California

California should put front-of-the-meter distributed solar on an equal footing with transmission-connected utility-scale solar and behind-the-meter solar, say several US advocacy groups.

The perovskite solar race is heating up, with a cue of manufacturers forming to test products at the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) PV commercialization facilities, and academics on both sides of The Pond announcing new advances in recent months.

The California Public Utilities Commission has approved Net Energy Metering 3.0 and has slashed payments to send rooftop solar electricity to the grid. New rooftop solar projects are now considered uneconomical without attached batteries.

Following a disappointing COP27 climate change summit in November, solar industry veteran Philip Wolfe reviews the contribution utility-scale PV is starting to make to emissions reduction.

The state has updated its Build Energy Efficiency Standards to include requirements for solar plus storage on all commercial and multifamily homes, while also requiring that all new residential construction – which already requires solar – to be energy storage ready.

The Indian-based PV module maker supplied mono PERC solar PV modules for a 250 MW project stage for a large Californian project, the 2.7GW Westlands Solar Park, located south of Fresno in California.

California will need widespread demand flexibility to reach its renewables goal. Real-time electricity pricing is one tool that is being considered.

Industry groups focus on solar-plus-storage, or preserving the distributed solar industry, while a state agency aims to compensate rooftop solar at avoided costs and add a grid service charge.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cast a cloud on industries around the world, but the U.S. utility-scale solar segment is still growing, writes IHS Markit solar analyst Maria J. Chea. Around 3 GW of solar PV is set to be installed this year in Texas alone, but opportunities also abound across several other southern U.S. states.

Germany has long been a global leader in driving acceptance of clean technologies through its progressive energy policies and regulations. Its influence in addressing climate change extends well beyond its borders, and the country is taking an active role to support the global energy transition through international cooperation. Germany has bilateral energy partnerships with approximately 20 countries, and its strong partnership with California is focused on creating a route to the future – a carbon-neutral one. State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Andreas Feicht met with pv magazine to discuss the country’s partnership with California, and its journey toward decarbonization.