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03.12.21 News 43

Greentech Media in action at the 2019 Solar Summit, one of our last live events before the pandemic put us all behind screens.

Greentech Media Bids Farewell

A 14-year run covering an energy industry transformed — and just getting started.

by Jeff St. John

03.09.21 Grid Edge 14

Decade-old startup Mainspring Energy is moving into commercial deployment via a $150 million deal with NextEra Energy Solutions. (Credit: Mainspring Energy)

Mainspring Energy Lands $150M Deal To Deploy Its Linear Generators With NextEra

The startup’s fuel-flexible systems offer the low emissions of fuel cells with the affordability and flexibility of engines and microturbines.

by Jeff St. John

03.04.21 Energy Storage 3

This FlexGen storage system in Indiana provides blackstart capabilities for a utility. (Image credit: FlexGen)

Storage Integrator FlexGen Gains New Leadership at Crucial Time

The hardware and software specialist cracked the tricky Texas market and aims to expand.

by Julian Spector

03.03.21 Grid Edge 2

From Brooklyn to the South Pacific, One Platform Finds Distributed Energy Opportunity Everywhere

One platform is creating gigawatt-scale opportunities for DER growth and investment.

by GTM Creative Strategies

03.01.21 Energy 12

Texas is facing a cascading financial fallout from a week of sky-high electricity and natural-gas prices amid blackouts.

Texas Crisis Drives First Nonprofit Utility Bankruptcy, With More Fallout Expected

A co-op seeks shelter from $2 billion in electricity costs, the state sues a shut-down Griddy, and a San Antonio utility may pull back on its clean energy goals.

by Jeff St. John

02.11.21 Grid Edge 7

Bloom Energy is targeting carbon-free markets with hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyzers and carbon capture and storage built on its core technology. (Credit: Bloom Energy)

Bloom Energy Charts a Future in Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Electrolysis and Carbon Capture

Fourth-quarter performance and bookings boost profitability target to 2021 for natural-gas fuel cells. Hydrogen and carbon capture are the next steps.

by Jeff St. John

02.05.21 Grid Edge 8

California regulators are planning a new approach to enlisting behind-the-meter batteries, solar, electric vehicles and other assets to replace grid upgrades.

California’s Plan: Crowdsource Distributed Energy to Replace Grid Upgrades

The Partnership Pilot could start to enroll solar, batteries, EVs and other behind-the-meter assets as non-wires alternatives later this year.

by Jeff St. John

02.02.21 9

PG&E's remote-grid initiative envisions an off-grid solar, battery and generator option to remove power lines that risk sparking wildfires.

PG&E Plans Utility-Owned ‘Remote Grids’ for Isolated Communities

Replacing power lines with solar, batteries and generators could cut fire risk and save money — in some limited cases.

by Jeff St. John

02.01.21 Energy 1

Early-stage investors are looking for startups that can shave soft costs and expand access to clean energy.

The Rules for Early-Stage Cleantech Venture Capital Investment in 2021

Create incremental improvements, serve new national climate-change imperatives, and put social impacts front and center.

by Jeff St. John

01.19.21 Grid Edge 5

California agencies face a tight deadline to take steps to prevent more rolling blackouts this summer.

Final Analysis of California’s August Blackouts Yields Few Surprises and a Tight Deadline for Solutions

Quick supply and demand-side actions could forestall future rolling blackouts, but how to get there is open to debate.

by Jeff St. John

01.15.21 Grid Edge 5

California regulators are directing $200 million in utility funding to build microgrids that can power communities during fire-prevention blackouts.

California Sets $200M Budget for ‘Complex, Multi-Property Microgrid’ Projects

Utility funding for community resilience against fire-prevention outages doesn’t go far enough, microgrid groups argue.

by Jeff St. John

01.11.21 Grid Edge 9

Schneider Electric's Energy Center brings an integrated circuit panel for distributed energy-equipped homes to market. (Credit: Schneider Electric)

Schneider Electric Unveils the Energy Center for Distributed-Energy-Enabled Homes

Integrated service for solar, batteries, EV chargers and whole-home energy controls is starting to go mainstream.

by Jeff St. John

12.30.20 Grid Edge 1

The grid edge in 2020 was driven by decarbonization and climate change pressures, and by policy and technology advances.

Greentech Media’s Must-Read Grid Edge Stories of 2020

Decarbonization, resiliency, distributed energy market policy and M&A in the year of COVID-19.

by Jeff St. John

12.24.20 Solar 7

Clean energy and energy storage advocates are still pursuing a list of federal policies that didn't make it into this week's spending and relief bill.

What Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Did, and Didn’t, Get from Congress This Week

Yes on tax incentives, R&D funds and opening public lands. No on storage ITC, direct pay and a clean energy standard.

by Jeff St. John

12.23.20 Energy Storage 4

Behind-the-meter batteries like this AMS installation in Irvine can provide grid services and on-site backup power plus load management. (Credit: AMS)

PG&E’s Latest Energy Storage Procurement Includes Fleet of Behind-the-Meter Batteries

Distributed batteries join utility-scale energy storage projects to balance California’s solar-powered grid.

by Jeff St. John

12.21.20 Grid Edge 6

Why Cities Are the Growth Market for African Minigrids

Villages get donor financing, but urban and ‘peri-urban’ areas are where minigrid developers are finding customers.

by Jason Deign

12.10.20 Grid Edge 3

California faces tough cost, reliability and technology choices when it comes to microgrid options for fire-prevention blackouts.

California Faces Big Challenges to Microgrid Plans for Wildfires and Outages

Proposed regulations have an uphill battle to speed PG&E’s switch from mobile diesel to cleaner, more cost-effective alternatives by 2021.

by Jeff St. John

12.03.20 Grid Edge 2

Eaton and Enel X will install the microgrid at Eaton's manufacturing facility in Arecibo. (Credit: Eaton)

Enel X and Eaton Team Up on Solar and Storage Microgrid in Puerto Rico

Commercial and industrial customers are increasingly turning to solar-plus-storage for resilience.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant

12.02.20 Grid Edge 4

Scottish and Southern Energy Networks has picked Oxfordshire for the next test of its grid market system for distributed energy. (Credit: SSEN)

How the UK Is Building Grid Markets to Reward Flexible Distributed Energy

Opus One and Scottish & Southern Energy take the next steps in the U.K.’s integrated-grid vision.

by Jeff St. John

12.02.20 Grid Edge 1

Munich-based GreenCom Networks is providing IOT platforms running smart home devices and virtual power plants across Europe.

GreenCom Lands Funding to Expand IOT Home Energy Controls in Europe and Beyond

New investors Shell Ventures and Japan’s EEI add strategic partners to expand virtual power plant controls to new markets and devices.

by Jeff St. John

12.02.20 Grid Edge 1

Husk is hoping to raise $100 million in a 2021 funding round. (Credit: Husk Power Systems)

Off-Grid Power Sector Rides Out 2020, Readies for Its Role in Recovery Plans

Lockdowns have slowed off-grid rollouts, but 2021 could re-energize efforts.

by John Parnell

11.18.20 Grid Edge 2

Patti Poppe, now CEO of CMS Energy, will take the helm of California's largest utility as it struggles to rebuild trust, improve safety and strengthen its finances. (Credit: PG&E)

PG&E Picks New CEO to Lead It Through Post-Bankruptcy Challenges

Patti Poppe, now CEO of Michigan utility CMS Energy, will seek to revamp PG&E’s safety programs, prevent wildfires and manage grid outages.

by Jeff St. John

Batteries Are Just Nudging Into the Billion-Dollar Backup Power Market

GTM Squared

Batteries Are Just Nudging Into the Billion-Dollar Backup Power Market

Most backup power comes from fossil fuels. An emerging cadre of companies is pushing batteries instead.

by Julian Spector | November 16, 2020

11.12.20 4

Odin Energy says its wind tower concept can bring wind power to urban areas and island grids. (Credit: Odin Energy)

South Korean Firm Touts Novel Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Tower Concept

Odin Energy is lining up projects in Italy and South Korea. Can it find a niche to compete with mainstream wind turbines?

by Jason Deign

11.03.20 Solar 7

SolarEdge is unlikely to deliver its own battery until early 2021, CEO Zvi Lando says in third-quarter earnings call. (Credit: SolarEdge)

SolarEdge Delays Battery Launch as Residential Solar Sales Bolster Slow Commercial Rebound

SolarEdge marks a strong Q3 with record European revenue, but COVID-19 pushes back its battery launch.

by Jeff St. John

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

What the Coming Wave of Distributed Energy Resources Means for the US Grid

Extreme Weather Keeps Maxing Out the Grid

A Wartime Plan for Electrifying America

An Island’s Path to 100% Renewables

Greentech Media Chronicled Clean Energy Before It Was Cool

Are Batteries at a Turning Point?

Vestas Ventures Makes First Investment With Stake in Wooden Tower Start-Up

Vestas Launches World’s Largest Turbines as 'Big 3' Competition Ramps Up

BP, RWE and EnBW Win Big in UK Offshore Wind Leasing Round

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

Microgrids

Greentech Media Bids Farewell

Mainspring Energy Lands $150M Deal To Deploy Its Linear Generators With NextEra

Storage Integrator FlexGen Gains New Leadership at Crucial Time

From Brooklyn to the South Pacific, One Platform Finds Distributed Energy Opportunity Everywhere

Texas Crisis Drives First Nonprofit Utility Bankruptcy, With More Fallout Expected

Bloom Energy Charts a Future in Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Electrolysis and Carbon Capture

California’s Plan: Crowdsource Distributed Energy to Replace Grid Upgrades

PG&E Plans Utility-Owned ‘Remote Grids’ for Isolated Communities

The Rules for Early-Stage Cleantech Venture Capital Investment in 2021

Final Analysis of California’s August Blackouts Yields Few Surprises and a Tight Deadline for Solutions

California Sets $200M Budget for ‘Complex, Multi-Property Microgrid’ Projects

Schneider Electric Unveils the Energy Center for Distributed-Energy-Enabled Homes

Greentech Media’s Must-Read Grid Edge Stories of 2020

What Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Did, and Didn’t, Get from Congress This Week

PG&E’s Latest Energy Storage Procurement Includes Fleet of Behind-the-Meter Batteries

Why Cities Are the Growth Market for African Minigrids

California Faces Big Challenges to Microgrid Plans for Wildfires and Outages

Enel X and Eaton Team Up on Solar and Storage Microgrid in Puerto Rico

How the UK Is Building Grid Markets to Reward Flexible Distributed Energy

GreenCom Lands Funding to Expand IOT Home Energy Controls in Europe and Beyond

Off-Grid Power Sector Rides Out 2020, Readies for Its Role in Recovery Plans

PG&E Picks New CEO to Lead It Through Post-Bankruptcy Challenges

Batteries Are Just Nudging Into the Billion-Dollar Backup Power Market

South Korean Firm Touts Novel Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Tower Concept

SolarEdge Delays Battery Launch as Residential Solar Sales Bolster Slow Commercial Rebound