California is learning to trust 100% residential solar power
California utility PG&E has tested levels of residential solar power up to 100% penetration, and how to mitigate the effects of voltage and thermal overload via smart inverters and traditional transformer and circuit upgrades — with smart inverters shown to allow for up to 100% penetration at cost-effective pricing.
California’s solar power record setting season arrives
The state grid operator reported breaking 11 GW of instantaneous power from large scale solar on Saturday at 1.50pm. Just 20 minutes earlier, the CAISO grid was exporting a record 1.5 GW of electricity, and last Wednesday it hit 93% clean electricity for a moment.
Big batteries are coming to Southern California
Macquarie has closed on funding for a third portion of a 340 MWh project in Southern California, and LADWP is planning 1.8 GW of batteries.
Solar Bill of Rights introduced in California
The legislation would enshrine a customer’s right to generate and store electricity on their own property as well as connecting to the grid without undue burden and freedom from discriminatory fees, as well as setting compensation for battery exports.
America’s Green New Deal is going to happen at state, not federal level
While U.S. senators Ed Markey and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduce a resolution for a clean energy package, legislation has been tabled in six states aiming to implement 80-100% clean energy by 2050 or earlier.
Final hurdle cleared in California’s solar mandate for new homes
The California Building Standards Commission has approved the requirement that new homes integrate rooftop solar. This is expected to not only give a major boost to the state’s solar market, but to drive down costs.
Renewable energy brings California emissions below 1990 levels
The U.S. state’s latest report shows that it has beat its 2020 target for emissions reductions four years early, mostly thanks to more renewable energy.
Distributed solar saved California over US$650 million from 2013-2015
A new study finds that from 2013 through 2015, distributed PV reduced peak solar hour mean wholesale electricity prices by 8–9%, avoiding costs of US$650–730 million.
Nearly 2/3 of Americans support a solar mandate for new homes
A new poll by Morning Consult found surprisingly strong support for a California-style mandate across the political spectrum, although Liberals were more likely to favor the measure than Conservatives.
California generates more power from solar than gas in May
During May utility-scale solar provided 17% of generation on California’s grid, outpacing gas for the first time on a monthly basis.
