Four US rooftop solar trends in 2023
With the calendar year almost complete, pv magazine USA shares four Stateside trends it saw in residential solar this year.
Weekend Read: The solar-battery-EV dream
For those who combine solar, batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs) at home, driving on sunshine is a realistic goal. However, there are many factors to consider when analyzing the economic payoffs, as well as the technical possibilities and limitations of such systems.
Solar industry should focus on virtual power plants, says US official
Solar industry veteran Jigar Shah, the director of the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Loan Programs Office, says that virtual power plants are the path to success, as solar net metering now faces an uncertain future.
Virtual power plants roll out across the U.S.
Virtual power plants (VPPs) coordinate distributed resources and demand for a more resilient, cost-effective energy transition. And they are gaining traction in the United States.
The weekend read: Real barriers to virtual power plants
The technology is available for virtual power plants to be rolled out across the United States, argues Jigar Shah, the director of the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. Their implementation would result in a cascade of benefits, including extending the adoption of distributed energy resources like rooftop PV and lowering electricity costs for consumers.
Enphase batteries to be used in US virtual power plants
Microinverter provider Enphase has signed a deal with Swell Energy to participate in distributed virtual power plants in California, New York and Hawaii.
LG launches hybrid inverter for residential battery range
South Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution has launched a new inverter in the Australian market, adding a 5 kW hybrid inverter to its Residential Energy Storage Unit (RESU) Home battery energy storage range.
Tesla Powerwalls in California join the movement to create virtual power plants
Made up of distributed residential energy storage, these “plants” stabilize the grid and often end the need for new fossil generation. Tesla customers in California are the latest to join the movement.
Tennet begins internet-of-things grid balancing project
Household heat pumps, EV chargers and rooftop solar panels will be able to earn their owners benefits in return for helping to balance grid networks struggling to accommodate new solar and wind power generation.
Toshiba and Siemens Energy pledge to walk away from coal-fired power business
The Japanese tech giant and German power company have followed the lead of General Electric by promising not to take on any new coal power station contracts.
