Report shows that COVID had a small effect on solar PPA prices and a larger one on developmental timelines. PPA prices did go up, but mainly due to permitting and grid connection delays. Procurement and finance teams did take longer during the shutdown, though.
46 states and DC took policy action in 2020 regarding distributed solar policy and rate design changes. The most active ones were ME, NY, VA, CA and SC. 257 state- and utility-level changes were proposed, pending, or enacted. Some included revamped NEM and TOU crediting.
Corporations purchased 23.7GW of clean energy in 2020 – record numbers compared to the previous years. Clean energy contracts were signed by 130+ companies, driven by a rise in stakeholder interest. Some signed a statement urging the federal government to do more.
In the next 3 months SunPower is adding services in 7 more US markets (across 6 states) via their SunPower Residential Installation (SPRI) program. Orgs that work with SPRI are part of their Non-Installing Dealer network to tap their platform to sell SunPower to homeowners.
EnergySage looked at CertainTeed’s commercial and residential panels, shingles and tiles. Efficiency rating was 17.2% – 19.9%, temperature coefficients were -0.37 and -0.42, their extremely comprehensive warranties were 10 years and 25 years, and the price was $2.47 – $2.76 per watt.
At the DOE confirmation hearing Jennifer Granholm, Biden’s pick for Energy Secretary, emphasized the growth of cleantech jobs in the US, reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, championing tech via DOE loan programs, and beefing up domestic battery production.
CED Greentech gives the lowdown on commercial financing. Financing is more complex than res deals due to more stakeholders, greater system size and more dollar value. CED lays out the specifics of solar loans, leases, PPAs, and the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy program.
Musk of Tesla reported that Q4 was the best since 2018. They’re seeking to streamline between the Tesla Powerwall and the Tesla Retrofit Solar and Tesla Roof and want to reach their pricing and EV range targets for battery production, increasing range by 50% and cutting costs by 50%.
Research shows that none of the utilities pledged to eliminate carbon emissions by midcentury are going to get there because they’re persisting with running coal plants and building new natural-gas plants. Includes FirstEnergy, Duke, Dominion and Southern Comp.
Two new 1.2-kWh lithium batteries are out from KiloVault. They’ve got a smaller weight and can handle 80 A of continuous charging current and 100 A of continuous discharging current. They can be applied in 12-V, 24-V or 48-V configurations and include Bluetooth communication.