ENERGY
businesswire | May 04, 2023
Leading US distributed energy company Aspen Power announced that the company has developed or acquired more than 100 solar projects in Massachusetts. Following Aspen Power's acquisition of Safari Energy in 2022, the company’s footprint in the state now totals 36.5 megawatts (MW) of capacity with 90,790 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity produced to date. That’s the equivalent of the electricity use of more than 12,000 homes per year or avoiding more than 64,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.1
“The Commonwealth’s ambitious, coordinated climate policy leadership has made it a key focal point of our development strategy and aligns well with our dual mission to accelerate and democratize decarbonization,” said Jackson Lehr, Co-Founder & CFO of Aspen Power. “The SMART Program in particular continues to promote development in a way that benefits diverse stakeholders and supports the continued deployment of local, clean energy.”
The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, which provides financial incentives directly to solar system owners, has resulted in an especially strong market for C&I solar across the state. SMART incentives have also made Massachusetts an attractive market for community solar and increased access to clean, renewable energy for many low-moderate income (LMI) communities across the state.
Notable Projects in Massachusetts
Aspen Power’s Massachusetts portfolio includes a diverse array of solar projects ranging in size, deal structure, and technology type. Among the 100 projects developed or acquired in Massachusetts, the largest is a 3.4 MW multi-phase solar rooftop and solar parking canopy project at the Natick Mall. Another distinctive project in Canton, MA is unique because it includes three different types of solar technologies – a rooftop array, parking canopy, and ground mount system – all in one project totaling 1.6 MW. Aspen continues to develop new projects throughout the state, including a ground-mounted community solar array expected to come online in 2024.
Aspen Power serves a variety of market segments in Massachusetts, with customers consisting of commercial and industrial businesses, public sector entities, retail centers, warehouse and storage facilities, and community solar subscribers. Aspen’s projects in the state range from community centers like the Boys and Girls Club in Newton, to ice rinks and apartment buildings in Stoneham and Ashland; there are solar installations at schools ranging from elementary level to universities like Tufts, as well as fitness centers, transit authorities and more. These diverse projects span multiple utility service territories including Eversource and National Grid. You can see more of these projects in the MA Project Gallery on our website.
To date, Aspen Power has developed or acquired more than 600 projects nationwide from Maine to Hawaii. Backed by global investment firm Carlyle, Aspen is one of the largest distributed generation independent power producers (IPPs) in the country, adding more than 50 staff and 220+ MW of operating assets to its portfolio through its acquisition of Safari Energy in 2022. Aspen’s early-stage project expertise, flexible financing solutions, and customer-centric approach continue to lead the company to new industry milestones such as this one and solidify it as a leader in the distributed generation space.
About Aspen Power
Aspen Power is a distributed energy generation platform with the dual mission of accelerating and democratizing decarbonization. We partner with businesses, communities, and others in the industry to develop, construct, and operate renewable energy assets. Our experienced team is passionate about solving our customers’ energy challenges to deliver a sustainable future throughout the U.S.
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INDUSTRY UPDATES
businesswire | April 13, 2023
ESS Tech, Inc. a leading manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems for commercial and utility-scale applications, today announced that it will deliver three Energy Warehouse systems to Coldwell Solar, a major developer and builder of renewable energy projects for California’s commercial, agricultural and utility sectors. The systems will be installed in a solar + storage microgrid at Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger Cellars and Domaine Anderson, California wineries in Mendocino County known for their sparkling and still wines. Coldwell Solar worked with the wineries to design a system that met their needs and the microgrid is expected to be operational in late 2023.
“The wineries needed an energy storage solution that could withstand the elements and operate safely in a wildfire-prone region. With its inherent safety and low carbon footprint, ESS technology was the only option that meets the energy resilience and sustainability needs of our customer. We look forward to partnering with ESS on future projects to accelerate clean energy deployments in the state,” said Sean Hood, COO of Coldwell Solar.
The ESS solution will safeguard Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger Cellars and Domaine Anderson against the impacts of Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events and other grid interruptions to ensure resilient winery operations 24/7, demonstrating the key role that energy storage can play in rural agricultural applications and supporting the operations of a major employer in the region. In addition, the winery will avoid significant demand charges and realize energy savings by utilizing ESS technology to reduce grid electricity use during peak periods. The ability to reduce grid demand during late afternoon and evening periods will also support the stability of the local grid.
“Our safe and sustainable long-duration energy storage systems are ideally suited to a wide variety of commercial and industrial applications. We’re pleased to support these wineries’ commitment to sustainability while providing the energy security needed to continue delivering economic benefits to the Mendocino region,” said Hugh McDermott, SVP of business development for ESS.
ESS’ long-duration energy storage technology is safe and non-toxic, making it ideal for wildfire prone regions. The company’s battery modules have been certified to the UL 9540A and UL 1973 standards, affirming ESS modules’ quality, resilience and ability to operate safely.
ESS iron flow technology provides cost-effective long-duration energy storage and is ideal for applications that require up to 12 hours of flexible energy capacity. ESS technology is safe, non-toxic and has a 25-year design life without capacity fade.
About ESS Tech Inc
At ESS our mission is to accelerate global decarbonization by providing safe, sustainable, long-duration energy storage that powers people, communities and businesses with clean, renewable energy anytime and anywhere it’s needed. As more renewable energy is added to the grid, long-duration energy storage is essential to providing the reliability and resiliency we need when the sun is not shining, and the wind is not blowing.
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SOLAR+STORAGE, ENERGY
Globenewswire | May 11, 2023
Polar Power Inc. a global provider of prime, backup and solar hybrid DC power solutions, announced it is now taking advance orders for its new line of mobile Combined Charging System (“CCS”) Electric Vehicle (“EV”) chargers, which are expected to be available before the end of the first quarter of 2024. Mobile EV chargers are used for emergency roadside service providing a fast-charging solution for EVs that have run out of charge before reaching a stationary charging facility. The goal is not to fully charge the vehicle but place a sufficient charge allowing the vehicle to proceed to the nearest charging station; this being analogous to the can of gasoline provided to stranded motorists.
Polar is currently upgrading its mobile CHAdeMO EV chargers to the universal CCS standard to meet the larger market opportunity. Because of the supply chain shortages and long delivery of engines and electronics, Polar is taking orders for shipments starting in the first quarter of 2024.
Since 2011 Polar has sold its CHAdeMO chargers to most of the major U.S. automakers for fast charging their EVs during field testing. The performance advantage Polar provided to mobile EV charging was a significant reduction in the charging system's size, weight, fuel consumption (for both the charger and vehicle transporting the charger), and system cost. Using the Polar system, a complete charging system can be deployed on the back of a small pickup truck relative to alternative solutions requiring a large trailer towed by a truck or tractor/trailer. The Polar mobile EV charger technology is DC based and is less than half the weight and size of an AC generator coupled to an AC to DC charger.
The other alternate solution to an EV running out of power on the road is a flatbed truck to transport the vehicle to the nearest charging station. This is a cumbersome solution requiring a considerable time to load the EV, transport it, and unload it at the charging station. In aggregate, this can take hours and to exacerbate the situation, in many cities, there is a long wait for flatbed truck availability. Using a mobile EV charger allows a small van or pickup truck to perform a 15-to-30-minute charge (about the same time required to only load the vehicle on to the flatbed truck) allowing the motorist to drive to a charging station, which is a substantially more elegant and cost-effective solution. In fact, the Polar EV chargers are small enough to be installed on tow trucks / wreckers or on a small pickup or van. Polar expects this will substantially accelerate the establishments of fleets to serve the fast-growing EV market.
The first sizes to ship will be 15 kW and 30 kW using either propane, natural gas, or diesel. Polar's next generation of DC alternators, its 9000 series, is in test with 50 kW charging output. These chargers are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2024.
Mr. Arthur D. Sams, CEO of the Company, comments, "There is a large number of gas stations in our cities and highways with short lines where it takes only minutes to refuel yet there are still a substantial number of drivers that run out of fuel," said Polar Power CEO Arthur Sams. "I am intimately familiar with the challenges as an EV owner myself for the past 8 years and I know that keeping a charge in your vehicle requires an extra effort. There have been many times that I arrived at the charging station with less than 5 miles of charge remaining in the vehicle and I expect this is a familiar comment from many EV owners".
"One factor causing EVs to run out of charge is commonly referred to as phantom discharge or vampire drain; EV owners can experience continued battery discharge while the vehicle is parked. My EV loses up to 10 miles a day while my car is parked at the airport, so I must make sure there is sufficient charge to manage the time away from the vehicle and the charge needed to get home. The factors causing phantom discharge vary from EV to EV, including preconditioning and temperature regulation of the battery and cabin interior, security cameras, charging the onboard 12 Vdc battery, and miscellaneous apps. As soon as I figure out the setting to reduce my phantom discharges, a software update comes along and seems to switch them on again. In addition to the EV owners’ needs for mobile charging there are the needs of EV manufacturers, transportation logistics, and dealer sales lots. When the automotive manufacturing plant ships an EV there can be problems with dead batteries due to long storage and transportation time, mobile chargers are needed at the docks, storage yards, and the dealerships. Fleet vehicle operators need mobile chargers to maintain and service their fleet.
Mr. Sams concluded, "Many EV owners are burdened with range anxiety, and we can provide a cost-effective and easily accessible solution to give owners greater comfort through emergency on-road charging solutions using our power technology platform. The incumbent solution frequently leads to bad experiences for EV owners who have faced very long waits for a flatbed truck to haul their EV to a charging station, keeping in mind that most EVs are not even towable with standard tow trucks. Overall, we see this as a substantial market opportunity for us by providing the enabling technology to solve this real-world problem that will only become more prevalent with the proliferation of EVs.
We believe supplying each city in the USA with just one mobile EV charger represents a huge market potential."
About Polar Power, Inc.
Gardena, California-based Polar Power, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells direct current, or DC, power systems, lithium battery powered hybrid solar systems for applications in the telecommunications market and, in other markets, including military, electric vehicle charging, cogeneration, distributed power, and uninterruptable power supply. Within the telecommunications market, Polar's systems provide reliable and low-cost energy for applications for off-grid and bad-grid applications with critical power needs that cannot be without power in the event of utility grid failure.
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