Solar, wind and hydropower are growing renewable power sources working to stabilize energy costs and curb global climate change. To balance the grid to provide captured renewable energy during off-peak hours, utilities can consider investing in reliable, large-scale battery energy storage.
Burns & McDonnell renewables business development manager Adam Bernardi talks about what is already being built, what still needs to be developed, and what a transition to renewable energy will look like for homeowners, businesses, cities and regions years down the road. [ Ссылка ] #Renewables #RenewableEnergy #EnergyStorage
--
The shift from fossil fuels to renewables is here and it's growing rapidly. Utilities are already building the infrastructure to support it as a part of a commitment to decarbonize the electric grid.
Conversations surrounding renewable energy generation are extremely important right now. Everybody is trying to figure out where they fit in this marketplace. It's not just power-generating clients trying to build renewable power projects. This is oil and gas companies trying to figure out if they should buy renewable power through a power purchase agreement or build projects based on existing land that they have. This is manufacturing facilities trying to figure out if they should put solar panels on a roof of a parking structure. The whole country is trying to figure out ways to, not only further their company ESG and sustainability goals, but also move renewable energy forward in this country. Success in the US looks like meaningful gigawatts of renewable power generation being built year over year. That's both solar and battery energy storage across the country.
Many think that the true goal is 100% clean power. I don't know that we'll ever get there, but there's a recent, interesting data point that California achieved 103% of its electricity need being generated through renewable power. Battery energy storage will be extremely important as we continue to build out intermittent, renewable projects like solar and wind. Battery energy storage helps us move renewable power that is generated in the heat of the day to the mornings and the evenings when we need it most.
The current petition that's being considered by the Department of Commerce is an example of our legislators continuing to bring about legislation to influence meaningful manufacturing of solar panels here in the United States. Everyone in the market is supportive of additional manufacturing capability here in the US. However, a petition like this has caused disruption in the market that has slowed projects down. Many people are talking about a different way to try and legislate to incentivize manufacturing here in the United States through either tax incentives or grants, as opposed to harmful tariffs that provide uncertainty in the market, making it hard for owners to plan for project delivery dates.
There's been several legislative bills that have an ITC for standalone energy storage or a direct pay option for solar power. Direct pay would open up the market in a very big way for new participants and folks who are only participating a little bit, such as regulated utilities. With a direct pay exemption, regulated utilities would have the option to get a check from the federal government in exchange for putting renewable power projects in the ground.
For companies to operate in the renewable space. You have to be extremely flexible. There are so many changes day by day, from material shortages to new petitions being considered, that you have to be willing to take your five-year business plant and throw it in the trash in six months and start over again.
The demand for renewable energy generation is not some trend or fad that's going away. It's here to stay, and it's growing at a rapid pace. The path towards sustainable economy may involve risks, but it also is full of opportunities.
