Sam Player

✅ California's community solar potential is not being fulfilled amidst stakeholder demands, leading to a controversial vote by the CPUC. ✅ Alliant Energy in Wisconsin completes 200 MW solar project, part of a 12-project buildout, with combined capacity reaching over 1 GW. ✅ Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) advances in competition with lithium-ion batteries, offering lower costs over larger periods. From community solar projects in California not reaching their full potential owing to a contentious CPUC vote, to unprecedented solar accomplishments in Wisconsin where Alliant Energy wraps up a 200 MW solar project - part of an ambitious multi-phase assignment spanning 12 projects aiming for over 1 GW! The post also discusses remarkable advancements in Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES), expected to overtake lithium-ion batteries with lower costs over extended periods. In international news, price trends in the global solar industry are fluctuating due to complex intercontinental trade environments, with the solar wafer prices softening. As for weather, unique irradiance patterns recorded across North America due to the Gulf's heat dome and a polar jet stream have brought fascinating changes to solar outputs in May. Adding to exciting developments, Chinese wafer manufacturer TCL Zhonghuan aims to acquire a majority stake in Maxeon, boosting its financial strength. Lastly, Canadian Solar, a global manufacturer, is challenging the widespread support for tariffs among fellow solar manufacturers. For more information on selling solar virtually across the USA visit www.tstpros.com ☀️

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The CPUC can't control what isn't attached, at some point the lower cost of solar and storage will allow communities to just drop off the grid... https://lnkd.in/gdZWWKVR

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☑️ California's Community Renewable Energy Act (AB 2316) aims to promote the use of solar energy through community projects, yet recent proposals by the CPUC have created uncertainty. ☑️ The US community solar market is predicted to grow by 118% over the next five years, showcasing the massive potential if the guidelines are clear. ☑️ The takeaway for property owners is that solar power is not just for individual residences and can help to create a more resilient energy grid. People, let's dive into the exciting yet complex terrain of California's community solar project regulations! With the surge in popularity solar energy has seen recently, coupled with the introduction of innovative solutions for capturing the sun's bounty, the solar industry is thriving more than ever. But, a recent revised proposition by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding AB 2316 has whipped up a sector-wide uproar. The issue lies in the alleged conflict between Net Value Billing Tariff (NVBT) and federal laws, making the future of community solar program vague. Despite such a setback, the immense potential of community solar projects is undeniable, with predictions indicating a whopping 118% growth in the US community solar market over the next few years. If regulated properly, California could spearhead a thriving solar market in the US, encouraging homeowners to invest in solar arrays and decentralized energy production. Let's keep an eye on community solar programs, making every home and business an ally towards achieving energy independence. For more information on selling solar virtually across the USA visit www.tstpros.com.

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Attention California businesses! Big changes might be in store for the state's community solar program. Here's what you need to know: 📄 The California Public Utilities Commission has issued a Proposed Decision (PD) that, if approved, will have drastic consequences. 🔌 Siding with utilities, the PD favors a community solar program based on existing wholesale-market distributed energy programs, despite clear evidence these programs don't work. ☀️ The PD rejects the proposed Net Value Billing Tariff that would've generated 8 GW of community solar paired with battery energy storage and provided benefits to hundreds of thousands of households. To learn more about the Proposed Decision, when it might be approved, and what California businesses should know about the future of community solar in the Golden State, read our blog post: https://lnkd.in/dyx4BiDV

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There is a lot of criticism on LinkedIn regarding California's power grid decarbonization. One positive aspect to California's power system evolution is the use of Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs), to develop low carbon power projects and make those green electrons available to consumers. This map shows the diversity of service areas and technologies used for decarbonizing the grid. If we have to wait for utilities to get the work done, it will be way too slow. CCAs are one way to increase the rate at which we can decarbonize the power sector.

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Are you located in a state where they're shutting off power because of extreme heat? I actually addressed this exact scenario in a pipeline podcast episode in 2023. Being from California, every year we had Santa Ana winds, heat, or our famous wildfires, it meant lights out. That meant salespeople were offline. Business continuity planning means anticipating scenarios like brown outs. I have a better option for you. Leverage Wave Representatives and outsource your inside sales. We saw this trend, especially in California and Texas and relocated our SalesOps to Idaho in 2023, a state with uninterrupted power. - We hire, train and manage your dedicated inside sales team in Idaho. - We can plug and play with your CRM. - We can optimize your inside sales process for efficiency. Don't let power determine if your inside sales team is available. #YourBestPartner #B2B #GTM #Sales #Outsourcing https://lnkd.in/gf87vGsu https://lnkd.in/gwRMBRjD

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Exciting news for IoTecha! We have been awarded a grant of up to $27M by the California Energy Commission to advance grid-friendly EV charging solutions across the state. Supporting the CEC’s goal to fast-track the development and deployment of smart EV charging infrastructure, we aim to deploy 120 smart EV charging stations to homes in communities of all income levels in the first phase of our initiative, eventually expanding to 12,000 homes across California. It’s time to REVISIT Charging in California and beyond, and unlock the full potential of vehicle-grid integration! ⚡ 🚗 🏠 Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/gKu9g3BQ #REVISITcharging #evee #CEC #EVcharging #CleanTransportation #IoTecha #Innovation #Sustainability #bidirectional #V2G #CCS #interoperability #iso15118 #evse #acceleratingelectrification #poweredbyiotecha

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The move toward electrifying everything from cars to heating to stovetops is expected to add further demand to an already stressed electrical grid. The founders of a collection of San Francisco startups think they can help. Voltus, WeaveGrid, SPAN and Bidirectional Energy are working on ways to provide supplemental power when and as needed or to moderate or shift power demand to later times. I spoke with each of their CEOs — Dana Guernsey, Apoorv Bhargava, Arch Rao and Angela Zhang — as well as industry experts Christopher Knittel and Nicole Staple about what the companies are working on and how their services could help the electrification push. It's no surprise the companies are based in The City. As I wrote about recently, San Francisco has become a major hub in green-tech development.

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When is a utility NOT a utility, and how can they affect massive change for EV charging optimization at scale? In California, one of the largest Community Choice Aggregators (#CCA) is MCE which provides retail electricity to nearly 1.5 million residential and business customers in the Bay Area. Our company, ev.energy, provides MCE and its customers with a method to ensure that EV charging happens 1) to avoid stress on the electric grid and 2) when the most abundant renewable energy is available. In the video here, MCE's customers explain in their own words how the ev.energy app allows them to "set it and forget it" to optimize charging to keep electricity bills as low as possible, while keeping their EV charged and ready to go when they need it. We at ev.energy are bringing this forward-looking approach to managed charging not just to utilities around the country and the world, but also to emerging organizations dedicated to clean transportation. #electriccars #electricvehicles #virtualpowerplant #vpp #EVcharging #utilities #tesla #marincounty #loadmanagement #demandresponse

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Can a US state run entirely on renewables for about 25% of the day? California is discovering the answer is "yes". And does renewable energy go to 0 after the sun goes down? No, not with wind, hydropower, and geothermal, along with some batteries to smooth out the evening peak. To make this more effective, imagine if we could shift more load towards times when solar is more abundant. That's a huge opportunity for EVs, to soak up the sun, and drive on sunlight. Of course, for Eastern Washington state, California's success will come as no surprise - not for a region with 36 GW of hydroelectric dams and several wind farms.

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With regard to this emerging solar energy glut in California, a couple of factors at play. First, the utilities move to net metering frankly smacks of monopolistic practices. It’s simply an abuse of their control position when the market determined solar was worth investing in at all levels. Consumers and businesses shouldn’t be punished for adopting effective clean energy that reduces their energy costs while mitigating climate change. Next, having to ‘throw away’ generated clean energy is in large part a storage and optimization failure. Li-Ion batteries, the only widely available storage solution, are currently too expensive and unscalable, and consumers and businesses alike have balked at widespread adoption. Even if batteries are installed to store co-located solar, optimization solutions like Span and other smart panels are not only also expensive, they are clunky and inflexible. Put simply, battery storage TCO to support installed solar is poor. Our transition to renewable energy will continue to be gated until a portfolio of affordable, scalable storage solutions are available. California’s wasted solar energy surplus is a prime example of this urgent need. #renewables #renewableenergy #energystorage #cleanenergy #energytransition #deeptech

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Don’t be fooled by Big Utilities. Uncontrolled utility spending and a lack of government oversight are why California's electricity costs are so high — not solar users. In fact, we need higher rooftop #solar and battery adoption to get utility spending under control and meet the state’s #climate goals. Watch this video to learn more about their uncontrolled spending and what you can do to stop it and keep California a solar energy leader! https://bit.ly/49BHpRQ

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🌞⚡ Powering Through: California Leverages Battery Technology to Prevent Blackouts ⚡🌞 As reported on Bloomberg, California Energy Commission is taking bold steps to avoid rolling blackouts this summer by integrating new #solar plants and large #BatterySystems into the state's grid at an impressive pace. After years of drought, wildfires disrupting transmission lines, and record-setting heat waves, the state's electricity system has been under immense strain. But there's hope on the horizon: since 2020, California has added 18.5 gigawatts of new #energy resources, including 6.6 gigawatts of #batteries, 6.3 gigawatts of solar, and 1.4 gigawatts of combined solar and #EnergyStorage¹. To put it into perspective, one gigawatt can power about 750,000 homes. This incredible progress underscores the vital role that #BatteryTechnology plays in ensuring a reliable and resilient energy supply. What is even more impressive, as reported in Reuters², a large number of the battery storage has been manufactured using second life battery cells taken from end-of-life electric vehicle batteries, just like the ones being manufactured in modual AG! - Jesse Morris 🔔 Follow Jesse Morris and modual AG to stay informed of exciting developments in: #Technology, #Sustainability and #BatteryTech Source 1: https://lnkd.in/eCKsJtBg Source 2: https://lnkd.in/eewgjU3f

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Aspen Power's Kristy Zaragoza will be on GridTECH Connect Forum's upcoming panel: "Community solar: A California dream?" Expect an interesting discussion on the heels of the recent California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision to adopt a flawed community solar program. If you have questions or would like to connect in advance let us know! By siding with utilities, the CPUC has made a choice that not only undermines the interests of ratepayers but also poses a significant setback to California's ambitious climate goals. Distributed energy generation supports the equitable and sustainable growth of community solar initiatives, and our progress toward a cleaner and more resilient energy future. Learn more about the panel here: https://lnkd.in/eAw87QMP #GridTECH #Sustainability #Solar

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These driver programs are so important, and a win-win for all involved. Check out WeaveGrid's latest news: #EVdrivers #EVsolutions #EV #utilities

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