Focus

Corporate renewables procurement accounted for nearly a quarter of all deals in 2018

■Greentech Media - February 5

According to a new report from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables (WoodMac), corporate contracts accounted for 22 percent of 2018 power purchase agreements for renewables in the U.S. The dramatic rise in corporate deals puts the sector on par with solar purchases driven by renewable portfolio standard policies, according to Colin Smith, senior solar analyst at WoodMac. Based on WoodMac’s numbers, the U.S. now has over 8.8 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity tied to corporate and industrial customers. The research firm puts the current pipeline of projects at over 6.8 gigawatts and forecasts that projects in development could top 10 gigawatts by the end of this year.

Read More

News

Solar panel installation is the fastest-growing job sector in eight different states

■Huffington Post - February 4

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and forecasts from the government-backed Projections Managing Partnership, Yahoo Finance researchers mapped out the top jobs by growth rate. Solar panel installation is the fastest-growing job in eight different states: California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, Minnesota, and New Jersey. Demand for the position is projected to grow 105 percent by 2026, significantly faster than the national rate.

Read More

Community solar developers get creative to finance large projects

■Next City - February 6

Community solar developers are coming up with new financing models to help communities become self-sufficient, energy-wise, without having to give up ownership. One such model is Co-Op Power’s tax-equity flip partnership. It takes a page from the affordable housing world, where investors purchase tax credits from affordable housing developers. Local Clean Energy Alliance in Oakland recently launched the People Power Solar Cooperative, which is financing solar installs through yet another method. More than 70 members will buy shares in People Power, and those owners will then earn returns when the first customer to receive a solar system on her roof starts saving money on her electricity bill and pays some of the savings back to members.

READ MORE

After historic partnership, three cities will control 2,500-acre Tres Hermanos Ranch with SGVWP solar proposal

■San Gabriel Valley Tribune - February 5

Ending three years of legal battles over one of the largest remaining open spaces in Southern California, Diamond Bar and Chino Hills have agreed to pay $4 million to gain partial ownership of the 2,500-acre Tres Hermanos Ranch. Together with the City of Industry, the three cities will control the property through a seven-member board called the Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority. The agreement ends years of legal entanglements prompted by Industry’s efforts to build a massive solar project without consulting Diamond Bar or Chino Hills. The solar project’s developer, San Gabriel Valley Water and Power (SGVWP) has contested Industry’s termination of a lease to the property. In a letter Tuesday, SGVWP threatened legal action against Industry and the other cities if they moved to “limit the use of the property.”

READ MORE

Legislation introduced to protect Southern California desert

■The Sun - January 31

Bipartisan legislation was introduced in January with the goal of protecting 716,000 acres of regional desert in Southern California, adding a swath nearly as big as Rhode Island to regional land that’s already under protection. In addition to protecting certain off-road and recreation areas, the identical bills, sponsored by Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, and California Senator Dianne Feinstein, aim to protect more than 375,500 acres of wilderness area. The legislation would also prohibit the development of renewable energy facilities on about 28,000 acres of BLM land near Juniper Flats.

READ MORE

Projects

Sunworks developing 1.5-MW solar project with battery storage

■Solar Industry Magazine - February 5

Sunworks Inc. is building a new 1.5-megawatt solar power and battery storage project at Kingston Technology’s corporate headquarters in Fountain Valley, California. Construction is expected to commence in mid-2019 after required utility company approvals.

Read More

Schneider Electric to expand microgrid project at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

■Solar Power World - February 6

Schneider Electric will expand its microgrid project at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego to boost resilience. A California Energy Commission Electric Program Investment Charge grant will enable the $3.9 million project that will add energy storage to the solar, landfill gas, and natural gas microgrid and integrate demand side management. Upon completion, it will incorporate a total of five distributed energy resources to maintain all critical facilities during grid outages and facilitate higher renewable penetration from landfill gas generators.

Read More