Why Solar and Battery Gigafactories Will Not Drastically Reduce PV and Storage Costs

Sonder Agency

Lately we’ve been hearing a lot about gigawatt-scale fabrication shops (fabs) for both PV (NY) and batteries (NV).  And they are promoted as being able to provide great economies of scale that will dramatically and magically accelerate the cost reduction learning curve.  But the fact of the matter is that it’s not quite so simple… Read more

Report: 31 Utilities Added Energy Storage for The First Time in 2016

Sonder Agency

A new report by the Smart Electric Power Alliance indicated 31 utilities, or 43 percent of the utilities surveyed for the study, added energy storage to the grid in the last year. Read more

LADWP and Doosan GridTech Tread New Ground With 20 MW Battery Project

Sonder Agency

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has decided to follow its neighboring utilities in deploying grid-scale batteries. Today, LADWP finalized its parnership with Doosan GridTech and KTY Engineering to deliver on its first battery energy storage system. The utility recently approved procurement of a 20 megawatt/10 megawatt-hour lithium-ion system to go into the… Read more

Australian Businesses Rush to Install Solar Systems to Combat High Power Prices

Sonder Agency

Commercial-scale solar systems are being installed at an unprecedented rate in South Australia as companies attempt to combat some of the most expensive electricity prices in the world. Read more

Blockchain Energy Trading Startup Power Ledger Raises $17M in Cryptocurrency ‘ICO’

Sonder Agency

Power Ledger, an Australian startup that’s seeking to use blockchain technology to create a peer-to-peer renewable energy network, is in the midst of raising tens of millions of dollars in what may be the first “cryptocurrency” fundraising effort in the energy space.  On Sunday, the Perth-based startup launched its first sale of “Power Ledger tokens,”… Read more

With Revolutionary Battery Tech, We Can Shift Global Energy To Renewables, Says Bill Joy

Sonder Agency

Inventor and investor Bill Joy describes a breakthrough technology that can speed the de-carbonization of the planet. Read more

The Shifting Role of the Solar EPC and How the Solar Trade Case Could Change Everything

Sonder Agency

Just five years ago, solar engineering, procurement and construction companies (EPCs) were willing to be a lot more flexible when signing contracts to build solar projects than they are today.  According to Robert Lydan, CEO and Managing Director at Phoventus, it’s about who takes on the majority of project risk. It used to fall on… Read more

Battery and Solar Costs Are Still Falling Fast—and Decision-Makers Are Using Woefully Old Data

Sonder Agency

It's difficult to keep up with cost and performance trends for technologies like batteries and solar PV. It's particularly hard for regulators and policymakers, who often rely on outdated analysis. The latest example comes from California, where the California Independent System Operator is using three-year-old data on battery and solar costs as it evaluates alternatives to… Read more

Driven, Collaborative, Curious — Who Is the New Generation of Solar Talent?

Sonder Agency

The growing support for the nonprofit Solar Head of State from a selection of high-profile people is a testament to the valuable vision that today’s young business men and women bring to the solar sector. Read more

How Does Thermal Energy Storage Reach Scale?

Sonder Agency

A vital technology for securing deep greenhouse gas reductions exists and works well, but still hasn't achieved widespread deployment. Thermal energy storage has succeeded in the field for decades. Precooling an insulated vat of liquid can chop an electricity bill and reduce peak load, as companies like Calmac and Ice Energy have shown. An experimental… Read more