Sonnenbatterie launches solar+storage community platform
German specialized solar battery manufacturer Sonnenbatteries has unveiled its new concept of a virtual network that can pool solar+storage arrays and trade surplus energy on the wholesale market. The goal is to build a virtual community of solar+storage owners and to participate in peer-to-peer energy exchange and trading.
Brazil predicts 4.5 GW of installations through expanded net metering rules
A virtual net metering policy has been introduced and the project size cap has been increased to 5 MW. Under the new rules Brazil’s ANEEL expects 4.5 GW of renewable energy installations by 2024.
Saskatchewan sets 50% by 2030 renewable energy target
Saskatchewan’s plan to double its share of renewable energy generation will include procuring at least 60MW of utility-scale solar through auctions beginning in 2016.
Blue Earth picks up an all-star cast of executives
The solar developer has hired talent from SunEdison, Recurrent Energy and NRG Renew.
Australian offgrid push may leave unfair burden of grid costs
Encouraging households to add sufficient storage to their PV arrays to disconnect from the electricity grid may leave an unfair burden of high utility payments to those left connected. Ric Brazzale, the Managing Director of Green Energy Trading says that a large movement of households off the grid may be bad for consumers without necessarily doing anything for the environment.
Germany: LG Chem to supply batteries for Steags 90 MW energy storage project
LG Chem will supply Steag with six of its large-scale lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries for what will become the largest energy storage system project of its kind, when complete, in 2017. Steag is investing EUR 100 million in the 90 MW project.
Solar O&M market to surpass 390 GW by 2020, says GTM
Report from GTM Research forecasts a tripling of the global solar operations and maintenance market from 133 GW this year to more than 390 GW by 2020, growing even in regions where PV expansion has stalled.
US DOE awards $125m for 41 transformational energy tech projects, including solar
Funds issued as part of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy to be issued ahead of the UN Climate Change talks in Paris as part of wider investment in low carbon economy.
British public vastly overestimate solar support levels, poll finds
According to a new YouGov poll commissioned by the Solar Trade Association, subsidies for U.K. solar power are 22 times less than people actually think, comprising just GBP 9 per consumer per year.
End of German energy storage funding will see market drop 13% in 2016
The expiration of Germanys energy storage program this December is expected to see market growth contract 13% in 2016, says EuPD Research. This year, up to 16,000 small scale solar+storage systems are forecast to be installed in the country, up from 5,000 two years ago. An end of year rush and a drop in PV system prices are anticipated from those looking to profit from the funding before it ends.
