Grid edge

California’s patchwork push to scale up virtual power plants

The state has created more ways for solar-and-battery-equipped homes to get paid to help the grid — but not enough to save the crashing rooftop solar market.

By Jeff St. John . 22 February 2024

An aerial view of a subdivision of single-family homes, many with solar panels visible on the roof — The Chatsworth neighborhood in Los Angeles, California (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Grid edge

Span targets broader market for its smartphone-enabled home electrical panel

CEO Arch Rao says the device's shrinking size and price can help put battery, EV and appliance controls into more homes and apartments — and open up more utility partnerships.

By Jeff St. John . 20 May 2021
Grid edge

California’s race to secure its grid against summer blackouts

Gigawatt-scale batteries and more demand-side resources are lined up. But weather extremes still threaten to stress California’s grid beyond its limits.

By Jeff St. John . 19 May 2021
Grid edge

Voltus raises $31M to go after the grid value of distributed energy

A VoltApp to aggregate DERs and a regulatory strategy to tap into new markets nationwide.

By Jeff St. John . 13 May 2021
Solar

PosiGen spurs solar ownership and environmental justice for low-income homeowners

"California is on the list, but it's not like we're going to Silicon Valley — we'll be going to Compton."

By Eric Wesoff . 13 May 2021
Solar

GAF Energy invests in integrated solar rooftops, adds US manufacturing jobs

It's all about "American jobs and California jobs, getting the facility in place, hiring locally and promoting U.S. solar."

By Eric Wesoff . 11 May 2021
Grid edge

Inside the GridWise Alliance’s plan for $50B in federal funding for the grid edge

Utilities and tech vendors target the gaps between large-scale clean grid investments and EVs, smart buildings and distributed energy.

By Jeff St. John . 10 May 2021
Climatetech finance

Mainspring Energy raises $95M for linear generators to clean up the grid

The startup envisions its novel technology as a linchpin of a distributed, resilient and renewable power grid.

By Jeff St. John . 4 May 2021
Solar

GAF Energy has installed more solar roofs than Tesla

"The industry will evolve from rack-mounted to building-integrated PV."

By Eric Wesoff . 3 May 2021
Energy storage

Are market constraints hampering the evolution of ‘last-mile’ grid resources?

Future grids will need assets on standby for times when there isn't enough wind and solar. But how will these assets be valued and compensated?

By Jason Deign . 27 April 2021
Electrification

Chart of the day: Fuel cell industry profits

The hydrogen funding wave and the enormous potential of the hydrogen economy boosted the stock price of public fuel cell companies in 2020 — but not their profits.

By Eric Wesoff . 26 April 2021