Focus
U.S. surpasses 2 million solar installations
■Solar Power World - May 9
The U.S. is now home to more than 2 million solar PV installations, according to Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The mark comes just three years after the industry completed its millionth installation, a feat that took 40 years to accomplish. Wood Mackenzie forecasts that there will be 3 million installations in 2021 and 4 million in 2023, continuing the swift rise of solar. California represented 51 percent of the first million installations but accounted for 43 percent of the second million.
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News
Solar industry braces for ITC stepdown while making the case for another extension
■Greentech Media - May 14
The U.S. solar industry is preparing for the phaseout of the federal Investment Tax Credit. At the same time, voices calling for an extension of the ITC or a softening of its decline are getting louder. “Climate change is topical thanks to the Green New Deal, among other things,” SunPower CEO Tom Werner said onstage Tuesday at Greentech Media's Solar Summit in Phoenix. “We need to do something about climate change, and the most straightforward thing is to extend the ITC and the [wind Production Tax Credit].” 2019 is the last year that the solar industry can take advantage of the ITC’s full 30 percent value before it incrementally steps down to 10 percent in 2022 and beyond for commercial and utility projects. The credit drops to zero for residential installations in 2022.
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The Venetian strikes deal to remain with NV Energy
■Las Vegas Review-Journal - May 13
Four years after Las Vegas Sands Corp. first applied to leave NV Energy and six months after they were on opposing sides of the most expensive ballot question campaign in state history, the two companies have reached a long-term deal to supply energy for The Venetian. NV Energy announced Monday that the two companies have recommitted to a partnership that advances renewable energy at the resort. In 2016, Sands became one of the first companies to explore leaving NV Energy. Since then, six companies have departed the utility to pursue more renewable options and cheaper rates.
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How LADWP uses two lakes to store energy like a giant battery
■LAist - May 13
If Los Angeles is going to stop burning fossil fuels by 2045, a key goal of Mayor Eric Garcetti's proposed Green New Deal, it must store more of the excess solar and wind energy it produces during the day so it doesn't have to rely on gas and coal energy to power the city when the sun sets and the wind dies. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has turned two big lakes into a giant battery capable of storing enough energy to power tens of thousands of homes. The Castaic Lake plant is one of the largest pumped storage plants in the western United States, but maybe not for long. LADWP is looking at building an even larger plant at Hoover Dam, which could come online by 2030.
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Investors face $1.2T in costs from climate change inaction
■Smart Cities Dive - May 13
Inaction on climate change could cost the world’s top companies $1.2 trillion over the next 15 years, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Finance Initiative project reflecting the input of 20 institutional investors from 11 countries. The report calls on corporations and financial institutions to develop long-range assessments of climate change-associated risks and opportunities. Government-driven policies to fight climate change pose risks for the utility, transportation, agriculture, and mining sectors. The report recommends that investments in low-carbon technology opportunities can offset the potential losses from those sectors, as well as the high cost of complying with greenhouse gas reduction policies.
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Projects
New battery storage technology connected to California power grid
■San Diego Union-Tribune - May 6
The California Independent System Operator has become one of the first wholesale power markets to connect an innovative battery storage technology to its system. Located at the Miguel substation in Bonita, a flow battery system installed by San Diego Gas & Electric has undergone testing and fine-tuning as part of a four-year pilot project to develop storage technologies aimed at integrating more renewable energy sources into California’s grid. The SDG&E flow battery storage system will provide 2 megawatts and 8 megawatt-hours of energy, enough to power about 1,000 homes for up to four hours.
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New microgrid operating at Camp Pendleton
■Microgrid Knowledge - May 13
The U.S. Marine Corps has begun operating a $1 million microgrid at its Camp Pendleton base near San Diego. Deemed a net zero energy project, the CleanSpark designed and built microgrid incorporates both off-grid and grid-connected renewables. CleanSpark estimates the microgrid will pay for itself in about 10 years, longer than the four to seven-year payback CleanSpark often sees for similarly sized commercial and industrial microgrids. The longer payback is partially due to the inability of government facilities to leverage federal or state tax credits or other incentives.
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Solar carport serves multiple purposes for Bakersfield medical clinic
■Solar Industry Magazine - May 10
The Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center in Bakersfield has been providing care for cancer patients for decades. Now known as the West Coast’s biggest free-standing cancer center, CBCC has benefited from a solar carport system for the past couple of years. At 1.3 megawatts, the project produces more than 2 million kilowatt-hours of “local clean power” each year, which translates to offsetting the equivalent of more than 1,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.
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