Month: January 2022

Battery energy storage company Viridi Parente said it raised $94.695 million in a Series C funding round. The latest funding round boosts Viridi’s value to $700 million, and supports the company’s aim to manufacture point-of-use lithium-ion battery technology at scale.   The Series C round was led by existing investor B. Thomas Golisano, a philanthropist and …

Point-of-use battery storage company Viridi closes $95m funding round Read More »

Appalachian Power issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to 1,000 MW of wind and 100 MW of solar generation resources with optional battery energy-storage systems. The RFP is its largest to date for wind energy resources. Proposals would help the company meet renewable energy requirements set by Virginia’s Clean Economy Act (VCEA).  Under the VCEA, …

Appalachian Power RFP would add 1 GW of wind energy resources Read More »

General Electric (GE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrated grid-forming technologies in the Type-3 wind turbine, a step in long-term grid modernization efforts as the rapid deployment of renewable technologies transforms the electric power system. Grid-forming technologies provide functions that are traditionally provided by synchronous machinery. They allow solar and other inverter-based energy sources …

Wind turbine with advanced controls used in grid-forming test by NREL and GE Read More »

Utility-scale solar energy deployments are not as land intensive as they were a decade ago, thanks to improved power and energy densities. As a result, developers and others who turn to older benchmarks for solar module power and energy density will “significantly overstate” land requirements. Those are the findings of a new study by researchers …

New utility-scale solar needs far less land than a decade ago, LBNL says Read More »

An integrated policy framework built around the energy transition could bring a wave of new sustainable energy investment to Africa, growing the continent’s economy by 6.4% by 2050, according to an analysis published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB). “Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Africa and Its …

A move to renewable energy could grow Africa’s economy by 6.4% Read More »

By Charles F. Kutscher, University of Colorado Boulder and Jeffrey Logan, University of Colorado Boulder In the summer of 1988, scientist James Hansen testified to Congress that carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels was dangerously warming the planet. Scientific meetings were held, voluminous reports were written, and national pledges were made, but because fossil fuels …

A 21st-century reinvention of the electric grid is crucial for solving the climate change crisis Read More »

The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC) announced $3.4 million in funding for six new wind projects in supply chain efficiency, asset monitoring, and inspection. Three new supply chain projects are aimed at ensuring quality component production and simplifying transportation of major wind plant components. Recipients include the Electric Power Research Institute for …

Offshore wind projects gain federal funding Read More »

Equinor and bp finalized Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSAs) with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the 1,260 Empire Wind 2 and 1,230 MW Beacon Wind 1, which would be built in offshore waters.  The January 14 signings closed New York State’s second offshore wind competitive solicitation. The contracts were …

Final contracts clear the way for nearly 2.5 GW of offshore wind Read More »

First Solar said that Boston-based Swift Current Energy placed an order for 1.2 GWDC of First Solar’s thin film photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. The modules will be delivered in 2023 and 2024. Terms were not disclosed. The order is the largest to date for Swift Current, which was founded in 2016 and has a pipeline of more …

Swift Current orders 1.2 GW of solar modules from First Solar Read More »

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) postponed oral arguments on its proposed revisions to the state’s Net Energy Metering (NEM) rules, likely delaying a vote on the draft beyond the current January 27 date. The Commission said the delay would allow all five commissioners to take part in the oral argument phase. The proposed decision was released …

10 reasons to reject NEM 3.0 in California Read More »