World
Newsom strikes down bill to help reduce electric demand despite unanimous approval
Gov. Newsom said the bill would not have improved electric grid reliability planning because it did “not align with the California Public Utility Commission’s Resource Adequacy framework.” Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill to provide demand-side electricity savings after it sailed through the state’s Assembly and Senate, with all 119 voting lawmakers unanimously approving the […]
DOE guts $7.5 billion in energy funding, exclusively in Democrat-led states
The Department of Energy announced the cancellation of financial awards for manufacturing, clean energy demonstrations, energy efficiency and renewable energy, grid deployment, advanced research projects and fossil energy in 16 states – all of which voted Democrat in the 2024 presidential election. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the termination of 321 financial awards supporting […]
Conventional C&I solar sales techniques are broken. Here’s how to fix them
For commercial & industrial solar, getting the initial “yes” is only half the battle. The real challenge is keeping momentum and closing multi-stakeholder deals that often stall for no clear reason. After decades of relying on traditional sales techniques, I realized that success in today’s long-cycle projects demands a fundamental shift from micromanagement to vision […]
As bidirectional EV charging grows, utility group suggests requiring interconnection
Interconnection of bidirectional EV chargers can enable grid compensation for EV owners while enhancing safety, says a report that offers comprehensive guidance for regulators. The Smart Electric Power Alliance has issued a report advising regulators how to prepare for broader customer adoption of electric vehicles and EV chargers capable of exporting energy from the EV battery to […]
After years of legal challenges, New Mexico celebrates its first community solar project
After the New Mexico’s investor-owned utilities fought against New Mexico’s community solar program, bringing it all the way to the state’ supreme court, New Mexico is celebrating the completion of its first community solar project. More than three years after New Mexico passed its community solar act, New Mexico first community solar project will soon […]
Western wildfires, storms cut solar gains in the West while Eastern US sees boost
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that trontal systems, widespread wildfires and an omega block pattern contributed to highly mixed irradiance anomalies across North America in September. Solar conditions underperformed in much of the West and Midwest, while the Northeast, South, and parts of Canada recorded a strong […]
Why California’s closed $2 billion solar plant is not a signal of industry failure
Beginning operations in 2014, the Ivanpah Solar plant in California cost $2.2 billion to build. It is now closing operations, but the plant’s closure is not an indication cost problems for the solar industry. Headlines have been circulating major news outlets around the impending closure of the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, a $2.2 billion project […]
Freight costs steady after early September spike
Freight costs, which contribute towards the total cost of a solar installation, have fallen week-on-week on trade lines out of the Far East, helping to offset a price surge in the US-bound short-term market recorded at the start of September. From pv magazine Global Freight container shipping spot rates have declined week-on-week, with a spike […]
California required new hardware for dynamic pricing, and manufacturers built it
As California works to launch opt-in dynamic pricing of electricity that favors low-cost renewables, three manufacturers now offer 73 models of a type of price-responsive device. For dynamic pricing of electricity to work in California, devices that can respond to price signals must be available. The first set of such devices is now on the […]
Astrobotic, Honda developing vertical solar, storage solution for lunar missions
Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic and Honda’s North American subsidiary are working on integrating Astrobotic’s vertical solar array technology with Honda’s regenerative fuel cell system to develop a power and storage solution capable of supporting prolonged exploration of the moon. From pv magazine Global American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Astrobotic Technology, Inc. have entered into […]