

The U.S. DER landscape by 2025 will consist of nearly 400 gigawatts of capacity ranging from solar and storage to EVs and smart thermostats.

5 Major Trends Driving the $110B US Distributed Energy Resources Market Through 2025

A new Wood Mackenzie forecast describes the emerging U.S. markets for distributed solar, batteries, flexible loads and electric vehicles as grid assets.

by Jeff St. John

06.19.20 Solar 14

Zero Mass Water's solar systems generate flows of potable water. (Image: Zero Mass Water)

BlackRock Leads $50M Investment Into Off-Grid Solar Technology That Generates Water

With backers that include Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Zero Mass Water is scaling up its distributed solar technology — but not for electricity production.

by Julian Spector

Top 5 US Storage Owners: SDG&E Solved a Crisis, Now It’s Fulfilling a Mission

GTM Squared

Top 5 US Storage Owners: SDG&E Solved a Crisis, Now It’s Fulfilling a Mission

No. 4 on our list of big battery owners learned from a rapid-fire response to a gas shortfall and now has big new storage projects on the way.

by Julian Spector | June 17, 2020

06.11.20 Grid Edge 23

A debate is raging over California's budget for behind-the-meter battery incentives.

California Faces Battle Over Budgets for Backup Battery Incentives

California allocated more than $600 million to help its most vulnerable citizens install batteries. Is the policy doing more harm than good?

by Jeff St. John

06.02.20 Grid Edge 41

California will rely heavily on mobile diesel generators to keep the lights on during this year's wildfire season.

Natural Gas Microgrids Do What Solar and Batteries Alone Can’t for California Resiliency, Report Says

California utilities face resistance to deploying natural-gas generators. But the alternative may be dirtier diesel.

by Jeff St. John

06.01.20 Grid Edge 9

Emerging markets are taking a more thoughtful approach to electrification planning.

Research Spotlight

Minigrids Are a Missing Piece of the Integrated Electrification Puzzle

Solar home systems are effective for rural households. But for hundreds of millions, minigrids may be lowest-cost path toward electrification.

by Benjamin Attia, Caitlin Connelly, and Isaac Maze-Rothstein

05.27.20 Energy Storage 3

New Jersey has little progress to show on its energy storage target for 2021. (Photo: Binh Nguyen/GTM)

After Bold Promise, New Jersey’s Energy Storage Plan Remains a Mystery

New Jersey is chasing major wind and solar growth. So why has its energy storage strategy fallen by the wayside?

by Julian Spector

05.26.20 Energy Storage 3

A rendering of the future Kapolei Energy Storage facility, which will enable the shutdown of Hawaii's last coal plant. (Photo: Plus Power)

Plus Power Breaks Into Battery Big League With Grid-Tied Project for Hawaiian Electric

Developer Plus Power’s 185-megawatt battery will take over duties for the last coal plant anywhere in Hawaii.

by Julian Spector

05.18.20 Energy Storage 3

Individual Voltpack Mobile units can be grouped into hubs to achieve megawatt scale. (Credit: Northvolt)

Northvolt and Vattenfall Launch Mobile Battery System Capable of Patching Up Grids

Volkswagen-backed Northvolt unveils Voltpack Mobile System as it rolls ahead with Swedish “gigafactory.”

by John Parnell

05.13.20 Energy Storage 13

Strata's Ventura system will be an order of magnitude larger than other batteries it's built, like the one pictured here. (Photo: Strata Solar)

Strata Blazes Ahead With California Gas Peaker Replacement Battery, Taps Tesla

Tesla will install Megapacks at the huge facility, which will be a test case for grid alternatives to fossil fuel infrastructure.

by Julian Spector

05.12.20 Grid Edge 2

Span's smart electrical panel adds circuit-by-circuit control for homes with batteries. (Photo: Span)

Span Raises $10M to Scale Up Deployments of Smart Electrical Panels

Led by a Tesla alum, the California startup looks to tap growing demand for solar and storage in key markets of California and Hawaii.

by Jeff St. John

4 Ways Batteries Are Getting Paid for Multiple Values in 2020

GTM Squared

4 Ways Batteries Are Getting Paid for Multiple Values in 2020

Energy storage projects can do so many things, but that only matters if they get paid for it. Here’s how developers are making sure that happens.

by Julian Spector | April 22, 2020

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

Schneider Electric and Huck Capital Launch ‘Energy-as-a-Service’ Microgrids for the Mass Market

Zinc Battery Startup Eos Kept Afloat in a Lithium-Ion World. Is It Ready for the Public Markets?

Post-Bankruptcy PG&E Claims Progress on Wildfire Safety, Blackout Mitigation

Sunrun Lands Contract for 20MW Backup Battery-Solar Project in Blackout-Prone California

Coronavirus Slows US Microgrid Market Despite Growing Need for Resilience

WoodMac: V-Shaped Recovery for Distributed Energy Resources in 2021

A New Model for Valuing Distributed Energy Could Drive Big Changes in California

ComEd Agrees to $200M Fine on Federal Bribery Charge

Post-Bankruptcy PG&E Faces Lawsuit for Its Role in Causing the 2019 Kincade Wildfire

4 Things PG&E Must Do to Survive and Thrive as It Exits Bankruptcy

Hitachi Completes Acquisition of ABB Power Grids to Tackle Renewable Energy’s Rise

House Democrats Spell Out Climate, Clean Energy Priorities in Sweeping Plan

Is Australia Losing the Race for a Clean Energy Breakthrough?

5 Major Trends Driving the $110B US Distributed Energy Resources Market Through 2025

BlackRock Leads $50M Investment Into Off-Grid Solar Technology That Generates Water

Top 5 US Storage Owners: SDG&E Solved a Crisis, Now It’s Fulfilling a Mission

California Faces Battle Over Budgets for Backup Battery Incentives

Natural Gas Microgrids Do What Solar and Batteries Alone Can’t for California Resiliency, Report Says

Minigrids Are a Missing Piece of the Integrated Electrification Puzzle

After Bold Promise, New Jersey’s Energy Storage Plan Remains a Mystery

Plus Power Breaks Into Battery Big League With Grid-Tied Project for Hawaiian Electric

Northvolt and Vattenfall Launch Mobile Battery System Capable of Patching Up Grids

Strata Blazes Ahead With California Gas Peaker Replacement Battery, Taps Tesla

Span Raises $10M to Scale Up Deployments of Smart Electrical Panels

4 Ways Batteries Are Getting Paid for Multiple Values in 2020