Renewable Energy Focus
PV-Tech - Jun 22 California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) plans to increase investment in renewables, storage, and energy efficiency beyond its current state mandates while simultaneously phasing out its nuclear power activity in California by 2025. There are several contributing factors to PG&E’s Joint Proposal with labor and environmental organizations: (1) The Renewable Portfolio Standard has been increased to 50 percent by 2030; (2) California's new energy policies will reduce the demand from power from the two nuclear reactors at Diablo Canyon site; (3) A doubling of energy efficiency goals under SB 350; (4) Strong growth rate of distributed energy resources; and (5) A potential increase in the departure of PG&E's retail load customers to Community Choice Aggregation. The utility now targets 55 percent renewable energy by 2031, in what it claims is an unprecedented voluntary commitment by a major U.S. energy company.
San Diego Union-Tribune - Jun 17 SDG&E will likely surpass its cap on the number of rooftop solar systems that can sell electricity back to the utility in just a matter of days, well before any other utility in the state. But blowing past the cap also means that homeowners and others who want to use net metering — the billing mechanism in which utilities pay rooftop solar customers for the excess electricity their systems send back to the grid — are going to have to pay a little bit more. Under rules set by the California Public Utilities Commission, once net metering at the state's three investor-owned utilities exceeds 5 percent of peak customer demand, a "successor tariff" goes into effect for new customers.
Solar Industry Magazine - Jun 17 On Thursday, the White House hosted a summit during which the Obama administration announced new executive actions and 33 state and private-sector commitments to accelerate the grid integration of renewable energy and storage. According to a White House fact sheet, the plans are expected to result in at least 1.3 gigawatts of additional energy storage procurement or deployment in the next five years, as well as approximately $1 billion in energy storage investments. The Summit on Scaling Renewable Energy and Storage with Smart Markets brought together regulators, power companies, municipalities, and energy developers.
Bloomberg - Jun 21 SunPower Corp. will be able to offer new products to homeowners, businesses, and utilities as its majority owner, Total SA, continues to consolidate its clean-energy units, said SunPower Chief Executive Officer Tom Werner. Paris-based Total agreed last month to buy French battery maker Saft Groupe SA as it ratchets up investments in renewable energy, battery storage, power and gas trading, and energy efficiency. The company plans to invest $500 million a year in renewables. “Total understands that solar and storage provide a lot of benefits,” Werner said Tuesday in an interview at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters. “The ecosystem is coming together nicely.”
Waste Dive - Jun 21 A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) projects the market for recycling solar photovoltaic panels could be worth $15 billion by 2050. IRENA estimates there could be up to 78 million metric tons of PV waste by 2050. China and the U.S. are expected to generate the most waste, followed by Japan, India, and Germany. The average solar panel has a 30-year lifespan.
The Desert Sun - Jun 21 Palm Springs has chosen SolarCity to install solar panels at the convention center and the animal shelter, giving the company a clean sweep of the city's clean energy sweepstakes. SolarCity is already finalizing designs for installations at Palm Springs' wastewater treatment plant and the Sunrise Plaza complex that includes the library. City staff had originally pegged SunEdison to build installations at the convention center and the animal shelter, and at four other sites. But the Missouri-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April, throwing the city's plans into disarray.
