Study shows that, in most circumstances, customers should maintain low reserves, prioritizing bill savings over backup power Home battery storage paired with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can reduce utility bills under certain rate structures while also providing backup power during power interruptions. For power interruptions that come with some warning … [continued]
Manganese is earth-abundant and cheap. A new process could help make it a contender to replace nickel and cobalt in batteries. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are growing in adoption, used in devices like smartphones and laptops, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. But supplies of nickel and cobalt commonly used in … [continued]
2023 was another big year for newly installed and proposed hybrid power plants, even with PPA price increases Please join us for a free webinar highlighting key information from the new Berkeley Lab annual report tracking the development of “hybrid” power plants that combine, for example, utility-scale wind and/or solar … [continued]
Newly released data compilation from Berkeley Lab tracks operational and proposed plants Improving battery technology and the growth of variable renewable generation are driving a surge of interest in “hybrid” power plants that combine, for example, utility-scale wind and/or solar generating capacity with co-located batteries. A newly released briefing from … [continued]
We are pleased to announce the release of the latest edition of Berkeley Lab’s Tracking the Sun annual report, describing trends for distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States, including the growing contingent of distributed solar-plus-storage systems. The report is based on data from roughly 3.7 million systems installed nationally … [continued]
ChatGPT & DALL-E generated panoramic image of US federal lands restored to nature with a sprinkling of wind turbines
Though 2023 was a relatively slow year for new wind power deployment in the United States, the industry continues to see growth, solid performance, expanding supply chains, and attractive prices, according to a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). With … [continued]
Become a Community Science Partner with the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring
DALL·E generated image of a crowd of people moving together related to climate change
Berkeley Lab study reveals how industry engages with energy host communities when developing large wind and solar projects. The increasing deployment of utility-scale wind and solar energy across the US highlights debates about the appropriate role for the public in siting and permitting decisions. Important to these discussions is a … [continued]
We are pleased to announce the release of Berkeley Lab’s 2024 edition of U.S. State Renewables Portfolio & Clean Electricity Standards. The report provides an overview and status update on U.S. state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) and has been expanded to also cover 100% clean electricity standards (CES) adopted by a … [continued]
Advances in electric appliances, electric vehicles (EVs), rooftop solar and energy storage — plus incentives from utilities and governments — are attracting growing consumer interest in these technologies. Consumer investments may include upgrades for electric service panels, especially when installing multiple electrification measures in older homes (see photo). In some … [continued]
Figure 2. In 2023, average wholesale electricity prices (2023$/MWh) varied strongly by region. Shown are annual average real time electricity market prices based on data from all locational marginal p ce (LMP) nodes in 2023. Energy Markets & Policy Berkeley laboratory
The Renewables and Wholesale Electricity Prices (ReWEP) visualization tool from Berkeley Lab has been updated with nodal electricity pricing and wind and solar generation data through the end of 2023: https://emp.lbl.gov/renewables-and-wholesale-electricity-prices-rewep. ReWEP users can explore trends in wholesale electricity prices and their relationship to wind and solar generation. ReWEP includes … [continued]
