From pv magazine USA

Qcells announced the successful completion of the expansion of its solar module factory in Dalton, Georgia where it added 2 GW of solar capacity, bringing the factory’s output to more than 5.1 GW.

The company said its Dalton factory is the largest manufacturing plant of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and the first solar panel plant expansion since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The expanded factory will manufacture nearly 30,000 solar modules a day, focusing on the new Q.TRON G2 residential solar module and a bifacial module for the commercial and utility markets. The company expects both products to achieve an ecolabel known as EPEAT, which is intended to help customers identify sustainably made products. QCells says the expanded factory will create 510 new jobs.

“Completing this factory marks the third expansion we’ve made in Dalton, and it’s just the beginning of Qcells’ larger mission to build a fully integrated solar supply chain in America,” said Justin Lee, CEO of Qcells. “The Inflation Reduction Act and the efforts of Georgia’s economic development team helped make these ambitious plans possible, and with it thousands of careers in clean energy. As we build new solar technology from Dalton and prepare for the start of Cartersville, it is critical that our local to federal leaders continue to work not only with us, but the larger industry to ensure our collective investments deliver for communities for decades to come.”

In January, QCells announced that it would invest more than $2.5 billion to build a complete solar supply chain in the U.S.. Considered the largest investment in U.S. solar history, it also made QCells, a subsidiary of Hanwha Solutions, the first company to establish a fully-integrated silicon-based solar supply chain in the U.S.  Qcells intends to break ground on a new, state-of-the-art facility in Cartersville, Georgia, where it will manufacture 3.3 GW of solar ingots, wafers, cells and finished modules.

By 2024, between the Dalton and Cartersville facilities, Qcells anticipates its solar production capacity will reach 8.4 GW a year, or enough to power 1.3 million homes annually with clean energy.

Qcells opened its first factory in Georgia in 2019 and hired 750 people to manufacture 1.7 GW of solar. This initial investment was made possible in part by the Section 201 tariffs imposed on solar cells. Last year, Qcells announced a second expansion, which would add 1.4 GW to its manufacturing output and hire 535 more people. This now completed third expansion as well as the new facility that will manufacturing cells, wafers and ingots, follow the passage of the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act (SEMA) within the IRA and are made possible with support from Georgia’s economic development team.

Upon completed construction, Qcells estimates that its production in Georgia could avoid more than 12 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents per year while expanding domestic manufacturing of solar products amidst the push for Made-in-America clean energy solutions.

From pv magazine USA

Texas-based Plus Power announced financing commitments of $1.8 billion to advance five large-scale battery energy storage projects totaling 2.76 GW/h. The company reports that the transactions will support construction and operations of the portfolio and include construction financing, term financing, letters of credit, and tax equity investments, in partnership with 11 leading industry lenders and investors.

The recent financing includes $707 million for the 250 MW Sierra Estrella Energy Storage facility in Avondale, Arizona, which is expected to be the largest standalone battery facility in Arizona once online. This financing is in addition to initial funding of $903 million.

“Over the last year, Plus Power has raised an unparalleled amount of capital for standalone storage projects from a wide range of leading energy project finance banks and investors,” said Josh Goldstein, chief financial officer of Plus Power. “This capital will support the ongoing buildout of the largest and most diverse portfolio of standalone storage projects in the US. The scale highlights our first-mover advantage in bringing high-quality projects to market as well as the tremendous work by our fantastic team.”

The Sierra Estrella facility is one of two battery storage projects the Salt River Project (SRP) announced in fall of 2022 with Plus Power, with both projects scheduled to come online by summer of 2024. The other, a 90 MW / 360 MWh project is called Superstition Energy Storage, which is planned for Gilbert, Arizona.

Norddeutsche Landesbank and Société Générale acted as coordinating lead arrangers while Mizuho, US Bank, Bank of America, CoBank, and Siemens Financial Services were joint lead arrangers.

The financing for the SRP facilities includes:

• Sierra Estrella (250 MW/1,000 MW/h): $202 million of tax equity from Bank of America coupled with a $505 million construction, term loan, and letter of credit facility.
• Superstition Energy Storage (90 MW/360 MWh): $196 million construction, term loan and letter of credit facility.

The completed transactions were financings totaling $884 million to support construction of 700 MW of batteries on the ERCOT grid in Texas in the Ebony, Anemoi and Rodeo Ranch energy storage projects. Plus Power reports that while the Ebony and Anemoi projects are expected to operate as merchant resources in the ERCOT wholesale market, Plus Power executed an innovative hedge for Goldman Sachs’ commodities group for a portion of the Rodeo Ranch Energy Storage facility. The three storage facilities are expected to be operational next summer and are designed to bring stability to the ERCOT grid during high demand.

The financing for these projects brings Plus Power’s current ERCOT portfolio to 1.57 GW/h. Deutsche Bank and First Citizens Bank were the coordinating lead arrangers, with First Citizens Bank as the administrative agent and Siemens Financial Services, Inc. acting as the joint lead arranger.

The financing for the three ERCOT projects includes:

• Rodeo Ranch Energy Storage (300 MW/600 MW/h): $212.2 million of tax equity financing from Foss & Company, as well as $276 million of construction and term financing, for the Rodeo Ranch Energy Storage facility in Pecos.
• Ebony Energy Storage (200 MW/400 MW/h): $196 million of construction and term financing.
• Anemoi Energy Storage (200 MW/400 MW/h) $200 million of construction and term financing.

Plus Power expects the Ebony and Anemoi projects to operate as merchant resources in the ERCOT wholesale market, while the company reportedly executed an innovative hedge for Goldman Sachs’ commodities group for a portion of the Rodeo Ranch Energy Storage facility.

“These financings demonstrate Nord/LB’s commitment to the battery energy storage sector as the bank continues to play a prominent role financing strategic assets to support the energy transition as part of the broader mission to achieve a net neutral, carbon free grid,” said Sondra Martinez, managing director, Nord/LB. “We look forward to continuing the strong relationship with Plus Power to support both our company’s goals of decarbonizing the energy grid with high-quality projects.”

Plus Power currently has a growing portfolio of large-scale lithium-ion battery systems in more than 25 states and Canada, and the company reports that it is executing on 10 GW of interconnection capacity now in transmission interconnection queues.

From pv magazine USA

Flexrack by Qcells and Alltrade Industrial Contractors, an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, are partnering on the construction of two solar projects in Alberta, both with bifacial solar modules on fixed-tilt trackers.

The 81 MW Scotford project is expected to be the largest behind-the-meter solar project in Canada. Additionally, the 101 MW Saddlebrook project includes the future addition of a flow battery energy storage system, projected to be one of the first of its kind in North America.

The projects are currently under construction and are providing hundreds of local jobs. Both projects are expected to complete construction by the fourth quarter of 2023.

The Saddlebrook project will be owned and operated by an energy infrastructure company, with operations in natural gas, oil and power industries. The project is partially supported by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA). Projects range from new solar opportunities in coal-impacted communities to electrification of transportation to energy storage and more.

Once complete, the electricity produced by the Saddlebrook project will feed into the Alberta Interconnected Electric System (AIES) through a new 138 kV substation located on the project land. In total, the project is expected to directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 73,600 tons of carbon dioxide per year, or the equivalent of taking nearly 16,000 cars off the road.

Alltrade is constructing the Saddlebrook Solar Project in a joint venture partnership with SkyFire Energy, a solar contractor serving Western Canada.

The 81 MW Scotford project is expected to power a global oil producer’s refinery complex, which supports the fossil fuel company in achieving its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The project is expected to contribute approximately $200,000 a year on a levelized basis to the Strathcona County local government and school system.

“We are excited to be able to work alongside our longtime partners at Alltrade in Canada again to both support fossil fuel companies in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions as well as deliver more renewable energy to local communities,” said Ken Mack, head of Flexrack by Qcells.

Flexrack by Qcells offers custom-designed, fixed-tilt ground-mount and single-axis solar tracking systems in the commercial and utility-scale solar mounting industries. The company has completed more than 4 GW of solar racking installations in over 40 U.S. states, nine Canadian provinces and across the globe. One of its notable projects is the 1.3 MW Jimmy Carter Sumpter project in Plains, Georgia.

Alltrade provides EPC services, specializing in ground-mount solar. The company has 1 GW of utility-scale project experience in Canada.

From pv magazine USA

Developers of large-scale solar projects located near residential areas are used to backlash from residents, who often claim that homes near utility-scale solar projects will diminish in value. This was found to not be the case, according to a study commissioned by Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation (CTEI) in partnership with the Advanced Power Alliance and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

The residential market study was conducted in areas surrounding six utility-scale solar plants located in four Texas counties: Tom Green, Bell, Lamar, and Bee Counties. Sales were analyzed at varying stages of the project, including announcement and construction. The market trend analysis showed no evidence of negative market impacts for nearby residential properties, and revealed a robust and competitive market for homes near the solar plants both during construction and once they are operational.

“This first-of-its-kind study on solar energy and property values underscores what we know to be true in Texas – utility scale solar projects have a positive impact on our local economies,” said Matt Welch, State Director of CTEI. “As Texas continues to lead on renewable energy, it is crucial our leaders have access to objective data to help dispel misinformation and false narratives.”

To define what a utility-scale solar project is, the report authors turned to definitions from SEIA and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). SEIA defines utility-scale as solar projects generating over 1 MW of solar energy and NREL’s definition is more than 5 MW of solar energy. The report authors also noted that utility-scale projects typically sell electricity directly to the grid as opposed to supplying electricity to an individual facility.

The study set out to look at sales metrics of homes in areas surrounding typical utility-scale installations. The sales metrics include price per interior square foot, sales to price list ratios and days on market and these were compared in areas close to the solar projects to sales located further from solar projects, and findings show that sales prices and marketing times of residential properties located near solar projects were generally consistent with residential sales further away.

“As the market for solar and other renewable energy production grows, it is important to understand how their presence impacts surrounding communities,” said Erin Kiella, PhD., lead author of the report. “Studying these projects using market data helps bring clarity on these issues.”

The study comes at a time when solar is booming in Texas, the state that is number one in solar development in the United States, with many large utility-scale projects coming online.. A 36 GW buildout is expected by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) over the next five years, building on the roughly 16 GW that is active to date. Read about recent utility-scale installations in the Lone Star State here.

From pv magazine USA

Solar, wind and natural gas made up more than 91% of the capacity added to the US electric grid in 2021, according to the Electric Generator Construction Costs and Annual Electric Generator Report by the EIA.

While total construction cost for solar approached $20 billion, average construction costs for solar systems fell in the United States in 2021, compared to 2020. The EIA figures show that in 2021, solar construction costs fell 6% from 2020, dropping to $1,561/kW. The decrease was driven primarily by a 10% drop in the construction cost for crystalline silicon tracking panels, which fell to $1,423/kW – their lowest average cost since 2014.

The EIA figures show that solar construction costs fell 6% in 2021 over 2020, dropping to $1,561/kW. The decrease was driven primarily by a 10% drop in the construction cost for crystalline silicon tracking panels, which fell to $1,423/kW, their lowest average cost since 2014.

The report notes that the average construction cost for crystalline silicon fixed-tilt panels increased by 5% to $2,047/kW. The average cost for cadmium telluride panels remained relatively stable, decreasing only 1% to $1,626/kW in 2021. Fixed-tilt tracking systems automatically move to follow the sun as it moves across the sky. While they are the highest cost, they produce more electricity by continuously following the sun.

It’s worth noting that this follows a time when solar module prices had doubled primarily due to supply shortages during the pandemic. In response to the shortage, many manufacturers increased production while developers stockpiled supply.

Since the pandemic began in 2020, module prices have continued to fall, hitting a global two-year low in April 2023. In the first two months of 2023, average US module prices were $0.36/W (DC), down 11% quarter over quarter. Modules traded at a 57% premium over the global spot price for monofacial monocrystalline silicon modules.

Taking a regional view, the greatest growth in solar addition happened in the southern part of the United States, with Texas leading the way. In 2021, Texas added 100 new plants for a total of 10,155 MW compared to just 2,347 added in Ohio.

While Texas still leads the nation in solar installations, the numbers look vastly different than two years ago. For example, a 36 GW buildout is expected by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) over the next five years, building on the roughly 16 GW that is active to date. Much of today’s investment in solar, which nears $20 billion, is going toward large solar facilities, often exceeding 100 MW in capacity.

From pv magazine USA

Toledo Solar Inc. (TSI) has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by First Solar in May.

First Solar initially filed a lawsuit against Toledo Solar, a thin-film solar module manufacturer, which, according to court filing  sold Malayasian-made First Solar modules under the Toledo name, claiming they were made in America.

First Solar stated that Toledo falsely claimed that it manufactured the solar modules that Toledo had provided for installation on the Ohio Governor’s mansion in Columbus, that Toledo falsely represent that the modules were made by Toledo in Ohio, and that Toledo advertised on social media that it manufactured certain solar modules in Ohio.

Details of the settlement are confidential; however, Toledo Solar announced a new investor-led independent board of directors and leadership team. The company said the change is to “re-affirm Toledo Solar’s commitment to US energy security by manufacturing high-quality American-made CdTe solar panels in Ohio for the residential, commercial, and industrial markets.”

Lead investor Sean Fontenot is the board’s new chairman. He noted that First Solar’s lawsuit came as a surprise.

“The recent First Solar complaint was a very concerning surprise. We are finalizing gathering all of the facts around this and expect to resolve the matter shortly. From our perspective, First Solar and Toledo Solar are critical partners in several critical industry programs that are important to the Government’s US Energy Security policies for American-made solar products, and we are re-dedicating our commitment to making sure this continues.”

Tom Pratt has been appointed interim president, treasurer, and secretary by Toledo Solar’s board of directors.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with the Board of Directors for Toledo Solar and the impressive team, both technical and administrative, that is working hard to bring Toledo Solar’s innovative products to market,” said Pratt.

From pv magazine USA

Honeywell and ESS are collaborating on advancing development of iron flow battery (IFB) energy storage systems based on ESS’ patented IFB design with Honeywell’s advanced materials and energy systems expertise.

The Honeywell Company dates back to 1885 with an invention that was a precursor to today’s thermostat. Fast forward many decades, acquisitions and spinoffs later, and one of the company’s many areas of expertise is in utility-scale battery energy storage systems. In 2021 the company developed flow battery technology intended for pairing with wind and solar resources and partnered with Duke Energy to field test the long-duration energy storage (LDES) product.

ESS, founded in 2011, manufactures iron flow batteries using widely available, Earth-abundant materials. Designed for applications that require up to twelve hours of flexible energy capacity, the batteries are used in utility-scale renewable energy installations, remote solar-plus-storage microgrids, solar load-shifting and peak shaving, as well as other ancillary grid services.

At a recent ceremony at RE+ 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded ESS an Export Achievement Certificate for expanding global deployment of its American-made, innovative long-duration energy storage technology. In response to domestic and global demand, the company announced that it will boost its manufacturing capacity at its Wilsonville, Oregon facility up to 2 GWh annually. 

“The demand for long-duration energy storage represents a compelling market opportunity within the energy transition and the combination of Honeywell and ESS technology can accelerate decarbonization for the commercial, industrial and utility sectors,” said Bryan Glover, chief growth officer, Honeywell Performance Materials and Technology (PMT) group. “Our strategic collaboration with ESS will accelerate Honeywell’s ability to bring comprehensive solutions to our customers while working to  advance long-duration energy storage across all industries requiring expansive energy storage.”

The collaboration between Honeywell and ESS enables Honeywell to integrate ESS technology into its global offering, and ESS gains license to Honeywell’s flow battery intellectual property. Additionally, the two plan to work together on continual technology advancement, cost reduction and packaging of IFB systems.

ESS battery systems have a prescribed design life of 25 years, the battery modules, electrolyte, plumbing, and other components may well last for decades longer with proper maintenance. The battery, for example, is expected to experience zero degradation over 20,000 cycles. Read more about its duration here.

Honeywell has invested $27.5 million into ESS common stock; purchasing 16.5 million shares at $1.67 per share. Honeywell also received a warrant to purchase an additional 10.6 million shares for $20 million at $1.89 per share. Honeywell also announced its intention to purchase up to $300 million of ESS products, with $15 million prepaid.

In addition to the investment, ESS receives exclusive license of Honeywell IP related to flow batteries

“Today, we are creating superior technology in the critical long-duration energy storage industry,” said  Eric Dresselhuys, CEO of ESS. “Combining ESS’ innovative technology and deployment experience with  Honeywell’s storage and control system expertise will enable us to drive the clean energy transition and  deliver value to our customers, shareholders and communities.”

Honeywell and ESS are teaming up at a time of huge growth in long-duration energy storage. According to the Department of Energy’s ‘Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Long Duration Energy Storage’ report, the U.S. grid needs 225 to 460 GW of LDES capacity for power market application for a net zero economy by 2060.  The global LDES market is estimated to be $50 billion per year and forecast to grow significantly with a cumulative investment of up to $3 trillion by 2040, according to the LDES Council and McKinsey & Co.

As the shift to renewable energy accelerates, challenges associated with the intermittency of renewables are becoming more apparent. The solution is to embrace safe and sustainable long-duration energy storage technologies, which can address the intermittency of renewables by ensuring stored energy is available to balance fluctuations in electricity demand and supply.

“Long-duration energy storage is critical to meet local, regional and global net-zero decarbonization goals,” Julia Souder, chief executive officer of the Long Duration Energy Storage Council, told pv magazine USA. “LDES complements rapid renewable growth by offering flexibility, reliability, affordability and security. This partnership allows us to work together to accelerate the various markets and contracts even faster to deploy diverse LDES technologies.”

ESS held a webcast conference call on Monday, September 25, 2023 to discuss the partnership with Honeywell and it will be available on ESS’ Investor  Relations website.

From pv magazine USA

Heat pumps are a way to heat and cool homes with electricity, and offer near zero emissions when powered by solar or other clean sources of energy, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA further contends that they result in lower emissions even where electricity is generated by an emissions-intensive source. They can replace oil or gas furnaces, or in very cold climates, households may choose to retain their legacy heating system – just in case. However, recent advances in heat pump technology had made them much more efficient in cold climates, with the leading manufacturers announcing models designed for cold climates that do not need a backup heat source.

Canada, which has extremes of both cold and hot temperatures, has a goal of cutting emissions by at least 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and it passed the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act in June 2021, which calls for a net-zero target by 2050.

A recent report by the Canadian Climate Institute, “Heat pumps pay off,” states that Canadians are not embracing heat pumps in a way that is consistent with moving toward emissions targets. The report contends that Canadian households need more clarity on costs as well as government policy in order to speed adoption.

Researchers at the Canadian Climate Institute assessed lifetime costs of different heating and cooling combinations in different ages and types of housing across five Canadian cities to determine how heat pumps compare to the common combination of gas heating and air conditioning. They concluded that a heat pump is the lowest-cost option for most households over the lifetime of the system; however, barriers such as high upfront costs, lack of consumer confidence, the complexity of government rebate and loan programs, and the fact that residents usually have to own their own homes in order to benefit from some of the programs, thus eliminating renters, low-income households and others.

Five findings from the report:

1. Heat pumps are the lowest-cost option for most households.
2. The biggest drivers of differing cost competitiveness are regional energy prices and climate conditions.
3. Policy and programming support the cost competitiveness of heat pumps.
4. In most cases, the cheapest backup for heat pump heating is electric, not gas.
5. Provincial and municipal governments should require non-polluting and high-efficiency heating and cooling in new buildings in regions where the all-electric heating scenario is already the lowest-cost option, to avoid creating lock-in of fossil infrastructure and equipment.

Standard heat pumps, as opposed to cold climate heat pumps, were found to be the lowest-cost option for single, detached homes, regardless of the age of the home. For example, the report states that “whether a single-detached house in Montreal was built in 1940 or 2023, heat pumps with electric backup are consistently lower-cost than gas-fired heating with air conditioning”.

Cold climate heat pumps with backup, however, are a costlier option than standard heat pumps. But the report contends that as technologies improve, their upfront costs will fall to be more in line with standard systems.

Barriers to adoption

The report concludes that barriers to adoption include economic, behavioral, and struc­tural barriers. For example, upfront costs can be high, but many people are also reluctant to invest in a new technology. The report authors are optimistic that these barriers will resolve as the heat pump market matures; however, they indicate that the time is now to embrace clean technology. Rather than “locking in another generation of fossil fuel heating equipment,” the authors state that the next few years are a “window of opportunity” to upgrade homes and decarbonize the building stock.

The many programs in place to help Canadian residents decarbonize their households are too complex and “create a substantial administrative burden for households,” the report states. For example to apply for Greener Homes grant and loan programs, home energy audits are required, and households must pay for them without knowing whether they’ll qualify for a grant or loan. The result is that application rates are lagging by one-third of those needed to meet program targets.

The report makes several recommendations for enhancing policies, including the suggestion that the government maintain the schedule of planned carbon price increases. It also recommends that it’s important to maintain the existing financial support even as heat pump adoption accelerates – at least in the near term – conceding they may be able to sunset some programming as the market matures and costs fall. A final recommendation is to maintain support for lower-income households.

From pv magazine USA

Maxeon Solar Technologies says that it is acquiring Complete Solaria’s dealer channel operations, as well as its solar panel patent portfolio relating to shingled cell solar panel technology.

The shingled cell technology, originally developed by SunPower, is incorporated into Maxeon’s Performance line of solar modules. The 425 W modules use bifacial mono-PERC solar cells made on large-format eight-inch G12 wafers, and have an efficiency of 20.6%, according to Maxeon. Maxeon was spun off from SunPower in 2020, when both became separate entities.

Maxeon’s CEO Bill Mulligan said that the transaction with Complete Solaria will expand the company’s distributed generation footprint incorporating Solaria’s dealer chanel, which will accelerate Maxeon’s direct sales efforts. Plus, he said, it will give Maxeon “immediate access to a qualified source of tariff-free solar panels that we plan to market adjacent to our flagship IBC solar panels, allowing us to replicate in the US market the “better-best” product strategy we have successfully employed in our international markets for years.”

California-based Complete Solaria is an integrated provider of solar installation solutions using its own 360 W to 400 W solar modules. The company was formed in November 2022, when Solaria merged with installer Complete Solar, and operated the resulting Complete Solaria business as a vertically integrated company. In July of this year the company announced its intention to go public upon completion of a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger with Freedom Acquisition I Corporation

The acquisition of Complete Solaria’s solar panel patent portfolio adds to the over 130 granted patents and over 80 pending patent applications for fundamental shingled solar cell panel technology. Mulligan noted that Maxeon designs and manufactures globally, and plans to use the shingled solar cell technology in its the cell and module manufacturing facility the company plans to build in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Maxeon announced in August that it had chosen Albuquerque for its new 3 GW facility, which will produce TOPCon PV-silicon cell technology and the Maxeon’s proprietary shingled-cell Performance Line solar modules. The company said the facility will produce millions of solar modules each year for the growing utility-scale and distributed-generation markets in the U.S. Maxeon reports that its new plant is expected to be the first large-scale cell and module manufacturing in New Mexico. While 3 GW is the planned capacity, the company said there’s a chance it will increase it to 4.5 GW in the future.

According to Will Anderson, CEO of Complete Solaria, after the transaction is complete, the company plans to concentrate on it core systems segment.

“This transaction will provide Complete Solaria with capital to optimize our end-to-end customer offering, including beautiful, high-quality solar energy systems with Maxeon premium, high performance solar panels,” said Anderson.

From pv magazine USA

A fire erupted this week inside a solar battery storage container at the Valley Center Energy Storage Facility in northern San Diego County, California. The fire occurred when a battery storage unit caught fire, according to Terra-Gen, the owner of the energy storage facility.

The Valley Center Energy Storage Facility is a standalone 139 MW energy storage project in a commercial-industrial zone. Homes and businesses near the site were evacuated and a local shelter-in-place order was put into effect. Terra-Gen has since issued a statement saying that the facility’s design systems kept the incident contained.

The energy storage facility houses lithium-ion batteries in racks within enclosures. Electricity is stored and discharged from the batteries to the inverter transformer located next to them, which converts the energy from DC to AC. The energy is delivered to the SDG&E Valley Center substation located one-third of a mile away. Terra-Gen contracted with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to provide power under a 15-year Resource Adequacy (RA) contract for up to 14,000 homes for four hours on a single charge..

Lithium-ion batteries have been known to cause fires, explosions, arc flashes, electric shocks from the energy storage systems can expose workers and area residents to toxic chemicals. The McMicken fire is an often cited incident that occurred in  2019 in Arizona when an Arizona Public Service (APS) battery failure and corresponding explosion left eight firefighters and one police officer hospitalized. Insights from that fire are reflected in the 2023 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 855 code revision. American Clean Power recently published a guide for first responders on lithium-ion battery energy storage system emergencies that takes the new code into account.

The Valley Center facility has been online since March 2022, and this is reportedly the second fire at the location. The first occurred in March of this year when a faulty sprinkler system caused the decommissioning of LG batteries.

The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved a plan to add more than 25.5 GW of renewables and 15 GW of storage by 2032, at a cost of $49 billion. The purpose of ramping up battery energy storage is to prevent power outages, help stabilize the grid, and help with peak power demand, all especially important in an area prone to high heat and wildfires. SDG&E is reportedly nearing approximately 300 MW of its own energy storage and Pacific Gas & Electric is also moving quickly to ramp up its battery resources.

According to Terra-Gen, the Valley Center project also provided economic benefits amounting to tens of millions of dollars in the form of direct and indirect jobs associated during construction and increased property taxes. In addition, the company donated $250,000 to support the Valley Center Fire Protection District’s new fire station.

Terra-Gen reports that it owns and operates four battery energy storage projects in California, representing more than 1.5 GW of energy storage, or enough to power 1.5 million homes for approximately four hours. The company has an additional 1 GW under construction, expected to come on-line in 2025.

From pv magazine USA

REC Silicon ASA is entering into a supply agreement between its subsidiary, REC Solar Grade Silicon LLC, and Hanwha Q Cells Georgia, Inc., a wholly owned unit of Hanwha Solutions. The American-made, low-carbon polysilicon produced at REC Silicon’s Moses Lake facility in Washington will be used for ingot/wafer manufacturing at the new Qcells manufacturing facility in Georgia, which will begin operation late next year. The 10-year take-or-pay supply agreement is for high purity fluidized bed reactor (FBR) granular polysilicon.

FBR technology has been hailed as a means to produce polysilicon for solar at lower costs and with a small fraction of the electricity used by the dominant Siemens process.

In March 2022, Hanwha Solutions announced stepped up efforts to supply customers with U.S.-made products. Hanwha launched this effort by becoming the largest shareholder of REC Silicon, a major US manufacturer of polysilicon. Now, to secure the supply agreement obligations and to help restart of the Moses Lake facility, Hanwha will make sizable prepayments at the time of the signing of the supply agreement and at first delivery.

In January of this year, Qcells announced what is considered the largest investment in US solar history, with plans to invest more than $2.5  billion to build a complete solar supply chain in the United States. This makes Qcells the first company to establish a fully-integrated silicon-based solar supply chain in the United States.

The estimated total value of the supply agreement for the duration of the REC Silicon arrangement will fluctuate depending on market prices, which are currently estimated to be approximately $3 billion. REC Silicon reports that the restart of the plant is expected by Nov. 1, and it has a goal of reaching full capacity by the end of 2024.

The base price for the polysilicon will be determined by market indices, including markets both inside and outside of China, adjusted for a premium for U.S.-sourced low-carbon material. The polysilicon will also benefit from the $3 per kilogram tax credit from the US Inflation Reduction Act.

The re-opening of the Moses Lake operations will enable REC Silicon to provide high-purity polysilicon to the emerging US solar supply chain. In addition, REC Silicon manufactures silane gas (SiH4)  at its plant in Butte, Montana, which serves the fast growing battery industry.

Hanwha Solutions, together with its affiliate Hanwha Corp., controls 33.3% of REC Silicon ASA.

Salt River Project (SRP), a not-for-profit energy company serving more than 1.1 million people in Arizona, has announced plans with German battery manufacturer CMBlu for a pilot project to deploy long-duration energy storage (LDES).

The 5 MW, 10-hour-duration Desert Blume project will use CMBlu’s non-lithium technology. CMBlue will build, own and operate the batteries on behalf of SRP at its Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center in Florence, Arizona.

CMBlu said its Organic SolidFlow battery technology is based on fully recyclable organic materials. It uses aqueous electrolyte solutions that are non-flammable. The company said the batteries are characterized by free scalability between power and capacity because the system separates the electrolyte from the actual energy converter, and self-discharge is avoided. Furthermore, by replacing individual components, original performance can be restored.

CMBlu expects its battery system to cost-effectively store and deliver energy for two to three times longer per cycle than traditional lithium-ion technology, which typically targets a four-hour duration.

While the battery installations are a pilot, SRP is depended on to provide water to about half of the valley’s residents, delivering more than 244 billion gallons of water each year, and it manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed that includes an extensive system of reservoirs, wells, canals and irrigation laterals. The battery project is designed to store energy for SRP’s customers during daytime periods, largely from solar generation, and return that energy to the grid throughout the night. It will store enough energy to power about 1,125 average homes for 10 hours.

In 2022, a fire broke out at the Salt River Project when a lithium-ion battery began smoldering. Area businesses were evacuated out of an abundance of caution due to the potential hazards caused by off-gassing. As an alternative to lithium-ion, the project is implementing the Organic SolidFlow batteries in the pilot project. This is the first U.S. utility implementation of CMBlu’s batteries at this scale.

SRP selected CMBlu after issuing a request for long-duration storage project proposals from emerging energy storage companies. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) will monitor the pilot project and help validate the performance of the technology in Arizona’s hot and dry climate.

This pilot is part of the third phase of development at SRP’s Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center. The first phase will add two flexible natural gas turbines with a total output of less than 100 MW, and the second phase will add a utility-scale solar generation facility capable of generating up to 55 MW of solar energy. Construction of the third phase is slated to begin in early 2025, and the pilot is expected to be operational in December 2025.

CMBlu’s technology will also be deployed in other pilot projects including one in Burgenland Energie in Austria, and another pilot in Milwaukee, Wisc. with WEC Energy.

CMBlu was founded in Germany in 2014 by biotech entrepreneur Peter Geigle and a group of German energy and automotive executives. Since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, CMBlu has entered the US market.

“Compared to Germany and the rest of Europe, the US is clearly marching ahead in the development and application of large-scale storage solutions,” said Peter Geigle, founder and CEO. He added that once the company’s products gain acceptance, it will remain “fully committed to a US manufacturing presence.”

From pv magazine USA

FTC Solar, a solar tracker specialist with 4.5 GW of tracker projects, has launched Sunops, a cloud-based PV asset monitoring solution designed to manage and improve solar asset performance.

Sunops software can be used on solar installations regardless of the type of tracker, and the company reports that it provides operations and maintenance (O&M) teams with actional insights to enhance energy generation.

“Tracker data is not always easy to get access to.” said Imran Hassan, the director of technical operations of ACT Power Services – one of the first beta users for the program. “The cloud-based SUNOPS platform saves my team time by allowing us to access the information I need when I need it.”

Sunops provides a tracker health assessment down to a single table, FTC reports. The software considers factors like advanced tracking algorithms and appropriate tracker stowing for extreme weather events, and it uses this data to determine the root cause of underperformance and to offer suggested solutions. By leveraging advanced tracker analytics, Sunops provides actionable insights that can help field teams resolve issues quickly to reduce energy losses.

The software is accessible through a secure cloud-based interface and offers streamlined portfolio data access. In addition, Sunops offers live site monitoring, historical performance tracking, and issue prioritization.

FTC Solar’s Digital Solutions offers a portfolio of products including Sundat for site design, Sunpath for optimized energy production and Atlas for solar portfolio management. Atlas, previously known as SAM (solar automation module) includes program management, financial reporting, and data management modules to assist with project execution from early stage development through commercial operation.

FTC Solar will debut Sunops in booth 3511 at RE+ North America at the Venetian Conference & Expo Center in Las Vegas, taking place Sept. 11 to Sept. 14, 2023.

From pv magazine USA

World4Solar, a Nevada-based company, has developed a freestanding solar canopy for residential use.

The HelioWing is available in two base models: HelioWing 5 with 7.38 kWp and HelioWing 7 with 9.84 kWp. The canopy design can be customized with features like storage capacity or a carport with a built-in electric-vehicle charger. The modular energy systems come preassembled and preconfigured.

World4Solar said that the canopy should take a certified installer about six hours to install on a prepared foundation.

“We are excited about the trend for self-sustaining and energy efficient power for multi-unit residential and commercial installations,” says Marc Hofer, CEO of World4Solar. “Our contemporary décor design fits in with all environments, and its weatherproof solar covered roof provides lighting, shade and rain protection where needed.”

The HelioWing can be used grid-tied or off-grid. When connected to the power grid, in certain utility markets the system owner may be able to earn credits for the clean energy generated and exported. To operate off-grid, or to store electricity for later use, battery packs are available that can store energy up to 25 kWh or up to 100 kWh with an external battery module.

Two available Level 2 chargers per unit work with all electric vehicles and add 25 miles average of range per hour of charging.

HelioWing is waterproof rated and has an average 20-year life span. The system comes with a 10-year warranty.

World4Solar will be exhibiting at RE+ 2023 Expo, Sept. 11 to 14, 2023, in Las Vegas in the Kern Solar Structures booth #4161.

From pv magazine USA

The newly launched Bila Solar has announced plans to open a solar module factory in Indianapolis, Indiana. It said it will produce 1 GW of glassless, frameless solar modules per year.

“We’re bringing to the US market ultralight modules that go where traditional solar panels can’t go,” said Mick McDaniel, vice president and US general manager of Bila Solar. “In Indianapolis, we found a central urban location, a diverse workforce and an entrepreneurial spirit – ideal for our out-of-the-box approach to making clean energy attainable for all.”

The technology behind the modules was developed in collaboration with the advanced materials industry. McDaniel told pv magazine USA that replacing glass with specially formulated composites was inspired by the windows in airplanes, which are not made from glass, and are lightweight, transparent, strong, flexible, durable, and UV resistant.

“These same characteristics are excellent for solar panels, so why haven’t we used them yet?  The aerospace industry has figured out how and so our task was how to apply that to the PV industry in a cost effective way that met the needs of solar customers.” said McDaniel.

Bila Solar plans to produce 520 W 144 half-cell monocrystalline modules, with an efficiency of 19.3%. The modules measure 88.4 inches by 47.1 inches by 0.08 inches. Made of an aerospace polymer composite, the modules reportedly weighs 17 lbs (7.7 kg), which the company says is nearly 70% lighter than conventional glass-framed modules.

The light weight and thinness of the modules enable them to be deployed in various applications, including low load-bearing commercial and industrial roofs, waterproof membrane roofs, integration into vehicles for solar power, off-grid use and even on curved surfaces, the company said.

McDaniel said the Bila Solar modules pass the same durability tests as conventional glass panels, including IEC 61215:2016, IEC61730:2016, UL61730 (USA), PID, and salt mist “level 8” tests. He added that the modules have also undergone wind tunnel testing, damp heat, adhesion pull tests, flexibility stress tests and more. The modules come with a 12-year  product warranty and a 25-year linear power warranty.

Bila is far from alone in setting up solar manufacturing facilities in the United States. Earlier this month, the Solar Energy Industries Association reported that an additional 85 GW of module manufacturing was coming to the US, following passage of the US Inflation Reduction Act, which incentivizes onshoring manufacturing across the solar supply chain. Site Selection Group assisted Bila Solar with procuring state and local incentives for this exciting project.

“Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is strong, and we’re excited to welcome Bila Solar to our growing network of innovators advancing products that power the world,” said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “With Bila’s new Indianapolis manufacturing operation, Indiana’s skilled workforce will be making solar energy more accessible and powering our growing clean energy sector to new heights.”

With its factory planned for Indianapolis, Bila has also designated the city as the location for its US headquarters.

From pv magazine USA

On the first anniversary of the passage of the IRA, the historic bill has already begun to stimulate the economy and move the United States toward a carbon-neutral future.

The massive energy, climate and tax bill includes $600 billion in spending, $370 billion of which is focused on supporting renewable energy buildout and climate resilience. The spending will be supported by closing tax loopholes on the wealthiest Americans and corporations. The legislation contains numerous provisions to support the US solar industry, including a long-term extension of the federal investment tax credit, significant domestic manufacturing incentives, labor standards, production tax credits and more. 

Over the past 12 months, numerous industry experts have pontificated on just what the IRA will mean for the US economy, the climate, and supply chain security. The National Renewable Energy Lab, for example, says that it expects that the IRA will increase clean energy to the range of 71% to 90% of total US generation by 2030.

According to new analysis from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), in the year since the IRA went into effect, US solar and storage companies have announced more than $100 billion in private sector investments, with as many as 51 solar manufacturing facilities announced or expanded in the last year.

The impetus behind the growth in solar manufacturing are the production tax credits (PTC) within the IRA. Previously afforded to wind farms, PTCs now include solar for the first time. That clean-energy PTC will be available until the end of 2024 when it will become technology-neutral.

Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower, and other eligible projects will bank a tax credit of $0.003 per kilowatt-hour generated, with $0.015 paid to projects built by workers in receipt of a prevailing wage and that met apprenticeship requirements. A higher PTC, of $0.026/kWh, is available for projects built before an “act beginning construction deadline” which will occur 60 days after the Internal Revenue Service specifies its wage and apprenticeship requirements.

In recent months, pv magazine USA has reported on a range of manufacturing announcements across the PV supply chain. German manufacturer Siemens, for example, recently revealed plans to open a string inverter factory in the United States. It plans to supply 800 MW per year to the US utility-scale market.

While US-made inverters are expected to provide only 7 GW of capacity, the capacity expectations of domestically made modules, cells, ingots and wafers are impressive. SEIA projects that by 2026, the United States will have more than 17 times its current manufacturing capacity across the supply chain, or enough to supply a majority of solar projects expected to be built in the United States.

The announcements include:

• 85 GW of module capacity
• 43 GW of cells
• 20 GW of silicon ingots and wafers
• 7 GW of inverter capacity

Among these announcements is Swiss-Germany company Meyer Burger, which will construct a 2 GW per year solar cell manufacturing facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The facility will be used to produce solar cells for its own solar module manufacturing facility in Arizona.

Qcells has also announced plans to manufacture across the supply chain including ingots, wafers, cells, modules and encapsulants to be made a new facility in Bartow County, Georgia, complementing its existing facility in Dalton, Georgia.

“The unprecedented surge in demand for American-made clean energy is a clear sign that the clean energy incentives enacted last year by Congress are working,” said SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.

To continue reading, please visit our pv magazine USA website. 

From pv magazine USA

UbiQD, Inc., a New Mexico-based nanotechnology company, entered into a joint development agreement with First Solar to further explore the benefits of incorporating fluorescent quantum dot technology in advanced solar modules.

“If successful, this application in solar modules could be a perfect example of the broad applicability of our core technology,” said Hunter McDaniel, UbiQD CEO. “With emerging applications in food and energy, these novel nanomaterials are proving to be a key tool in humanity’s urgent response to climate change and further sustainable economic development.”

Quantum dots (QD) are photoluminescent particles so small that it would take 100,000 of them to span one fingernail, said UbiQD. The company said it has applications in localized DC microgrids, smart building solutions, including integration with sensors for climate and ambient controls. UbiQD also has a UbiGro brand used in greenhouse and agrivoltaic installations.

“As we work towards developing the next generation of photovoltaics, we are exploring a range of enhancements that could allow us to convert more sunlight into energy,” said Markus Gloeckler, chief technology officer, First Solar. “We are interested in the potential use of quantum dots in optimizing the absorption of light and look forward to continuing our work with UbiQD on exploring this possibility.”

While UbiQD (short for Ubiquitous Quantum Dots) is a startup, it has much history in high-level applications. In 2021 UbiQD installed its energy-producing windows at three commercial sites. In 2022, the company’s quantum dot solar technology was used in a Small Business Innovation Research project with the United States Air Force. The Air force contract provided funding for two installations of over 20 windows and additional scale-up and development funds for the product. Also in 2022, UbiQD announced that it was developing a solution for controlled-environment agriculture in partnership with Heliene, a U.S.-based solar module manufacturer.

UbiQD also took part as a Growth Stage company earlier this year in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 2023 NREL Industry Growth Forum. The forum included 40 companies that represent a range of clean and sustainable technology startups from around the world, and UbiQD was recognized as the Best Overall Venture.

From pv magazine USA

The top 10 global solar inverter vendors accounted for 86% of the market in 2022, up 4% year on year from 2021, according to a new study by Wood Mackenzie.

The market grew 48% year over year, due to easing supply chain challenges and strong government support, as seen in the United States with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Wood Mackenzie said that the top five vendors shipped more than 200 GW (AC) and accounted for 71% of total global PV inverter shipments in 2022, up 8% from 2021. The report notes that fir the top vendor of 2022, Huawei, shipments increased by 83%. Ginlong Solis posted growth of 86%.

For the eighth consecutive year, the top two vendors were Huawei and Sungrow. Huawei held the first position with a 29% market share in 2022. Sungrow, the winner of the pv magazine award in 2021, increased its market share by two percentage points, from 21% in 2021 to 23% in 2022. Ginlong Solis moved up to third place in 2022, driven by the company’s shipments in China.

The top eight vendors of 2021 were very similar to the lineup in 2022, with only Ginlong Solis and Growatt swapping third and fourth positions from 2021. Aiswei and Sofar jumped up three ranks to enter the top 10 ranking, holding the ninth and tenth positions respectively in 2022.

In the Asia-Pacific region, China led the market with 78% of inverter shipments as solar experienced unprecedented growth. India retained its position as the second largest inverter market in the Asia-Pacific region in 2022, but Wood Mackenzie said that it had a 25% decrease in shipments year over year. Japan had 7 GW of inverters enter the country, overtaking Australia as the third-biggest market, with growth of 23% year-over-year growth.

The European region experienced the highest shipment growth, with an 82% increase in 2022, following its 44% year-on-year growth in 2021. Wood Mackenzie attributed this to the move toward carbon neutrality by 2050, as part of the European Green Deal plan. Europe accounted for 28% of the global market, with 92 GW shipped.

While the US market is beginning a strong growth trajectory, it accounted for only 13% of the global market with 42 GW shipped to the country. Solar-plus-storage hybrid inverters made up 10% of the regional shipments as the curtailment of net metering in some markets are leading to a strong energy storage market.

From pv magazine USA

Maxeon Solar Technologies has chosen Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the location for its first US factory. The new 3 GW facility will produce TOPCon PV-silicon cell technology and Maxeon’s proprietary shingled-cell Performance Line solar modules.

The company said the facility will produce millions of solar modules per year for the growing utility-scale and distributed-generation markets in the United States.

“This private investment shows how our state programs, paired with President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, have charted a path for New Mexico as a leader in growing the clean energy economy and creating a strong workforce for the future,” said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Total investment in the project is expected to surpass $1 billion, Maxeon said. The company is currently in the due diligence stage of its loan application and site selection is an important milestone in completing this process with US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Loan Programs Office.

“Thanks to the support of the Biden administration, the US is now poised to re-shore and scale up a domestic solar supply chain,” said Maxeon CEO Bill Mulligan. “We see tremendous opportunity to help the country advance its clean energy agenda while generating strong local economic impact.”

Maxeon selected a 160-acre site located in the community of Mesa Del Sol, and it will include solar cell fabrication, panel assembly, a warehouse, and administrative offices. Maxeon reports that its new plant is expected to be the first large-scale cell and module manufacturing in New Mexico. While 3 GW is the planned capacity, the company said there’s a chance it will increase it to 4.5 GW in the future.

To continue reading, please visit our pv magazine USA website. 

From pv magazine USA

Community solar took a downturn last year, which continued into the first quarter of 2023. But it won’t stay down for long, according to a report by Wood Mackenzie in conjunction with the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). Despite the downturn, community solar capacity is expected to exceed 6 GW this year.

Community solar is especially applicable for customers who aren’t a good fit for rooftop solar. In a community solar project, customers subscribe to a portion of the facility’s generation in exchange for utility bill credits. The concept is taking off in the United States.

According to the report, installations declined by 6% year-over-year in 2022 and were down 13% in the first quarter of 2023. Reasons cited include supply chain uncertainty of the past year, along with interconnection and siting issues. The siting issues were noted as hindering growth in Massachusetts and Maine, both key markets.

Starting in 2024, however, community solar is expected to begin on an upward path that will see it grow at an annual clip of 8% with nearly 14 GW of cumulative capacity installed by 2028. Potential new programs could result in additional uplift, according to the report.

“Near-term growth is driven by the continued success of programs in New York and Illinois as well as positive policy updates in Maryland, Minnesota, and New Jersey. In addition, California’s newly proposed program has the potential to represent 20% of Wood Mackenzie’s national outlook between 2024 and 2028,” said Caitlin Connelly, research analyst at Wood Mackenzie.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes a 30% investment tax credit for the cost of developing renewable energy resources, provided developers meet labor requirements. Three 10% adders can be applied to projects that serve, however, the report notes that qualifying for more than one adder will be difficult, and that community solar developers are likely to see the low-income adder first.

The $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) also provides new opportunities for community solar and will be implemented via three grant competitions: the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund, the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator.

It also includes the $7 billion Solar for All competition in which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will award up to 60 grants to states, territories, tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits to expand residential solar access for low-income and disadvantaged communities. Wood Mackenzie said the U.S. EPA’s Solar for All fund within the GGRF will be particularly beneficial for community solar, granting up to $7 billion in funds to support the creation and expansion of community solar programs with an emphasis on supporting low-income communities.

“These projections don’t factor in new states passing community solar laws and the billions of dollars of federal grants that we expect will go to states to expand access to community solar. Needless to say, we’re just scratching the surface on how many people in America can get the benefits of community solar access by the end of the decade if regulators and legislators keep their foot on the gas,” said Matt Hargarten, vice president of campaigns at CCSA.

Keeping in mind some of the factors affecting the market, Wood Mackenzie and CSSA developed alternative forecasts – the bull and bear forecasts. These take into supply chain dynamics, retail rate changes and state and federal policy updates. In the bull case scenario, the national 5-year forecast increases by 13%, while I the bear case, the national outlook decreases by 24%.

To date, 23 states and the District of Columbia have established community solar platforms from pilot stage to statewide implementation. Most recently, Maryland passed community solar legislation HB 908, making it the 23rd community solar market.  Additional states that currently have community solar bills that could become law include New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Ohio’s bill, HB-197, was studied at the Ohio University, which found that a community solar program could contribute nearly $3.49 billion in gross state product, and earn $409.5 million in local tax revenue over its lifetime.

“With the introduction last week of HB 197, which contains many of the provisions of the bill evaluated in this study, state policymakers have a new opportunity to drive long-term prosperity by empowering more Ohioans with the choice to access local, reliable, and affordable clean energy,” said Carlo Cavallaro, regional director at the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), which commissioned the Ohio University study.

In addition to looking at possible growth scenarios, the WoodMac/CCSA study also revealed the growth in the market for subscriber management companies such as Arcadia, Perch Energy and Ampion. The report notes that this market now manages more than half the total community solar market.

“Developers continue to rely on third parties to outsource subscription acquisition and management services especially as state-level subscriber requirements continue to become stricter and more burdensome. Successful subscriber management companies have been seen to utilize software tools which lowers subscriber acquisition costs and have business models oriented toward successfully targeting low-income populations,” Connelly concluded.

From pv magazine USA

The Nomad mobile energy storage system from Vermont-based Nomad Transportable Power Systems is a lithium-ion-based battery energy storage system (BESS) developed by Kore Power. The energy system, called the Traveler, provides 1 MW (AC) with 2 MWh of storage capacity and can be connected to the grid or powered by renewables, adding to its portability. The system comes in a BESS trailer and includes a standardized docking platform capable of interconnection with any distribution or transmission utility, according to Nomad.

Green Mountain Power (GMP) , a utility in Vermont that provides electricity that’s 100% carbon free and 78% renewable, reports that it received the first Nomad BESS manufactured by the Vermont company. GMP recently deployed the BESS to keep Twincraft Skincare’s manufacturing facility from going down during routine power system maintenance. GMP estimates that the scheduled maintenance would have otherwise required a 6-hour outage for line crew safety.

“This is an incredible advancement in technology for GMP customers, and we are very excited to be part of its first commercial deployment here at Twincraft Skincare,” said David Speed, vice president of engineering at Twincraft. “We recognize that disruptions are a normal course of business, but they are just that, disruptions, and to avoid them in the future by using clean energy stored in the NOMAD mobile battery storage system will absolutely help us stay competitive in the market with greater reliability of operations and will keep our employees on the job.”

Like many utilities, GMP schedules outages for maintenance and upgrades, and they usually choose times that will have the least impact for customers. However, with manufacturing running 24 hours a day at Twincraft, a low-impact time was not an option.

Prior to the installation, GMP engineers calculated the electrical load needed to keep Twincraft powered by the BESS for the duration of the outage. The Nomad Traveler then backfed a transformer nearby to re-energize a small section of the power distribution system that was powering the facility.

“The Nomad is a great new tool for strategic deployment across the state, and there are several scenarios where we can now provide even greater reliability for customers both residential and commercial,” said Mari McClure, president and CEO of GMP. “From powering a fire department during a storm, to operating a ski lift, to keeping a cluster of homes powered-up, to supporting local businesses like Twincraft, there are so many opportunities to enhance safety, support commerce, and protect customers.”

With a $9.5 million grant from the US Department of Energy, GMP and Nomad plan to expand this clean-technology even more by bringing long-duration energy storage to five communities in rural Vermont. The funding is part of the US Department of Energy’s Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Demonstration Grant Program, supported by the 2020 Energy Act. The program intends to provide up to $350 million for emerging LDES demonstration projects, both lithium and non-lithium-based, capable of delivering electricity for 10 to 24 hours or longer. DOE will provide financial assistance through cooperative agreements to fund up to 50% of the cost of each project.

The grant funding will help support the roll out of Nomad energy storage systems, part of GMP’s Resiliency Zone program, to Panton, Brattleboro, Grafton and Rochester. The intention is to use the energy storage systems to help lower costs for customers by using the stored energy in the battery system during peak power use times such as during heatwaves, rather than pulling in more energy from the grid.

“We are so excited to continue rapidly growing battery storage in Vermont to keep everyone powered up through extreme weather,” said Mari McClure, GMP’s president and CEO. “The Nomad is a flexible mobile tool that keeps communities connected, while also cutting carbon and costs for all.”

For the community resilience projects, Nomad will build a new, mobile, long-duration energy storage solution using Kore Power’s next-gen modules. Nomad expects each unit to be capable of providing power to about 50 homes for 10 hours. The new units will also incorporate electric vehicle (EV) charging capabilities so that electric vehicles in outage-stricken communities will have access to power.

From pv magazine USA

Heliene, a Canadian solar module manufacturer, has ambitious plans to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint by producing 1 GW of solar modules and 1.5 GW of cells in a new facility in Minnesota. The company currently has manufacturing operations producing 800 MW of modules in Minnesota and 300 MW in Ontario, Canada.

The privately held company plans to invest about $145 million in the new facility, driven by the additional production tax credit and domestic content adder available through the Inflation Reduction Act. The investment comes from Orion Infrastructure Capital (OIC), which contributed $5 million in equity to Heliene and $150 million in credit for the new facility.

The plan is for the new factory, which is expected to be in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, to begin producing modules in 2024 and cells in 2025. Martin Pochtaruk, president of Heliene, told pv magazine USA that today the company is producing PERC modules, 80% of which are bifacial and 20% industrial rooftop large format. It plans to begin producing TOPcon modules by March 2024.

The new factory will be the company’s first to produce solar cells, and one of only a few that have announced plans to manufacture cells in the U.S. Pochtaruk noted getting cell production up and running requires the civil work to prepare the building, then the permitting process, which takes 6 months, then they’ll receive the equipment to start installation and testing…ultimately taking a total of 24 months. When asked how soon the company will ramp up to the 1.5 GW of cell production, Pochtaruk said that the company plans to start cells by July/August 2025, and it will take “a good 6 to 7 month to ramp up to 85% utilization”.

While the Inflation Reduction Act has a domestic content tax adder, pv magazine USA asked how much module content is currently sourced domestically. “Today we already have frames, encapsulant and back sheet, by December junction boxes and frame sealant. We still need ribbon and glass,” said Pochtaruk.

In October 2022 the company announced the opening of a 420 MW plant in Minnesota, adding to the company’s existing 150 MW operation in the state.

From pv magazine USA

Alaska is warming faster than any other US state, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The state has unique energy needs due to its size, diverse landscape, and remote, rural nature, and energy costs are high.

In fact, Alaska has some of the highest electricity rates, according to the Energy Information Administration. A cost of living study by Anchorage Economic Development Corp. revealed that utility costs in some cases are 33% higher than the national average.

Due to its size and rural nature, the state is not connected to large interstate energy grid like other states. Instead, Alaska has two larger transmission systems and more than 150 small, isolated systems serving remote communities.

Known for its oil reserves, Alaska relies on fossil fuel-based power. The state gets roughly 30% of its power from renewable energy, including wind, solar and water. While it has an insolation value close to that of Germany’s, Alaska has not embraced solar energy in a big way. With 18 MW of solar installed, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the state is ranked 49 in terms of total deployment capacity.

While one deterrent to relying on solar may be the lack of sun in the winter, particularly in northern areas, they also have an equal number of days of sunshine. To fully embrace renewables in Alaska, energy storage would have to play a key role.

Scientists are looking at ways of integrating zero-carbon energy sources into the electric grid on a larger scale and are seeking cost-effective ways to store that energy to provide constant power. At the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory researchers studied the potential of pumped storage hydropower as an efficient way to store large amounts of energy and improve grid resiliency throughout Alaska.

Scientists at both labs collaborated on mapping and geospatial analysis to identify locations for pumped storage hydropower. According to “The Prospects for Pumped Storage Hydropower in Alaska” report, about 1,800 sites in Alaska are suitable for the development of closed-loop pumped storage hydropower projects and many more are suitable for open loop pumped storage hydropower projects.

In contrast to conventional hydroelectric power, the way pumped storage hydropower works is it generates electricity when water is released from an upper reservoir through turbines into a lower reservoir. At night, when electricity is cheaper and abundant, the turbines are reversed to pump water back up into the elevated upper reservoir. Power is stored and released when needed.

“In Alaska, pumped storage hydropower has the potential to integrate more wind and solar into the power grid by storing excess renewable energy to balance intermittent periods of weather,” said Vladimir Koritarov, director of the Center for Energy, Environmental and Economic Systems Analysis (CEEESA) in Argonne’s Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis division. ​“We are not assuming that projects will be developed on all 1,800 sites, but there are plenty of locations available for potential development.”

The study focused on the pumped storage hydropower potential in Alaska’s integrated Railbelt system, which is an interconnected power grid made up of five regulated public utilities that runs from Fairbanks through Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula. Currently about 80% of the Railbelt’s electricity comes from natural gas.

To continue reading, please visit our pv magazine USA website.

From pv magazine USA

US-based Revkor Energy Holdings Inc and German industrial equipment provider H2 Gemini Technology Consulting GmbH have announced a plan to build a solar cell and module factory in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

“Under the terms of the partnership, Revkor and H2 Gemini will collaborate to establish high-efficiency HJT PV cell and module production across multiple project sites, with a targeted capacity of 20 GW by 2026,” the two companies said in a joint statement. “The first phase of the project will focus on building a 5 GW annual production facility, aiming for production to begin by the second quarter of 2024.”

The partners already have a 1 million square foot production plant under construction.

In the Utah partnership, H2 Gemini’s role is to supply the HJT/perovskite manufacturing equipment as well as to provide project management for the HJT production lines, delivering, implementing production processes and transferring IP technology.

Revkor will secure the remaining funding for the manufacturing and research facilities, estimated to be over several billion dollars. The company is engaging with several funding programs that are part of the Inflation Reduction Act as well as the Department of Energy loan guarantee program and CHIPS Act. The Department of Economic Development in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Governor’s office have also been tapped for funding support.

Also planned is the establishment of a research center, which will be a second 1 million square foot facility within the manufacturing complex. The partnership reports that its goal is to use its Utah-based manufacturing and research center to drive advancements in perovskite as well as graphene, plastic recycling and new tire vulcanization methods.

Revkor, headquartered in Miami, Florida, is involved in multiple aspects of the solar energy industry, from solar cell and module manufacturing to EPC services and electrical contracting.

H2Gemini, based in Switzerland and Germany, specializes in making the equipment to manufacture high efficiency solar cells. The company was founded and is led by two former executives from Meyer Burger and Schmid Group.

This article was amended to remove the statement that Revkor received exclusive license from Suzhou Maxwell Technology to manufacture HJT solar cells and modules.

From pv magazine USA

Ambri, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spinoff, has developed a liquid metal battery for long-duration energy storage solutions. Designed for daily cycling in harsh environments, the battery has an expected lifetime of 20-plus years with minimal fade, said Ambri. While the battery is now in use in data centers, an announced test with Xcel Energy is the first reported installation by a utility.

Xcel Energy and Ambri plan a year-long test the 300 kWh system at Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC) in Aurora, Colorado. SolarTAC is owned and managed by Grey Snow Management Solutions, a tribally owned economic development enterprise. The test center was established in 2009 by original founding member companies Xcel Energy, SunEdison and Abengoa Solar with the mission to test renewable energy technologies in a real-world, grid-connected environments.

Installation of the Xcel system is expected to begin in early 2024, with the system fully operational later in the year. The pilot will test various use cases, including solar and wind integration, capacity management, arbitrage, and ancillary services, among others. It will use the GridNXT Microgrid Platform at SolarTAC to integrate multiple generation sources, such as solar and wind, along with inverters, load banks, and three-phase distribution connections and communications.

Xcel Energy became the first utility in the United States to set a long-term goal of providing its customers zero-carbon electricity. The utility aims to be net-zero across electricity, heating, and transportation by 2050.

“Xcel Energy is a forward-thinking and ambitious utility, and their enthusiasm for testing our system highlights the huge potential for Liquid Metal batteries,” said Adam Briggs, chief commercial officer at Ambri. “Xcel Energy clearly understands the significant value that can be achieved by integrating innovative storage technologies into their renewable portfolio.”

Xcel Energy plans to develop a follow-on memorandum of understanding (MOU) for larger-capacity long-duration energy storage projects to follow the upcoming 300kWh system at SolarTAC.

“Xcel Energy has always been at the forefront among utilities in the transition to carbon-free electricity,” said Justin Tomljanovic, vice president of corporate development at Xcel Energy. “This demonstration project with Ambri allows us to explore a technology that could help us continue to reliably supply the energy our customers depend on throughout the clean energy transition.”

Ambri’s batteries, manufactured in Milford, Massachusetts, feature a liquid calcium alloy anode, a molten salt electrolyte, and a cathode comprised of solid particles of antimony, enabling the use of low-cost materials and a low number of steps in the cell assembly process.

The company said that the active materials in its cells reversibly alloy and de-alloy while charging and discharging. The electrolyte thermodynamically stable with the electrodes, avoiding side reactions such as film-formation that can lead to performance degradation. The negative electrode is fully consumed when discharged, and reformed on every cycle, resulting in what the company said is a “highly repeatable process with no memory effect.”