Policy
Australia’s “Sunshine State” Issues Solar Rooftop Public Housing Tenders
The Queensland Dept. of Housing and Public Works is soliciting "Expressions of Interest" from qualified solar energy design, engineering and installation companies to install solar PV systems on public housing in Cairns and Rockingham, part and parcel of a broader project that aims to see 3-6 MWs of solar power capacity installed on 2,000-4,000 houses.
Read more →20-Plus Million Bangladeshis Now Have Access to Clean, Affordable Home Solar
Driven primarily by rapid deployment of small-scale, off-grid home solar PV-energy storage systems, access to electricity in Bangladesh has risen from 47% to 80% since 2009.
Read more →New Secretary of Defense James Mattis Supports Solar Military Microgrids To 'Remove Tether of Fuel'
As Coalition Forces stormed Baghdad in 2003, the commanders knew they had a significant Achilles heel. They didn't know how long they had to defeat Saddam's regime before the difficulty of delivering fuel throughout the battlefield would catch up with…
Read more →El Hierro – The leading example for renewable integration on islands?
El Hierro is a frequently cited example for renewable integration on islands, but microgrid expert Martin Baart " couldn't disagree more," here's why: There is no business case Duration of project implementation There is no use of leading technologies…
Read more →Bipartisan Microgrid Support Helps Push Energy Bill Forward
At 85-12, the senate has passed the first energy bill since 2007 with overwhelming bi-partisan support. It's a historic $37.5 billion energy and water bill that could shape the energy transition in the United States in a more directed, thoughtful…
Read more →Mobile Phone Adoption In Africa Can Provide Tools, Demand, and Lessons for Off-Grid Electrification
Hundreds of millions of phones ( a nd smartphones ) have been activated in Africa. But the aspiration of portable and renewable off-Grid solutions for all households still appears far-fetched. In countries like Nigeria, many urban household s…
Read more →"It's Like The Early Days of the Internet," Blockchain-based Brooklyn Microgrid Tests P2P Energy Trading
“When the internet was first introduced, it was hard to conceive of the drastic impact it would have on the world. We’ve got all the parts to do some…
Read more →The Investment Case for Mini-Grids and Off-Grids in Africa
Since the mid-1990s, external finance to Africa’s power sector has averaged only around US$600m per year of public assistance, plus a similar volume of private finance, according to the World Bank. Africa’s critical need for development requires rapid and effective…
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Community Microgrid Models Emerge
Affordable energy storage and an uptick in personal wealth are creating new business opportunities for community microgrid developers, according to a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The global increase in personal wealth may come as a surprise to…
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Transmission Charges Penalize Local Clean Power in California
Transmission Access Charges (TAC) are fees designed to pay for the state’s transmission system, operations and maintenance, amortization of capital, and return-on-equity. TAC add about $0.03 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to the levelized cost of energy…
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Will Desalination Undermine California's Renewable Energy Targets Or Be A Grid Resource?
Large, inflexible desalination plants could jeopardize California's renewable energy targets and increase the cost of both water and energy. Better designed desalination plants can be a grid resource enabling renewable microgrids. Maintaining a balance on the electric grid used to…
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Community Microgrids are the bridge to a modern grid
The Clean Coalition shows how adopting community microgrids can provide a pathway to a clean, resilient, and less expensive energy system. The electric grid was not designed to utilize distributed energy resources (DERs), which can include solar panels, wind turbines,…
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