Cheaper Battery Technology for Solar Storage

on March 14, 2016

energy-harvesting-journal

Researchers at WMG, University of Warwick have formed a new research partnership with battery technology innovators Faradion, and smart energy storage specialists Moixa Technology, to develop sodium-ion cells as a significantly lower cost alternative to lithium-ion batteries for solar energy storage. This collaboration is being part funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.

A significant proportion of the cost of current solar energy storage systems comes from the commonly used lithium-ion battery. However by using highly abundant sodium salts rather than lithium, Sodium-ion cells are anticipated to be 30% cheaper to produce. This makes solar storage more accessible and opening up the possibility of domestic renewable energy storage to a greater number of households and businesses worldwide. Developments in this area could lead to a CO2 reduction of 500,000 tonnes each year. 

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Energy Harvesting JournalCheaper Battery Technology for Solar Storage

Vivint cancels $2 billion deal with struggling SunEdison

on March 12, 2016

FuelFix

Financially strapped SunEdison saw its $2.2 billion acquisition of Vivint Solar rooftop solar company abruptly canceled Tuesday by Vivint.

Vivint cited an alleged “willful breach of the merger agreement” by SunEdison as the reason for pulling out of the deal. The acquisition was widely criticized for months by investors who have bemoaned how leveraged SunEdison is with debt after making too many acquisitions.

SunEdison quickly grew into the world’s largest renewable energy developer and is building a handful of solar and wind farms in West Texas and the Panhandle. The company is headquartered in Missouri with an operational base near San Francisco.

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FuelFixVivint cancels $2 billion deal with struggling SunEdison

EIA: More Than 80 Percent of 2015’s Retired Generating Capacity was Coal-Fired

on March 12, 2016

power_engineer

Nearly 18 GW of electric generating capacity was retired in 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and more than 80 percent of that was coal-fired.

About 30 percent of those coal retirements happened in April after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule went into effect.

According to the EIA, some plants applied for and received one-year extensions and will retire this April. Several plants received additional extensions beyond April 2016 based on their roles in grid reliability.

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PowerEngineeringEIA: More Than 80 Percent of 2015’s Retired Generating Capacity was Coal-Fired

Prospects for Wind, Solar, Storage, DR Dominate Talk at ERCOT Market Summit

on March 12, 2016

RTO-Insider

AUSTIN, Texas — Energy storage, demand response and solar have a place alongside wind in the Texas market, speakers at Infocast’s ERCOT Market Summit said last week.

PTC Reductions will Challenge Wind

Susan Williams Sloan, the American Wind Energy Association’s vice president for state policy, said the extension of the wind production tax credit provides “five years of certainty. It’s what we have been looking for to compete in this industry, which requires so much capital.”

Matthew Burt, senior vice president for Renewable Energy Systems, said the gradual reduction of the PTC will be a challenge to the wind industry. Over “the next few years … we have to get the prices down,” he said. “The wind itself is free, but the equipment is very expensive.”

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RTO InsiderProspects for Wind, Solar, Storage, DR Dominate Talk at ERCOT Market Summit

NatGas Generation to Surpass Coal in 2016: EIA NatGas Generation to Surpass Coal in 2016: EIA

on March 11, 2016

power_engineer

Natural gas-fired power generation is expected to surpass coal in 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The EIA on Tuesday released its March Short-Term Energy Outlook, which projects natural gas will fuel 33.4 percent of the country’s power generation in 2016 compared to coal’s 32 percent.

The March forecast marks the first time the EIA has projected natural gas-fired generation to surpass coal on an annual average basis.

The EIA expects coal production to total about 784 million short tons (st) this year, 12.4 percent less than 2015 and a 21.4-percent drop from 2014.

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PowerEngineeringNatGas Generation to Surpass Coal in 2016: EIA NatGas Generation to Surpass Coal in 2016: EIA

National Grid to Launch a First-of-Its-Kind Solar Marketplace

on March 11, 2016

greentech media

This spring, National Grid will launch a new online marketplace that allows customers in Rhode Island to shop for solar and receive an incentive for improving energy efficiency at the same time.

SolarWise Rhode Island is part of National Grid’s 2016 Rhode Island Renewable Energy Growth Program, which launched last year. The initiative will help the state meet its goal to increase the amount of electricity generated by customer-owned equipment by 160 megawatts over a five-year period.

National Grid is partnering with EnergySage to deliver the SolarWise program. Through EnergySage’s online marketplace, customers will be able to compare solar options for their home or business and receive competitive quotes from preapproved installers. National Grid is the first electric utility company in the nation to offer a transparent platform for the purchase of distributed solar.

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GreenTech MediaNational Grid to Launch a First-of-Its-Kind Solar Marketplace

‘Game-ifying’ demand response: How one utility tries to keep DR programs fresh for customers

on March 11, 2016

Utility-Drive

What used to be considered distinct methods of modifying demand – energy efficiency, demand response, behavioral-driven load shifts – are increasingly coming together in customer facing programs. While the load and revenues associated may still be distinct for the utility, a key to engaging customers is in presenting a cohesive message they can act around.

“The customer experience is seamless,” said America Lesh, manager of energy efficiency programs for Baltimore Gas & Electric. “They don’t need to know that these are separate programs. That’s even true of the energy efficiency space. Customers want to pick something, set it and forget it.”

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Utility Dive‘Game-ifying’ demand response: How one utility tries to keep DR programs fresh for customers

Duke Energy to put Aquion batteries to the test in North Carolina

on March 10, 2016

homer-microgrid-news

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Duke Energy has started testing a first-of-its-kind battery technology at its Rankin Substation in Gaston County, N.C.

The hybrid ultracapacitor-battery energy storage system (HESS) will demonstrate multiple service applications: extended operational life, rapid response, real-time solar smoothing and load shifting.

“This approach will allow our energy storage systems to do a variety of tasks,” said Thomas Golden, technology development manager for Duke Energy. “With so many solar installations in North Carolina, we must look for innovative ways to better incorporate renewable energy into our system – and still provide reliable service at a competitive price for our customers.”

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Homer Microgrid NewsDuke Energy to put Aquion batteries to the test in North Carolina

50MW of Energy Storage To Replace Gas-Fired Plants In South California

on March 10, 2016

Energy-Storage-Forum

A joint venture between Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) and SunEdison Inc. will see 50MW of energy storage systems delivered to the electric utility Southern California Edison(SCE). The project will locate battery storage systems on-site at commercial and industrial customers’ premises. SCE has bought capacity from the two companies under a 10 year contract, and is part of their plan to add 2.2 GW of cleaner resources, including the integration of renewables and energy storage systems by 2022.

The AMS ‘Hybrid-Electric Buildings’ Project makes use of a large network of batteries integrated in specific buildings where the electric utility requires grid support. The additional energy produced will aim to off-set and eventually replace the energy currently being produced by conventional gas-fired plants, as well as the recently decommissioned San Onofre nuclear plant. The project will mark the first time SCE taps into energy stored by their own customers to provide grid support during peak hours.

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Energy Storage Forum50MW of Energy Storage To Replace Gas-Fired Plants In South California

US Solar Market Sets New Record, Installing 7.3GW of Solar PV in 2015

on March 10, 2016

greentech media

In yet another record-breaking year, the solar industry in the United States installed 7,286 megawatts of solar PV in 2015. GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association announced the historic figures today ahead of the March 9 release of the U.S. Solar Market Insight report.

For the first time ever, solar beat out natural-gas capacity additions, with solar supplying 29.5 percent of all new electric generating capacity in the U.S. in 2015. Led by California, North Carolina, Nevada, Massachusetts and New York, the U.S. solar market experienced a year-over-year growth rate of 17 percent. Geographically, the market continues to diversify with 13 states installing more than 100 megawatts each in 2015.

States that made major solar strides include Utah, which jumped in the rankings from 23rd to 7th place, and Georgia, which moved from 16th to 8th in the nation.

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GreenTech MediaUS Solar Market Sets New Record, Installing 7.3GW of Solar PV in 2015

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