Grid Edge

Grid Edge 4
Distributed solar, batteries and flexible loads can replace the need for new power plants at lower cost, proponents say.

Why Build a Power Plant if You Can Make a Virtual One?

The Enel X deal in Taiwan shows how virtual power plants can outcompete thermal generators.

by Jason Deign
Grid Edge 3
FERC is being asked to undo a decade-old state

Demand Response Provider Asks Feds to Open States to Energy Market Competition

Petition says failing to end state “opt-out” rules is unfair to customers and could undermine FERC Order 2222.

by Jeff St. John
Solar 164
Customer economics for on-site renewables are compelling in California, the author writes.
Industry Perspective

I Fully Converted a Home to Electricity. Here’s How It Worked — and What It Cost

Currently available solar, battery and heat pump technology means every building under two stories with a sunny roof can be a net generator of energy.

by Barry Cinnamon
Batteries Can Defer Grid Upgrades, But It’s a Tough Business
SquaredGTM Squared

Batteries Can Defer Grid Upgrades, But It’s a Tough Business

Early successes with non-wires alternatives haven’t yet sparked a thriving market.

by Julian Spector |
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Grid Edge 2
DOE's funding seeks to combine solar, batteries and smart appliances to match building loads with grid needs.

Funding the Next Generation of Efficient, Electric, Grid-Interactive Communities

Department of Energy provides $65 million for “connected communities,” expanding projects to embed clean energy and grid services in new buildings.

by Jeff St. John
Energy 3
Taking Stock of Job Losses in Clean Energy

Taking Stock of Job Losses in Clean Energy

This week on The Energy Gang: When will the jobs come back?

by Stephen Lacey
Energy Storage 10
Vermont residents can get financial assistance to purchase home batteries.

From Pilot to Permanent: Green Mountain Power’s Home Battery Network Is Here to Stay

The Vermont utility now controls several thousand Tesla Powerwall batteries sited in customers’ homes. The results have been promising.

by Julian Spector
Grid Edge 10
FERC's order could end a two-year hiatus in country's biggest grid capacity market, but it doesn't resolve worries from states with clean energy goals.

FERC Order Will Restart PJM’s Capacity Market

But state-subsidized clean energy resources and programs still face major challenges.

by Jeff St. John
Energy Storage 2
AMS started out developing commercial batteries like these in Southern California, but got acquired for an algorithmic trading tool it created later.

Fluence Acquires Grid Software Startup AMS

Pioneering California battery startup AMS finds an exit — and a home for its market-bidding software — with the global energy storage supplier.

by Julian Spector
PV, EV, & Storage 0
Amazon, Generac and Calibrant: Making Sense of Recent Distributed Energy Activity

Amazon, Generac and Calibrant: Making Sense of Recent Distributed Energy Activity

This week on The Interchange, we look at consolidation and cooperation in the DER market.

by Stephen Lacey
Grid Edge 2
Santa Barbara's public schools are getting a clean energy upgrade.

Santa Barbara Schools Get Solar-Battery Backup, Saving Money at the Same Time

A novel project eliminates the old dichotomy between saving money and investing in resilience. But can it work elsewhere?

by Julian Spector
Fossil Fuels 1
Exxon Is Losing the Energy Transition

Exxon Is Losing the Energy Transition

This week on The Energy Gang: ExxonMobil is having a really bad year.

by Stephen Lacey
Energy 57
CEO Paul Segal draws confidence from the performance of LS Power's first solar investments, which he said performed well over many years. (Photo courtesy of LS Power)

LS Power’s Deep Pockets and Risk Appetite Could Shake Up Renewables Development

The privately held developer and asset owner made its fortune in gas plants. Now it’s pushing hard into renewables.

by Julian Spector
16
EV flexibility could balance Norway's grid all by itself as early as 2025, according to Tibber CEO Edgeir Aksnes.

The Startup Helping EVs Balance Out the Renewables That Power Them

Digital energy supplier Tibber is bidding customers’ V2G-enabled electric vehicles into commercial grid-services tenders, shifting the tech from theory to practice.

by John Parnell
Grid Edge 36
Gonzales' project could serve as a model for California municipalities. (Photo: City of Gonzalez)

California Town Tests New Model for Microgrids

New $70 million microgrid will provide reliable, round-the-clock power at competitive rates and overcome a grid-upgrade bottleneck.

by Jeff St. John
Energy Capacity Will Dwarf All Other Battery Uses
SquaredGTM Squared

Energy Capacity Will Dwarf All Other Battery Uses

Though now still in its infancy, capacity applications could drive 80 to 90 percent of all battery installations in the next decade.

by Julian Spector |
Grid Edge 9
A new report identifies the need to fix gaps in planning for extreme weather and post-solar net peak grid demand.

Behind California’s Rolling Blackouts: Planning and Market Failures

A long-awaited study confirms the state’s resource adequacy system and day-ahead markets weren’t ready for a regionwide heat wave.

by Jeff St. John
Efficiency 10
HVAC technicians can work long days but are often paid well.

What’s It Like to Be an HVAC Installer or Technician?

One of the biggest jobs in clean energy is also one that is sometimes overlooked.

by Chloe Holden
Grid Edge 13
A family uses a Humless battery pack to keep the lights on when the grid is down. (Photo courtesy of Humless)

Will the Distributed Energy Revolution Leave Renters Behind?

Homeowners aren’t the only ones worried about blackouts and rising electricity bills.

by Julian Spector
Grid Edge 1
The joint venture will specialize in onsite energy in the U.S.

Siemens and Macquarie Form Calibrant Energy to Tackle Distributed Energy Market

The two are joining up on a distributed energy venture to sell an energy-as-a-service concept.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant
Grid Edge 57
Enbala’s DER software platform currently orchestrates around 600 megawatts of capacity.

Generac Acquires Enbala, Boosting Plan to Harness Behind-the-Meter Energy Resources

The deal puts Generac in the business of aggregating distributed energy resources as virtual power plants.

by Jeff St. John
4
Nissan's U.K. factory. The country's automotive sector needs a battery supply and fast. (Credit: Nissan)

UK Needs Battery Industry Boost in ‘Next Year or Two’

A delay in support could create supply-chain pains for electric vehicle production.

by Jason Deign
Policy 4
How Ambitious Is China’s Zero-Carbon Goal?

How Ambitious Is China’s Zero-Carbon Goal?

This week on The Energy Gang, a look at China’s 2060 zero-emissions target.

by Stephen Lacey
Electric Vehicles 38
Will California’s Ban on Gas Cars Boost America’s Flat EV Market?

Will California’s Ban on Gas Cars Boost America’s Flat EV Market?

This week on The Interchange, we assess the state of EVs in the wake of California’s 2035 mandate.

by Stephen Lacey
Swiss Army Knife of Storage: How Frequency Regulation Launched an Industry, Then Tapped Out
SquaredGTM Squared

Swiss Army Knife of Storage: How Frequency Regulation Launched an Industry, Then Tapped Out

After several quiet years, some developers are finding new ways to capitalize on frequency opportunities.

by Julian Spector |