In 2022, around 10% of all new residential solar installations included paired storage — up from virtually zero in 2015.

Rooftop solar system median size up 200%, with storage pairings rising: DOE lab

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Across the U.S. market, California “dominates” in sheer numbers of residential solar installations, according to LBNL. And 11% of those systems have attached storage, a trend Barbose said is driven in part by rebates for storage and by the California Public Utilities Commission’s Self-Generation Incentive Program.

However, system sizes in California only average 7.1 kW – “near the low end of the spectrum,” LBNL said, which pulls the U.S. median downward. While median system sizes in most states are “well above 8 kW, and in many states above 9 kW,” California’s overall share of the market means national median size is 7.2kW.

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Source: Utility Dive

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KCCD's CREL announced plans this week for an agrivoltaic demonstration at Bakersfield College's Delano campus.

CREL plans agrivoltaics project at BC’s Delano campus

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Kern Community College District’s California Renewable Energy Laboratory announced plans this week for an agrivoltaic demonstration project bringing together solar panels and crops on the same land at Bakersfield College’s Delano campus.

Photovoltaic panels 7 1/2 feet high, spaced 18 feet apart, will provide power for a greenhouse cooling system, farming equipment or on-site battery storage as part of a hands-on learning installation expected to kick off later this fall.

Funded by part of the $50 million granted to KCCD last year by the state Legislature, the project is intended to promote local innovation in renewable energy while also giving students, industry and the surrounding community an opportunity to explore a field that has gained interest in recent years.

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Source: The Bakersfield Californian

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The new permitting system streamlines approvals for rooftop solar systems, reducing the process time from weeks or months to mere minutes.

Huntington Beach unveils automated solar permitting system

The City of Huntington Beach announced yesterday, the introduction of an automated photovoltaic solar permitting system in collaboration with SolarAPP+. This innovation expedites the approval process for rooftops solar systems, promoting renewable energy adoption amongst community members, as posted on their Facebook page.

Through this initiative, Huntington Beach positions itself as one of Orange County’s leading cities in striving for a sustainable future.

This launch of an automated permitting system reflects the city’s dedication to mitigating reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

It prompts a movement to more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective solutions.

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Source: hoodline

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PG&E announced the launch of its Microgrid Incentive Program and handbook, providing funding, expertise and guidance for building community, local and tribal government-proposed multi-customer microgrids.

PG&E announces new $200 million microgrid grant program

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced the launch of its Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP) and handbook, providing funding, expertise and guidance for building community, local and tribal government-proposed multi-customer microgrids.

The MIP is a new, statewide $200 million competitive grant program that will fund clean-energy community microgrids in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

A community microgrid’s distributed energy resources can also participate in the statewide wholesale market for energy and related services — creating a potential source of earnings for the asset owner and providing an additional buffer for the California grid.

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Source: Solar Power World

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The CPUC is expected to release an amended proposed decision regulating how solar is used and credited on multimeter properties.

California regulators expected to release amended “Virtual Net Metering” proposal next week

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is expected to release an amended proposed decision regulating how solar is used and credited on multimeter properties. The CPUC’s previous proposal would have made solar unaffordable for California schools, farms, apartment renters and small businesses.

The amended proposal is anticipated on Monday or Tuesday of next week. A vote by the CPUC on the proposal, originally slated for late September, is currently scheduled for Thursday, October 12.

At issue are proposed changes to the Virtual Net Energy Metering (VNEM) and Net Energy Metering Aggregation (NEMA) programs. The programs let properties with multiple electric meters install a single solar system for the entire property, sharing one solar system’s electricity and net-metering credits with all customers and meters on that property. This brings the benefits of going solar to many types of consumers who otherwise would not benefit from Net Energy Metering (NEM), the program that makes solar more affordable by crediting consumers with solar systems for the excess energy they produce and share back with the energy grid.

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Source: Solar Power World

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The boom in electric vehicles has fueled a corresponding rush for the minerals needed to produce the batteries that power them.

A California model for solar sites could be a boon for critical mineral mining

The boom in electric buses, cars, trucks and trains has fueled a corresponding rush for the minerals needed to produce the batteries that power them. This global scale-up in what is essentially a brand-new supply chain is part of the vital transition necessary to tackle the climate crisis, moving us toward electric transportation and away from fossil fuels.

But it also has created a moment to ensure we don’t exacerbate the longstanding problems associated with mining — a challenge the federal government has just attempted to address with the release of a new interagency report with recommendations for mining reform in the U.S. Much of this work though will take years to implement, whether here in the United States or in mineral-producing countries around the world.

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Source: The Hill

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14 states produce the equivalent of 30% or more of their electricity consumption from wind, solar and geothermal, up from just two states in 2013.

New report: Wind & solar energy tripled in US over past decade

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In 2022, the United States produced more than three times as much solar, wind and geothermal power than we did in 2013, with growth in all 50 states. That’s according to Renewables on the Rise 2023, an online dashboard unveiled on Wednesday by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group.

“Abundant and clean renewable energy sources, most notably wind and solar, are increasingly playing a leading role in how we power our lives,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy. “The sooner we power our lives with renewable energy, the better it will be for our health and our planet.”

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Source: Environment America

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Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, CA is retiring its diesel generators in favour of a solar microgrid with long-duration energy storage.

California Children’s Hospital replaces diesel plant with solar+storage microgrid

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Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera, California is retiring its diesel generators in favour of a solar microgrid with long-duration energy storage, in a bid to clean up its electricity supply while ensuring a reliable, uninterrupted flow of power.

The Children’s Hospital Resilient Grid with Energy Storage (CHARGES) project will feature a 34.4-megawatt-hour, long-duration storage system using zinc-bromine flow batteries supplied by Brisbane, Australia-based Redflow Ltd., Power Engineering reports. “The microgrid system is designed to safeguard critical hospital operations during utility outages, ensuring at least 18 hours of continued functionality following earthquakes or other natural disasters.”

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Source: The Energy Mix

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Agrivoltaics are still rare in CA, but experts say the shade they provide could be a game-changer in a state where many farms are struggling to plan for a future with limited groundwater.

As California gets drier, solar panels could help farms save water

Satellite imagery of Topaz Solar Farm, a massive solar installation inland from San Luis Obispo in Central California, depicts an oasis of blue panels surrounded by sun-scorched earth. The images do not capture, however, the thousands of sheep hard at work under the panels, eating the non-native grasses and reducing the threat of wildfire.

The operation benefits everyone involved: Sheep farmer Frankie Iturriria gets paid for his time, the collaborating rangeland researchers are breaking ground, and the landowner BHE Renewables can maintain the property with sheep, which have less impact and are more cost-effective than mowers or other livestock. But the farm is one of relatively few examples of agrivoltaics—or combined agriculture and photovoltaic array systems—on private land in California, where the technology has been surprisingly slow to gain visibility and traction.

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Source: Civil Eats

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After a fruitful 2023 state legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed every major climate and clean energy bill that came to his desk.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs slate of clean energy bills into law

After a fruitful 2023 state legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 7 signed every major climate and clean energy bill that came to his desk. They included bills that will speed our way to powering California with 100% clean energy, clear the path for offshore wind power, open up highways to solar infrastructure, renew clean transportation funding, and hold oil companies accountable for their messes. Environment California had sponsored five of those bills, led campaigns on several more and organized public and legislative support for all of them.

“With today’s action, Gov. Newsom cements California’s climate leadership. As one of the biggest economies in the world, what we do here matters beyond our borders,” said Laura Deehan, Environment California’s state director. “California has set ambitious climate goals but getting there requires innovative thinking, willingness to take risks and action to jump-start clean energy in the face of staunch opposition from entrenched interests. Our Legislature and governor have come through on all those counts. Now, it’s time to put these important initiatives into action.”

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Source: Solar Power World

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