Minimum 103 GW distributed solar for the US: A Local Solar for All report — based on analysis from Vibrant Clean Energy — estimates the US to deploy a minimum of 103 GW of distributed solar power by 2030, meaning an increase of 65 GW of new capacity over next 8 years. It would also need 137 GW of distributed energy storage by 2030, if the country wants to achieve its climate goals at the lowest cost. Distributed solar and storage expansion will reduce stress on utility scale resources and enable access to 579 GW of utility scale solar and 442 GW of wind energy. It would also save ratepayers more than $109 billion by 2030, compared to deploying utility scale renewables alone. The report sees this as leading to the creation of more than 1.2 million new American jobs.
Using conservative cost and technology assumptions, the report examined how to build the lowest cost grid using President Biden's climate goals as key constraints: 80% clean electricity by 2030, 50% economy-wide carbon reductions by 2030, 95% economy-wide carbon reductions by 2050, and 100% electrification of the economy by 2050. Key findings of the report are available on the Local Solar for All website.
bp acquires Blueprint Power: bp plc has acquired US based technology company Blueprint Power which, according to the company, turns buildings into a flexible power network by connecting them to energy markets through cloud-based software. It enables commercial building owners to sell surplus energy stored in batteries that are power generated from solar panels among other renewables. Currently Blueprint has helped install and generate 13 MW of renewable energy for 5 commercial real estate owners in New York, and with bp it plans to expand this capacity to 36 MW by the end of 2022.
"Buildings hold huge untapped potential to improve energy resilience in an increasingly unpredictable world and to decarbonize our built environment," said Blueprint Founder and CEO Robyn Beavers. "The time to grow and affect real change is now, and as a bp Launchpad company, we will have the partnerships and opportunities to help buildings make a positive contribution to the energy transition."
Solar microgrid project in Puerto Rico: Enel Group's advanced energy services business Enel X and power management company Eaton will build a solar+storage microgrid plant in Puerto Rico. Located at Eaton's Las Piedras facility, it is the duo's 2nd joint microgrid project in the territory. It will enable integration of some 5 MW AC of solar PV and 1.1 MW/2.2 MWh of battery storage — same as the previous project for Eaton's Arecibo site — into Eaton's onsite power generation systems. Power generated by the facility will enable Eaton to power its manufacturing with more renewables and boost the energy efficiency for its operations. "Together with the microgrid system at the Eaton Arecibo site, Eaton and Enel X will contribute 10 MW AC of solar PV and 2.23 MW/4.46 MWh of battery storage in Puerto Rico by 2022," stated the duo.