Energy

Daimler and Statkraft have reached a power purchase agreement (PPA) to use wind and solar energy to power Mercedes factories

Daimler | April 07, 2021

Through these agreements with renewables, an increasing number of major industrial players are seeking to decarbonize their activities. Daimler has also signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with wind farms in Germany and Poland. However, this new agreement will provide them with 100% renewable energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as it combines wind and solar power, with hydro capacity in Norway providing backup.

Wind power will be generated by 200 wind turbines located across 24 different wind farms in Germany. There are existing wind farms that are no longer receiving public funding. As a result, the deal keeps them operational and aims to stop premature and needless decommissioning of the turbines.

Furthermore, by combining wind, solar, and hydro Daimler and Statkraft show that renewables can provide stable and reliable electricity to industry, in this case to a critical part of Europe's manufacturing base.

The German government, as well as other governments, should continue to endorse these types of PPA deals. They are an excellent way to boost market-driven renewable energy demand. However, many countries continue to face challenges to PPAs. Energy-intensive industries in Germany, are now penalized unnecessarily if they sign a corporate renewable PPA. Besides that, some governments refuse to have the necessary origin guarantees that underpin PPAs by ensuring the traceability of renewable energy.

“This is a fantastic deal”,  said WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson. Daimler gets clean energy. Europe's biggest industry has made significant progress in reducing pollution. 24 wind farms get a new customer and will continue to operate without public assistance. The wind is combined with solar and hydro to provide consistent electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And Europe gains a prime example of how affordable and dependable renewables can decarbonize the economy.”

Spotlight

Urgent action must be taken to accelerate Australia’s progress towards 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. Solar photovoltaics (PV) will be one of the most important technologies to achieve decarbonisation of the global energy system, however, a step change in costs is needed to unlock its full potential.


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Energy

Powur PBC Unveils Game-Changing Enhancements to its Platform

Powur PBC | September 11, 2023

Powur PBC, a pioneering platform-based company dedicated to simplifying the journey toward clean energy adoption, has unveiled significant enhancements to its sales enablement and project fulfillment platforms just ahead of its grand annual event for solar sales professionals, Powur World. The company is poised to elevate its sales enablement and project fulfillment platforms, primarily catering to the requirements of solar sales professionals and enterprises. This enhancement encompasses the launch of its integrated Powur Vision proposal system and incorporating advanced enterprise features, along with expanded lead nurturing capabilities, into its platform functionalities. In pursuit of delivering a fully integrated sales experience for solar professionals and businesses, Powur is launching its proprietary proposal system, Vision, seamlessly integrated into the Powur platform. Previously available in a beta versionin select markets, Vision is now accessible in over 20 states where Powur operates. As the energy market evolves and solar sales become more intricate, companies aiming to incorporate solar solutions into their offerings or enhance existing solar sales capabilities are increasingly searching for cost-effective, user-friendly sales enablement and fulfillment platforms that enable them to focus on sales instead of back-office tasks and logistics. Powur is responding to this demand by enhancing its enterprise product suite with customizable compensation and margin controls, boosting project profitability. The team assignment and staff override functionalities help facilitate smoother project management and incentivize team members. Furthermore, recent updates to the enterprise product suite, such as co-branding and an open API, empower companies to establish their own brand identity while leveraging Powur's administrative prowess, procurement power, and top-tier training and enablement resources. Powur, already equipped with crucial sales enablement features, is fortifying its platform with enhanced lead acquisition, communication, nurturing, and tracking capabilities to boost closing rates. These newly introduced features empower solar organizations and sales professionals to consolidate their pre-and post-sales activities within a single, cost-effective platform, all the while elevating project visibility and control. At Powur World, an impressive assembly of nearly 1,000 dedicated and skilled solar sales professionals gathered from September 6th to 9th, 2023, to fortify their sales acumen and deepen their understanding of the industry, market dynamics, and product and financing intricacies. Leaders in the solar energy sector, including Enphase, SPAN, Sunnova, SolarEdge, Sungage, Unirac, and Qcells, actively participated in this event. The event's keynote speaker was Robert Richman, co-creator of Zappos, renowned for crafting an unparalleled employee and customer service experience under the Zappos brand. Earning a consistent place on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies for four consecutive years, Powur remains committed to expanding its platform by continually introducing new features, technologies, services, installers, and sales professionals. Powur's platform-centric business model allows for the swift integration of cutting-edge technologies while mitigating risks and costs. By offering premium, cutting-edge clean energy solutions, Powur empowers individuals to gain greater control over their energy consumption through fully customized clean energy solutions for their homes. About Powur PBC Powur PBC, founded in 2014 and headquartered in California, is a leading platform-based company dedicated to accelerating the widespread adoption of solar energy. It stands as the world's first 100% virtual residential solar company in the cloud. Leveraging its innovative platform model, the company possesses the agility required to swiftly respond to the dynamic demands of an ever-evolving solar landscape. At the heart of Powur's mission lies a commitment to making solar energy accessible and affordable to homeowners. The company's unique model ensures cost-effective and tailored solar solutions for homeowners and empowers its extensive network, which comprises thousands of independent sales professionals and regionally specialized installation partners, fostering collaboration and driving progress toward a sustainable energy future.

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Solar+Storage, Energy

Mitsubishi Power Marks Successful Validation, Installation and Operation of Large-Scale Electrolyzers

businesswire | September 29, 2023

Underscoring its commitment to advancing hydrogen technology in the energy industry, Mitsubishi Power has successfully completed the permanent installation of its large-scale electrolyzer at the company’s state-of-the-art Takasago Hydrogen Park in Japan. The unit now operates at full load and in real-world conditions as the long-term validation begins. The large-scale 5.5 MW single stack pressurized alkaline electrolyzer is being validated in two stages. First, a single unit was installed and tested at the Herøya Industrial Park in Norway; extensive operational parameters were tested and the short-term validation culminated in a 96-hour baseload run of safe and reliable operation. From there the technology is now undergoing long-term validation at a permanent installation in the Takasago Hydrogen Park. Takasago Hydrogen Park is the world’s first center dedicated to the validation of hydrogen-related technologies. It is designed for the long-term operation of these electrolyzers at one location and under the same conditions as they would operate commercially. Full-scale validation of a technology is a method championed by Mitsubishi Power for more than 30 years and aims to minimize technology risk for customers. The objectives include performance, operations, start-ups, shutdowns, gas quality, safety, and digital control integration. While this disciplined validation process extends the overall product development schedule, Mitsubishi Power’s philosophy is to invest time to achieve high reliability which translates to fewer troubleshooting issues once the product is commercial, and it helps reduce unplanned downtime for the owner - saving costs, minimizing forced outages, and increasing unit availability. This electrolyzer design will be used in the production of green hydrogen at North America’s largest hydrogen energy project under construction, the Advanced Clean Energy Storage (ACES Delta) project in Delta, Utah, a joint venture between Chevron and Mitsubishi Power Americas, with equipment arriving on-site starting in fall 2023. ACES Delta is a utility-scale energy project that will produce, store, and deliver green hydrogen. Scheduled to begin operations in 2025, the ACES Delta project will use renewable energy-powered electrolyzers to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The green hydrogen produced using electrolysis will be stored in two massive salt caverns, each the size of the Empire State Building, and each capable of storing 150-gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy for dispatch back to the grid when it is needed. Kent Rockaway, Vice President, Hydrogen Production, Mitsubishi Power Americas, said These validation units are significant milestones for our electrolyzer technology and a testament to how we approach the development of our products for our customers. The electrolyzers will soon arrive at the ACES Delta project, a benchmark project that will help decarbonize the western U.S., and we are excited to watch its progress. [Source – Business Wire] Additional Press Releases Mitsubishi Power Signs Purchase Contract with HydrogenPro for Large Scale Electrolyzer System US DOE Closes $504.4 Million Loan to Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project for Hydrogen Production and Storage Takasago Hydrogen Park, the World's First Integrated Validation Facility for Technologies from Hydrogen Production to Power Generation, Enters Full-Scale Operation -- Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Begins About Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. (Mitsubishi Power) headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, employs more than 2,700 power generation, energy storage, and digital solutions experts and professionals. Our employees are focused on empowering customers to affordably and reliably combat climate change while also advancing human prosperity throughout North, Central, and South America. Mitsubishi Power’s power generation solutions include gas, steam, and aero-derivative turbines; power trains and power islands; geothermal systems; PV solar project development; environmental controls; and services. Energy storage solutions include green hydrogen, battery energy storage systems, and services. Mitsubishi Power also offers intelligent solutions that use artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation of power plants. Mitsubishi Power is a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, MHI is one of the world’s leading heavy machinery manufacturers with engineering and manufacturing businesses spanning energy, infrastructure, transport, aerospace, and defense

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Solar+Storage

Cubico Sustainable Investments acquires 121 MW of wind and solar in Uruguay

prnewswire | September 27, 2023

Cubico Sustainable Investments (Cubico), one of the world's largest privately-owned renewable energy companies, has completed the acquisition of three operational projects in Uruguay from Brookfield. The transaction comprises two wind farms, 52 MW Carape I and 43 MW Carape II in Maldonado; and one solar PV plant, 26 MW Alto Cielo in Artigas. This significant acquisition pushes Cubico's renewables capacity in Uruguay to over 320 MW, further consolidating the company's position as the largest individual private owner of renewable assets in the country. Javier Areitio, Head of Origination and Development at Cubico, said: "This deal aligns with one of the pillars of our global growth strategy: increasing and diversifying our installed capacity in each of our existing markets, rather than expanding our geographical footprint. As we build our clean energy portfolio, we are prioritising the pursuit of synergies and a 24/7 generation profile in each country where we operate." Javier Pérez del Castillo, Country Manager for Uruguay at Cubico, added: "This is another important milestone for Cubico, significantly strengthening our position as the largest private owner of renewables in Uruguay and one of the largest in the world. Through this acquisition, we are very pleased to have diversified our Uruguayan asset base and expanded our local team, enhancing our technical and financial capabilities." About Cubico Founded in May 2015, Cubico Sustainable Investments is one of the world's largest privately-owned renewable energy companies. The company is backed by the resources of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, and PSP Investments, one of Canada's largest pension investment managers. Cubico's global portfolio in 11 countries has an installed gross capacity of more than 2.8 GW, with nearly 700 MW in construction and a 4.8 GW development pipeline. Cubico is headquartered in London and has offices in São Paulo (Brazil), Athens (Greece), Milan (Italy), Austin and New York (US), Mexico City (Mexico), Madrid (Spain), Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (Australia), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Bogotá (Colombia).

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Energy

Cordia Acquiring Three Cutting-Edge Energy Systems from Essential Utilities in Allegheny County

prnewswire | October 04, 2023

Cordia, a leading provider of safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions, today announced that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire three microgrids and district energy systems in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, from Essential Utilities, Inc. The acquisition is valued at $165 million. The three energy systems included in the agreement are The Pittsburgh International Airport Microgrid, the first of its kind, which allows the airport to operate independent of the electric grid thanks to a 21.25 MW natural gas power plant, making PIT one of the most resilient airports. The district energy system at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) – Wexford Hospital, which provides the 160-bed hospital with all heating, cooling, and primary power needs via steam boilers, hot water boilers, chillers, and a 2.0 MW natural gas generator, along with emergency backup power. The Allegheny County District Energy System, which provides efficient and resilient steam and hot water services to six government buildings including the Allegheny County Courthouse and City-County Building, using seven state-of-the-art steam boilers and one domestic water heater. "We are excited to acquire these three energy systems," said Cordia CEO Earl Collins. They are a perfect fit for our portfolio and will help us to further our mission of providing safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions to our customers. We look forward to working with the Pittsburgh International Airport, Allegheny Health Network, and Allegheny County teams to ensure a smooth transition and continue providing excellent service to their customers. [Source: PR Newswire] The acquisition is a strategic move for Cordia. The acquisition expands the firm's presence in the Pittsburgh region where it currently operates energy systems in Pittsburgh's Uptown and North Shore neighborhoods, and the on-campus energy system for Duquesne University. Cordia's assets have been operating in the region since 1964, and its existing investments in the area allow Cordia to deliver the most efficient solutions to its customers. This acquisition is a testament to Cordia's commitment to growing its regional presence and building on its existing customer base. The three energy systems were developed by Essential subsidiary Peoples, leveraging Southwestern Pennsylvania's abundance of natural gas to deliver safer, more reliable and more resilient energy to some of the region's most critical institutions. All three began operating in 2021. "Our teams at Peoples and Essential should be proud knowing their work to develop these innovative energy systems has made this region better," said Essential Utilities CEO & Chairman Chris Franklin. "Selling these unregulated assets to a skilled operator in Cordia allows us to focus more fully on our core business as a regulated utility." "We are confident our customers will be in good hands with Cordia operating these energy systems," said Peoples President Mike Huwar. "Our team looks forward to providing clean, safe, affordable and reliable natural gas service to all three projects for years to come." "This acquisition is a demonstration to Cordia's commitment to providing innovative energy solutions to our customers and growth in the Pittsburgh area," said Collins. "We are proud to be a part of this community and continue to work with our partners to build a more resilient and sustainable energy future for Pittsburgh." The transaction is subject to various closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in late 2023 or early 2024. About Cordia Cordia is a leading provider of safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions. Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Cordia serves over 700 customers with heating, cooling, and electricity throughout the U.S. Cordia is committed to driving change toward a more resilient, sustainable energy future and empowering people and communities to reach their full potential. Learn more at www.cordiaenergy.com. About Essential Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities. With a focus on water, wastewater and natural gas, Essential is committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status. We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

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Spotlight

Urgent action must be taken to accelerate Australia’s progress towards 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. Solar photovoltaics (PV) will be one of the most important technologies to achieve decarbonisation of the global energy system, however, a step change in costs is needed to unlock its full potential.

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