Energy Storage in the News
September 30, 2019
Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) has announced two power purchase agreements with an average price of 2.2¢/kWh. While the exact pricing on either of the two projects was withheld, it is probable both of these projects have set pricing records for the United States.
Energy Storage in the News
September 30, 2019
The Republic of Nauru, like many Pacific Ocean island states relies almost entirely on diesel generators for its power. However, the government has decided raise the share of renewables in the power mix of the 21km² nation from 3% to 47% with a large-scale solar-plus-storage project. The power plant will have a solar capacity of 6 MW and 5 MW/2.5 MWh of storage. The system will be fully automated and integrated with the existing diesel system to optimize solar energy use, enable optimal battery energy storage system charging and discharging and allow optimal shut-off of the diesel engines.
Energy Storage in the News
September 30, 2019
A 72 MW/72 MWH battery system owned by a global independent power producer is expected to soon start providing grid services in PJM territory, signaling the storage industry’s increasing maturation and ability to compete with traditional resources. Industry supporters have argued that getting more storage online to support renewables integration and provide other grid benefits would require compensation schemes that allow storage to compete.
Energy Storage in the News
September 30, 2019
The first residents of an all-electric and energy efficient community — the largest battery demand response project in the United States — are settling into new apartments. Their cars are tucked neatly beneath solar panel covers and their electric cars can plug into charging ports. Inside each apartment in the Soleil Lofts development, a battery is humming. When complete, the planned community’s 22 buildings will have 600 apartment units with 12.6 MWh of battery storage, 5.2 MW of solar panels, 150 stalls of EV chargers and an overriding focus on energy efficiency. Utility access to the 600 batteries will turn the complex into a grid resource.
Energy Storage in the News
September 30, 2019
With bipartisan support, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week advanced a comprehensive energy storage package, reported as an amendment to the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act. Introduced by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the BEST Act would require the federal government to support energy storage research and demonstration projects. Along with the attached bills, it would open a standardized path for utilities to recover storage costs in federal rate proceedings. The measure now heads to the full Senate, where supporters say there is enthusiasm.
Energy Storage in the News
September 27, 2019
In California, it’s not just vulnerable families and critical services that could use battery-backed solar systems to ride through wildfire-prevention power outages. Farms also have critical energy needs, like pumping water to crops on set schedules, or chilling them after harvest, that could face significant disruption under the state’s new wildfire prevention regime. CalCom Energy, a long-time solar and energy services provider for California’s agricultural sector, thinks it has a solution. This week, the Fresno-based developer launched a $100 million Agriculture Energy Infrastructure Fund, aimed at combining low-cost solar power-purchase agreements with the backup power of energy storage.
Energy Storage in the News
September 26, 2019
Panasonic has launched a lithium-ion storage solution for residential solar installations. The company said its EverVolt storage system is available in the U.S. in AC and DC-coupled versions and boasts a storage capacity ranging from 5.7 kWh up to to 34.2 kWh. The Japanese electronics giant added the system is compatible with all kinds of PV technologies and inverters and can be tailored to homeowner needs. Panasonic said owners can monitor their systems with bespoke software and a user-friendly app.
Energy Storage in the News
September 26, 2019
California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) is one of the longest-running and most successful distributed generation incentive programs in the country. It has evolved several times since its inception, and a recent decision by the Public Utilities Commission moves SGIP in several important new directions in response to fresh challenges faced by the state.
Energy Storage in the News
September 26, 2019
In 2014, the vast majority of storage projects Greensmith Energy was working on might have best been described as science projects, often dependent on grants or utility R&D budgets devoted to figuring out emerging technologies. Today, potential projects are evaluated primarily on their business case. The reason most energy storage projects these days are driven by solid financial returns is because there are more and more ways to generate revenue. It’s a testament to just how much the economics of battery storage and the renewables it supports have improved in less than a few years.
Energy Storage in the News
September 25, 2019
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the 15 winners of Phase 1 of the Battery Recycling Prize, a prize that aims to reclaim and recycle critical materials (e.g., cobalt and lithium) from lithium-based battery technology. For a total of $1 million in prizes, these projects focus on cost-effective recycling processes to recover as much economic value as possible from spent lithium-ion batteries.
