Avista Utilities Develops Energy Storage Project In Washington

on March 15, 2016

cleantechnica

This country’s utilities are addressing disruptive changes taking place in a number of different ways. Some adhere to more standard business models, moving at a painstaking snail’s pace in order to make any kind of change, no matter how timely the alterations. Then there are others who are embracing innovation, looking at the universe of changing technologies as an open door to new business opportunities.

Include Washington-based Avista Utilities on the list of utilities embracing the disruptive technologies which are presently happening across the industry, such as battery storage technology, and leveraging it for a new business model called “economies of scope” – a model Avista believes is the future of the utility business.

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
CleanTechnicaAvista Utilities Develops Energy Storage Project In Washington

Where micro-grids, emerging markets and flow batteries intersect

on March 15, 2016

Energy-Storage-News

Much of the discussion regarding renewables and energy storage takes place from the perspective of advanced economies that have strong, well developed, and highly reliable grid infrastructure providing power as needed.

What is missed often in these discussions is that while energy storage has an increasingly important role to play in the “strong grid” regions, it has a highly critical, almost essential, role to play in vast regions of the world that are more typically associated with high cost energy, such as islands, weak and/or intermittent grids (which exist on at least three continents), or even no grid at all, which applies to approximately 20% of the global population that is believed to have no access to electric power. From an energy sector perspective, these regions are often referred to as emerging markets.

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
Energy Storage NewsWhere micro-grids, emerging markets and flow batteries intersect

How Distributed Battery Storage Will Surpass Grid-Scale Storage in the US by 2020

on March 15, 2016

greentech media

In 2020, America’s energy storage market will likely surpass 1.6 gigawatts — making it 28 times bigger than it was in 2015.

The U.S. market in 2020 will be defined not just by higher volumes, but by diversity in project types. While large storage projects on the utility’s side of the meter currently dominate deployments, smaller batteries in homes and businesses on the customer’s side of the meter will become the biggest segment in terms of capacity in the next four years.

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
GreenTech MediaHow Distributed Battery Storage Will Surpass Grid-Scale Storage in the US by 2020

DOE picks winners in Round 1 of USD-20m clean energy support scheme

on March 14, 2016

SeeNews-Renewables

March 11 (SeeNews) – The US Department of Energy (DOE) has picked 33 small businesses, including entities focused on solar, wind and wave power, to work directly with DOE national labs on the development of clean energy projects.

The particular businesses were chosen as part of Round 1 of the new Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. They will receive nearly USD 6.7 million (EUR 6m) in vouchers that can be used to perform collaborative research or access lab equipment or facilities, so they can move their innovative ideas and technologies closer to the marketplace, the DOE said in a press release on Thursday.

The investment under the first round of the USD-20-million SBV programme will be made by the department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The vouchers that are being awarded range from USD 50,000 to USD 300,000.

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
SeeNews RenewablesDOE picks winners in Round 1 of USD-20m clean energy support scheme

Cumulative global installed PV to reach 310 GW by end of 2016

on March 14, 2016

Renewable-Energy-Focus

By the end of 2016, cumulative global installed photovoltaic (PV) installations will surpass 310 gigawatts (GW), compared to just 40 GW at the end of 2010, according to IHS.

Five countries account for 70% of this capacity; China, the United States, Japan, Germany and Italy. With annual installations stalling, IHS claims that Germany will fall from the second-largest installed base for PV to the fourth largest, surpassed by the United States and Japan.

“A continued stagnation of major European PV markets due to weaker financial incentives has caused PV additions in Europe to slow dramatically in recent years, but global demand remains strong,” said Josefin Berg, senior analyst of solar demand for IHS Technology. “The supply chain continues to benefit from a period of relatively stable pricing, and there could be a new wave of capacity expansions.”

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
Renewable Energy FocusCumulative global installed PV to reach 310 GW by end of 2016

Duke Energy trialing innovative storage system in N Carolina

on March 14, 2016

SeeNews-Renewables

March 11 (SeeNews) – US utility Duke Energy Corp (NYSE:DUK) is testing hybrid ultracapacitor-battery energy storage system at one of its substations in North Carolina, it said Thursday.

The 100-kW/300-kWh storage system, said to be the first of its kind, went online last month. It will be used to demonstrate applications, including extended operational life, rapid response, real-time solar smoothing and load shifting. There is a 1.2-MW solar installation connected near the substation.

“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,” said Thomas Golden, technology development manager for Duke Energy.

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
SeeNews RenewablesDuke Energy trialing innovative storage system in N Carolina

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. 

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
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.

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
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.

Click Here to Read Full Article

read more
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.”

Click Here to Read Full Article

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

Recent Posts