Solar

Conversations with ComEd’s Mark Baranek and Scott Vogt and Prologis’ Nastasha Keefer on their many community solar installations around Chicagoland.

Conversations with ComEd’s Stan Wilk, Latoya Halmon, Bryan Surdy, Admir Beharic, Cristina Botero, Violeta Ryman and BP Pulse’s Mathew Cranley on their large EV charging station near O’Hare Airport. And with ComEd’s Mark Baranek and Scott Vogt and Prologis’ Nastasha Keefer on their many community solar installations around Chicagoland.

“EDP has tangible and realistic transition plans in place to convert its coal plants into green hubs using emerging technologies like renewable hydrogen and storage. Projects like Alqueva Park are part of EDP’s green growth strategy, aligning with the clean energy transition and consolidating core technologies and regions.”

“One out-of-this-world option is space, where the sun is always shining. The challenge lies in getting this space-based solar power safely and efficiently back to Earth. EPRI is always looking for ways to innovate as part of the energy transition, and we’ve begun monitoring SBSP research, and advances needed to enable this technology.

“We push technology hard at PPL mainly because we want to be the best utility in the country, in the world. That’s our goal, and you can’t be that unless you go out and learn from others.”

“There is an evolution from where we were when solar was an upstart and disruptive technology. We’re on that cusp of being an incumbent, and a mainstream technology. We’re the lowest marginal cost energy out there.”

How can we make the supply chain for solar (presently largely offshore-based) more resilient?

In exchange for the battery incentives, participating customer-generators will agree to discharge their batteries in a coordinated way with the utility for a period of ten years.

“A new pilot tariff incentivizes aggregation of customer-owned DERs in targeted locations to avoid upgrading power lines and replacing expensive equipment like transformers.”

I will identify cautions for buyers, in the hope that utilities, regulators, and others communicate to potential solar customers what to look for when considering installing solar panels.