SV Clean Energy signs major contracts for California’s largest solar-plus-storage projects

“Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) signed two long-term agreements for the largest utility-scale, solar-plus-storage projects to be built in California. The two projects will provide 153 megawatts (MW) of solar and 47 MW of storage and will be developed by Electricité de France (EDF) and Recurrent Energy Development Holdings, LLC. (Recurrent). These projects will come…

Largest California solar-plus-storage project agreement signed

“Canadian Solar Inc. recently announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Recurrent Energy LLC, has signed two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Monterey Bay Community Power for a 150-megawatt solar power system with 180 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage. This joint procurement effort represents the largest contracted solar-plus-storage project in California…

Australian university to trial solar storage microgrid with EV charging

“The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has partnered with Monash University and technology provider Indra Australia to trial a microgrid as a first step to powering Monash’s Clayton campus entirely with renewable energy by 2030. The pilot will test the microgrid across the campus in southeast Melbourne using Indra’s Ingrid Advanced Grid Management (AGM) software…

Portland General Electric to develop ‘smart grids’ in 3 Oregon towns

“The Oregon towns of Hillsboro, Portland and Milwaukie will make up PGE’s Smart Grid Test Bed, where the utility will leverage advanced communications capabilities and distribution system upgrades to deliver demand response signals to customers using a range of smart-home technologies. Almost all of the utility’s customers have been using smart meters since 2010.” Click…

Creating more sustainable water systems by taking lessons from the energy industry

“In California a whopping 19 percent of the total electrical demand is used in some way to move or treat water. Large, centralized water transportation systems like the California Aqueduct consume enormous amounts of electricity lifting water nearly 2,000 feet on its journey to southern California. And the myriad of groundwater wells across the U.S.…

California Approves $5M Grant for Microgrid at Naval War Center

“The project comes as the industry increasingly strives to reduce the amount of customization in microgrid development as a way to drive down costs. In this case, researchers hope to create a replicable model that demonstrates how to avoid electric instabilities during transitions between grid connected and islanding modes.” Click here to read more from Microgrid…

Swell Energy picks autogrid to optimize thousands of home batteries

“Swell Energy has joined forces with AutoGrid to create North America’s largest network of residential batteries dispatched for grid benefits. The Los Angeles-based storage startup has a contract with utility Southern California Edison to install batteries in 3,000 homes, which the utility will be able to control as grid assets. That contract weathered an unexpected…

California’s energy storage rebate approval a ‘bipartisan victory for local clean energy’

“Following news of SB100, legislation that would set California on a path to 100% renewables by 2045, the state is also on the brink of setting up a rebate programme for energy storage equipment sales. Senate Bill 700 (SB700), authored by Senator Scott Wiener, would extend the state’s feted SGIP (Self-generation incentive programme) policy to…

Building resilience with microgrids and smart energy

“In some regions, electric grids have increased capacity, become more reliable, much better at integrating distributed renewables, smarter and more resilient. In other places, serious investment is needed to reduce the risk of failure in storms and malfunctions that cause everything from wildfires to millions living for days in darkness. Microgrids are a growing part…