Terrasmart trackers now with hail stow feature Terrasmart reports that the hail mitigation system uses cloud-based monitoring to automatically trigger optimum stow position to protect solar assets without requiring operator intervention.

Report shows U.S. states and utilities easing into EVs The number and scope of electric vehicle regulations and charging incentives are increasing.

Utilities plan hydrogen power projects that crowd out renewables Several utilities have proposed hydrogen-capable generating units in their resource plans, a research center reports. But hydrogen projects face hurdles such that they “may not work” and conflict with renewables, another research group says.

The impact of semi-transparent solar modules on agrivoltaics yield Researchers have conducted a field study across two growing seasons, growing different kinds of vegetables under three types of modules with 40%, 5%, and 0% transparency. Their work is the first replicated research experiment that evaluates module transparency in an irrigated vegetable field setting.

New research finds solar module anti-reflective coatings may reduce LCOE by over 2% Researchers in Morocco have examined the effects of an anti-reflective coating on solar panel performance under desert conditions and have found that it enhanced both the annual performance ratio and the energy yield by 2% and 5.5%, respectively. They have also found it to be durable and able to withstand dry cleaning methods under accelerated testing.

Canadian Solar drops 15% post Q2 earnings report The solar company logged $1.64 billion in revenue, down from $2.36 billion in the previous year’s Q2.

A report on state government- and utility-driven initiatives affecting electric vehicles (including hybrids) shows the majority of such efforts continue to focus on rebates and incentives for consumers and commercial fleet operators to acquire them. However, regulations and actions to modify electricity rates relating to EVs and develop charging infrastructure are also moving forward.

The Q2 2024 edition of “50 States of Electric Vehicles” published by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at North Carolina State University said a total of 561 EV actions were taken during the timeline of the report. In 2024, as of early August, 29 states have enacted legislation related to transportation electrification. Massachusetts, New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan and Hawaii were the most active in this regard, the report said.While the report shows that governments continue to invest heavily in creating markets and incentives for growing EV numbers, certain trends are showing the effects of these vehicles in the real world. For example, more states are imposing additional registration fees for electric vehicle owners, with most U.S. states now having such fees in effect. Also, a growing number of states are opting to adopt per-kWh fees for electric vehicle charging.

The publicly available executive summary of the $500 report did not identify a cause for these actions; however, it’s no secret that states imposes such charges in order to recoup gas taxes lost from non-hybrid EVs bypassing gas pumps.

The report also shows the growing footprint of EVs on the nation’s electricity grids. Utilities are developing charging programs to manage the EV charging load. The report cites NV Energy’s proposed charging programs as part of its latest transportation electrification plan as well as Xcel Energy’s request for a new active managed charging program in New Mexico. Actions of other utilities proposing to offer EV owners incentives to divert charging to during off-peak hours.

More importantly, a growing number of utilities are filing expansive transportation electrification plans on a routine schedule, the report said, with several states now requiring this.

“As the adoption of electric vehicles continues to grow, so too does the EV focused utility offerings, with an increased focus on active managed charging programs,” Emily Apadula, policy analyst at NCCETC, said in a statement. “These programs allow the utility to directly control a customer’s charging load in order to remotely optimize charging times and reduce stress on the grid.”

California advances flexible demand that can absorb renewable power  With flexible demand appliance standards for pool controls set to take effect in California next year, the state is now developing standards for electric storage water heaters, to be followed by standards for five more types of appliances.

PV systems can now support grid as fossil fuels decline A new report by the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaics  Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) says that existing PV systems have the technical capabilities to provide various frequency-related grid services.

Google invests in 800 MW solar project in Illinois The Double Black Diamond Solar project may be the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi when complete in 2025.

The Hydrogen Stream: U.S. companies, institutions present hydrogen plans As the hydrogen project in Appalachia moves on, American Airlines confirms its commitment to hydrogen aircrafts. Meanwhile, a Scottish distillery might soon run on hydrogen for whisky production.

Startup Enteligent secures $6 million to scale solar EV charging The company offers a DC-to-DC electric bidirectional electric vehicle charger that allows EVs to charge directly from solar panels without the need to convert to AC.

Natron Energy announces $1.4 billion sodium ion battery factory in North Carolina The company will open a 24 GW annual production facility, creating over 1,000 jobs.

The California Energy Commission expects to issue flexible demand appliance standards for electric storage water heaters “hopefully” within months, said Michael Sokol, director of the efficiency division at the California Energy Commission (CEC), on a webinar hosted by the Clean Energy States Alliance.

The CEC issued a flexible demand appliance standard for pool controls last October. CEC Commissioner Andrew McAllister said at the time that a standard for electric storage water heaters would be next, noting that ten of the largest heat pump manufacturers had committed to help California reach its goal of 6 million heat pumps for water or space heating by 2030.

Flexible demand appliance standards in California will work in tandem with flexible rates for electricity, enabling appliances to operate when rates are lower, for example when renewable generation is high.

EV chargers, batteries, and more

The CEC has set a tentative sequence for developing flexible demand appliance standards for five more types of appliances, based on “our early analysis” and preliminary stakeholder planning discussions, Sokol said.

The third standard, after pool controls and electric storage water heaters, is expected to cover electric vehicle supply equipment, such as EV chargers. Next would be standards for battery energy storage systems.

The next three standards to be developed would have “end-user time impacts,” Sokol said, namely low-voltage thermostats, electric clothes dryers and dishwashers.

McAllister said last year that California aims to reach 7 GW of load flexibility by combining 3 GW of price-responsive demand from appliances with 4 GW of traditional demand response, in which some customers “drop load” during the 100 highest-demand hours of the year.

A Californian who owns a pool and operated a flexible demand pool control unit on its default schedule would save about $100 per year, Sokol said. Customers will have the ability to override the default schedule and operate a pool control unit at times of their choosing.

CalFlexHub

Much of the research underlying the new standards is conducted by the California Load Flexibility Research and Deployment Hub (CalFlexHub) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

CalFlexHub will hold an all-day symposium on September 24.

From pv magazine Global

Student solar car teams from Canada’s Polytechnique Montréal and École de technologie supérieure made it to the podium at the Electrek American Solar Challenge 2024, a distance-based competition for solar cars.

With a multiple occupant vehicle (MOV) named Esteban 11, students from Polytechnique Montréal won first place in the MOV category in both the qualifier circuit race, known as the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) and in the main race, the Electrek American Solar Challenge, which requires completing a minimum of 1,500 miles (2,400 km).

The Esteban team completed 1,610.3 miles at an average speed of 36.2 mph (58.26 km/h), with an overall score of 73.86. The MOV category is scored on factors beyond the distance covered, such as practicality, amount of external energy used, and whether the 35 mph target average speed was maintained.

The other Montreal team, hailing from École de technologie supérieure, won silver in the single occupant vehicle (SOV) category, completing 2,004.5 miles with the Éclipse XI solar car. The SOV class is scored solely on miles driven. Only in the event of a tie is elapsed time relevant.

This year’s winner of the SOV class was the University of Michigan student team with its Astrum solar car, completing 2,095.5 miles (3,372 km) with an average speed of 37.51 mph.

Esteban 11 by the Polytechnique Montréal student team

The Esteban project spokesperson told pv magazine that the team began competing with a two-seater MOV in 2019. “Switching categories allowed us for more creativity in our design. Being multiple occupants also displays the efficiency of our car. Especially in the event, the broader public gets to learn how the technology evolves,” said the Esteban spokesperson.

The team used a 1218 W solar array with cells from Singapore-based Maxeon and encapsulation by German specialist PV panel manufacturer OPES Solutions. The 4-wheel vehicle weighed 293 kg, measuring 4.92m x 1.8m x 1.04 m. The battery was a 9.2 kWh by China-based BAK Technologies, weighing 47 kg, paired with two 5kW M2096D-3 hub motors from Japan’s Mitsuba in a carbon fiber monocoque.

“One great challenge we had was splitting the battery pack. This allowed us to have a lower center of gravity but complicated the monitoring and protection,” the spokesperson said, adding that a new printed circuit board design adhering to professional standards with features to manage heat effects also made a difference this year.

Éclipse XI by the École de technologie supérieure student team

The Éclipse XI, a 3-wheel design weighing 200 kg, measured 4.5 m x 1.5 m x 1.1 m. It was equipped with a 1000 W solar array spanning 4m2, based on Sunpower Maxeon Gen 3 solar cells. It had a 20 kg 5kWh lithium ion battery by Japanese manufacturer Panasonic.

The Éclipse XI team not only won a silver medal in the American Solar Challenge competition, it also won two awards, an Electrical Design Award, and the Abe Poot Award. The latter is named after an influential figure in the U.S. solar car racing community, that recognizes team spirit of collaboration and cooperation, according to the Éclipse XI team spokesperson.

The Electrical Design Award recognized the performance of the electrical setup. “At FSGP, we were the first team to complete both electrical and battery protection system inspection with all green status. We also proved that our electrical systems were robust and reliable along both races, more than 4500 km without any issue,” the Éclipse team spokesperson told pv magazine.

“For this race, we used a custom-made motor casing with air cooling system to help us climb the most steeped hills along the route,” they said, adding that the team is currently working on an improved maximum power point tracking that will “maximize efficiency across all operating ranges” to be able to reduce overall weight and cost.

The Electrek American Solar Challenge 2024 attracted over 30 student-run teams from the U.S. and Canada. It began on 20 July in Nashville, Tennessee, and ended in Casper, Wyoming, on 27 July. The primary route has 1562.2 total miles to complete and vehicles must average at least 35 mph for the event. There are seven optional loops to earn additional points.

Tariffs on solar cells remain, volume increased The Biden administration issued a proclamation stating that the tariff rate quota of 14.25% on solar cells will remain but volume increases from 5 GW to 12.5 GW.

Agrivoltaics for corn Researchers have created a novel model that can help developers asses corn growth in agrivoltaic facilities. They also proposed to use spatiotemporal shadow distribution (SSD) to optimize crop yield and power production.

World’s highways could host 52.3 billion solar panels, say researchers Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Geosciences, and Columbia University have concluded that solar-covered highways could meet more than 60% of the world’s annual energy needs.

ChargePoint introduces Omni Port universal EV charger The connector is compatible with all major electric vehicle brands, including Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles.

From ESS-news.com

Key battery manufacturing projects initiated in response to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are facing setbacks, according to a Financial Times (FT) investigation.

The IRA, signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, proposed a $369 billion injection into the US clean energy economy. The industrial policy focused on reshoring manufacturing for the renewable energy transition, and significant announcements have been made for U.S. manufacturing in batteries and materials, solar manufacturing, hydrogen, and more.

Yet the FT reports, when including semiconductor manufacturing as well, that of the projects worth more than $100m, “a total of $84bn have been delayed for between two months and several years, or paused indefinitely.” The FT notes some delays are public knowledge, while others have not been formally announced, citing interviews with more than 100 companies and state and local authorities to determine project statuses.

In terms of batteries and public announcements, LG Energy Solution’s $2.3 billion battery storage facility in Arizona is on a construction suspension after being quadrupled in March from its first announcement.

Read the complete article at ESS-news.

The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) will power its operations and electrify its fleet of vehicles with a three-acre solar farm, solar canopies and 56 charging stations. Fresno EOC will also use the vehicle-to-grid technology as it transitions its gas vehicles into a 50-shuttle electric fleet.

The EOC is a non-profit Community Action Agency that oversees more than 35 human services programs that help underserved populations in California’s Fresno County become more self-sufficient. It uses its bus fleet to transport community members to and from work, school and medical appointments, deliver meals, and fill other transportation needs to support its mission. To fund the solar project, EOC secured grant funding through the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program, and it will also receive rebates from local utility PG&E.

The project will take 24 months to complete from start to finish and will draw about 80% of the local workforce to help build the solar project. In addition, people enrolled in Fresno EOC’s own workforce and training program will receive education on energy and solar projects and may, in the future, provide hands on training and experience to the community.

The 1.5 MW ground-mount solar farm will be installed on a fixed-tilt racking system. Excess energy will be stored in a Nuvve-branded pre-validated battery energy storage system (BESS) integrated with Nuvve’s vehicle-to-grid platform.

The 56 charging stations are a mix of Nuvve PowerPort Neo level 2 EVSEs and V2G EVSEs. All chargers are Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliant

“Fresno as a community has historically endured poor air quality due to tailpipe emissions from the Los Angeles basin and gas-fired peaker power plants,” said Nuvve co-founder and CEO Gregory Poilasne. “With the adoption of our cutting-edge electric vehicle software and infrastructure, this project can serve as a model approach for modern, efficient, and eco-friendly public transportation.”

Enphase Energy releases EV charger for commercial fleets The CS-100 provides up to 19.2 kW of continuous power output and enables the fleet operator to set up charging schedules using the Enphase proprietary COSMOS interface.

SolarEdge aims to qualify for U.S. domestic content incentive The company has brought over 1,500 new jobs to the U.S. through contract manufacturing facilities.

Protecting smart inverters from cyberattack The National Institute of Standards and Technology has flagged a cybersecurity risk for smart inverters, and is developing guidelines to prevent cyberattacks.

Generac introduces residential EV charger The Level 2 charger offers between 25 and 30 miles of charge per hour.

Texas solar shines through Tropical Storm Beryl In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that the Tropical Storm Beryl caused a large but temporary dip in solar generation potential across Texas on July 8. However, cross-referencing with grid operator reports revealed that very little production went offline due to the storm, showing the resilience of Texas’ solar infrastructure.

IEA-PVPS identifies 456 patents in PV module recycling The IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme’s (IEA-PVPS) latest report on solar panel recycling offers a comprehensive review of all existing technologies in this market segment, from pure mechanical recycling to innovative techniques such as as light pulse treatment, water-jet cleaning, pyrolysis, and chemical treatments.

Volytica, Sinovoltaics launch new analysis service for 100% battery pack review at factory  The newly launched BESSential analysis goes deeper than traditional Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), which is performed at the container level. The service evaluates each battery energy storage system pack down to the cell level and detects and corrects thermal, electrical, and capacity imbalance issues.

Enphase Energy announced the launch of an electric vehicle charger designed for commercial fleets.

The CS-100 provides up to 19.2 kW (80 amps) of continuous power output and enables the fleet operator to set up charging schedules using the Enphase proprietary COSMOS interface. The interface provides access to capabilities such as digital load management, load sharing, and access control by seamlessly integrating with fleet management software.

Certified by UL, cULus, CSA C22.1, and Energy Start, the charger features a NEMA 3R-rated enclosure. Enphase reports that it can be installed inside or out and can operate in temperatures from –22 F to 122 F (–30 C to 50 C). It includes a 25-foot charging cable and an impact-resistant J1772 connector. It supports all J1772-compatible EVs and comes with a three-year limited warranty. Enphase reports that in the event of a minor power fault, an automatic circuit reclosure timer will re-check conditions to begin charging again as soon as possible, if needed.

The CS-100 weighs 45 pounds and requires a 208/240 Vac, 50/60 Hz, 100 amp dedicated supply circuit. The retail price on the CS-100 is $2,250.

The secret to keeping a highly renewable island grid stable It may seem counterintuitive to operators who are familiar with traditional grid management methods, but the key to stabilizing the destabilizing effects of more renewables on the grid is–more renewables.

Time to talk solar curtailment It’s time to assess curtailment, as rising amounts of excess generation are being wasted in several markets. This can be problematic for the solar industry but Toby Couture and David Jacobs, coordinators of think tank Global Solar PV Brain Trust, argue that curtailment is not always bad.

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.

California city to install pop-up solar canopy with EV charging  The City of Campbell contracted with Paired Power to install its Pairtree solar canopy.

The City of Campbell, California announced a partnership with Paired Power to install a solar parking canopy with integrated electric vehicle chargers. The project will enable the city’s Public Wors Department to add electric vehicles to its fleet.

The solar canopy, called PairTree, will generate electricity and charge the city’s Ford F-150 Lightning Pro electric truck. Paired Power will deliver electricity to the Level 2 chargers attached to the canopy through its management software called EV Connect.

The project was funded through a resiliency grant from Silicon Valley Clean Energy.

“We’re excited to work with Paired Power to supply the City of Campbell with a 100% renewable EV charging solution powered by the sun, further enhancing the city’s commitment to sustainable transportation,” said Scott Kaptur, director of government and fleet solutions at EV Connect.

The PairTree solar canopy is comprised of a bifacial solar panels and a 42.4 kWh energy storage system.  The off-grid solar EV charger includes up to two Level 2 charging ports with up to 5.3 kW charging power. The PairTree is typically intended for remote locations, like concert venues and military sites, said Paired Power. The energy storage system is UL9450 certified.

“The solar panels have 4.6 kW units and the battery capacity maxes out at 42.4 kWh, which is substantial enough to provide between 75 and 230 miles of range,” said Paired Power.

Paried Power said setting up one of these EV charging stations takes about four hours.

The company said the solar canopy starts at $26,000, while some systems outfit with energy storage and multiple chargers may cost about $70,000. Installation costs average about $5,000 per canopy, said the company.

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.

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.

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.

From pv magazine ESS News site

S-based energy solutions company Torus has announced the signing of a deal with real estate developer Gardner Group to provide its proprietary BESS and FESS technologies in one of the largest commercial energy storage projects in the U.S. state of Utah.

The deal will see 26 MWh of systems installed and supported by Torus’ proprietary software platform, enabling intelligent energy management, demand response capabilities, and seamless integration with renewable energy sources and EV charging infrastructure.

The project will also leverage Torus’ participation in Rocky Mountain Power’s Wattsmart Battery program, which supports grid resilience through the integration of energy storage resources into a VPP ecosystem. The Torus VPP platform enables predictive analytics for demand response, energy arbitrage, and frequency regulation.

“We are thrilled to partner with Gardner Group on this groundbreaking project,” said Nate Walkingshaw, CEO and co-founder of Torus. “This deal demonstrates the growing demand for advanced energy storage solutions in the commercial sector. This is a significant step for energy resilience, sustainability, and cost savings across the Gardner Group portfolio.”

Installation of the project is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with the completion date estimated to be in early 2026. Once fully operational, the systems will have the capacity to store and dispatch nearly 26 MWh of energy, equivalent to powering nearly 1,000 homes for a full day.

To continue reading, please visit our new ESS News site.

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.

FERC transmission rule to shore up the nation’s power grid The ruling, which is being praised by industry groups, is the first time in more than a decade that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has addressed regional transmission policy as well as the need for long-term transmission planning.

Solar powered electric truck stop opens in California WattEV’s 5.7 MW solar-powered truck stop, with demand charge management driven by solar-;plus-storage, has begun operations in Bakersfield, California.

Powering drones with ultra-thin, flexible perovskite PV cells An Austrian research team has demonstrated that lightweight, flexible and ultra-thin perovskite solar technology can power palm-sized autonomous drones.

Trina Solar records 65.21 GW of solar module shipments for 2023 Trina Solar says its solar panel shipments reached 65.21 GW in 2023. The Chinese module maker achieved a turnover of $15.75 billion and a net profit of $768.2 million in fiscal 2023, with an annual module production capacity of 95 GW by the end of December.

Two approaches to save net metering in Puerto Rico A solar trade group wants the White House to appoint new pro-solar members to the federal oversight board that has challenged Puerto Rico’s net metering law, while the former president of the Puerto Rico Senate advises considering amending the law.

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.

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.

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 Enteligent DC-to-DC solar EV charger that debuted at Intersolar North America 2023 is now available for order.

The hybrid bi-directional EV charger, model TLCEV T1 EVSE, can supply 12.5 kW of fast DC charging, charging two times faster than AC Level 2 EV chargers, the company reports.

The TLCEV T1 12.5 kW DC Charger, according to Enteligent, results in up to 20% energy savings compared to traditional chargers, which are usually AC-to-DC. Because the power does not have to be converted with DC-to-DC, there is no lost energy and a longer charging time.

When integrated with a solar canopy or carport, Enteligent’s solar charger can offset additional energy costs, the company reports. The EV chargers do not rely on the grid, and therefore, do not require lengthy permitting processes and avoid complicated grid integration.

“If you’re charging your EV at night, you’re not using clean energy. Most EV owners plug in at night when peak demand is provided by fossil fuels,” said Enteligent co-founder and CEO Sean Burke. “Enteligent’s solution offers convenient EV charging, so EV drivers can shift to daytime charging directly from solar panels and top up for free while the sun shines. The TLCEV chargers simply connect to a solar canopy anywhere and generate clean power.”

Powered directly from the sun, the TLCEV T1 charger’s design can integrate EV charging into solar canopies and carports, the company reports.  

The direct DC-coupled charging provides NACS & CCS-1 options for consumers, making clean solar widely accessible.

The charger’s early-bird pricing is set at $2249. until May 31, 2024, with a $250 deposit required for pre-order. Enteligent told pv magazine USA that the units are expected to be available during the third quarter this year.

FAQs are available here.

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. 

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.

From pv magazine Global

Replacing polluting fossil fuels with the light of the sun to fuel a car almost sounds too good to be true. Solar cars – electric vehicles that feature solar panels – promise to offer a low-carbon way to drive with less need for electric vehicle charging stations.

Meanwhile, U.S. company Aptera recently announced it had raised over $33 million to fund the initial stages of production for its solar electric vehicle, equipped with 700 W of solar cells and able to drive over 600 km on a single charge. Already, more than 46,000 reservations have been made, though it is not clear when it will be available. Meanwhile, in Japan, the Puzzle van, a tiny electric van using solar panels to charge its battery, was unveiled late last year and is due to be available for purchase from 2025.

But for these projects to be viable, the quality, performance and durability of the solar panels need to be assured. IEC International Standards provide internationally agreed specifications and guidelines to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of products, services and systems. Conformity assessment determines whether a product, service or process complies with specified standards. Standardization also provides a common language and framework fostering interoperability, efficiency, safety and overall reliability.

IEC TC 82: Solar photovoltaic energy systems, produces international standards enabling systems to convert solar power into electrical energy. These include the 14-part IEC 60904 series of standards, which covers all the requirements and measurements of photovoltaic (PV) devices and their components. Recognizing the need for specific guidance documents in this area, the committee has formed a project team, IEC TC 82 PT 600, for vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) systems to develop two new technical reports in this area.

Convenor of IEC TC 82 PT 600, Kenji Araki said, “It is the quality and performance of the solar panel that will dictate the value of the solar car. A fair and scientific measure of this quality, therefore, is essential. Without an internationally agreed measure, it is difficult to ensure the safe and performant deployment of this technology. There will be a greater risk of fake or low-quality components that will not only hamper the advancement of the technology but create safety risks.”

Araki added that it is important to have practical and reproducible testing methods specific to VIPV because the context in which solar panels are used and thus behave is very different from those in other situations such as on houses or buildings.

For starters, vehicles are not static, so the amount of sunlight they receive can change dramatically. Thus, there can be sudden changes in power outputs when a vehicle moves in or out of a shaded area, for example, so technology needs to compensate for this. “We need a calculation shift,” he said, “and this can be complex and challenging to understand so it is important to have a detailed and comprehensive procedure for manufacturers to refer to.”

Araki explained the project team is currently focusing on standards and guidance for testing, operation modeling and energy rating, but they are also preparing to address other challenges. One of those is environmental and mechanical load tests. Unlike standard solar PV devices, the VIPV receives huge mechanical loads and experiences different environmental conditions.

For instance, the current photovoltaic modules can dampen vibrations of around 0.1 to 10 Hz really well, Araki pointed out, which are typical frequencies in architectural structures, but the vibration of the vehicle roof can be as high as 2,000 Hz. “In these situations, the molecular chains in the module sealing materials cannot catch up with the moving speed, so there is a significant risk that there will be resonance in the solar cell itself.”

The standards being used could also be applied in other settings such as drones and high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) and may help in rating PV power plants installed in mountains and forests. “In such installations, the shading loss in winter may be huge, leading to a lower performance ratio and therefore a higher cost of producing the energy. But it is hard to estimate. The new technical reports we are working on will help to solve this problem,” Araki underlined.

Clare Naden is a writer at the IEC, with more than 25 years of journalism and communications experience in New Zealand, the UK, Australia and Switzerland.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a global, not-for-profit membership organization that brings together 174 countries and coordinates the work of 30.000 experts globally. IEC International Standards and conformity assessment underpin international trade in electrical and electronic goods. They facilitate electricity access and verify the safety, performance and interoperability of electric and electronic devices and systems, including for example, consumer devices such as mobile phones or refrigerators, office and medical equipment, information technology, electricity generation, and much more.

Allow solar developers to choose “connect and manage,” says DOE roadmap  To speed interconnection of utility-scale renewables and storage projects, a U.S. Department of Energy roadmap sets forth 35 solutions and proposes actions to implement the solutions. The roadmap was developed through a DOE stakeholder process known as i2X.

Three-decker, solar and battery powered yacht hits the water in Italy  Silent Yachts launched the first Silent 62 3-Deck yacht, outfitted with 17 kWp of SunPower X400+ rigid glass solar modules and a newly enhanced 350 kWh LiFePO4 battery storage system, propelled by dual 340 kW electric motors.

Specialized EPC contractors key to smaller community solar projects  Innovative financing models and supportive policies are needed to make community solar financially viable and attractive to investors.

Massachusetts city that mandates solar on new buildings celebrates latest success Watertown, Massachusetts, a city with a model energy plan, now has a Gold LEED certified building with 252 kW solar and 125 kW storage system, along with 15 EV charging ports.

Resilient Watertown, the city’s Climate & Energy Plan, outlines 61 actions to ensure the city is on its way to achieving its goal of 100% of electricity sourced from renewables by 2050.

Two elements of the extensive plan are to promote electrification and enhance and actively promote zero-carbon mobility options for travel. In fact, the city plans to not only have all registered vehicles be electric by 2050, but also has a goal of cutting in half personal vehicular travel miles.

In 2018 the Watertown Town Council passed a first-in-New-England solar ordinance requiring solar on the equivalent of 50% roof coverage for new and substantially renovated buildings over 10,000 sq. feet and 90% of parking garages.

Now the city celebrates the operation of a solar and storage project installed at 66 Galen, a brand new 224,106 square foot life science building that features purpose-built offices and laboratories.

The project was directed by Houston-based Catalyze, a national Energy Transition Partner that develops, finances, owns, and operates integrated renewable assets. Catalyze owns two proprietary technologies: REenergyze, an origination-to-operations software integration platform and SolarStrap, a proprietary mounting technology to install rooftop panels.

The Gold LEED-certified facility draws power from 252 kW solar and 125 kW storage system, covering about 10% of the buildings electricity needs. It also boasts a series of EV charging stations featuring 15 ports, located within the parking garage and are intended for use by employees and visitors.

The installation features Znshine Solar modules, a 251 kWh battery from SYL and Powercharge EV chargers. Catalyze told pv magazine USA that the battery storage system will be used to offset peak demand times, supplying solar power to the building when the cost of power from the utility provider would be at its highest.

Other sustainability features include 100% recyclable terra cotta tiles with a low-e coating on the exterior that maximize the building’s insulative properties and minimize solar heat gain; high-efficiency LED and self-dimming lighting to minimize light pollution; a variable-volume air handler system that helps reduce energy cost by 19%, according to Catalyze, compared to buildings of a similar size; and significant water conservation infrastructure that directs excess rainwater to green space.

To support this project, Catalyze participated in the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, an incentive program that has catapulted Massachusetts into the top ten list for solar states.

The building, which is called 66 Galen, is owned by Davis and Boston Development Group, with investment by Actis and Encap.

“It’s terrific to see a multi-technology scheme such as 66 Galen which comprises energy generation from solar PV and battery storage come into operation,” said Javier Orellana, director, energy infrastructure at Actis. “It’s a perfect demonstration of the energy transition in progress.”

66 Galen is not the first solar on a commercial building in Watertown. The largest commercial solar installation is on Arsenal Yards.

The more than one million square foot mixed-use development that includes state-of-the-art life science lab space, 300 apartments, and a 146-room hotel. The 1. 1 MW of solar was installed in 2020 by Boston-based Kearsarge Energy.

Watertown is also home to the first net-zero school in Massachusetts. The Cunniff elementary school is testament to the support among municipal leaders as well as town residents. In developing the Climate & Energy Plan, the city surveyed residents, solicited comments, distributed educational materials, had conversations at five public events and invited the public to the three advisory group meetings—all to solicit feedback and support for the clean energy goals in Watertown.

Watertown intends to re-evaluate its goals and actions regularly in order to keep them on target for the 2050 goal, and also to adjust any actions to adapt to new trends and technologies.to update and adjust actions and targets to adapt to emerging trends and technologies.

Silent Yachts has launched the first three-decker redesign of its Silent 62 solar electric catamaran. The Silent 62 3-Deck features three separate solar module arrays totaling 17 kWp, an integrated energy storage system recently upgraded from 286 kWh to 350 kWh. Introduced in 2019, the Silent 60 series builds on the legacy of the Silent 64, which made headlines in 2018 as the first solar-powered yacht to successfully cross the Atlantic. The ship cruises at 6 to 8 knots and can reach peak speeds of 16 to 18 knots.

Owned by Austrian business leaders and based in Fano, Italy, Silent Yachts has recently expanded into a new production facility. This facility spans over 230,000 square feet and includes five buildings equipped for shipbuilding, two of which are topped with solar modules. The company celebrated the launch of its first boat from this new facility in February 2023.

pv magazine USA spoke with owners Michael Köhler & Mick Long about some of the finer details of their craft.

The Silent 62 3-Deck yacht’s highlight is its configurable third deck, which comes in three configurations: an open ‘sky lounge,’ a closed sky lounge, or a closed owner’s suite. The new model featured an open sky lounge, complete with a bar, galley and a 12-seat dining table. This yacht is outfitted with 42 SunPower X400+ modules totaling 16.8 kWp, backed by a 40-year warranty. Where the Flybridge model incorporates lightweight Solbian Maxeon3 panels on its retractable roof to reduce weight, the roofs of the 3-Deck versions are equipped with SunPower glass panels. Models ordered this year will include marginally higher wattage, pushing the total potential production up over 17 kWp.

The CEO of Silent Yachts, Michael Köhler, confirmed the use of these panels, along with a robust 350 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery pack. This pack features a quiet liquid-cooling system that enhances charging rates and extends the lifecycle to up to 3,500 recharge cycles. Propulsion is provided by dual 340 kW electric motors. The system operates primarily at 24VDC for navigation, lighting, and pumps, with household appliances at 230VAC and high-power systems like motors and thrusters at 800VDC.

The Silent 62 yacht is equipped with advanced desalination equipment capable of producing up to 3,600 liters of fresh water per day. This system is efficient, consuming about 4 kWh to produce 1,000 liters of water, which aligns closely with the daily output of approximately one or two of the yacht’s solar panels. This integration ensures that water production is sustainable and minimally impacts the yacht’s overall energy reserves, making it ideal for extended voyages where freshwater is crucial.

A Youtube channel “Heart of Gold Lifeboat” provided a review of an earlier variant of the Silent 60, detailing the specifications and orientation of the electrical equipment and powertrain. The newer Silent 62 3-Deck has been updated with RS230 AH batteries, each offering 11.8 kWh, arranged in a 28-unit configuration. This model also features a proprietary power management system, which replaces the previously used Victron Energy Quattro combined inverter/charger. Additionally, the Volvo Penta D3 220 generator has been upgraded to a Hyundai S270 semi-commercial engine.

Accommodating up to 12 guests in its five cabins, the Silent 62 3-Deck is priced starting just over $2 million.

RE+ Events announced that Germany is the official Spotlight Country for RE+ 24 in Anaheim, Calif., showcasing German clean energy firms’ products and services before 40,000 renewable energy aficionados.

Focusing on Germany supports the U.S.-Germany Climate and Energy Partnership signed in 2021 by U.S. President Biden and German Chancellor Merkel. The partnership was formed to deepen collaboration on policies and sustainable technologies needed to address climate change. The countries share a commitment to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement by taking action this decade to keep a 1.5-degree Celsius temperature limit within reach.

Germany is currently leading its European neighbors in terms of photovoltaic (PV) production. In 2023, Germany’s PV systems generated nearly 60 TWh of electricity. Last July the maximum solar output of 40.1 GW, which corresponded to 68% of electricity generation, according to Fraunhofer ISE. The country’s PV capacity continues to grow rapidly, exceeding the German government’s targets last year.

The 2024 Spotlight Country Pavillion in the RE+ exhibit hall will feature German companies and partners within the hydrogen, solar, storage, wind energy, and zero-emission vehicles industries. Companies that participate receive key benefits according to RE+ including a specialty designated location on the RE+ 24 show floor, thought leadership opportunities at the Global Markets Summit and Innovation Stage, networking opportunities at an exclusive reception and marketing promotion to the RE+ Events network.

The Spotlight Country is supported by German organizations: EUPD Research, Fraunhofer, The Representative of German Business for the Western United States (GACC West), International Solar Energy Research Center (ISC Konstanz), and the VDMA.  

RE+ 24 will be celebrating its 20^th anniversary when it takes place September 9 to 12. German companies interested in exhibiting or sponsoring should contact pvelazco@re-plus.com or visit re-plus.com/spotlight-country for more information.

U.S. solar industry week in review  pv magazine USA spotlights news stories of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

Legal experts dispel fourteen false claims about solar, wind and electric vehicles  The Columbia Law School collected and rebutted 33 false claims against clean energy technology as part of its ongoing research on climate change.

Enphase Energy releases control software for home solar, battery systems Enphase Energy, a California-based microinverter specialist, says its new power control system will give North American customers that use its energy systems more flexibility to build larger projects.

A new twist on thermal storage  PowerPanel offers a PV and thermal storage solution that combines simple, safe and easy to manage hot water with advanced thermoplastic technology and architecture.

Mercedes to bolster PV system at manufacturing facility with SolidFlow battery  The goal is to have a green energy source that runs around the clock.

Solar cell prices fall for 3rd consecutive week In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Final rules for renewable energy development on public lands The Bureau of Land Management issued final rules for renewables development on public lands.

At first, many people ignored what solar power could do ; solar was seen as a cool space science experiment. Then when solar started to grow and technology matured, they chuckled at how small the volume being installed was versus the massive volumes of coal, gas and oil that were being extracted daily.

Now solar power, and more recently, energy storage, are being installed more than any source of energy ever, and the opposition sometimes takes the form of spreading misinformation from centralized, fossil funded sources so as to affect the local acceptability of solar. And it has had an effect.

The Sabin Center for Climate Change at Columbia Law School collected fourteen false solar power claims in its document, Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles.

Among its prior climate work,  the law school has launched the Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative in 2019, as well published discussions of legislation that might slow renewable energy deployment.

The list of false solar claims rebutted were:

1. Electromagnetic fields from solar farms are harmful to human health.
2. Toxic heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, leach out from solar panels and pose a threat to human health.
3. Solar panels generate too much waste and will overwhelm our landfills.
4. Clearing trees for solar panels negates any climate change benefits.
5. Solar energy is worse for the climate than burning fossil fuels.
6. Solar projects harm biodiversity.
7. Solar projects will reduce agricultural production, hurting farmers and rural communities.
8. Solar development will destroy U.S. jobs.
9. Reliance on solar will make the United States dependent on China and other countries.
10. Utility-scale solar farms destroy the value of nearby homes.
11. Solar energy is more expensive than fossil fuels and completely dependent on subsidies.
12. Solar panels don’t work in cold or cloudy climates.
13. Solar energy is unreliable and requires 100% fossil fuel backup.
14. We do not have sufficient mineral resources for large-scale solar development.

While solar power is very popular, in fact the most popular source of electricity in the United States, there are nuances within this popularity. Rooftop solar is the most popular, but solar is getting pushback as it grows beyond 50 acres. And while renewable and clean energy itself are also very popular, there are fossil-fuel industry funded disinformation campaigns that can significantly alter popular opinion. 

The report from the Sabin Center does not examine the origins of the false claims, nor the motivations of those who disseminate them. Each of the fourteen claims were responded to individually, creating fully developed responses that sometimes repeat information in other rebuttals.

For instance, in rebutting false claim #10, utility-scale solar farms destroy the value of nearby homes, the analysts showed that very few individuals would experience any effect on the value of their homes from nearby solar power, and those that do feel an effect would experience a small value shift. They also found that some might find a property value increase.

The research showed that in Indiana found, “properties within 1,320 feet of solar farms sold by an average of 1.92% more than comparable properties that were not located near any solar farms.” They also found, “homes located within 0.5 miles of solar farms were found to experience price reductions of 1.5%, compared to properties 2 to 4 miles away; however, homes located more than 1 mile from a solar farm were found to experience no statistically significant effect on its price.”

A third study pointed out that within one mile, in suburban areas, there might be a 1.7% decrease in property value, but in rural areas, this price difference disappeared.

The analysis also pointed out that, “the presence of a fossil fuel fired power plant within 2 miles of one’s home decreased its value by 4% to 7%, with the largest decreases within 1 mile and for high-capacity plants.”

While disinformation is abundant in the nation, with almost all large solar facilities getting some pushback, it is also true that the volume of successful solar power facilities being deployed far outpaces the naysayers. For instance, capacity deployed grew by more than 50%, and solar capacity in the queues has broken and held above 1,000 GW.

However, it is also true that large-scale solar has seen its popularity fall a bit. Even though many of these topics have been long since debunked as false, the report is written to help “cultivate balanced and informed opinions,” particularly residents of communities contemplating utility-scale renewable energy projects.

In June SolarEdge Technologies announced it was implementing a new software platform for the management of solar-attached EV charging facilities, and now it has bought the company.

The software was developed by Israel-based startup Wevo Energy. Its AI-based solution supports multiple chargers onto a single electric wire, the company reports, dynamically managing the available current between units enabling simultaneous charging of multiple cars.

Wevo Energy was founded in 2021 with the goal of bringing EV charging to densely populated parking areas. The solution is deployed at over 900 sites, electrifying over 60,000 parking spaces.

“As the EV market continues to grow, distributed renewable energy will be key to unlocking the full potential of the electrification of mobility,” said Zvi Lando, CEO, SolarEdge Technologies. “Wevo’s software capabilities and know-how represent a building block for EV-attached solar, and today it becomes a part of SolarEdge’s energy ecosystem.”

Designed to be vendor agnostic, Wevo’s software solution supports industry leading open protocols, enabling multi-user pricing and billing, tiered prioritization of charging schedules, predictive load management and additional services. Its load management technology uses AI to intelligently allocate power where it’s needed most, allowing sites to install more charging stations without expensive infrastructure upgrades, the company reports.

SolarEdge reports that the Wevo software will be part of the SolarEdge ONE energy optimization system for the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment, which is designed to offer a single solution that enables the integration of on-site solar generation, battery storage and large-scale EV charging for SolarEdge customers. SolarEdge ONE was previously targeted at the residential segment.

Wevo will operate as a subsidiary of SolarEdge, according to Teddy Flatau, Wevo Energy CEO. He said that the combined solution will offer “a seamless experience for EV drivers by optimizing charging with clean, solar-powered energy and maximizing cost savings. This will allow a significant step forward to achieving a low-carbon future.”

Give distributed resources a greater role in grid reliability, say four law professors  Distributed solar and storage, along with demand response, “perform during extreme weather events” and deserve a greater role in reliability planning, the law professors say, while a new public office of grid reliability could guide transmission planning.

Tesla reports record energy storage deployment figures Tesla’s electric vehicle (EV) sales are plummeting, but its energy storage business is surging, with more than 4 GWh deployed in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

Microsoft signs two large solar power purchase agreements  The software giant entered into two power purchase agreements for a total of 400 MW of solar energy from Texas solar plants.

Two universities add solar to their energy mix  Princeton University plans four solar installations on its New Jersey campus, while Northeastern University celebrates the completion of a highly visible rooftop solar project on the downtown Snell Library.

People on the move: Silfab Solar, Green Lantern Solar, Generac, and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

From pv magazine global

Tesla‘s energy generation and storage business is booming, despite a dramatic slowdown in its electric vehicle (EV) sales.

The company has reported its highest energy storage quarterly figures on record this week, with a cumulative 4,053 MWh of energy storage capacity deployed in the first quarter of 2024.

It was the first time ever for Tesla to include its energy storage figures in a quarterly breakdown, which is usually reserved for vehicle production and deliveries.

These figures were disappointing. Tesla said it produced more than 433,000 vehicles and delivered approximately 387,000, which is around 20,000 fewer EVs than even the most pessimistic estimates.

It said the decline in volumes was partially due to the early phase of the production ramp-up of the updated Model 3 at its Fremont factory and factory shutdowns resulting from shipping diversions caused by the Red Sea conflict and an arson attack at Gigafactory Berlin.

However, the results came as no surprise. In its fourth-quarter 2023 investor filing, Tesla said that its vehicle volume growth rate would be notably lower in 2024, as it continues to work on the launch of a next-generation vehicle at Gigafactory Texas.

“In 2024, the growth rate of deployments and revenue in our Energy Storage business should outpace the Automotive business,” the company said.

It added that it expects continued growth on a 12-month basis going forward, while deployments will continue to be volatile on a sequential basis, impacted by logistics and the global distribution of projects.

“I predicted for many years that the storage business will grow much faster than the car business,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. “It is doing that.”

At the end of last year, Tesla’s energy storage deployments reached 14.7 GWh. Total installations for 2023 were more than double than in 2022, up by 125%. The division’s profit nearly quadrupled.

Tesla said it will provide further information in its full quarterly earnings report, which is set to be released on April 23.

The fate of the solar industry hinges on better data gathering and predictions  Advancements in remote measurement can help solar companies to bypass inefficient and error-prone site visits to measure and record roof dimensions, azimuth, pitch, and localized shading at a given site in a more consistent and repeatable manner.

With analysts from S&P Global Mobility forecasting that electric vehicles (EV) could make up half of automotive sales by 2030, several challenging must be overcome in order to support this fast-growing industry. Two of those challenges are building a domestic supply chain and the EV battery manufacturing workforce.

The U.S. Department of Energy has actively supported the buildout of the EV industry, beginning with the $7,500 tax credit available to EV buyers through the Inflation Reduction Act. Another program was launched through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which allocated $7.5 billion to increase the EV charging network—the dearth of chargers seen as a deterrent to EV adoption in many regions. And now two new initiatives by the Department of Energy (DOE) are aimed at battery supply chain issues and training the battery workforce.

According to DOE, 1.4 million EVs were sold last year and with more growth forecast, the battery market is projected to grow as much as 10-fold by 2030. To build a domestic supply chain to serve this market, DOE announced $62 million for 17 projects to increase and improve battery recycling. Battery recycling removes critical materials that can be reused in battery manufacturing, thus reducing demand new materials and reducing costs for the U.S. battery supply chain.

“Capturing the full battery supply chain—from sourcing critical materials to manufacturing to recycling—puts the U.S. in the driver’s seat as we build our clean energy economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

The 17 projects selected for DOE’s Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing, and Battery Collection funding opportunity include:

• Expanding Participation in Consumer Electronics Recycling: Increasing collection of end-of-life consumer electronics and stand-alone batteries for recycling is a key element in developing a sustainable domestic source of battery-grade materials. Four projects were selected to do this through student education and outreach, including e-waste collection events, representing $14.4 million in funding.
• Improving the Economics of Recycling Consumer Electronics Batteries: Generating greater market demand for recycling consumer electronics batteries through innovative, cost-saving approaches to pre-processing and sorting. Seven projects were selected to do this through approaches including artificial intelligence and automated sorting, representing $40.1 million in funding.
• Establishing Programs to Collect Consumer Electronics Batteries: Implementing projects that will assist States and local governments in the initiation or enhancement of battery collection, recycling, and reprocessing. Six projects were selected to do this through approaches including battery collection drop-off programs and deploying battery storage and sorting facilities, representing $7.2 million in funding.

This funding builds on previously announced investments in strengthening the domestic battery supply chain by supporting upstream materials processing to create the precursor materials for batteries including the more than $74 million announced to date to advance EV battery recycling and second-life applications.

Learn more about the projects selected for award negotiation here.

Battery Workforce Initiative

DOE in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announced the Battery Workforce Initiative (BWI)’s National Guideline Standards for registered apprenticeships for battery machine operators. Over 400 EV and battery manufacturing facilities have been announced in the U.S. in the past three years, according to DOE, underscoring the need to grow a skilled workforce.

The guidelines were created in partnership with battery manufacturers, community colleges and unions, with the intention of training the workforce needed to support the burgeoning EV industry.

The announcement took place in Lansing, Michigan near the Ultium Cells factory being built with support from DOE Loan Program Office. Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, will manage battery cell production at the three facilities located in Michigan, Tennessee and Ohio. The Ultium project alone is expected to create approximately more than 11,000 good-paying jobs—6,000 in construction jobs and 5,100 in operations—across the three facilities, including more than 700 United Auto Worker jobs in the newly-organized Warren, Ohio facility.

DOE reports that National Energy Technology Lab will launch the BWI Pilot Training this month. The next step will be to look at other jobs in the battery supply chain, and BWI is convening stakeholders working on battery-grade materials processing and recycling to determine the skills needed for that workforce.

Learn more about the Battery Workforce Initiative.

People on the move: SunPower, University of Houston, and more Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Schneider Electric and Mainspring offer multi-fuel microgrid solution Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Microgrid Solution can be paired with Mainspring Energy’s Linear Generator to produce and store carbon-free energy for continuous use.

Evaluating the profitability of vanadium flow batteries Researchers in Italy have estimated the profitability of future vanadium redox flow batteries based on real device and market parameters and found that market evolutions are heading to much more competitive systems, with capital costs down to €260/kWh at a storage duration of 10 hours.

Electrolyzer prices – what to expect In addition to the cost of electricity, the price of hydrogen depends largely on the up-front investment cost of the electrolyzer. The lower the full-load hours, the greater the impact. Analyst BloombergNEF (BNEF) sees a number of different possible pathways for the market to develop.

Report tracks emerging PV manufacturing hubs in Europe, North America Sinovoltaics is studying the changes in the supply chains in manufacturing hubs in Europe and North America to determine site capacity, current and planned, for dozens of manufacturers. The results are being published in free reports.

JinkoSolar claims top spot in 2023 PV module shipment rankings Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar says its solar module shipments reached 78.5 GW in 2023. This year, it says it hopes to sell up to 110 GW of panels.

Longi denies massive layoff plan, says job cuts could reach up to 5% Chinese solar manufacturer Longi has responded to recent media reports claiming that it might cut 30% of its global workforce.

Booming U.S. energy storage installation grows 90% year-over-year Lowered costs, easing supply chains and steady demand continued the energy storage boom, said a report from Wood Mackenzie.

Slowing distributed energy growth continues into 2024 Ohm Analytics reported that the 2.3 GW of distributed generation, which includes rooftop solar, deployed in Q4 2023 marked the end of a long period of growth. Roth MKM warns that if a turnaround does not occur soon, residential solar could decline by 20% to 30% in 2024.

Fluke introduces I-V curve tracer for utility-scale solar industry By adding the PVA-1500 Series I-V curve tracer to its portfolio, Fluke now offers tools for solar professionals servicing everything from the distributed generation to the utility-scale.

Vehicle-integrated photovoltaics for electric ground transport  Canadian custom module manufacturer Capsolar developed a vehicle integrated PV system (VIPV) for an electric material towing application, reportedly enabling 30% to 40% range increase per battery charge.

Solar can help with marijuana’s green problem Indoor cannabis growth was estimated to use 1% of all U.S. electricity consumption back in 2012, before any states had legalized it. This number has grown like a weed, creating an opportunity for solar to decarbonize operations.

Maryland community solar install to take just nine weeks due to unique mounting Using Erthos mounting system, which places panels directly on the land with no racking or trackers, the project is expected to be installed rapidly and save on land use.

Longroad Energy installing U.S.-made First Solar modules in Arizona solar-plus-storage plant The 220 MWdc solar and 214 MWac / 855 MWh Serrano solar-plus-storage project will also feature Powin’s BESS, Sungrow inverters, and Nextracker trackers.

Car batteries can optimize the power grid Australian researchers have found that if 10% of vehicles are electric and utilize V2G connections, they could reduce peak electricity demand at local substations by 6% and save car owners hundreds of dollars per year on charging costs.

Group challenges anti-renewables messaging of 50-state policy network The pro-renewables Energy and Policy Institute has challenged the state-level energy policy work of the State Policy Network, which reports annual revenues of $24 million and combined annual revenues across its 150 think tank members of $188 million.

Decarbonized aviation attracts venture capital Since 2016, some $2.4 billion worth of venture capital flowed to companies developing electric aviation and other air travel decarbonization technologies with a strong start in investment volume in 2024, according to Dealroom.co, a Dutch data and intelligence firm.

Gray skies over Californian solar There may be a global solar boom but a drastic revision of California’s net metering program has ruptured the industry overnight and is affecting everyone from installers to financiers to makers of power electronics, as Tristan Rayner reports.

U.S. steel solar module frames have one tenth embodied carbon of Chinese aluminum alternatives An independent study commissioned by Origami Solar and conducted by Boundless Impact Research & Analytics found that U.S.-made recycled steel module frames show a 90.4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional virgin material aluminum module frames shipped from China.

Research from Australia suggests that employing electric vehicle-to-grid (V2G) connections at a 10% penetration rate can reduce peak demand charges for local substations by 6% and substantially lower fueling costs for electric vehicle (EV) owners. However, without proper management, EV penetration levels above 20% could negate those benefits.

The study, ‘Network tariffs for V2G,’ conducted by enX and commissioned by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, aimed to explore the interaction between dynamic electricity and network tariffs (which are real-time, similar to wholesale pricing tools) and the increasing number of EVs connecting to the grid. The study also sought to understand how these EVs could help alleviate grid pressure in comparison to fixed time-of-use tariffs.

Findings indicate that V2G connections under dynamic pricing, specifically tariff types s3 & s6 in the chart above, led to the greatest substation peak demand shaving. These same dynamic pricing tariffs also saved significant amounts on EV owners’ electricity bills, with some V2G participants earning a net positive revenue on their vehicles’ electricity use, including one small account that covered 100% of their overall electricity use.

The analysis examined the load at the Metford substation in New South Wales, Australia, specifically focusing on one of the highest peak demand days of the year, March 6, 2023. On this day, the maximum peak demand reached 41.6 MW at 6pm. Under a dynamic pricing electricity and network tariff focused on peak shedding, the substation experienced a reduction of 2.54 MW in peak load. This reduction accounted for 6.29% of the substation’s peak demand value.

The analysis also found that an early morning peak is developing and expected to reach a high-stress point as V2G EVs hit a 20% uptake rate.

The dynamic pricing model achieved the most significant reduction in peak demand when applied to both network charges (including transmission, distribution, and demand-type charges) and electricity pricing. This model priced electricity based on current market rates, contrasting with time-of-use pricing that relies on fixed periods of higher and lower rates.

The analysis also revealed that a combination of bidirectional network support tariff and spot passthrough pricing (scenario s5) resulted in a reduction of 2.11 MW, nearly matching the 2.54 MW in savings from the optimal model. Models s3, s5, and s6 all generated significant savings for their car owners, as well as significant peak shaving for the substation.

In total, the analysis modeled 520 unique user accounts, including customers with solar power installations of varying sizes and diverse patterns of electricity usage. The study was motivated by projections for the year 2050, which predict a significant increase in EV battery capacity. According to the document, EV battery capacity is expected to reach approximately 2.4 TWh, four times the estimated power grid storage capacity of 0.64 TWh. The researchers emphasize that unlocking the potential of these batteries will be crucial for optimizing the power grids of the future.

What happens to the IRA under a new administration?  Norton Rose Fulbright conducted a live podcast with tax and legal experts who discussed what could be on the chopping block in the massive Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022.

DOE announces $9.5 million award for Iowa’s first microgrid project  The Montezuma project with a 3 MW solar installation and a battery energy storage system is expected to lower energy costs for residents by as much as 18% and to reduce transmission costs for the utility by 34%.

Primergy secures $588 million for 408 MW solar project in Texas Microsoft entered a power purchase agreement for 100% of the plant’s production.

Solar profits drying up The Invesco Solar exchange-traded fund (ETF) under-performed the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stock indexes in January 2024. Jesse Pichel, a managing director at Roth Capital Partners, attributes this to logistics and apparent cashflow problems for some solar companies.

The Chrysler Halcyon Concept, expected to launch in 2025, will run on lithium-sulfur battery technology from Lyten, a California-based manufacturer.

Lyten’s 800V lithium-sulfur batteries feature Lyten 3D graphene, a material that eliminates the need for nickel, cobalt or manganese in a battery cell. The compound is created by converting greenhouse gasses into solid carbon and hydrogen gas. Lyten states the hydrogen gas is repurposed as a clean fuel while the carbon is separated and formed into a three-dimensional substance called graphene. The battery manufacturer refers to graphene as a supermaterial due to its tunability. Graphene’s atoms can be engineered to bond with various elements on the periodic table, reducing the risk of thermal runaway while optimizing energy density, elasticity and lightness, among other variables.  

Lyten said its 800V lithium-sulfur batteries offer an energy density that ranges between 3000 Wh/kg and 600 Wh/kg. That’s about two times the energy density of batteries made from lithium-ion chemistries, including lithium-ion phosphate and lithium-ion-nickel-manganese-cobalt, which have an energy density that ranges between 100 Wh/kg and 400Wh/kg, according to the Clean Energy Institute at the University of Washington.

Lyten projects its batteries will result in a 170 kg weight reduction compared to applications using lithium-ion batteries due to the lightness of the 800 V product’s chemistry. Research published in Stanford Advanced Materials states that the lightweight nature of sulfur reduces the overall weight of the vehicle, thus enhancing efficiency.

Designing a cathode without nickel, cobalt, and manganese and an anode without graphite also has social, supply chain and economic benefits. Lyten does not need to rely on sourcing cobalt, a material that continues to raise concerns around environmental degradation and human rights abuses. The manufacturer’s graphene development process reduces the miles from resource extraction to final assembly from 50,000 to 3000, the company reports, as all materials are sourced and manufactured in the U.S.

“We believe our lithium-sulfur batteries represent the future battery platform of electric vehicles, sourced through entirely local supply chains and manufactured in the U.S., Europe, and eventually around the globe,” said Dan Cook, Lyten’s CEO and co-founder. “We’ve been able to dramatically accelerate the development timeline of lithium-sulfur through the discovery and commercialization of our graphene innovation.”

In June 2023, Lyten opened its first lithium-sulfur production facility in San Jose, California. The campus features a Graphene Lab and an automated lithium-sulfur production line that develops 200,000 cells each year. 

Lyten is working toward delivering commercial cells to non-EV and government consumers throughout the rest of this year. The company is configuring its graphene material to develop more lightweight solutions that charge faster and offer increased conductivity, optimum resistivity and permeability. Lyten is testing how to restore recycled materials to virgin properties while replacing non-recyclable polymers and composites with Graphene Polyethylene. Lyten says the substance offers over 40% more stiffness and over 22% more flexibility. 

The company reports it has raised over $410 million in funding to date, receiving investments from organizations including automobile corporation Stellantis, FedEx, and the multi-national product conglomerate Honeywell. 

Iowa State researchers and utility Montezuma Municipal Light & Power submitted a proposal to the Department of Energy (DOE) that called for a federal investment of roughly $9.5 million and a cost-share of $2.4 million from both University and Montezuma sources.

The project to be built in Montezuma would include a 3 MW solar installation with a battery energy storage system as well as two electric vehicle charging stations. The plan for the microgrid is to replace aging substations, load monitoring and control systems. The utility expects that the microgrid will lower energy costs for residents by as much as 18%. It is also expected to reduce transmission costs for the utility by 34% and reduce its energy purchases.

Montezuma, population 1,400 is a manufacturing and farming community and, according to Anne Kimber, director of the Electric Power Research Center and a co-leader of the project, “people depend on it for city and county services, schools, health care, shopping, and employment”.  She noted that during a major wind storm in 2020, the town used diesel generators to keep the power on. The microgrid solution, however, will be a clean energy solution.

Kimber said the design of this project design being replicated by other communities. There’s also an educational and training aspect as the Research Center will use a digital twin of the microgrid that will be tested with partners that include schools and an area Tribal Nation. The hope is to “build an energy workforce that can design, build and operate other resilient systems like this,” Kimber said.

“This project will make the entire town of Montezuma the very first utility-scale microgrid in Iowa with the best reliability and resilience,” said Zhaoyu Wang, project leader and a Northrop Grumman associate professor at Iowa State. “The Montezuma microgrid will revolutionize and modernize the Montezuma Municipal Light and Power system by integrating smart grid technologies. It will be a model for other rural utilities.”

The $9.5 million from the DOE is part of the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas program managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. The program recently announced total funding of more than $366 million for 17 projects across 20 states and 30 Tribal Nations and communities.

This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is intended to support community-driven energy projects, such as microgrids for community health centers, which strengthen energy security and delivers economic opportunities in rural and remote regions.

A live podcast by Norton Rose Fulbright drew an audience of over 4,000 people to listen to three tax and legal experts discuss how a Republican administration would handle the Inflation Reduction Act.

Participants included the moderator, Keith Martin, co-head of projects, U.S.; John Gimigliano, principal-in-charge, federal tax and regulatory services, KPMG; Joe Mikrut, partner, Capitol Tax Partners.

As background, since passage of the IRA in August 2022, over $240 billion has been invested in clean energy manufacturing and infrastructure projects, according to a White House report. This includes over $86 billion invested in nearly 300 new solar, wind, and battery energy storage projects. A recent report from Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America indicates that the resulting job growth has been strong, with over 170,000 direct jobs created and as many as 1.5 million new jobs in clean energy that can be expected by 2030.

Former President Trump has said that, if elected, he plans to scrap the Inflation Reduction Act on day one. Mikrut pointed out that for that to happen, other Republicans would also have to control the legislative process, the House and the Senate. While that may happen, he said Republicans are “likely to have a pretty slim majority in either body or both bodies.” He noted that a slim majority doesn’t mean the legislation will move forward.

However, supposing that the IRA is on the table, Mikrut said several provisions have bipartisan support, including carbon capture, hydrogen, fuel credits and possibly domestic manufacturing tax credits.

Gimigliano added that a major motivation for Republicans to repeal these provisions would be to reduce spending to support tax cut extensions. Tax cuts enacted in 2017 under Trump are set to expire in 2025.

The panelists agreed that Republicans will be hard pressed to win an effective majority in the Senate where anything controversial usually requires 60 votes to pass, as that would require winning at least 11 Senate seats. However, some form of rollback is possible by using a budget reconciliation process. Mikrut said he thinks the major focus, regardless of the outcome of the election, will be on the expiration of the tax cuts and Jobs Act provisions.

Martin summarized that the panelists don’t see an IRA rollback as a standalone debate; it would be in the context of extending the 2017 tax cuts, which would become the top priority, and that debate would probably stretch into early 2026.

Mikrut expects the electric vehicle provisions in IRA to be reexamined. “They have been the most controversial both when they were enacted, as well as the way they’ve been implemented,” he said. And if you’re reexamining EV credits, he sees an examination of 45X, which provides tax credits for batteries and critical minerals that go into EVs.

The panelists noted that much of the new factory construction that is resulting from the 45X tax credit offered to manufacturers that make components for solar, wind and storage projects, is in Republican districts.

The group said repeal of the IRA may not be an all-or-nothing scenario, and a potential new administration may tweak or remove the things they don’t like. Republicans have already given a glimpse of what they would do in the Build it in America Act introduced in the Ways and Means Committee.

The panel said that the clock is ticking on legislation, particularly guidance released by the Treasury, because a new administration and Republican Congress could use the Congressional Review Act to roll back any regulations that go into effect in the last 60 legislative days of the current Congress. Treasury just released final regulations on the direct-pay program for state local governments and tax-exempt entities that own renewable energy projects.

From pv magazine global

Worksport, a Canadian company with manufacturing in New York and China, announced a protective solar cover and kit for pickup trucks. The kit includes a battery and an inverter and is meant to be a portable power source for leisure activities, such as camping, or as a temporary backup to recharge electronics or small appliances during power outages.

Conceived for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV), the solar tonneau cover, Solis, will be sold in a kit with a Worksport inverter, Hub, and a 2000 W, 120 V AC 60 Hz rechargeable battery, dubbed Cor.

The kit is intended as an off-grid energy solution for consumers. “We will begin sales with the North American market and will eventually expand to global markets,” a company spokesperson told pv magazine.

The initial Solis truck bed cover is designed for the Ford-F150 Lightning. The solar modules contain M10 cells with 22% efficiency provided by an undisclosed supplier. “We will use flexible mono-crystalline cells that provide 170 W/m2, after conversion. The weight will be between 10 kg and 11 kg per m2,” they added. The performance figures are considered under 1000 W/m² solar irradiance.

The company will be marketing the product in a kit that includes truckbed mounting brackets and cables.

The battery is a 2000 W, unit with 1534 kWh, 120 V AC, 60 Hz capacity. It has a lithium nickel, cobalt and manganese (Li-NCM) battery cell. The rated voltage is 48 V and the minimum voltage is 40.3 V. The battery’s maximum discharge current is 60 A, and the maximum charge current is 20 A. The discharge temperature is -20 C to 65 C while the battery charging temperature range is 0 C to 55 C.

The inverter unit has an output frequency of 60 Hz, and maximum output power of 3 kW. It has a 200 Wh hot swap capacity, overload protection, 4 DC outlets, plus ports for USB and cigarette lighter connector charging.

Solis is not yet available for purchase. Worksport said in a statement that products are in the testing phase. The final prices are not confirmed. Estimated price for the battery is $1,499, including the inverter, one external battery, and charging cables. Bundled with Solis, the price is estimated to be $3,499.

Some of the scenarios seen by Worksport besides camping, include charging devices, such as cellphones, tablets, or other electronics, during power outages in the home or office. It is not meant for charging electric vehicle (EV) charging systems. The company said it may develop such technology in the future as its internal estimates suggested that the PV cover could provide enough charging to provide a potential additional range of up to 10 miles a day.

The solar cover will also be available on standard internal combustion engine trucks, according to the company.

Tribal solar on the rise Native American lands boast serious PV potential in the United States but getting projects off the ground hasn‘t always been easy. Different tribes are willing to take power generation into their own hands and the landscape could be shifting, thanks to funding from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other programs.

Fully printable flexible perovskite solar cell achieves 17.6% efficiency Developed by scientists in Canada, the 0.049 cm2 solar cell was built in ambient air fabricationand with a reactant known as phenyltrimethylammonium chloride (PTACl). It achieved an open-circuit voltage of 0.95 V, a short-circuit current density of 23 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 80%.

First Solar could have $5 billion impact on U.S. economy by 2026 A study commissioned by First Solar analyzed the company’s actual and forecast U.S. spending in 2023 and 2026 when the company expects to have 14 GW of annual nameplate capacity across Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio.

California needs 10 GW of solar deployment in five years, 57.5 GW of new solar added by 2045 For context, the state has about 43GW installed cumulatively to date, according to SEIA. The state’s new 2035 electricity emissions goals include 19 GW of new solar power, 20.6 GW of new wind and 15.7 GW of new battery power.

Construction begins on largest utility-owned solar project in New Hampshire ReVision Energy is building the 4.9 MW solar project on 36 acres of vacant land in Kingston, New Hampshire.

Arizona approves “discriminatory” charge on rooftop solar customers The Arizona Corporation Commission approved a request from utility APS to raise rates and add a punitive charge to rooftop solar customers.

Fire department nets 40% tax credit and $18,000 state rebate for rooftop solar A fire station in Superior, Wisconsin will save on energy bills and cut emissions with solar.

WeaveGrid, Toyota join forces to optimize EV grid charging in utility territories The partnership currently exists in WeaveGrid’s utility programs in Michigan, Maryland, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Minnesota.

Millions in government funding to advance batteries for planes, trains, and maritime transport Arpa-e announced twelve research awards totaling $15 million to develop electric airplanes, electric railroads and ships servicing the continental U.S.

Field service bridging the gap in solar adoption Three strategies to manage and reduce project costs, access new talent pools and upskill workers, and positively influence public opinion about the worth of these projects.

Nova Scotia launches heat pump initiative Partnering with Canada’s Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program will enable LMI households to receive funding to cover the full cost of switching to a heat pump.

California solar and storage project secures $1.1 billion Arevon Energy secured the funds for a 374 MW solar project with co-located energy storage.