With a projected 2015 loss, the demand response leader seeks growth in enterprise and utility software. Over the next few years, EnerNOC wants to bring in as much money serving up enterprise efficiency and energy management software as it does in its traditional field of demand response. But that transition won’t come without some significant… Keep reading →
Landmark Solar YieldCo between First Solar and SunPower from Shutterstock. Vertically integrated solar developer superpowers and competitors First Solar and SunPower are partnering on a solar project YieldCo. This somewhat surprising announcement from the rival firms comes after several quarters of reluctance (or patience) in entering a YieldCo structure — either individually or jointly. The market… Keep reading →
Flow batteries for forklifts, new proton exchange membranes and sodium-ion cathode structures, and other potential breakthroughs. The Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program was created to give “blue-sky” research projects the money they need to prove whether or not they’re ready for commercialization. That includes a host of projects seeking to make batteries cheaper, smaller… Keep reading →
The equipment and materials manufacturer once called itself a “poster child for survival” in solar. Can it still live up to that claim? GT Advanced Technologies, a manufacturer of solar equipment and materials for consumer electronics, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New Hampshire court. The news caps a wild ride for GT’s stock after it… Keep reading →
“This is an open door for the storage industry to play if they are able to match the value and economics of a peaker.” A groundbreaking agreement between Arizona Public Service (APS) and Arizona’s ratepayer advocate could create a surge of new storage deployment in the state over the next seven years. Late last week,… Keep reading →
Levelized costs don’t tell the whole story about competitiveness. But they provide a helpful guide for where clean energy is headed. Renewables in the electricity sector are undoubtedly getting cheaper. But exactly how cheap compared to conventional fuels? If using the common levelized cost of energy (LCOE) metric, renewables are actually starting to rival fossil… Keep reading →
“This is not a pivot. It’s just another line of business.” Skyline Innovations, the first U.S. company to offer third-party financing for solar hot water systems, is moving into a different line of business: energy brokerage. Earlier this month, the company changed its name to Nextility and announced that it would be offering energy management services to small businesses.… Keep reading →
But a former Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector disagrees. An advanced seismic study conducted by utility PG&E to determine the safety of California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has found that the facility is “designed to withstand and perform [its] safety functions during and after a major seismic event.” The Central Coastal California Seismic Imaging Projectreport was submitted to the Nuclear… Keep reading →
Montana startup turns a chemistry’s weakness to the grid’s advantage For years, battery technology startups and researchers have been striving to create a rechargeable, grid-scale energy storage system using zinc, one of the world’s cheapest and most plentiful metals. Zinc-based batteries tend to break down after just hundreds of charge-discharge cycles, however — and coming up… Keep reading →
How SolarWorld spent its summer vacation Here’s a roundup of SolarWorld’s tumultuous summer. Winning trade battles In June, the Department of Commerce found in favor of petitioner SolarWorld in that company’s trade case against Chinese solar module makers. The preliminary decision imposed significant tariffs on Chinese solar modules in the anti-dumping portion of this case.… Keep reading →
