10 Things Worth Reading This Week (4/9/2021)

There are three steps to properly sizing an off-grid renewable energy system in order to head off over/undercharge and premature battery failure. The steps are performing an energy audit, selecting a model that meets the needed storage capacity, and choosing system components.

Efforts are being made to step up the recycling of solar system components. Inovateus Solar has a zero-waste solar construction approach that includes partnering with Cascade Eco Minerals to handle removal. PV Pallet is a reusable HDPE plastic pallet, and manufacturer First Solar recycles its own panels. 

The US Treasury Dept stated that new renewable tax incentives will be pulled from a chunk of subsidies for oil and gas companies and from increased corporate taxes, for $35 billion over the next ten years. They assert that cutting fossil fuel subsidies will only really impact profits, not energy prices or security.

Three new solar sales & marketing techniques from COVID changes are specialization on sales engineering teams via zoom meetings; physical showrooms in light of lower cost and more abundant retail space; and multiple products lines like storage, EVs, and energy management.

 A report found that energy sector jobs are on the rise and pay more. It also found that the energy sector is experiencing significant change as it transitions to carbon-free energy. This means increasing jobs in the energy industry over any other sector is great for the economy.

Baywa r.e. discusses the relationships between the various components of the solar supply chain in a webinar Q&A. They discuss what shapes module availability, how they handle inventory allocation for customers, and what goes into transitioning old products and releasing new ones.

Given that lithium-ion raw materials tend to be scarce, zinc-ion batteries for stationary energy storage applications are a smart alternative to consider. They have performance and manufacturing compatibility similar to that of lithium-ion and have raw materials that are much more abundant.

Big companies like Blackrock, Google, Microsoft, and IBM are pushing for “true zero” by demanding measurable climate impact accountability from the companies they invest in. True zero replaces “net-zero,” which has allowed for certificates and offsets that leave room for fossil-fuel supply.

Three providers of software and SaaS solutions related to the battery energy storage sector discuss how software has been the driving force behind the increased adoption of energy storage. They look at asset behavior, joining hardware and software, and empowering customers.

Inovateus Solar and Cascade Eco Minerals have a webinar that busts myths about recycling solar modules. They discuss eco-friendly design and procurement and zero waste construction practices as well as market trends for panel recycling and the nuts and bolts of recycling.